MGT out-selling DnD 4E shocker!

[Klaus]

OK, this is purely anecdotal, but picking up Prison Planet today at my FLGS (Fanboy 3 in Mcr), I got chatting to the retailer. He said (caveat coming) that on weeks where there is no core (as in necessary) DnD book released, MGT is easily outselling 4E in his store. He said he was amazed at the number of old Traveller players coming out of the woodwork, and at all the newbies it's picking up. It's got to the point where the young'uns now outnumber the old guard. The B5 stuff's given it a boost recently, but MGT's being doing that well all by itself.

Like I said, purely anecdotal, and there are 2 other stores you can get MGT in Mcr, but FB3 is the only rpg dedicated one.

Interesting....

 

[kafka47]

kewl, Toronto is largely a D&D town but everyone has at least looked at or picked up Pocket Traveller at my FGLS. Let's face (no matter what we think of Mongoose) TRAVELLER IS HOT AGAIN!

 

[rust]

Let's face (no matter what we think of Mongoose) TRAVELLER IS HOT AGAIN!

Over here the translated Mongoose Traveller is certainly much hotter than
the German version of Classic Traveller ever was.

 

[lucasdigital]

Like I said, purely anecdotal, and there are 2 other stores you can get MGT in Mcr, but FB3 is the only rpg dedicated one.

Interesting....

Old Traveller player peeks from out of woodwork and gives a wave.
I bought Mongoose Traveller because I was too impatient to wait for the delivery of my Traveller 5 CD. I love them both!

 

[Jeffr0]

Over here the translated Mongoose Traveller is certainly much hotter than
the German version of Classic Traveller ever was.

But have you seen the covers of the old German Traveller games at DriveThruRPG?

They look fantastic!

 

[rust]

But have you seen the covers of the old German Traveller games at DriveThruRPG?
They look fantastic!

Indeed, but for some reason Classic Traveller never really "took off" over
here, at least not in the way that Mongoose Traveller is doing it now.

 

[kafka47]

Could it be because that game shops were rather isolated from one another and the big book chains were not interested in what were essentially tiny publishers. As Fantasy Pro out of Essen was essentially a very small affair. I remember in Prague, when the Internet was just starting it was impossible to get non D&D stuff. That combined with the marketing dollars that Wizards & TSR could through at the problem...meant that D&D was sure to win the battle. But, now, the gaming world has shifted and Europe is at its Core and because of the outstanding quality of different printing concerns - Germany leads the pack.

I am just curious how Cthulhu managed to be so big in Germany. Chaosium, although, one of the old time companies who produce quality products...it still has been a company/game line on the margins.

 

[rust]

I am just curious how Cthulhu managed to be so big in Germany. Chaosium, although, one of the old time companies who produce quality products...it still has been a company/game line on the margins.

The German version of Call of Cthulhu is not just a translation of the Chaosium
material, the German publishers began quite early to expand that material and
especially to add adventures located in or near Germany and supplements co-
vering Germany.
In the end, what they did was almost a "cultural translation", turning a "U.S.
game" into a "German game" that concentrated more on our cultural traditions
of horror than on the more action-oriented U.S. style of it.
Well, and both the easy to learn BRP system and a very good marketing by
the publishers (new covers and layout, basic rules booklet for free, etc.) did
the rest, I think.

 

[Maladominus]

The German version of Call of Cthulhu is not just a translation of the Chaosium
material, the German publishers began quite early to expand that material and
especially to add adventures located in or near Germany and supplements co-
vering Germany.
In the end, what they did was almost a "cultural translation", turning a "U.S.
game" into a "German game" that concentrated more on our cultural traditions
of horror than on the more action-oriented U.S. style of it.
Well, and both the easy to learn BRP system and a very good marketing by
the publishers (new covers and layout, basic rules booklet for free, etc.) did
the rest, I think.

Also credit should be given to the German publishing company Pegasus Spiel (a licensee of Chaosium). That is also one of the reasons Call of Cthulhu is a big hit in Germany. Pegasus Spiel manages to produce top-notch Call of Cthulhu supplements in German first.

Having the presence of a strong competent "local" publisher/translator is a good way for a certain game to gain acceptance in countries outside of the USA/UK.

Having jumped into the Call of Cthulhu wagon in recent years myself, I'm quite impressed at how the German Cthulhu gamers managed to muster an impressive Call of Cthulhu (actually Chaosium-sponsored) gaming convention year after year in an impressive medieval castle:


This is where the German Call of Cthulhu "Tentacles" convention is held each year:

 

[rust]

Also credit should be given to the German publishing company Pegasus Spiel.

Of course, "publishers" in my post ^^ means Pegasus, not Chaosium. The
real merit of Chaosium is that they did not interfere with Pegasus' excellent
handling of the German version of Call of Cthulhu.

Unfortunately not all publishers show that restraint. Wizards of the Coast,
for example, has a tradition of meddling in the affairs of the German license
holders, which is the reason why there currently is no German publisher for
D&D 4e.