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Old 10-17-2018, 06:28 AM   #1
CaptainNemo
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Default Why no new GURPS hardcovers?

Hi all!

I know SJG & Co have an awful lot of stuff on their plate, but I think it's way past time to release another GURPS hardcover.

I =think= I have all the current 4th edition material - and I =think= I have virtually all of the 3rd Edition material.

What to do?

I've heard from the current curator of the M. A. R. Barker Archives that they would be interested in someone picking up the ball and rolling with it. So far, all they have is a sort-of reprint or the original game with most, if not, all, of the errata fixed.

So - Dare I say: "GURPS: Empire of the Petal Throne"?

Ccaptain Nemo
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Old 10-17-2018, 06:42 AM   #2
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Default Re: Why no new GURPS hardcovers?

The impression I get is that the GURPS hardcovers simply haven't been selling well enough to justify themselves. It has been mentioned that the Diskworld and Mars Attacks books had disappointing sales, but there's an issue with the hardcovers underperforming going all the way back to Low Tech (I have no idea how well Vorkisigan did). I get the impression that some long-awaited projects like Girl Genius are seeing incremental progress, but the signals I've been seeing suggest that save for very special projects like that, we're likely to see shorter electronic-only works for the time being. Maybe check in again in a few years to see if market conditions have changed.
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Old 10-17-2018, 06:43 AM   #3
philreed
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Default Re: Why no new GURPS hardcovers?

Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainNemo View Post
I know SJG & Co have an awful lot of stuff on their plate, but I think it's way past time to release another GURPS hardcover.
Sales history and experience influences our publishing decisions. The best way to get new GURPS books? Play GURPS with your friends, talk about GURPS at other sites, encourage others to play GURPS.

Buy GURPS books at your local game store. If they don't have the books, place a special order.
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Old 10-17-2018, 10:19 AM   #4
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Default Re: Why no new GURPS hardcovers?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company View Post
The impression I get is that the GURPS hardcovers simply haven't been selling well enough to justify themselves. It has been mentioned that the Diskworld and Mars Attacks books had disappointing sales, but there's an issue with the hardcovers underperforming going all the way back to Low Tech (I have no idea how well Vorkisigan did). I get the impression that some long-awaited projects like Girl Genius are seeing incremental progress, but the signals I've been seeing suggest that save for very special projects like that, we're likely to see shorter electronic-only works for the time being. Maybe check in again in a few years to see if market conditions have changed.
I own many GURPS hardcovers, but frankly Diskworld and Mars Attacks are extremely niche, and I have zero interest in either game world. Judging overall interest in physical books by their sales is foolish. I would love to buy Low Tech as a hardcover, but the only book stores that carry GURPS books in my city are the used book stores.
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Old 10-17-2018, 10:23 AM   #5
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Default Re: Why no new GURPS hardcovers?

Quote:
Originally Posted by philreed View Post
Sales history and experience influences our publishing decisions. The best way to get new GURPS books? Play GURPS with your friends, talk about GURPS at other sites, encourage others to play GURPS.

Buy GURPS books at your local game store. If they don't have the books, place a special order.
Game shop sales staff in my city have to have GURPS explained to them. Encouraging GURPS is hard when players have to borrow my books like the grey witches borrowed an eye and tooth.
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Old 10-17-2018, 11:22 AM   #6
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Default Re: Why no new GURPS hardcovers?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Culture20 View Post
Judging overall interest in physical books by their sales is foolish.
Erm, what other metric is there? That counts?
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Old 10-17-2018, 12:14 PM   #7
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Default Re: Why no new GURPS hardcovers?

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Originally Posted by Daigoro View Post
Erm, what other metric is there? That counts?
I think he was specifically referring to Mars Attacks and Discworld.
That said hard covers are considerably more expensive for the average or new gamer than softcover and both suffer from the current shot tail issue described before.
Anything sitting on a shelf is lost revenue so high turnover is desired by book stores. The POD market at least lets us get books we can loan out.
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Old 10-17-2018, 12:23 PM   #8
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Default Re: Why no new GURPS hardcovers?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Culture20 View Post
I would love to buy Low Tech as a hardcover, but the only book stores that carry GURPS books in my city are the used book stores.
If your stores refuse to carry books . . .

http://www.warehouse23.com/products/...ition-low-tech
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Old 10-17-2018, 06:46 PM   #9
CaptainNemo
 
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Default Re: Why no new GURPS hardcovers?

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Originally Posted by CaptainNemo View Post

So - Dare I say: "GURPS: Empire of the Petal Throne"?

Ccaptain Nemo
Or even go so far as to say: "GURPS: Tekumel"?

This might do well as another Kickstarter. Almost all of SJG's products seem to have gone that way.....

"The Captain"
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Old 10-17-2018, 06:54 PM   #10
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Default Re: Why no new GURPS hardcovers?

I kind of feel hardcovers in general aren't going to sell well anymore. More and more people use things like tablets for their reading now.
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