"Legends of the West going OOP?! " Topic

I am seeing people start to scramble for these rules before they go completely OOP. For god's sakes why would "they" stop printing this game? It's so rare for a historical game to break into the mainstream and to see people actually playing it at the local store. (Although I admit the game has died down quite a bit in recent years here in the USA--partly because they never came out with any new material.) Are they really just going to drop it, and let it become a relic that people pay too much for on eBay? Warhammer Historical is really dead for good…

why would "they" stop printing this game?

Money?

And sad for it is a great system to base modifications unto.

Olivier

A new print run can cost quite a bit of money. Perhaps they feel that it would not sell well enough to recoup the cost in a reasonable time frame.

Then there is the conspiracy nut answer – they are going to print more but claim they didn't. Then they can sell them on eBay through false front accounts to shake down the collector types who are willing to pay grosly inflated prices for an OOP product,

Obviously, it failed its saving throw.

I'm not quite paranoid enough to buy into the conspiracy nut explanation.

Yes, yes of course it's about money but it's also about willingness to support the game system. Games stop selling well when you stop producing new material for them to get new players into it. They could come out with a new edition or maybe a new campaign supplement rather than let it die a lingering death.

What I hate about this is that it will be nearly impossible to get new players into the game now because the rules aren't readily available. Oh well, I guess I will be playing Blackwater Gulch or the RWNN…

Lack of product support?

How many different Wild West rule sets are out there now? The reality is simple, given the amount of competition in the genre of rules, support or no support, any new print runs would most likely be money losers.

The only explnation is "Evil Corporations".

How many printings has it had? How long has it been since it first came out?
That does not argue for any compelling financial need to keep it in print, beyond satisfying the "But I want it! Waaaah!" crowd.

Too many gamers seem to think that somehow the financial realities of a "hobby" manufacturer are different from that of the Real World™.
They think that a hobby manufacturer is obligated to keep throwing money down a black hole in order to satisfy fringe hobbyist' whims.
And in this economy, yet.

Maybe GW should pretend that they are GM, and that Legends of the West is Chevy Volt. Then the Gubmint would give us a tax credit equal to twice its value to buy it. That ain't gonna happen.

Meh. Plenty of other Old West skirmish systems about.

I agree they probably feel it wouldn't sell well enough to warrant a second printing. They could, of course, simply sell it as a .pdf. That requires a little work on their end to set up, but is nowhere near as ruinous as John seems to think. No doubt they'll do as they usually do, let it languish a few years and then re-release it as a deluxe hardback collectors edition for the ridiculously low price of $200. USD

Other and better rules out there.

"Other and better rules out there."

Oh yeah? Like what, you tease?

A Twiningham,
Exactly!
The accompanying White Dwarf issue will have an article on the specialist games and the re-release of a "classic game" in a brand new format, slicker, glossier, shootier, stick-into-it-ier, with an added "quick-draw" roll where you place the exclusive dice in the exclusive holster, then you and your opponent face off across the game board and quickly launch the dice from the holster onto the table! All for only two hundred dollars!

(and they won't make any figures for it)

Oh yeah? Like what, you tease?

Desperadoes
Gutshot
Six Gun Sound
The Rules With No Name
…

Heck, you could even use DWMG or 7TV! As a matter of fact that is exactly what I intend to do myself …

Or, allow me to shamelessly plug Blackwater Gulch ! :)

Having played it I'd have to go with "Who cares?" Didn't even rise to vanilla flavor for me.

meh.

It did little for me, so I'm not missing it.

I'm sure Pictors will shed a tear. He loves that game!

Sorry, but Blackwater Gulch doesn't do it for me either.