Are Necromancer Games being opportunistic or smart business people?

I just saw that Necromancer Games is doing a kickstarter, NecromancerGames: Back for 5th Edition! and the first thought that came to mind was: They are doing it again. Necromancer Games has created their market based on the following line (with this variation): 5^th Edition Rules, 1^st Edition Feel. I LOVE this marketing. It does several things at once: Connect the players who don’t care about the edition wars and just want quality material; Touches old school gamers who love the classic adventures and materials from TSR; New player who always wanted to play the classic material and understand why it is so exciting; And best of all, it can be updated each time a new edition comes out and you STILL remember their marketing.  Smart, smart and SMART!

But are they just really just resting on their former successes and not doing anything new or exciting? This is their “first kickstarter”  if you see their bio on Kickstarter but their relationship with Frog GodGames is well know and documented. What is this kickstarter giving us: 5th Edition Foes which will have between 200-250 additional creatures, beasts, monsters and titans to challenge your players and enhance your adventures! I wonder how many of these will be from their Tomb of Horrors books? Book of Lost Spells will have hundreds of new spells to enhance your 5th edition spell casters and NPCs but will they be updated 3^rd, 3.5, 4E and Pathfinder spells for this newest edition.  In addition, with their LONG TERM relationships with many WOTC staffers, you have to wonder how much 5^th edition material they have seen and know about before it August release? I mean the kickstarter started July 6, with is running from July 6 until September 4 (60 days) and the products will be released November 2014. That seems like a pretty fast development to release schedule, well at to me.

So now we come back to the original question: Are Necromancer Games being opportunistic or smart business people? It seems like they are being both and that IS A GOOD THING! Any business, who wants to be smart and successful over a long period of time, should use any and all advantages they might possess. Necromancer Games is doing this and if you are complaining that they are doing this, maybe you should think about doing this for yourself and see how this might help your business. The only thing that separates you from success is air and opportunity. So, get to work.  Talk to you later…