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1st Edition AD&D books to be reprinted
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FormCritic
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:33 pm

TheHistorian wrote:I just don't understand who, outside of collectors, will pay $115 for material they could find for $30 with minimal effort.

No one. We are the marketing target. We are the older gamers who shunned 4th Edition D&D as an unworthy successor. We are the ones most likely to shell out cash for a tribute book, especially one that honors Gary Gygax.

Every decision WOTC made about 4th Edition showed they didn' understand their core market. Astonishingly, they didn't understand it even a little bit. 8O

This shows they are learning.

The suspicions voiced here indicate just how badly damaged their core market really is. They announce a Gygax tribute version of AD&D, with proceeds going to his memorial fund, and we're pissed about the page count!

If they can get guys like us to buy even one thing from WOTC, they win, even if the books ultimately are a money loss. They get us to come back to them as the patrons and keepers of the hobby.

Just by making the announcement, they've already got us talking about what this might mean for 5th Edition D&D....

"But I have watched the dragons come, fire-eyed, across the world."

darkseraphim
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 2:34 pm

Well, I think there's a few small markets:

* People who want to donate to the Gygax Memorial and get a nice memento for doing so.

* People who think WotC are doing market research pre-5E to determine what percentage of the OSR market is "old people olding, grumblegrumble" and what percentage still comprise a viable spending market.

* People who speculate these will be the first releases in a limited edition line which will grow in collectibility and value.

* People who want their kids to have nice spankin' new books of the best D&D (me)

* People who actually meant it when they said "I can't believe WotC are ignoring the legacy of D&D to put out this crap doom doom doom, if they republished 1E I'd buy it in a heartbeat"

But yes, particularly on Dragonsfoot I can see quite a few people not getting behind this. And some apparently haven't bought an RPG supplement since the 20th century because they think that a book that was $15 in 1979 should be $15 in 2012. And they'll fill up their 1979 Camaro with $0.75/gal. gas and drive down to the Dungeon Hobby Shop to get it. :P

Guy Fullerton
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:33 pm

SimperingToad wrote:Testing the waters. They've been tossing out olive branches for a couple of years trying to get the 'old guard' back into the fold. They want to get an idea of the sales base for 1E material, I'm guessing.

More likely reason is this:

SoulCatcher78 wrote:... with their light product launch year it gives them something in the pipe.

I agree. The 5e announcement means its hard to sell something for 4e, so at least these reprints will give D&D people something to buy in April.

It's already been amazingly easy to find people chomping at the bit to play in my AD&D games. This ought to make it even easier. :)

Guy Fullerton
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bbarsh
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:49 pm

Blackmoor wrote:I just can't see why there should be any bitterness involved with this at all. Should raise the awarness for OSR publishers and new publishers alike.

I will get a set for sure :)

I agree. This is a win-win as far as I am concerned. I am in.

And I could've bought these damn modules off the 1$ rack!!!

New modules for your Old School game http://pacesettergames.com/

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faro
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:01 pm

FormCritic wrote:The suspicions voiced here indicate just how badly damaged their core market really is. They announce a Gygax tribute version of AD&D, with proceeds going to his memorial fund, and we're pissed about the page count!

Or the lack of an Arneson tribute/memorial push, perhaps...
IMHO it was all very well for Gary's family to back a memorial fund and players to join in to support that venture, but the /company/ "owes it" to Dave as well since Gary, Rob, etc. were going nowhere in their roleplaying endeavors within the commercial domain without Dave's guidance to point them in the "right" direction on more than one occasion. (Ignore the fact that that ended up seriously damaging the full development potential of "roleplaying games", but this couldn't have been predicted in 1973/4 when that phrase wasn't even being used).

A general thumbs-up, regardless, and I'm looking forward to find out how "limited" WotC will be making those reprints since that may give a hint as to how seriously they're (re)considering their (potential) customer base.

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SimperingToad
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:18 pm

Guy Fullerton wrote:I agree. The 5e announcement means its hard to sell something for 4e, so at least these reprints will give D&D people something to buy in April.

No reason it can't be both. Killing two birds with one stone is very cost effective. :D

beasterbrook
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:21 pm

Badmike wrote:
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/m ... ha/1647436

Mike B.

This is one of the ones I refered too.. legal??

Brette:)

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faro
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 6:38 pm

www.metamorphosisalpha.net/ seems to think so. *jk*
(Plus the usual history rewriting... :))

"7.3 ORGANIZING THE PARTY: Always have a keg, even if it's BYOB...
7.4 TAKING THE GAME SERIOUSLY: Don't"

Badmike
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 7:53 pm

FormCritic wrote:
No one. We are the marketing target. We are the older gamers who shunned 4th Edition D&D as an unworthy successor. We are the ones most likely to shell out cash for a tribute book, especially one that honors Gary Gygax.

Every decision WOTC made about 4th Edition showed they didn' understand their core market. Astonishingly, they didn't understand it even a little bit. 8O

This shows they are learning.

The suspicions voiced here indicate just how badly damaged their core market really is. They announce a Gygax tribute version of AD&D, with proceeds going to his memorial fund, and we're pissed about the page count!

If they can get guys like us to buy even one thing from WOTC, they win, even if the books ultimately are a money loss. They get us to come back to them as the patrons and keepers of the hobby.

Just by making the announcement, they've already got us talking about what this might mean for 5th Edition D&D....

I strongly agree with everything Mark said. Sure, a couple of drive-bys and day-trippers will plunk down a few bucks out of curiousity. But as for the core audience for these....well, they might as well just took out adverts here, on Dragonsfoot, and throughout the OSR blogosphere. This is definitely a fishing expedition.....and donating part of the proceeds was a genius move on their part.

Mike B.

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Keith the Thief
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:01 pm

I won't buy this set ... especially if that's what the cover art is going to look like.

:-/

"Never let it be said I didn’t do the least I could do."

rhynne
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:16 pm

Badmike wrote:BTW, not AD&D, but definitely classic coolness for sale:

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/m ... ha/1647436

Mike B.

Hey Mike,

Thank you! I just signed up with Lulu to get this. :)

Best regards,
Ronald

FormCritic
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:29 pm

beasterbrook wrote:
This is one of the ones I refered too.. legal??

Brette:)

Read specifically here:

http://www.metamorphosisalpha.net/Site/Copyright.html

Interesting: The page about products lists RPGNow and DriveThruRPG, but does not mention the hard copy book on Lulu.

"But I have watched the dragons come, fire-eyed, across the world."

Last edited by FormCritic on Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

FormCritic
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:30 pm

Keith the Thief wrote:I won't buy this set ... especially if that's what the cover art is going to look like.

:-/

The cover art depicted in the ad matches the cover of Cheers Gary, the perfect bound book that compiles all of Gygax's posts on Dragonsfoot. The book was a fund-raiser for the Gygax memorial.

"But I have watched the dragons come, fire-eyed, across the world."

DiscoDadda
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:50 pm

In half a year you'll be able to buy the set for 1/2 retail or less.

Disco

Busman
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:52 pm

Keith the Thief wrote:I won't buy this set ... especially if that's what the cover art is going to look like.

:-/

Are you seeing the covers they've released and I've missed it? Or did you miss the part about them not yet releasing what the new covers were going to be?

Kingofpain89
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:00 pm

Busman wrote:
Are you seeing the covers they've released and I've missed it? Or did you miss the part about them not yet releasing what the new covers were going to be?

Nah, you havent missed it. They havent released the cover art yet. And as FormCritic said, its not what Keith thought either.

I just hope they dont do some faux-leather, sparkly covers like they did with those limited 3.5 books. Yuk!

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Magelin
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:01 pm

...

Original 28mm fantasy gaming miniatures at http://www.centerstageminis.com

Last edited by Magelin on Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

grodog
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 9:09 pm

MetamorphosisSigma wrote:I just noticed something... They misspelled Players Handbook and Dungeon Masters Guide. Yeah, they love 1st ed. all right :).

Good points---I'd missed that!

Allan Grohe (grodog@gmail.com)
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