Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Last Visit: 30 Aug 2023 Posts: 891 Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 12:38 pm Post subject:
I think the main reason someone would buy the rights to this is to make money on it. So to determine an appropriate value, I think you would have to do some work to find out some rough estimates on the number of copies of the published book you could sell and if it is something you could get into mainstream distribution.
With a game like Reich Star, I'm not sure that most RPG stores would want it on their shelves so it probably wouldn't get huge distribution numbers. Suppose they could sell 200 copies. Would the rights holder be able to get $10 profit per copy? I don't know anything about this side of the industry so I don't know if this is way high or not. If this is the case, the I would say the rights are probably worth half of the potential profit, $1000.
For this type of book, I can't see it being anything other than self published. The other alternative that comes to my mind would be to see it as a GURPS book but I don't think SJ Games snatching it up.
Joined: 11 Sep 2004 Last Visit: 28 Jun 2013 Posts: 2977 Location: NYC
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 2:51 am Post subject:
Surely the value would be determined by the buyer's estimation of how many units could possibly be sold and what else can spin out of it. Seems like a rpg system would be somewhat difficult to develop with playtest, etc. Also, how much art and stuff that is developed for the game should factor into the price.
I have a feeling Mark is right. The game system up for sale had a very suggestive nazi undertone in spite of the author's assertions that it is not the case. I don't see it doing well in it's present incarnation. _________________
Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Last Visit: 29 Dec 2023 Posts: 230 Location: Wichita, KS
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 1:17 am Post subject:
A old partner and I paid $500 total for the rights to our old EHP game, Swords of the Middle Kingdom, with the thought of publishing it as OGL/d20 someday. Hasn't happened yet, though _________________ grodog
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Allan Grohe
grodog@gmail.com http://www.greyhawkonline.com/grodog/greyhawk.html
Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Last Visit: 18 Jun 2017 Posts: 148 Location: Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:17 am Post subject:
Alan.. thats what I think a lot of em are worth, really a token payment as far as I'm concerned.. the only problem I can see is that most (if not all) are really loss making enterprises... just tossing up options at this stage...
Joined: 12 Nov 2005 Last Visit: 22 Mar 2020 Posts: 4574 Location: In the House of the Cosmic Frog
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:23 am Post subject:
And there's always the issue of initial commercial success. If it didn't sell well to begin with, why would it be viable now, especially without the electronic gaming rights? _________________ "This is cool."
Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Last Visit: 18 Jun 2017 Posts: 148 Location: Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:23 am Post subject:
Ok I have spoken to a couple and I can buy one, but not too fussed on the price.. the other I'm allowed to publish for a nominal fee (I'm not getting the rights I'm just getting permission to republish the work...) The game is Hunter Planet (aussie RPG YEH!) www.arielarchives.com/hunter.html ...
Now I was thinking of doing a limited print run of say 100 harcover ones.. I would like some artwork done by Jim Holloway as it is a funny RPG and I like his stuff for Paranoia.. anyone know what stuff like that should costs? or were I should get quotes for costs of printing? Anyone got any ideas for a contract betwwen the owner and myself? (Allan?) After the fiasco of PPP and pre-orders I believe I will cover all costs and not accept any $$ until I have had it printed, I am think of taking tentative orders, ie I would like a copy as I prob don't want to get it all done and then not sell a copy;) Still all in the planning stage so its not set in stone yet....
Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Last Visit: 29 Dec 2023 Posts: 230 Location: Wichita, KS
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 3:09 am Post subject:
Hi Brette---
beasterbrook wrote:
Ok I have spoken to a couple and I can buy one, but not too fussed on the price.. the other I'm allowed to publish for a nominal fee (I'm not getting the rights I'm just getting permission to republish the work...) The game is Hunter Planet (aussie RPG YEH!) www.arielarchives.com/hunter.html ...
I don't know many Aussie rpgs outside of Rus (and perhaps Lace & Steel??), and I guess Red Brick's licensed efforts for Blue Planet and Earthdawn and something else (but they're NZ right??).
beasterbrook wrote:
Now I was thinking of doing a limited print run of say 100 harcover ones.. I would like some artwork done by Jim Holloway as it is a funny RPG and I like his stuff for Paranoia..
If you need Jim's contact info, I can provide that.
beasterbrook wrote:
anyone know what stuff like that should costs? or were I should get quotes for costs of printing? Anyone got any ideas for a contract betwwen the owner and myself? (Allan?)
I'd retain a lawyer for the contract, Brette---I probably have some boilerplates, but if you're licensing deals can vary so much that it's probably worth just doing the right thing up front, and getting a lawyer! You might also contact Red Brick, since they're "local" and also have experience with licensing.
beasterbrook wrote:
After the fiasco of PPP and pre-orders I believe I will cover all costs and not accept any $$ until I have had it printed, I am think of taking tentative orders, ie I would like a copy as I prob don't want to get it all done and then not sell a copy;) Still all in the planning stage so its not set in stone yet....
You might also consider the ransom model, used by both Wolfgang Baur and Pagan Publishing for their projects: it's like a preorder, but everyone gets a refund immediately if the project doesn't greenlight (Baur's process is actually used to have folks vote with $$$ for the project that he writes, from among various options, which is another approach if you have multiple publishing projects you'd like to do, too).
Joined: 25 Jul 2007 Last Visit: 18 Jun 2017 Posts: 148 Location: Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 7:47 am Post subject:
grodog wrote:
You might also consider the ransom model, used by both Wolfgang Baur and Pagan Publishing for their projects: it's like a preorder, but everyone gets a refund immediately if the project doesn't greenlight (Baur's process is actually used to have folks vote with $$$ for the project that he writes, from among various options, which is another approach if you have multiple publishing projects you'd like to do, too).
If you want to chat more offline, feel free to email me, or we can always arrange time to chat sometime too
Just dropped you an email;)
Yes, Woldgang has been doing this, but he has street cred and I don't so I still think that I won't take money up front if I do decide to go ahead...
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