The 2007 Release Schedule

[Lysando]

It's in the thread right below this one.

Cool, thank you! Looked right at it but didn't see it. Food coma. No more Italian for lunch...

ntb

[Lord Mhoram]

It's much more frustrating to only see 3 Champion Universe products on the schedule for 2007 after only 3 for 2006 and 3 for 2005 [I don't count Villainy Amok or USPD 2 as a CU product].

That is actually a plus for me. I love the diversity that is coming out of the company, and the fact that the other lines are actually getting support. 3 books a year for one setting seems about right for me.

[GestaltBennie]

Yeah, but that's part of the reason why several other superhero publishing companies are getting my money instead of Hero Games. I spend over $1,500 a year on gaming. The fact that Hero only makes $100-$150 of that is their choice not mine. In the last 4 months I've spent $225.00 with Green Ronin, $35.00 with GOO, $80.00 with BlackWyrm, $75.00 with Ronin Arts, $50 with a handful of assorted other Superlink publishers, and $55.00 with DOJ all on superhero material. Their loss is everyone else's gain.

I think, over the long-term, that Hero's approach is a good one. The hobby's littered with the corpses of companies that flooded support for a line into the market too quickly, reached a level where the gamers got tired of them within 1-2 years, and the line (or the game) died. d20, I'm looking at you. :-)

I'd love lots of cool new CU books too, but I don't want to see Hero put themselves at risk over the long haul. Also, as a fan of Pulp Hero, I like to se that line supported, and I'm sure the fans of the other lines want their support too.

If Hero can keep putting out books of a sufficiently high quality that they can count on $100 of your money (or my money) five years down the road. And if you spend some of your money on quality M&M or Blackwyrm books, that's good too, because (at least historically) Hero's always been strongest during the periods when it's had strong competition.

[ghost-angel]

Yeah, but that's part of the reason why several other superhero publishing companies are getting my money instead of Hero Games. I spend over $1,500 a year on gaming. The fact that Hero only makes $100-$150 of that is their choice not mine. In the last 4 months I've spent $225.00 with Green Ronin, $35.00 with GOO, $80.00 with BlackWyrm, $75.00 with Ronin Arts, $50 with a handful of assorted other Superlink publishers, and $55.00 with DOJ all on superhero material. Their loss is everyone else's gain.

For you perhaps. It seems to me there is a very strong Fantasy contingent, I'm personally looking forward to any and every Pulp resource I can get my paws on, not to mention the Ultimate Series (granted 2007 doesn't have much here, but 2006 has 3 books), and new Core Genre Books are always good for attracting new people or introducing new ideas...

Seems to me, for a company that puts out 12-13 books a year that 3 is a good number for focusing on a single Genre. Doubly so once you consider they have currently 5 Genres (granted, Ninja Hero is an empty line) and are adding 2 more in 2007... I like the balance.

[Susano]

Seems to me, for a company that puts out 12-13 books a year that 3 is a good number for focusing on a single Genre. Doubly so once you consider they have currently 5 Genres (granted, Ninja Hero is an empty line) and are adding 2 more in 2007... I like the balance.

Yeah, well, I had some ideas about adding on to the NH line, but sales don't support it.

[hancock.tom]

Wanderer, I respect your opinions regarding the viability of HERO products. I am sure you a lot about game marketing and what the fans want to buy. That isn't sarcasm, I feel the same way as a longtime customer of these products. We as game fans gain a lot of knowledge observing the industry over the years.

However, I do not think you know enough about the lucha libre genre to be able to comment on it at all. That isn't a shot at you, I just think that your opinions on the book are being tainted by your misconceptions of the genre.

Dude, I would have serious doubts about the viability of a whole Hero genre book about wrestling at all, much less a cultural subset of it.

Saying Lucha Libre is a cultural subset of wrestling is like saying Ninja HERO is a subset of martial arts. It doesn't make any sense and it also leaves out everything that makes Ninja HERO cool. Lucha Libre, the actual spanish words, translate to "freestyle fighting".

Hmm, yes, that's what they said about Werewolf: Wild West, and Wraith: the Great War, too, and we all know how those sublines rocked the market and revolutionized the genre.

Wait a minute, how is lucha libre like those at all? Werewolf the Wild West and Wraith the Great War were existing lines taken into distant past settings. Lucha Libre is nothing like that. A Hero book like that would be something like Dark Champions by Gaslight. Your examples are out of left field. Actually maybe out of the left field stands.

The current RPG market being what it is, I have serious doubts that it is a wise move to branch out to cover a genre that is fairly unknown outside of American wrestling fans.

This one has to take the cake, or win the prize, or whatever. This statement shows your total misunderstanding of the genre.

You said Lucha Libre is "fairly unknown outside of american wrestling fans?"

The genre originated in Mexico (hence the spanish name), is hugely popular there, is even more popular in japan than it is here, and is relatively popular in canada (mostly due to a luchadore named el vampiro canadiense, but thats another story). To say that its only known to american wrestling fans is just insane. What about the mexican wrestling fans who only watch lucha libre?

How about this guy? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masanori_Murakawa

He is a member of the Japanese diet. Thats their version of congress. He wears his lucha libre mask to japanese congress. Let me say that again: He wears his lucha libre mask to japanese congress!!!



Anyhow, I believe that lucha libre is far more popular the world over than you believe it is. You also seem to be at least somewhat confused about what LL is, and that confusion is leading you to incorrect assumptions about the book's sales. I'm sure the book's writer can give you some ideas about some of the things that could end up in the book that would change your mind about its viability as a product.

[Mark Galeotti]

On the whole Lucha Libre business, let me say -- as someone who knows zip about it and would be quite surprised if he felt he had to buy it -- that nonetheless I think it's a Good Thing for DOJ to have added it or something similarly off-the-wall to their 2007 line. There are staples of gaming, then there are the unexpected fads, the 'early adopter' that just happens to be the first in a new trend and the book that is just so different that it creates a buzz for that very reason. Some of these books will do poorly, although if they are written and marketed well -- and I think we need have few worries on that score -- they should at least do OK. Others will be inexplicable successes. Either way, they help keep a line rejuvenated and underline the versatility of the HERO engine. Would I have chosen masked Mexican wrestling? Probably not (Steve knows what I would have liked to see on the schedule ), but this seems a vigorous genre to say the least, opening up the prospect of potential new markets, and in any case, every year should have one 'venture' to complement the more predictable offerings playing to existing strengths.

Just my tuppence...

(or 3.5 cents!)

All the best

Mark

[Secret Master]

I believe that Lucha Libre Hero will turn out to be an entertaining, as well as informative, book. Masked Mexican wrestling has a rather rich heroic tradition that has the additional appeal of being outside of the American comic book norm. During the genre’s Golden Age in the 1960's and 1970's, it was also incredibly artistically prolific. Besides the creation of an uncountable amount of televison theater of a type you would find familiar from American wrestling, there have been well over 100 Lucha Libre films created in the last 50 years. Most of them roughly fall into the category of horror, although there are sci fi, gangster, and mystery Lucha films as well. Additionally, there are Lucha Libre comic books, men’s magazines, and television shows. As you read this there is a major Hollywood comedy about Lucha Libre starring Jack Black working its way toward distribution.

So, don’t worry people. By the time Darren and I are done with this project the question won’t be “Why are you guys doing this?” It will be “Why haven’t you done it already?”

[RomanMetal]

- Lucha Libre Hero: Just in case there is any confusion (I doubt it, but just in case): Lucha Libre = Wrestling. While there maybe some differences, I think the differences are more a cultural thing. Heck WWF (ok, WWE and Raw) has come to Puerto Rico a few times in the last years.

For example, (I believe) the book may easily help you create a fight between El Santo and The Rock. Now if this is a cool thing or not, depends of personal taste. <_<

For the curious the All Flesh Must Be Eaten RPG has a Wrestling (yes a zombie wrestling) book. Weird!

- I have to admit that I wouldn’t mind some cheap adventures done for Champions, just like the ones the Pulp Hero is getting.

[Darren Watts]

BTW -- you're not planning on running a Lucha Hero game at Gen Con, are you?

The only game I'm planning to run at GC right now is Universal Monsters (which had a pretty successful debut Sunday night, I must say), but I might be persuaded to add some Lucha action if people are curious about it. dw

[Susano]

The only game I'm planning to run at GC right now is Universal Monsters (which had a pretty successful debut Sunday night, I must say), but I might be persuaded to add some Lucha action if people are curious about it. dw

I know I am! (And I think Nestor would love it.)

[Dr. MID-Nite]

The only game I'm planning to run at GC right now is Universal Monsters (which had a pretty successful debut Sunday night, I must say), but I might be persuaded to add some Lucha action if people are curious about it. dw

Universal Monsters? Let's see...

Frankenstein
Dracula
Wolfman
Invisible Man
The Mummy
and....hmmm....Creature From The Black Lagoon?

Rob

[archermoo]

Universal Monsters? Let's see...

Frankenstein
Dracula
Wolfman
Invisible Man
The Mummy
and....hmmm....Creature From The Black Lagoon?

Rob

Close. Darren used the Invisible Agent rather than the Invisible Man, but spot on with the other PCs.

And I thought the game at DDC was a BLAST! Even more fun than the one from last year.

[Dr. MID-Nite]

Well....again...I run only Supers....so...what will I buy...

Villains, Vandals, and Vermin: I love Enemies books....so consider this bought.

Pulp Resource Guide: Not sure....I don't run Pulp per se....but Supers tend to hit every genre at one time or another. This book will miss my adventure in that time frame, but you never know. I'll say 50-50.

Enchanted items: Magic abounds in my Supersverse...so yes...I'll buy this.

Ultimate Energy Projector: I'll buy this as well, even though I probably won't want to see writeups for the same powers for about the 4th time.

Champions of the North: Hmm...yeap....consider it bought.

Danger Zones: From the description, I'd say no....but I'll look at it first.

Aarn City of Adventure: No...won't buy this.

Post Apocalyptic hero: Again....useful for dimension hopping adventures...so 75% chance I'll buy this(100% chance with good content)

Lucha Libre Hero: I'm curious...so as long as there's something worthwhile in it, consider it my "support the company" purchase...even if I don't use the material that much.

Lands of Mystery: Can probably be used for supers....so probably buy, but maybe not immediately.

Crews, Cops, and Cabals: Definite yes. Wish I had it now actually.

Scourge of the Galaxy: Probably not.

Golden Age Hero: I'll buy it....if only to read.


Rob

[megaplayboy]

Kinda seems like Galactic Federation and a host of other ideas mentioned in earlier years are falling by the wayside...
on the plus side, the Ultimate series , and Champions in general, is being well-supported. Ditto for Fantasy Hero. Pulp Hero seems to have decent support. The sci-fi stuff, not so much, imo. Even if it doesn't sell as well, it won't sell at all if nothing is made for it.