Quote from: Serious Paul;523172This site has pretty much cemented my dislike of people who spend too much time "worrying" about the "Industry."

Gosh, ain't that the truth!

Quote from: Peregrin;523174Kickin' in the industry,
Chillin' in the hobby,
Gotta make my mind up.
Which one do I pick?

Seven a.m., waking up in the morning
Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs
Gotta have my dice, gotta have game

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;523173I am not sure the industry is in trouble so much as some of the large older companies have run out of steam as the market has changed.

Fortunately, RPG companies were never big enough to try and steamroll everything the way MIAA and RIAA are.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;523173I am not sure the industry is in trouble so much as some of the large older companies have run out of steam as the market has changed.

I think it is more than just running out of steam. This in an industry where barriers to entry are negligible these days. Any talented enthusiast can write a game as good as any professional, and frequently do. And to make it worse , these games are often released for free.

Meanwhile your customers have to somehow be persuaded that they really do need new games because, you know, all their old roleplaying games clearly mysteriously have stopped working.

Frankly, it's not an industry I would like to be in.

Quote from: Soylent Green;523177I think it is more than just running out of steam. This in an industry where barriers to entry are negligible these days. Any talented enthusiast can write a game as good as any professional, and frequently do. And to make it worse , these games are often released for free.

Meanwhile your customers have to somehow be persuaded that they really do need new games because, you know, all their old roleplaying games clearly mysteriously have stopped working.

Frankly, it's not an industry I would like to be in.

That is what I mean when i say the market has changed. Regular gamers a more involved in game publishing than before. Eventually at will probably level out a bit and some will grow into larger companies capable of higher production values. But you also still have companies like Paizo and WOTC (as well as Fantasy Flight) selling books. There is just more real competition between them. Sure WOTC made some bad choices and is now a weaker position than before. Not convinced it is a dying industry, things are simply changing.

Quote from: Serious Paul;523172My game runs just fine with little or no contact with the "Industry."

I could run games for the rest of my life on either just the free stuff others produce or on the many items I purchased 1975-1996 or so. Many other people I know can do the same. And this would be without ever having to design a setting or adventure of my own.

Whether the the industry's flagship companies thrive or go under would not affect me. And even if the big companies all cease to produce games, there will still be lots of smaller companies (who do not need huge income to make enough profit to remain in business because their overhead is much smaller) producing material I can buy if I need it.

The only data point I have, short of killing my neighbours cat and reading its entrails, is that last you my local university RPG society had pretty much the same number of 18 year olds playing as it had when I joined it in the far back mists of time.

Posting this link flies in the face of my previous commment but it seems pertinent.
http://www.howlingtower.com/2012/03/dysfunctional-and-co-dependent.html

Quote from: jadrax;523187The only data point I have, short of killing my neighbours cat and reading its entrails, is that last you my local university RPG society had pretty much the same number of 18 year olds playing as it had when I joined it in the far back mists of time.

Killing your neighbour's cat is always a good idea. Keeps them on their toes, as they consider you a psycho - therefore, increasing the security of your own household, as they will be much more likely to be out on a lookout for a night time invader (as in, you), so they may spot a burglar trying to break into your own house.

Quote from: Rincewind1;523190Killing your neighbour's cat is always a good idea. Keeps them on their toes, as they consider you a psycho - therefore, increasing the security of your own household, as they will be much more likely to be out on a lookout for a night time invader (as in, you), so they may spot a burglar trying to break into your own house.

Hmm...you're going on the "LIST" mister, beware of my feline compatriots.

Quote from: Marleycat;523197Hmm...you're going on the "LIST" mister, beware of my feline compatriots.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but cats of Ulthuan...

People keep making games and the stuff for the games I want to play. I am willing to pay someone that self-publishes on lulu or RPGDriveby or whatever it is to make something I like.

I have never bought any adventure path stuff from Paizo but I have bought some campaign material that looked cool. Other than that, fuck the industry. If they make something I want, GREAT. If 5e helps me add something to MY game then GREAT. But people that play like I do are putting out material that I appreciate and in some cases I pay them. If the hobby dies with us, I am fine with that. If the industry continues on without us, I am fine with that now (to be honest, it really sucked to realize that I was not their target consumer.)

No one has really explained what we as Role-Playing-Gamers gain from an major "industry" supporting us. Truthfully, I personally have been unimpressed with the current offerings from the "industry." Not jaded, keeping an open mind, but my ego or self-worth is not based on how big the company is that supports what I like to do in my spare time.

Don't be so mean to the poor hobby:

HE WAS IN THE POOL!!!!!!

Quote from: Exploderwizard;523227Don't be so mean to the poor hobby:

HE WAS IN THE POOL!!!!!!

Dude, he was in the HOT TUB.

No excuses.

While I have more than enough books and pdfs to last a lifetime of gaming, I find value in browsing around my FLGS or the RPG section of a bookstore.  Every once in a while I get the itch to buy a book, and my favorite method is to browse around the FLGS and pick up whatever catches my fancy.  Be a bit sad if everything goes to electronic shopping.

Quote from: Old One Eye;523231While I have more than enough books and pdfs to last a lifetime of gaming, I find value in browsing around my FLGS or the RPG section of a bookstore.  Every once in a while I get the itch to buy a book, and my favorite method is to browse around the FLGS and pick up whatever catches my fancy.  Be a bit sad if everything goes to electronic shopping.

I totally understand that sentiment. I do exactly the same thing, except my FLGS is small enough that I have the ability to see the "backroom" stock. If you listen to my wife, I have spent more than a thousand dollars on out-of-print stuff. Except that "out-of-print" stuff is POD or from small publishers. I list A Haunted Chateau, Dungeon Alphabet, and The Crawling Chaos as examples of stuff I picked up from my FLGS that I have REALLY enjoyed. I am eagerly awaiting Lamentations et all to arrive through the distribution channels. I have also purchased a few PDFs from RPGDriveby or whatever and a print copy of Rob Conley's Majestic Wilderlands.

I am really happy with what I have available today. It rivals the early d20 age and surpasses what TSR offered. YMMV and I am sorry if it does.