From the d20 Push thread, I've been thinking a bit about how RPGs are produced and marketed and what works or not. Currently what seems to be the main strategy used by many publishers is similar to a software suite stratgey: Core rule book + plethora of suppliments to enhance play or the generic/universal version of this where it's more like Operating system + application. Either way, it's still Main Book + other books model. This is the usual strategy and those in the know can tell us how well or not it works.

This got me thinking of other strategies that might possibly be adopted or have been used. One is just one book. There have been a few games where this was, for the most part, the Strategy. Orkworld comes to mind.

A friend had explained to me once that it's easier to get a trilogy of novels published. I don't know where he got that from or if that's only for fantasy novels, but the idea of sequel games is potentially interesting. The World of Darkness series does this somewhat. Shadowrun and Earthdawn were, apparently, related albeit with very different systems. Of course, in RPG terms a sequel is usually a new edition of the rules. New editions are often just version 2.0 of the systems, or whatever, but Traveller did change it's game world from Traveller >> Megatraveller >> Traveller: The New Era, etc. How much I do not know personally. But there have been GURPS Traveller and d20 Traveller releases.

Perhaps a market we should be paying closer attention to is the traditional game market, board and card games as seen in your local toy store. They produce a game and that's it, for the most part. Well, it used to be. Now shelf space it taken up by varient versions of Monopoly and Clue. Nascar Monopoly??

Comments?

As far as the book market goes, it is easier to publish a book if you've already got at least outlines for one or more sequels. We've worked that industry before, so we know how that works around here.

On the game market, most of the heavy hitters work on the "more than one book" model, and since they're the ones that seem to set the standard, that's what the rest of us poor slobs are doing.

One book wonders don't seem to last long. The majority I know that try that fade out rather rapidly. A book is really only as good as the next three months, so supplements are important in that they bring interest back to the core book. Also, new releases of old books grab people's attention because someone chose to take the time to make it better. At least, we hope so.

In simplistic terms I believe that it is all about keeping the spark going. Having new books coming out every couple of months will keep the readers interest alive in the core book.