Sunday, May 16, 2010

What ONE thing would you do to change the Comic and/or RPG industry?

This one is a tough one for other people, but for me it is very easy.  On the comics side I would create three tiers/level for comic books that would focus on three specific areas. Tier/Level One would be for kids ages 6 to 10 and cost only 99 cents to purchase; Tier/Level Two would be for the ages of 12 to 18 and cost only $1.99; Tier/Level Three would be for 18 and up and cost $2.99 and up. Three different types of books for three different types of customers and cost that are reasonable to those willing to purchase.  On the gaming side it would be the maximum cost on RPG core books and sourcebooks.  Core rule books couldn't cost more than $25 and sourcebooks could cast more than $20. Rising retail cost on both comics and RPGs are going to do MORE HARM to the industry as a whole then anything else.  Products have be affordable to those who want to purchase them. With retail cost $3.99 for 22 - 23 pages of comic story OR $29.99 for 160 pages for RPGs it is no wonder people are leaving to find something else to entertain them.  Don't you make the same mistake as a business.  The movie, Glengarry Glenross said it best: "They're sitting out there waiting to give you their money. Are you gonna take it? Are you man enough to take it?"  Talk to you later...
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3 comments:

  1. Fenway5May 16, 2010 at 9:45 AM

    I'd say one other thing regarding RPG's. LIMIT PAGE COUNT. Books have become bloated, with one rules lawyer trying to out do the other. Worse, some epic minded hobo spouting about his fantasy world settings god of cheese and wine takes up 4 pages. BLAH! NO ONE CARES! Provide the skeleton for people to build off when they play it, not the flesh and blood too.

    I'd limit core rules books to 64 pages and 128 for any other book...max. In fact I'd like to see core rule books broken down to 48 pages. Get them to buy MULTIPLE books, make it up in volume baby. P.S. Lower MSRP means more folks try it. Second lower page counts also mean some non-gamer may pick it up and give it a try.

    The by nerds for nerds paradigm under which the industry currently labors is part of its problem. If you only cater to the veteran gamer then you and every other guys is fighting over a sliver of consumers ignoring the vast masses "waiting out there to give you their money."

    You have to write and produce product that removes the barriers to entry which currently are page count, complexity, and cost.

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  2. Gary RayMay 16, 2010 at 1:42 PM

    Adjusted for inflation, rulebooks are LESS expensive than they were originally and with a higher production value. An AD&D Player's Handbook from 1977 would be around $50 in todays money, with unacceptable, black and white art and a low page count.

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  3. LMPjr007May 16, 2010 at 4:44 PM

    @BlackDiamond: While you have adjusted for inflation, did you consider the effect of technology on the cost of books. In 1977 you couldn't have not done what we do as common place here. I think a color book printed in 1977 cost A LOT MORE then one done now does. Technology really affects what can been done and not done. With a staff of three, we can make a book as "nice" as the AD&D Player's Handbook and get it print at Lulu.com. A 250 page black and white hardcover book form Lulu costs $21.25 each. Try doing some thing like that in 1977 or even today from a "traditional" printer. It might cost you $3K just to get ONE copy done.

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