----- Original Message -----
From: "Jason Lotito" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Sunday, May 14, 2000 11:36 PM
Subject: Re: [Open_Gaming] Market Share
> I believe a study was done, and has been done. I do not think a company
> would not have demographics of its customers.
That I do not agree with, I bet very few game companies keep demographics of
their customers. I do believe that WOTC now acts more like a business
should than 90% of the game companies out there. They are probably the
exception to the rule that game companies are mostly vanity presses fueled
more by drive and desire than money and sense.
> http://www.gamingoutpost.com/content/000422-39-57.cfm
I knew I was missing something, and I had this linked and promptly forgot
about it, but it remains that this is still just Ryan's interpretations of
the data. (I will use Ryan to mean Ryan S. Dancey throughout, I get tired
of it sounding so odd when I use his full name every time). Though I am
unlikely to get it, I want full disclosure. . . I haven't seen anything
that shows that people really do want one system.
> I do believe that may be something that you are looking for. As for other
> peoples assumption, it is not just demographics, but common sense. The
> average person does not like change. Having to learn 20 different systems
> for 20 different games is not fun. However, if Shadowrun, Lord of the
> Rings, RIFTS, and Vampire: TM were all converted to the d20 system (which
> most role players know), it would increase the d20 system usage.
I don't agree with most of what you say in the above, after the last few
years of horror and mayhem for role-playing we basically have as many
systems as we had before (and maybe more). The thing is there are two ways
to get market share, you either convince someone that they want/need your
product or you make the product they already need/want. What follows this
is that the more variety, the more likely people will find what they want.
It doesn't matter that I may like D20, one system does not fill my desires.
I am a long time GM and player of a certain system, and I think that system
is basically the best out there, but even that isn't what always fills my
desires. So I run or play other systems and buy games from other companies
to find what I want for that specific setting or experience. If I want a
simple system that allows for great detail I use Gurps, if I want one that
is better for running super heroes I use Champions, if I want one that is
great for fast and loose gaming I use Fudge or Big Eyes Small Mouth, etc. .
