The problem with Steve Jackson Games

[TheDS]

Wow! I just found out that Bill Cameron blows dead bears! Who'da thunk it? Bill, you're slipping into areas that none of us have dared venture into before.

(Those of you wondering, take a look at the "Hasta la Vista" JCD post linked on the previous page. There, you'll find where Bill abruptly confesses to blowing dead bears.)

 

[Judas]

Originally posted by Seanr451:
The trouble with SJG is that despite being in business for over 20 years the people in charge still don't know what it takes to cause books to come out on schedule.

And yes, I have plenty of opinions. Don't like it? Then don't read my posts.

I have sent 5 emails to the e23 clown in the past year stating that I'd like to write Gurps 4th edition adventures for placement on e23.

Never a response. Not one.

THAT's how SJG is working on supporting G4e. Nothing...

NOT exacly true...

I have known Steve for over 30 years now... He KNOWS how to run a business, and unfortunately, the GT stuff has not been selling well. He only took on the lincense because Traveller is a system that he has a fondness for, but now he has to many other projects that demand the finances of the company.

I also know that many writers do not live up to the standards that SJGames have. They have pretty high standards for writing, and VERY explicit instructions as far as format and methods of submissions. If a submission does not meet these standards then it is pretty much not even looked at...

I too wish that they would continue with the GT products.. I just spoke to Steve a couple of days ago about this very thing, and he was pretty upset that he couldn't find a way to continue to publish the materials.

That said, your pleas to have the materials available in electronic format may NOT have fallen on completely deaf ears...

Matthew

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

My issue was always cost. Some of the books are just too damn expensive for what they are. The art is ok, but the covers fall off all the time.

I would rather have had them cheaply produced and more functional than the books they were.

 

[Qstor2]

Originally posted by Baron Saarthuran von Gushiddan:
I would rather have had them cheaply produced and more functional than the books they were.

That said

As I'm a fan of Decipher's LOTR game too. They've started doing LOTR books in .pdf format. And I'd rather have a .pdf book than NO book at all

So I'm all for .pdf GT books

Mike

 

[Anthony]

Originally posted by Baron Saarthuran von Gushiddan:
I would rather have had them cheaply produced and more functional than the books they were.

Cheaply produced books would probably cost you just as much as books at SJGs standard qualities -- any savings on art, binding, and paper quality would be negated by reductions in sales, unless SJG also chose to skimp on writing and editing, which I imagine you would care about.

 

[The Hinterworlds Rambler]

A 25% reduction in overall slickness cold have served the line well in retrospect. The durability issue is a good one. The core book item itself is resolutely glued, but then not too well to the cover. I have well used modules from the old D&D days (which also are being re-released as PDFs!) that are in better shape than A gurps book bought last year new.

One thing that I hope does happen is to remove the "book" notion from a lot of these pdf products, and make it for the computer. IE design it not like a book, but more multimedia if it can be done well. d20 calls them "web enancements" which is pretty corny, but they still look like books...

 

[balzacq]

Originally posted by Baron Saarthuran von Gushiddan:
One thing that I hope does happen is to remove the "book" notion from a lot of these pdf products, and make it for the computer. IE design it not like a book, but more multimedia if it can be done well. d20 calls them "web enancements" which is pretty corny, but they still look like books...

Oh dear heavens, no!

The first thing I do with a pdf is print it out double-sided on our big office printer and take it with me to lunch to read. I don't want snazzy multimedia presentations, I want cheap books.


-- Bryan

 

[Pickles]

I only print a few of the PDFs I get, so I would prefer something I can also read on-screen - i.e. no columns!

 

[clementk]

Originally posted by Baron Saarthuran von Gushiddan:
My issue was always cost. Some of the books are just too damn expensive for what they are. The art is ok, but the covers fall off all the time.

I would rather have had them cheaply produced and more functional than the books they were.

GT books for 3e weren't that expensive compared to other gaming books of the time (being softcover with B&W art) and were on the cheap side. Comparable, though a bit more towards the end of 3e, to Palladium Books though without access to the quality school textbook printer PB uses. As GT:ISW has shown, by being more expensive than a non-licensed GURPS 4e book, the 3e books weren't even charging extra for the Traveller license it seems. In general GURPS books for 3e were among the most functional bang for the buck game books I know of. They weren't that expensive (esp. after the release of D&D3E started the current trend) and for what you get for a GURPS 4e book (double the size usually, full color, slick pages, good hardcover+binding), the price is warranted IMO if you'll use the book.

And they're now $10 through Warehouse 23 if still available. ~.^

I've had one of my GURPS 3e softcover books' cover crack at the edge of the spine, but it has yet to fall off. Did you contact SJG about this? There were some print runs that had some glue problems or something. I know they had a problem with the first print run of the 4e core books but they replaced those if you contact them. GT:ISW certainly is solidly made.