Ad-supported RPG's, Media Models & Magazines

[Jared A. Sorensen]

I had a crazy idea for octaNe...because I really wanna see it published (and so do quite a few people out there, sheesh!).

A thick, glossy magazine format.  Full-color...hell, with a pull-out centerfold (why not?).

Then I thought to myself, why not actually make a real one-shot magazine FROM the world of octaNe that contains the actual game?  Complete with adverts (both fake and real)?  And not just game adverts either...as long as there are no ads for cigs or booze (and none of the ads were in-line with the world...ie: no east coast stuff).

Good idea?  Bad idea?  Weird idea?

And what of the idea of putting ads in games to defray publishing costs?  Or of using a Playboy/Vogue-sized magazine format?

[ This Message was edited by: Jared A. Sorensen on 2001-07-18 17:03 ]

[JSDiamond]

Since vehicles are prominent in the game and it's called octaNe, how about something that looks like a car owners manual or maybe better still, a kind of a AAA map book like the Thomas Guide? -(and that could segue into showing the map of the USA as it is in the game)

Jeff


[ This Message was edited by: JSDiamond on 2001-07-18 17:22 ]

[Jared A. Sorensen]

A good idea, but where will the pinup centerfold go???

[Misguided Games]

magazine format sounds cool, though pricing might be interesting.  I'd also worry about wear.  You might consider a clear plastic protective cover like magazine collectors use...I don't know.

[Paul Czege]

Hey Jared,

...because I really wanna see it published....A thick, glossy magazine format...

I don't think it's true that a glossy magazine format RPG would be less expensive to produce than a traditional 8.5 x 11, B&W, perfect-bound RPG. Color is expensive. And despite being thin, I think that paper is expensive too. The reason that magazines cost less retail than B&W, perfect-bound RPG's do is because 20-85% advertising content compensates for production expenses. And the reason that works is because magazines guarantee a certain circulation to the advertiser. You wouldn't be able to get the kind of revenue you'd need to cover production expenses for a magazine format octaNe, because you wouldn't be able to guarantee circulation to your advertisers.

To produce octaNe for less than the typical RPG format, you'd have to forego color for B&W, and print on newsprint. Inexpensive paper soaks up ink like toilet paper. I think I have an old Judge's Guild module that was staple bound, printed on newsprint. If you went without a binding, producing octaNe as a tabloid newspaper, that would probably be about as inexpensive as you could go.

Paul

[Blake Hutchins]

Jeez-sus, Jared! That's a great idea. VERY cool.

I think the guide magazine idea is cool, or maybe something more like a rebel-punk mag. Give it a point of view that colors the world. There'd be a difference between a Lost Vegas glossy and a battered-looking underground road guide like "The Low Road."

Best,

Blake

[Jared A. Sorensen]

I guess the answer would be to do a game-book that looks like a travel magazine.

Which actually, could be waaay cool as a website.  Full color, photographs and drawings...and free!

Hmmm...

Here's a thought.  Publish it as a website.  Free of charge, but people have to create accounts to access it (not unlike the ahem, deadEarth site).  Have a little PayPal "donation" center for people to send $$$ if they want.  Use the proceeds (if any) to do a print version of the site...

?

[Clinton R. Nixon]

On 2001-07-20 13:32, Jared A. Sorensen wrote:
Here's a thought.  Publish it as a website.  Free of charge, but people have to create accounts to access it (not unlike the ahem, deadEarth site).  Have a little PayPal "donation" center for people to send $$$ if they want.  Use the proceeds (if any) to do a print version of the site...

I've been thinking about doing this more and more: it's actually what the proceeds of anything I sale on http://www.heartburngames.com">Heartburn Games is going to go towards: printing one of the games I make there.
The donation option kind of interests me, though - do you think people would really go for it? You could even treat it as a sort of guarantee of low pricing: if people donate enough to print it, you print it for only a $1/book profit, for example.