POD

[D351]

Just read today's illuminator... I didn't know Print on Demand was on the agenda. This would be AWESOMETACULAR! Who else shares these opinions? I look forward to having an easier time getting those older GURPS books and not having to screw around with ebay so much.... not to mention the fact that I hesitate to purchase pdf-only books. I much prefer to have print copies of everything, so hopefully, even the shorter pdf books will have POD options in the future. I love the future. It's so much better than the present, technologically speaking.

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by D351

I didn't know Print on Demand was on the agenda.

The problem is that it's been on the agenda for quite some time but not as a high priority, and it doesn't appear to be a much higher priority now. Certainly, I'd love to have printed versions of books (assuming prices I'm likely to pay, though I doubt they'd bother if they couldn't offer them for less than outrageous prices), but I'm not holding my breath. And I'm definitely not delaying any purchases until SJGames POD becomes a reality.

[Mateus]

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

The problem is that it's been on the agenda for quite some time but not as a high priority, and it doesn't appear to be a much higher priority now. Certainly, I'd love to have printed versions of books (assuming prices I'm likely to pay, though I doubt they'd bother if they couldn't offer them for less than outrageous prices), but I'm not holding my breath. And I'm definitely not delaying any purchases until SJGames POD becomes a reality.

Yes, I am with you Turhan.

[wellspring]

I agree with all of the above, but I'm not sure if the economics of POD really make it viable for SJGames. The point of POD is supposed to be that you can spread your overhead across your whole printed line rather than having each book justify itself (manufacturing overhead, I mean, obviously not creative).

The problem is that, by all accounts I've heard, the pen-and-paper RPG market has shrunk considerably. The gaming world moved to cards and then to board games. Online MMORPGs have taken their toll as well.

I greatly favor printed supplements (especially hardbacks like Martial Arts, now sadly OOP). PDFs have their uses, especially with webpads, but they're just not the same. With that said, capital is a limited resource. We'd love to see printed versions of many supplements-- but do you want them enough to justify shelving, for example, a 4e Vehicles? In the past, I'd say shelf-space in your FLGS was an argument for printing, but IMO it's not as much of a consideration as it used to be.

[adm]

Hopefully this is something that will come up when Steve Jackson and Stephen D Cole get together in march. ADB does a lot of POD work.

[roguebfl]

The current plans of the SJGames Headquarters lists a room and the POD room.

My understanding what holding POD back is meeting SJ's quality issues.

It is something they want when the tech is ready

[mhd]

I worked for a POD company, and I'd say that properly adjusted inkjet printers could probably do something equivalent to my copy of Psionic Powers (i.e. softcover, B&W). We had a fully automated setup for that. It'll take a few years until the tech is ready for something like the hardcover Basic books...

[D351]

Originally Posted by roguebfl

The current plans of the SJGames Headquarters lists a room and the POD room.

My understanding what holding POD back is meeting SJ's quality issues.

It is something they want when the tech is ready

I don't know about books, but Fantasy Flight does a great job with their POD cards... I actually like the quality than some of the cards that come in their full games.... but if that's any indicator, I think SJ can pull it off.

[nerdwerds]

Originally Posted by mhd

I worked for a POD company, and I'd say that properly adjusted inkjet printers could probably do something equivalent to my copy of Psionic Powers (i.e. softcover, B&W). We had a fully automated setup for that. It'll take a few years until the tech is ready for something like the hardcover Basic books...

Not true. I've ordered POD hardcovers from drivethrurpg.com and they are spectacular.

[demonsbane]

Originally Posted by nerdwerds

Not true. I've ordered POD hardcovers from drivethrurpg.com and they are spectacular.

Despite the increasing popularity of tablets and ebook devices, I still think that books are better being just books. If what you are saying about the POD service of drivethrurpg.com is right, to my mind it would be great to have a similar service for e23 products —specially GURPS books.