02-24-2018, 10:03 AM | #11 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Denver, Colorado
|
Re: Production Values
Quote:
The DF line is designed to SELL, and sell to people who aren't already wonky GURPS geeks who want what they call "content," while criticizing what they call "flash" as a waste of space or money. While I'm certain that SJGames will gladly take the money of any long-time GURPS player who wants to buy the DF boxed set, it's not actually FOR us. We already have this content. It's been available through PDFs and Pyramid articles, for years, now. The DF boxed set is designed to draw in new players, who expect top-notch production values from FRPG publishers who normally spend serious bucks on professional presentation. Given the business goal, professional design and quality art were NOT optional.
__________________
-- MXLP:9 [JD=1, DK=1, DM-M=1, M(FAW)=1, SS=2, Nym=1 (nose coffee), sj=1 (nose cocoa), Maz=1] "Some days, I just don't know what to think." -Daryl Dixon. |
|
02-24-2018, 10:26 AM | #12 | |
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
|
Re: Production Values
Quote:
Without the high quality look and feel it wouldnt be as attractive to new players. Trouble is we didnt get enough on store shelves where that really shows.
__________________
My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more! My GURPS fan contribution and blog: REFPLace GURPS Landing Page My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items) My GURPS Wiki entries |
|
02-24-2018, 11:21 AM | #13 | |
Join Date: Dec 2005
|
Re: Production Values
Quote:
Anyhow, it's a beautiful set and I'm not complaining, but when it's called out as a failure by the manufacturer and that means we won't get another or even a reprint when they run out, I start wondering what could have been done better and what people would accept.
__________________
http://www.neutralgroundgames.com |
|
02-24-2018, 11:32 AM | #14 | ||
Banned
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: 100 hurricane swamp
|
Re: Production Values
Quote:
Quote:
I did enjoy the color art and Character quotes however, those evoke mood and theme well. |
||
02-24-2018, 11:42 AM | #15 |
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Land of the Beer, Home of the Dirndls
|
Re: Production Values
I'd be interested in how much the color is actually a factor these days. Your pool of artists has gotten bigger, as it's quite easy to hire someone from all over the world -- and I doubt that this had a negative impact on the price (sure, some RPG artists are known by name and actually help sell a book, but that's probably not the case for GURPS).
And while I was working in POD, hard-cover was a much bigger price issue than color, as there were still some manual steps done for that, whereas softcover binding is highly automated. Again, might've changed in the last few years. (Back when I was working with those systems, I would've preferred b/w POD, as that would mean better calibrated printers and thus better font quality) On the other hand, POD used to be almost a non-issue when targeting new customers. But given how big online shopping is, not being on the shelves of your local FLGS might be more of a non-issue. If people click on your Amazon POD product after seeing a video on YouTube, that's good enough, too. |
02-24-2018, 12:28 PM | #16 |
Join Date: Dec 2005
|
Re: Production Values
I think POD is the way of the future but there's no way for retailers to profit from it. I looked into doing it in house but between paying full price for the pdf, paper, and toner it's pretty unworkable.
__________________
http://www.neutralgroundgames.com |
02-24-2018, 12:39 PM | #17 | |
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: near London, UK
|
Re: Production Values
Quote:
The hypothetical larger DFRPG with monochrome art would have more content, thus more production time (and Kromm has said before that production effort goes up roughly as word count squared, because each bit has to be checked against each other bit). Against that, you might get more sales from the extra bit of content… or you might lose them from the gamers who are used to seeing their books in lush colour.
__________________
Podcast: Improvised Radio Theatre - With Dice Gaming stuff here: Tekeli-li! Blog; Webcomic Laager and Limehouse Buy things by me on Warehouse 23 |
|
02-24-2018, 12:57 PM | #18 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
|
Re: Production Values
i do not think that I have ever bought POD (though I have received POD gifts). I would much rather support a retailer through buying a physical book through them than pay the same amount for a POD. I tend to only buy RPG books if I can flip through them, which is something that you usually cannot do with POD.
|
02-24-2018, 01:55 PM | #19 |
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Land of the Beer, Home of the Dirndls
|
Re: Production Values
Isn't there an option for POD where retailers don't have to pay full price? Probably not a margin that's sufficient to live on, but then again, they can't compete on a price level with online dealers anyway, and I'd be surprised if gamers didn't do the "browse locally, shop at Amazon" thing.
|
02-24-2018, 03:09 PM | #20 |
Join Date: Dec 2005
|
Re: Production Values
Not that I've ever found. On the other hand, I believe it will come because on-line retailers would also like access to brick and mortar customers. The model isn't there yet but it will come.
__________________
http://www.neutralgroundgames.com |
|
|