Well, it's a damned shame that they weren't buying the RuneQuest/Glorantha books. Keeping RuneQuest and Glorantha together would pretty much have guaranteed Glorantha's place in the grave that you've already consigned it to.
I can't speak for why people did / didn't buy RQ / Glorantha stuff in the US, but it's fairly easy to work out why the combo didn't work in this country (the UK).
If I remember correctly, RQ II was produced under license in the UK by Games Workshop, who used to be a games company but now produce "Biker Space Orcs on Acid" or whatever Warhammer's called these days. They did a nice little box set for (Sterling)9.99 containing the basic rules and a couple of other bits, including cheap dice. Add another (Sterling)8.99 on for "Cults of Prax", (Sterling)7.99 for "Cults of Terror" and (Sterling)12.99 for the rather superb "Griffin Mountain."
Now, wind forwards and AH turn out RQ III: (Sterling)39.99. Glorantha? Nope. No background, no scenarios (much). Most people thought "Blow this for a game of monkeys, these people are ripping us off! Go home colonials and take your overpriced game with you!" Basically AH charged a premium for the game, implying we were paying for the name and the pedigree. However, they were selling to younger people, not those with a lot of cash. No doubt AH expected us to have RQ III as a fashion accessory, showing that we were willing to pay for the best. When RQ III came out, my student grant weighed in about (Sterling)40 a week. Okay, what did I, and most of the people I played with do? Well, let me put it this way, we decided that eating was more important than buying a new game - especially one that didn't do a lot more than what we had already.
And at the same time RQ III appeared, all the old RQ II Gloranthan support material disappeared, most of it didn't come back for 10 years. Some never has.
Wind forward a bit more, Games Workshop produce a version of RQ III under license. The product had sub-Judges Guild production, the most creative speellung mistorks you could imagine. The art work was terrible to boot - no doubt produced by the same bunch that did Warhammer.
Wind forwards a bit more. Those still playing when "Gods of Glorantha" came out where fairly ecstatic, depressed when "Griffin Island" came out, Then we had a series of Kyger Lytor cult write ups. Some people in the UK couldn't open a pack of Cornflakes in case they found one. "Trollpak" was spread amongst two boxes and another book. By the time Sun County came out it was too late. RIP!
TTFN Ash
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