Good luck on your startup,
If you look at the numbers that have been quoted about RPG sales, I think you'll
find that very few Systems maybe 3 or 4 have the lion's share of the market. For
a small startup, attaching yourself to number one, while diluting identity has
the potential of increasing sales and while the core books are the cash cows,
they also require the most investment. A one off adventure, or whole Setting
using D20 will have shorter lead times and lower initial costs and have a more
dependable initial sales number.
Ugh, I've been sitting in too many meetings with Marketing.
Supplements are commodity. Low margins and a whole lot of competition. The Key
is added value.
Core books are dominated by a few companies.
Okay, so I've come up with a new analogy. I work in the Datacom HArdware field,
so this makes more sense to me.
WOTC isn't Microsoft, WOTC is Cisco (especially true after all the buyouts and
mergers Wizards has been involved with) Every other Core Rules Company is 3Com
(formerly), Nortel/Bay, Extreme Networks etc.
Supplements Makers are like NIC makers, Cable modems, analog modems DSL. 3Com,
Moto, Netgear, Linksys etc.
The Core products are supported by other companies.
But Cisco eats every other core product maker for Lunch, Fighting Cisco is like
beating your head against a brick wall.
WOTC Eats other game companies for lunch.
Does this mean that Cisco Makes the best routers? or that WOTC makes the best
Core rules? If you answered yes, then you've either never used a Cisco router,
or have a CCIE. :)
Cisco Doesn't Make NIC Cards and 3Com (now) doesn't make routers (stupid 3Com
IMHO)
Both companies make profits theoretically.
Bailey Watts wrote:
>
> I think you are overestimating the power of the d20 logo. D&D will be
> picked up by casual gamers. Those folks will likely not know what the d20
> logo means. Personally as someone trying to raise funds for a start up, I
> will not be releasing any d20 games for the following reasons:
>
> Corebook sales are the cash cow for any gaming company. By going the d20
> route you are not the one releasing the core rules.
>
> Company identity is one of the primary ways to attract repeat customers.
> Company identity is tied to core system.
>
> If anyone can make d20 games the value of that brand apart from D&D than the
> value of will be lower. Unless the logo can get my product out of niche
> shops and to the mass market it is of little value to me.
>
> I still think that d20 is great for magazines and web stuff, but it's not my
> thing.
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