January 15, 2016: Announcements For May

[RoboAdmin]

January 15, 2016: Announcements For May

Read this article on the Illuminator.

[GM Joe]

A top-of-page mention can't hurt! Especially the bit about volume 1 being all you really need in order to play. Maybe some Munchkin fans will consider branching out.

[Turhan's Bey Company]

They always announce reprints. Even of Munchkin products.

[philreed]

Originally Posted by Owen Smith

I'm not convinced that every previous GURPS 4E reprint has been announced. Also this time they're making a really big thing out of it, as if having the core books in print is a big deal when it should be standard.

There are hundreds of new releases every single month in the game industry. We've had talks with retailers and distributors who report dealing with 60+ new titles and reprints every week. It is ridiculously easy for something to be missed when that many products are shipping each week.

By announcing reprints, we give products another chance at the top of the "what's in stock?" lists that retailers review weekly. We could ship a reprint without alerting the world, but why would we sacrifice a chance to share a title with the gatekeepers who decide what does and does not make its way to store shelves?

[MiB1213]

So by reprint, you are saying there is no new material in the two core books?

[philreed]

Originally Posted by MiB1213

So by reprint, you are saying there is no new material in the two core books?

Correct. These are not new editions or revisions. These reprints are so that the books remain available in print.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

They always announce reprints. Even of Munchkin products.

Correct.

Originally Posted by Owen Smith

I'm not convinced that every previous GURPS 4E reprint has been announced.

They have been. We haven't shipped that many GURPS Fourth Edition reprints – especially on a per-annum basis (divide by 11.5) – so you might not be accustomed to seeing them announced, but it is our habit to announce them. As Phil said, we do not want to risk distributors or retailers missing our products, even the reprints.

Originally Posted by Owen Smith

Also this time they're making a really big thing out of it, as if having the core books in print is a big deal when it should be standard.

We have to say something, and that something has to cast a good light on the product. There are inevitably differences in voice due to the marketing writer who wrote the previous announcement not being the person who wrote the current one (there are other examples where the announcement was reused verbatim . . .), but any perception that we've made a bigger deal than usual stems from that and is largely subjective.

[Andrew Hackard]

Speaking as the Munchkin line editor, I can confirm that is our policy to announce reprints, even "keep the product flow unbroken" reprints.

[ArchonShiva]

Is no one else bothered by this turn of phrase?

GURPS Basic Set is the 6th edition of our classic RPG

[Andrew Hackard]

That would be a mistake. We'll get it fixed.