Via Gaming Report, I just heard about Free RPG Day.
Along the lines of Free Comic Book Day, Free RPG Day is a promotional effort that involves giving away 1,000 free copies of adventures and quickstart RPG rules at hobby stores. Publishers provide the material, and the organizers handle distribution to retailers.
Free Comic Book Day is awesome — you walk into the store, you get free comics — and I’d love to see Free RPG Day work out for gamers. It sounds like a good way to get more folks into stores, and more new players into the hobby — both very good things.
The website needs some work — it’s pretty cheesy, and there’s at least one important mistake: the site lists Bronze sponsorship at $100, and the PDF fact sheet puts the price at $150. Several larger publishers have already signed up, though (White Wolf, Goodman Games, Mongoose Publishing), and with a bit more work I think Free RPG Day could attract many more.
I wonder if gaming stores will be looking for GMs to run some of those free adventures?
The Free RPG is a good idea, but execution seems a little poor.
The site at least needs a place to sign-up to get an email when the RPG is released.
Also given that the distribution could be digital, why only USA stores?
But I hope they succeed, and it becomes a regular thing.
I’m a big fan of free comic book day, and I hope this has the same effect for RPGs. Anything that may lead to new players is a good thing. I see the loss of potential new gamers to the video game market as being the biggest threat to our beloved hobby. I hope that the industry can come up with more ways to attract new players.
The WotC ad that said, “If you’re going to be in your basement, pretending to be an Elf, at least have some friends over” was excellent. The industry should focus on that aspect.
That, and CRPGs are all soulless variations on railroading or raiding themes. (IMHO)
Another thing, vaguely tangential… As gamers, we need to break a few stereotypes if we’re going to “mainstream” the hobby. The unbathed, socially inept, poorly groomed one comes to mind.
I’ve been going to GenCon since 1997 (only missed two years), and I’ve noticed that the percentage of creepy, unwashed, stereotypically antisocial gamers has gone down every year.
That’s partly due to the fact that the mix at GenCon has changed from being focused entirely on RPGs to also including anime, boardgames, CCGs and video games — attracting somewhat different crowds in every case — but it’s not just that.
I really think that over the past decade, gamers as a tribe have ironed out a lot of those stereotypes. This is partly due to geekdom in general becoming much more widely accepted in the same time period, but that’s not the only factor. I’m not sure what the other factors are, though.
It sounds like a good idea, and like there’s a bit more to figure out before it’s ready to go live. Still, good on them for trying.
Good point, Martin. In my three years back, I’ve noticed a more mainstream crowd, although the stereotype remains. Such are stereotypes… :