Gen Con Day #3
By Aaron T. Huss
Today was an incredibly good day for me professionally in regards to Mystical Throne Entertainment and Savage Insider. I did not get time to do any of the interviews I was interested in doing, but I at least did get a chance to wander the hall a little more. My day started with an awesome Savage Worlds game featuring the upcoming ETU (East Texas University) setting based in the Pinebox setting from 12 to Midnight and Pinnacle Entertainment. It was possibly the most fun game I have ever played in and our GM Preston was an excellent GM with wonderful ideas for this setting.
I haven’t seen any more major announcements come through from press releases or through various rumors (other than one that I cannot disclose at this time). However, I did go to the Pinnacle Entertainment Group seminar and learned the following:
- The Sci-Fi Companion book is in playtest right now and due for release before the end of the year. There apparently are so many bits and pieces that playtest is necessary.
- Pinnacle will be developing and Kickstarting a new sci-fi setting next year as their next big Kickstarter like Deadlands Noir. It sounds quite excellent and I’m positive more details will come soon.
- A new edition of Rippers is in development, although additional information was not available yet.
- If I’m remembering correctly, the next block of fiction will featured Hell on Earth.
- They definitely have lots of great ideas coming down the pipe in the next two years and we’ll have to see which ones come first. At least we all know they’ll have the highest of quality like all others.
As I pay more attention to what publishers are here, I’ve been noticing a lack of licensees and third party publishers. A lot of small publishers are allowing their distributors to carry their products into Gen Con, but often times you see that same publisher floating around the convention or working at that distributors booth (such as Studio 2 Publishing). I’m not sure if this is a sign of slow sales from licensees and third party publishers, or if they’re mostly focusing on local conventions and allowing their distributors to handle Gen Con and possibly other very large ones. Keep in mind that this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean you may not be able to speak to the developers of your favorite products.
With that in mind, if you find something new from a publisher you’re not familiar with and buy their book at Gen Con, drop them a line, visit their websites, like their Facebook pages, talk about their products, and basically show your appreciation for the products they make and the time that goes into them. Remember, it’s tough to be a small publisher and recognition can go a long way.
That’s all I have for today. This is my last day as I am heading home tomorrow morning. It has definitely been a great convention and I have met a lot of excellent people!
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