Pocket-sized Edition?

voodoo54 · 09-07-2018, 09:32 AM

I was in my FLGS (Boardwalk in Greenville, SC) the other day. They have a really good selection of board, card and roleplaying games. Even SJ games is well represented. They have a decent selection of Munchkin, Zombie Dice, Ogre, and even a couple of Dungeon Fantasy boxed sets (I backed the kick starter and bought a set from them as my backup). I think I even saw Super Kitty Bug Slap. One thing I’ve noticed is a distinct lack of GURPS products. They have a good selection of D&D 5e and Pathfinder of course. They also have a lot of Star Wars, Genesys, and LOTR books from FFG, COC, Middle-earth, Savage Worlds, FATE, and other game systems. They are not afraid of keeping hard copy RPGs in stock. I was wondering what SJ games could do to get GURPS some better on the shelf representation back in gaming stores. I think FATE, Savage worlds, and Pathfinder have been successful with the pocket sized editions of their books. Is this something SJ games might consider? Maybe a pocket-sized run of the “Core” books? Of course, the Basic set, but also maybe Martial Arts, Powers, Magic, Fantasy, and Space? I don’t mind PDFs, but I much rather have a hard copy in my hand to pass around the table and read without having to stare at a screen. Also seeing it in an actual store would grab my attention much more than maybe seeing it on social media. What are everyone else’s thoughts on this?

whswhs · 09-07-2018, 09:36 AM

Well, to start with, the Basic Set volumes would be really thick, past the point where you could get them into a pocket.

voodoo54 · 09-07-2018, 09:39 AM

Keep the Basic set in two books just make them smaller and cheaper. The Pathfinder book is over 500 pages.

Culture20 · 09-07-2018, 09:43 AM

I haven’t seen GURPS books in stores for over a decade. All of my GURPS books are from second-hand book stores in my town.

voodoo54 · 09-07-2018, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Culture20

I haven’t seen GURPS books in stores for over a decade. All of my GURPS books are from second-hand book stores in my town.

I think that is a huge problem. We all know GURPS is great system or we wouldn't frequent this website. It would be nice to be able to get some visibility back in gaming stores.

~~evileeyore~~ · 09-07-2018, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Culture20

I haven’t seen GURPS books in stores for over a decade. All of my GURPS books are from second-hand book stores in my town.

Ditto. Except, I've gone completely pdf for 4e.

MY FLGS barely has any game books on the shelf, just Pathfinder, but they are mostly a gaming place (card games mostly, but they have an RPG night) and store front for an online store.

Ulzgoroth · 09-07-2018, 12:45 PM

Pretty sure the local game store I know about still shelves GURPS 4e. It did last time I checked, certainly.

ericthered · 09-07-2018, 12:58 PM

I'm not a marketer. I'd certainly want to talk to one before taking this route. I would not purchase such a product. I use pdf's and I love them.

My current location has no FLGS. There may be one 60 miles from it. Count your blessings. My old FLGS had some GURPS books, mostly the basic set and one word title like "space" and "mysteries". Plus the prime directive books, for some reason. I was never able to get a gaming group for gurps going at that location, at least not through in-store interactions. On-line has been much more useful. But then again, my time slots tend to be finicky.

sjard · 09-07-2018, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whswhs

Well, to start with, the Basic Set volumes would be really thick, past the point where you could get them into a pocket.

I don't see how that would be an issue. Pathfinder has a pocket version of their core rule book, at 576 pages. GURPS Basic Set would be two volumes with the same page count, and so would each be smaller as pocket size.

Edit: as a side note, "pocket size" in this case is actually closer to the digest/trade paperback size.

Rasputin · 09-07-2018, 02:00 PM

Even my massive (Source Comics and Games) FLGS has very little in the way of printed GURPS stuff. (And it's famous for being a big store.) The local little stores have either less or no GURPS. If nobody is carrying the big GURPS books, why would it carry a dinky one? Pathfinder is carried in Barnes & Noble, so it's a different deal.

09-07-2018, 09:32 AM	#1
voodoo54 Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Southern Carolina	Pocket-sized Edition? I was in my FLGS (Boardwalk in Greenville, SC) the other day. They have a really good selection of board, card and roleplaying games. Even SJ games is well represented. They have a decent selection of Munchkin, Zombie Dice, Ogre, and even a couple of Dungeon Fantasy boxed sets (I backed the kick starter and bought a set from them as my backup). I think I even saw Super Kitty Bug Slap. One thing I’ve noticed is a distinct lack of GURPS products. They have a good selection of D&D 5e and Pathfinder of course. They also have a lot of Star Wars, Genesys, and LOTR books from FFG, COC, Middle-earth, Savage Worlds, FATE, and other game systems. They are not afraid of keeping hard copy RPGs in stock. I was wondering what SJ games could do to get GURPS some better on the shelf representation back in gaming stores. I think FATE, Savage worlds, and Pathfinder have been successful with the pocket sized editions of their books. Is this something SJ games might consider? Maybe a pocket-sized run of the “Core” books? Of course, the Basic set, but also maybe Martial Arts, Powers, Magic, Fantasy, and Space? I don’t mind PDFs, but I much rather have a hard copy in my hand to pass around the table and read without having to stare at a screen. Also seeing it in an actual store would grab my attention much more than maybe seeing it on social media. What are everyone else’s thoughts on this?

09-07-2018, 09:36 AM	#2
whswhs Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lawrence, KS	Re: Pocket-sized Edition? Well, to start with, the Basic Set volumes would be really thick, past the point where you could get them into a pocket. __________________ Bill Stoddard I don't think we're in Oz any more.

09-07-2018, 09:39 AM	#3
voodoo54 Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Southern Carolina	Re: Pocket-sized Edition? Keep the Basic set in two books just make them smaller and cheaper. The Pathfinder book is over 500 pages.

09-07-2018, 09:43 AM	#4
Culture20 Join Date: Feb 2014	Re: Pocket-sized Edition? I haven’t seen GURPS books in stores for over a decade. All of my GURPS books are from second-hand book stores in my town.

09-07-2018, 12:45 PM	#7
Ulzgoroth Join Date: Jul 2008	Re: Pocket-sized Edition? Pretty sure the local game store I know about still shelves GURPS 4e. It did last time I checked, certainly. __________________ I don't know any 3e, so there is no chance that I am talking about 3e rules by accident.

09-07-2018, 12:58 PM	#8
ericthered Hero of Democracy Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: far from the ocean	Re: Pocket-sized Edition? I'm not a marketer. I'd certainly want to talk to one before taking this route. I would not purchase such a product. I use pdf's and I love them. My current location has no FLGS. There may be one 60 miles from it. Count your blessings. My old FLGS had some GURPS books, mostly the basic set and one word title like "space" and "mysteries". Plus the prime directive books, for some reason. I was never able to get a gaming group for gurps going at that location, at least not through in-store interactions. On-line has been much more useful. But then again, my time slots tend to be finicky. __________________ Be helpful, not pedantic Worlds Beyond Earth -- my blog Check out the PbP forum! If you don't see a game you'd like, ask me about making one!

09-07-2018, 02:00 PM	#10
Rasputin Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA	Re: Pocket-sized Edition? Even my massive (Source Comics and Games) FLGS has very little in the way of printed *GURPS* stuff. (And it's famous for being a big store.) The local little stores have either less or no *GURPS. If nobody is carrying the big GURPS* books, why would it carry a dinky one? *Pathfinder* is carried in Barnes & Noble, so it's a different deal. __________________ Cura isto securi, Eugene. My GURPS blog.