Megaversal Ambassadors & the future of Palladium

[Kevin]

I was inspired to write this on another Palladium message board thread discussing Advertising, the Future of RPGs and the proposed Megaversal Ambassadors.

We will post more about the Megaversal Ambassador Program in the weeks to come, but in short, it is a program by which "volunteer" Game Masters seek out and make themselves available to run Palladium Gaming events and demos at conventions, stores, libraries, schools, etc. in an effort to introduce new gamers to Palladium's magical world of RPGs, and to remind gamers who have stopped playing how much fun role-playing is, and get them playing again.

About Advertising

In the good ol' days, Palladium found Dragon Magazine was a GREAT place to advertise and reach gamers. That's why you'd see 3-6 ads every single issue for years and years throughout the 1980s to about the mid-90s. There were a few other places that were good advertising venues (Marvel Comics for one), though some, like comic books, were quite expensive. For the first 15-18 years of Palladium's existence 20% of our gross sales went back into advertising, because it was worth doing. (Typical advertising budgets, btw are usually 2-6%).

However, things changed in the mid-1990's when TSR went out of business and ownership of Dragon Magazine changed hands. The changing climate in the RPG industry didn't help either (lower magazine circulations, emphasis on non-RPG products like CCGs, and so on).

Advertising today:

Issue No. 1, finding an advertising venue that truly reached the consumer audience. Trade mags only help to a point, you NEED to get to the consumer, the gamers.

Issue No. 2, changing distribution. Heck yeah we want to be in as many stores as possible, but the distribution network has changed. EVERYBODY, not just Palladium, has seen changes and decreases in distributor sales. You just can't go to Borders or Barnes & Noble or any other big chain store and say, "Hi, I represent Palladium Books. We sell some great role-playing games so you should buy and sell them." If only!!!! There are all kinds of channels and politics and terms to be dealt with. Heck, you're lucky to catch their attention at all.

Issue No.3, changing times in the electronic age. The internet, Massively-Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs), advances in videogames of all kind, cable television and a host of other modern communications and electronics is changing the face of gaming and human interaction. These aren't bad things, they just make our lives and communication different. We have to figure out how to use these new tools to reach our audience and continue to game, perhaps in different ways.

Issue No. 4, adapting to one's changing environment. Things change. They always do. As a business person, you have to adapt and find new advantages in a changing market with new tools and technology. Sometimes that's tough, sometimes its easy, but it is always a challenge.

In addition to all of the above, Palladium's life (literally) was
further complicated, first by the divorce and the emotional transition of that event on everyone at Palladium, and second, the crushing Crisis of Treachery we had to endure.

Advertising is vital to Palladium and any company's survival. But in today's market that may mean a different effort and approach. Renewed magazine advertising, direct mailings of catalogs and notices, mass email notices and announcements, a strong, more compelling online presence, more online interaction, and word of mouth are all part of Palladium's game plan.

NEVER underestimate word of mouth. Case in point, Palladium's public, online appeal for help. Spectacular cooperation and results! Positive word of mouth is always one's best advertising. Word of mouth helped establish and maintain Palladium Books, and word of mouth will lead to a new lease on life! At least with your help.

Further online efforts and word of mouth are vital to spreading the word about our games (as well as the current situation). I can tell you that our crisis has galvanized gamers around the world. The flippin' world! Attracting current Palladium gamers, past Palladium gamers who had gotten out of gaming but who have returned to it as a result of our crisis, and new gamers attracted by the commotion. The positive outpouring of comments, testimonials and commaraderie has been wonderful and appealing to people not already familiar with Palladium and role-playing games. It's impressive and inspiring because it is real. It is YOU. And because anybody can join our community and share similar experiences.

The Megaversal Ambassadorship is one excellent way to introduce new people and other types of gamers to a) the wonder worlds of role-playing games in general, and b) Palladium role-playing games specifically.

Again, I can tell you from real experience that a good Game Master can win over new converts with relative ease. Megaversal Ambassadors running events at local game conventions and stores can only boost Palladium's presence and introduce new people to our games. Don't doubt that for one minute. Of course, such events need to be directed at both established Palladium fans/gamers (reminding them how fun it is to play our games by giving them an opportunity to play) and to the newcomer who has heard about RPGs and is curious but has never played. Thus, it's a two-pronged effort keeping and inspiring fans we already have and recruiting new gamers into the fold.

If you think about it, "event gaming" and "tournaments" have been what has driven card games like Magic the Gathering and others like Hero Clix. Ironically, RPGs with built-in social interaction seem to have forgotten this point.

We humans are social animals, but somehow we forget this. Computers, the internet, and other media choices all contribute to our forgetfulness about how much fun and how unique role-playing games really are. In fact, I think that's one reason so many people had so much fun at the Palladium Open House -- it was non-stop "role-playing." More than that, it was non-stop "Palladium role-playing." And the event reminded people about how much fun Palladium role-playing gaming can be. It inspired and fired people up.

There is nothing like real role-playing games, yet we sometimes forget that, and we let ourselves get complacent and/or distracted by other things.

One of the good things to come out of Palladium's dire troubles is a (hopefully lasting) wake up call about role-playing games. I think we all took RPGs, Palladium included, for granted. We just assumed Palladium would always be around, because it always has been (well for 25 years, anyway).

The idea that Palladium could cease to exist, that we'd lose one of our favorite pastimes, was a startling wake up call to EVERYBODY. A reminder that we should never take what we love for granted, or one day it may be gone! Love it, cherish it, but most imporantly, nurture it, enjoy it, and keep it alive!

Palladium plans to try to do more print ads, but especially do more on its website and online to attract newcomers and keep our current gamers active, inspired and excited. We will also use word of mouth, which is where you come in. Tell your friends about a sourcebook or RPG that you enjoyed. Invite friends to game with you and share your positive experiences. Its all about friendship and fun in the first place.

We want to make Palladium Books a growing, international community of gamers who cherish fun and imagination, good story telling and each other! Spread the word, build our community and game on!

The Megaversal Ambassadors (and anybody who runs a game at a local game, comic or sci-fi convention or store or library, school and at home) will help us spread the word one convention, game store and event at time.

Do not underestimate the fun, power and influence of a good game. Fun is contageous! And the Megaversal Ambassadors really need to think of themselves as exactly that, "Ambassadors" -- the face, voice and gateway to which new people will be introduced to Palladium RPGs and how interest can be rekindled in past gamers. Awesome.

Wayne Smith had actually been kicking around a similar idea, so we were thrilled to get a volunteer on the same wavelength in Zachary the First!

I truly believe pen and paper role-playing games can thrive, but only if gamers want them. And to make gamers want RPGs, we need to expose new, interested individuals to our RPGs and remind our fellow converts how worthwhile and fun they are to play. We need to give people a reason -- and opportunities -- to play and fall in love with RPGs just like we did, over and over again. There's nothing more exciting, stimulating and creative than a good role-playing game. Nothing. Don't be a snob or introvert about it, reach out and help others discover or rediscover the magic of RPGs. To do otherwise is to become extinct.

How do we do that? Like what we're doing right now! Talking about RPGs, sharing our love and enthusiasm and positive experiences for them. And by telling and showing new people about them. It's all just a matter of socializing and interaction in which we share our love for our hobby. A cool thing to do and it's effective.

My experience is that there is room for traditional pen and paper RPGs with MMOGs, videogames and an ever increasing range of other activities. They aren't the enemy, they're just part of our changing world. Do NOT underestimate the value and uniqueness of pen and paper RPGs --there is nothing like them, and YOU know that! Now make other people realize it too. With or without the Megaversal Ambassador program show others how to tap their imaginations and enjoy thrill rides that only role-playing games can give them!

That's my rant for the day!

Sincerely,
Kevin Siembieda
President of Palladium Books, Game Master, Writer & True Believer