Re: Earthdawn: Fourth Edition coming in 2014
Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2013 12:50 am
Unfortunately, bringing Earthdawn to the masses has been THE biggest challenge the game has faced since first edition was discontinued.
Think about it this way: Earthdawn was originally cancelled because it wasn't selling very well. Let's simplify the numbers and say that 25% of gamers knew about Earthdawn in 1999 (by "knew," I mean that they had either played the game, seen it at their FLGS, or read about it online or in one of those sweet catalogs that Fasa used to send out). Second edition comes out in 2001, but it's published by a company that nobody has ever heard of with limited marketing and distribution presence. It also comes out a year after 3rd edition D&D hits the market and the d20 tidal wave is sweeping over the entire industry to drown any game that uses another system. Let's say that 10% of gamers even realize that this second edition has been released.
Now, second edition wasn't terribly well received and wasn't well supported. Redbrick shows up in 2005 to take over the property (not quite that simple, I know, but let's overlook that right now). They release the strangely titled "Classic" edition through what was at the time an unfamiliar print on demand format. Still, the game is released into the teeth of the OGL d20 monster after the property had been withering on the vine at Living Room Games. There's also confusion over how "Classic" edition differs from the others, so let's say that awareness dips down to 7%.
Redbrick puts out third edition in 2009. Now, this is really the game's first proper release since the 90s, coming out through Mongoose, an honest to God RPG publisher. Online presence is further boosted by places like Drivethrurpg by that point, too, so let's say that awareness pushes back up to 10% (15% if you're feeling really generous). Things go well for Redbrick for a while before the bottom inexplicably falls out and the whole company seems to implode (no need to go into the messy "he said, she said" details here). Next thing we know, Fasa Games shows up and takes over the property. Everyone is excited because of the name and we feel like ED is FINALLY getting the attention we feel it deserves.
Then the whole Revised edition thing plays out, led to both indignation and indifference. Nothing has really happened for a few years, likely driving consumer awareness back below 10%. Not exactly a position of marketing strength.
Obviously, I'm making a total straw man argument here with arbitrary numbers, but let's talk for real here for a minute. I see a LOT of the same names posting on these forums. I haven't seen an Earthdawn book on an FLGS shelf for years and haven't seen one in a big box bookstore (which in 2013 only means Barnes and Noble, I guess) in well over a decade. I've never met a gamer under 30 that's ever even HEARD of Earthdawn (and only a few over that age that have heard of it). I don't know ANY gamers that even want to TOUCH a game that doesn't use a d20-derived system (sissies, by the way).
As great as Earthdawn is, I just don't know how it's going to be able to reach people that aren't already playing it. I hate to say this, but I feel like the came would have FAR better commercial prospects if it was a dedicated Pathfinder game. I'm not recommending this route, but the VAST majority of gamers are playing either D&D 4e or Pathfinder right now. If we really want to increase awareness, then the logical move would be to sell ED's soul and make it an OGL Pathfinder game. I'm not advocating this, but wouldn't this be the best move from a business standpoint?
By the way, I realize that the reviews of the Pathfinder version of 3rd edition were decidedly mixed, but a dedicated 4th edition totally rebuilt for that ruleset (rather than just adapted for it) would probably be better received.
Think about it this way: Earthdawn was originally cancelled because it wasn't selling very well. Let's simplify the numbers and say that 25% of gamers knew about Earthdawn in 1999 (by "knew," I mean that they had either played the game, seen it at their FLGS, or read about it online or in one of those sweet catalogs that Fasa used to send out). Second edition comes out in 2001, but it's published by a company that nobody has ever heard of with limited marketing and distribution presence. It also comes out a year after 3rd edition D&D hits the market and the d20 tidal wave is sweeping over the entire industry to drown any game that uses another system. Let's say that 10% of gamers even realize that this second edition has been released.
Now, second edition wasn't terribly well received and wasn't well supported. Redbrick shows up in 2005 to take over the property (not quite that simple, I know, but let's overlook that right now). They release the strangely titled "Classic" edition through what was at the time an unfamiliar print on demand format. Still, the game is released into the teeth of the OGL d20 monster after the property had been withering on the vine at Living Room Games. There's also confusion over how "Classic" edition differs from the others, so let's say that awareness dips down to 7%.
Redbrick puts out third edition in 2009. Now, this is really the game's first proper release since the 90s, coming out through Mongoose, an honest to God RPG publisher. Online presence is further boosted by places like Drivethrurpg by that point, too, so let's say that awareness pushes back up to 10% (15% if you're feeling really generous). Things go well for Redbrick for a while before the bottom inexplicably falls out and the whole company seems to implode (no need to go into the messy "he said, she said" details here). Next thing we know, Fasa Games shows up and takes over the property. Everyone is excited because of the name and we feel like ED is FINALLY getting the attention we feel it deserves.
Then the whole Revised edition thing plays out, led to both indignation and indifference. Nothing has really happened for a few years, likely driving consumer awareness back below 10%. Not exactly a position of marketing strength.
Obviously, I'm making a total straw man argument here with arbitrary numbers, but let's talk for real here for a minute. I see a LOT of the same names posting on these forums. I haven't seen an Earthdawn book on an FLGS shelf for years and haven't seen one in a big box bookstore (which in 2013 only means Barnes and Noble, I guess) in well over a decade. I've never met a gamer under 30 that's ever even HEARD of Earthdawn (and only a few over that age that have heard of it). I don't know ANY gamers that even want to TOUCH a game that doesn't use a d20-derived system (sissies, by the way).
As great as Earthdawn is, I just don't know how it's going to be able to reach people that aren't already playing it. I hate to say this, but I feel like the came would have FAR better commercial prospects if it was a dedicated Pathfinder game. I'm not recommending this route, but the VAST majority of gamers are playing either D&D 4e or Pathfinder right now. If we really want to increase awareness, then the logical move would be to sell ED's soul and make it an OGL Pathfinder game. I'm not advocating this, but wouldn't this be the best move from a business standpoint?
By the way, I realize that the reviews of the Pathfinder version of 3rd edition were decidedly mixed, but a dedicated 4th edition totally rebuilt for that ruleset (rather than just adapted for it) would probably be better received.