It is frustrating sometimes, because we are working all the time on one thing or another, but often we cannot share what it is we are working on behind the scenes. The last 2-3 weeks have been like that.
There has been a great deal of unexpected activity at Palladium Books this past month. Heck, there have been a couple of weeks where it has felt like we are working around the clock! In fact, I had to promise Super-Bowl Weekend off for everyone to prevent a riot by the staff! Many of them have worked four straight weekends with me, and they needed a break. (Gosh, what sissies, eh?)
Agents, brokers and attorneys, oh my
There has been a deal we’ve been working on for almost a year and a half now. It’s big, it’s cool, it will make fans squeal with excitement and anticipation. For awhile we thought it wasn’t gonna happen. Then suddenly a ton of exciting frenetic activity . . .
And I can’t tell you about it.
“If” the deal is signed in the next few weeks (or months) I still might not be able to tell you about for six months or a year.
Why?
There are many reasons. As you know, I’m a “keep the fans in the loop kind a guy,” and I used to think this kind of secrecy was unnecessary. However, over the years, I have learned it’s a good idea.
The main reason we can NOT talk is often due to the needs and demands of the third party. Maintaining secrecy often has to do with marketing, advertising, financing, release dates, keeping the competition in the dark, and/or other business concerns.
Other times, it has to do with waiting until the deal is done. That's smart because more often than not, the deal (or the company) crashes and burns. Which, I’m sorry to say, is all to often the case. For example: Over the last 3-4 years Palladium Books had been in negotiation with two different companies to do a Rifts® MMOG (online game), various videogames, a Rifts® Anime movie, a Rifts® comic book, toys, model kits, and other exciting opportunities. For one reason or another (almost always money or managament issues on the part of the third party) they have all fallen through. Very disappointing.
Heck, look at the Rifts® movie with Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer. It’s exciting, fun to think about and potentially worth a lot of money for Palladium, but will it ever come out? I don’t know. Fans frustrated because it has taken so long to find out one way or another. So are we. But that’s how things work. Nothing is easy, it always takes longer than you imagine, and there are many considerations and issues to delay progress. And 98% of the decision making is completely out of Palladium’s hands.
Time stealers. Worst of all, these exciting “potential deals” rob us of a lot of time we would like to be putting into writing and producing our own books. But we can’t ignore opportunities like those above and we need to spend the time on them. I spent a lot of time on this recent project I can't tell you about. Time talkling to the staff, the third party, brokers, investors, attorneys and the staff. Also time spent talking about the various aspects and things will need to do to make it happen. Heck, I spent something like 8 hours on the telephone Wednesday alone! I've also spent several hours talking with various freelancers about the many books coming up, and I have many others I've yet to call.
PDF Palladium RPG titles may become available for sale online by Spring
Here’s one behind the scene project I feel comfortable telling you about, though the deal ain't signed yet. I think a percentage of people will be happy to hear that Palladium is probably going to let a number of its books be sold as pdf files online.
We’ve been debating its merits for the last few years and Steve Jackson and Steven Wick have been trying to convince us to do so for at least 2 years now. The deal isn’t done yet, but I’m leaning toward going with SW and let the books be sold on OneBookShelf.com, RPGNow.com and DriveThruRPG.com..
If we do this, it probably will not be before Spring 2009 (though maybe sooner), and we’ll probably limit it to 30-50 older and out of print titles like first editions of the Rifts® RPG, BTS and Palladium Fantasy® RPGs. I'm also thinking the original RECON®, the Mechanoid® Trilogy, The Mechanoids® RPG, out of print issues of The Rifter®, Aliens Unlimited, Shadows of Light, and select other titles. Note: Sorry, licensed product like TMNT®, Justice Machine, Robotech®, etc., can NOT be released as pdf books. If these sell well, who knows what the future might hold for additional pdf releases.
More good news
New product development is moving through the pipelines at a good pace.
Robotech Masters® Saga is done on our end and we waiting for approvals and changes. Getting approvals may delay the release a week or two, but we hope to be getting approvals in fast.
Shemarrian Nation is nearly done with it’s initial round of editing and reworking by Jason Marker. I get it next, though I need to finish Dyval first.
I’ll be working on Dyval this weekend and continuing to work on it until I am done with it. I’m dying to get it finished and to the printer. It’s an outstanding book. One of the good things about the long delay (if there is such a thing) is Nick Bradshaw was able to do some additional artwork.
I hope to send art assignment out for Dimensional Outbreak, Shemarrian Nation, Nightbane® Survival Guide and the Dead Reign sourcebook in the next week or two.
There are also books in development for things nobody is anticipating, but I don't want to mention them until I have the final manuscripts in my hand and the books are approved! I don't want to disappoint people. Besides, they will probably become 2010 releases any way.
2009 Open House is only 3 months away!
Wayne, Kathy and I been spending a lot of time on prep and planning for the Palladium Open House which is coming up FAST!
And there is still a ton to do – including getting volunteers and Game Masters lined up, figuring out our schedule, and much more. I hope to get the update posted tonight! Poor Wayne, more for him to do.
I can tell you that the Open House event is going to be awesome and if a couple of cool things happen over the next few months, we could have a few BIG surprises. Even a sneak peek at . . . gosh, I can't tell you!!
I sure hope a lot of folks participate in the POH costume competition too. Lots of prizes and fun are planned for it!
Gahh, not enough time in the day, but good times and good product are coming soon.
Oh yeah, I'll be on the Gateway to the Megaverse® live podcast Monday, February 2, 2009.
More Murmurs, a new press release and Palladium Open House Update will appear later today! Friday, January 30, 2009
Sincerely,
Kevin Siembieda
Publisher, Writer, Game Designer & Publishing Maniac
© Copyright January 30, 2009 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.
Rifts®, The Rifter®, RECON®, Splicers®, Palladium Books®, Phase World®, The Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game®, Megaverse®, Nightbane®, The Mechanoids®, The Mechanoid Invasion®, Coalition Wars® and After the Bomb® are Registered Trademarks of Palladium Books Inc. Heroes Unlimited, Beyond the Supernatural, Dead Reign, Warpath, Shemarrian Nation, and other published book titles, names, slogans and likenesses are trademarks of Palladium Books Inc., and Kevin Siembieda.
Robotech® and Robotech® The Shadow Chronicles® are Registered Trademarks of Harmony Gold USA, Inc.