Hey guys, first off I just wanted to thank you for reading the inaugural blog for Table-Top RPG. I hope this turns out to be entertaining and informative, and something you guys enjoy as much as I do.
I figured an appropriate topic for the first post would be the state of Table-Top gaming as we know it. Many things have changed recently and RPG's have changed and evolved. Old favorites have either died or been reborn. New games are emerging to stake their claim and their market share.
The biggest change that seems to have affected our pastime was the passing of Gary Gygax on March 4th of last year, at 69 years of age. Many people were mournful of his passing, and rightly so. He was recognized as the father of our Hobby. The man who drug it kicking and screaming into the forefront. He will be sorely missed and his contributions will be remembered forever.
Gary left us at a time when the Hobby was changing. Whether or not it was changing for the better remains to be seen. Though change does bring us new product, this is one thing we can be thankful of.
With the advent of big business attitudes brought to companies like TSR (Wizards of the Coast) and White Wolf Publishing we saw the largest changes in quite a short period of time. We were given our 6th version of Dungeons and Dragons (D&D, AD&D, AD&D 2nd Edition, 3rd Edition, 3.5 and now 4th Edition). Our 4th Edition of the Star Wars RPG. A 3rd Edition and Revamp (no pun intended) of the Vampire The Masquerade franchise. Old stand by's like Shadowrun have been sold and issued as a 4th Edition. Other's like Battletech and Star Trek are dead with no ressurection in sight.
These new products and the death of old ones can be attributed to big business. They are motivated by the almighty dollar. The new companies in control need to move merchandise. They must sell books. It is kind of a catch-22. The decisions that many old time gamers despise, are the decisions that keep our old favorites in print, and keep these products still under production.
In the end what really matter is, do the ends justify the means? Are we, as customers, willing to accept the changes to keep our hunger for new products satisfied? I guess the fact that the publishing companies are still churning them out, and are still deleting them from Scribd.com is answer enough. We have voted with our wallets and for now, the "new" genre wins out. My only concern is this, are the new customers aquired and old customers kept interested by the new business practices enough to save our Hobby?
I guess we will find out in another 10 years or so, when D&D 8th edition comes out and Shadowrun is purchsed by Bob's Publishing Company.
Game on, friends.
