Re: Fan Support vs. Blackmail

From: Mark Galeotti <hia15_at_...>
Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2001 17:28:34 -0000


OK, so games companies should never take their fans for granted, but the moral of the shrinking games industry is surely that it works both ways. Furthermore - and this is where I risk becoming cringingly sycophantic - Issaries is not acting like 'any other company'.

You don't want to feel ay pressure to buy dud books? Then rather than simply assert your right to walk away, why not play a part in making sure that the books aren't duds? Sure, not everyone has the time or inclination to be involved in writing supplements, but Issaries is, to the best of my knowledge, uniquely democratic and participatory in its relationship with its fans. After all, the flipside of expecting fans to support the firm is that the firm involve and support the fans.

And what do we see? Greg involved in the lists, reading people's ideas, commenting and, no doubt, absorbing what he feels are good notions. Lots of other Issaries authors similarly eager to do more that just churn out a book on a 'take it or leave it' basis but engage in debate. A website for fans' suggestions and ideas, and a company prepared to take ideas from it and work them into official products.

It would be easy to take this too far: after all, 'it's a game, it's not a way of life'. But games are a pretty central part of living. If anyone wants to treat Glorantha as purely a consumer product, then fine, that is their right. But those same market laws might bring Issaries down - and on how many renaissances can we rely?

We've waited *way* too long, let's build Glorantha *this time*.

Off the soap box now...

Mark

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