On the High Cost of Living
I live in America, and there are problems here. (Note that you can replace the word America with any country during any time in history.)
In spite of turning and turning in the widening gyre, the second coming is not occurring.
When the Roman empire 'fell'; men in Europe woke, and committed to their daily tasks. "This too, shall pass."
So the real question, the moneymaker, is what do you think is best?
This has an awful lot to do with who you are. If you are Hasbro, well, 20 million dollars profit from the Dungeons & Dragons brand, just isn't enough. Core brands have to make 50 million in profit, on a path to turning 100 million in profit in a year.
Clearly, something that makes 49 million dollars is an abject failure.
What do you think is best?
Me? I personally would rather have 10 RPG products available for purchase, rather than 2. I would rather have 50 than 10. I would rather have 100 than 50.
Did you know that RPG products exist today that would otherwise not exist, if it wasn't for Kickstarter?
What's the problem? I'll tell you what the problem might be. A market flooded with trash. The difference is, for our little corner of the world, is that we, as consumers for the first time in history are the ones who are deciding what makes it to market and what doesn't!
What does that mean? In a free market (like kickstarter), you as a consumer have more responsibility because that market isn't regulated. This, if you've been paying attention at home, is a very very good thing. The cost is, if you are stupid and don't pay attention, you can experience consequences for making poor decisions.
See? This really is a post about role playing!
Having more creative input in the field is a good thing. Having more people being creative is a good and exciting thing. Is it pricey? Sometimes, yes. The costs of everything have risen 10%-50% in the country where I live in the last year. But I still have and use the vast majority of RPG books I've ever bought. They are a niche product and their creation is a labor of love. They maintain their utility years and years after creation. And, being that you're an empowered consumer in a free market, if they don't have that value to you, you can choose not to purchase them and you lose nothing!
Enjoy our present, it is much richer then it might have ever been.
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