Games

mepbmlist
#1

In a message dated 10/21/03 12:15:52 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
colin@timewyrm.co.uk writes:

Actually I have to disagree - and strongly at that. Flagship magazine
has been covering PBM games for over 20 years now. Ever since about
1990 there has been a steady drift downwards in the number of PBM
games on the market and this has accelerated over the past two to
three years. There are now less games and less GMs than at any time
since the early 1980s - which is the major reason we now cover a
variety of other types of gaming (eg PBEM, web/online games,
boardgames, rpgs etc) - there just isn't the player base to justify a
magazine solely devoted to PBM.

       I used to subscribe to Paper Mayhem, and though I didn't subscribe to
it, I read Flagship Magazine on numerous occasions. Most PBM games that I have
encountered over the years, though, were relatively small scale games neither
advertised in, nor reported on, by either of those two magazines.
       Likewise, I wouldn't agree that there isn't a player base to justify a
magazine solely devoted to PBM games. I would subscribe to one right now, if
it offered me what I feel would be a worthwhile value for the subscription
price charged. For that matter, most of the players of various PBM games I have
played over time never subscribed to either Paper Mayhem or Flagship Magazine.
       Most of the advertising for games that I did see in those two
magazines I, personally, was never impressed with. A lot of PBM companies and
moderators simply never bothered to run worthwhile ads, I am sure. It is more of a
criticism of the companies than the magazines.
       I've played PBM games that ranged from free to $20 per turn. In the
time that I have been playing PBM games, I have found that the price per turn
has little to do with the overall quality and value received.
called Starforce Battles, I never really felt a need to advertise in a magazine. I
always found that word of mouth was the best form of advertising, and that if
a game is fun and offers value, then it will attract players.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

···

From my own experience in designing and running my own PBM game,

#2

<snip>

- there just isn't the player base to justify a
magazine solely devoted to PBM.

<snip>

Likewise, I wouldn't agree that there isn't a player
base to justify a magazine solely devoted to PBM games.
I would subscribe to one right now, if it offered me
what I feel would be a worthwhile value for the subscription
price charged.

<snip>

Most of the advertising for games that I did see in
those two magazines I, personally, was never impressed
with. A lot of PBM companies and moderators simply
never bothered to run worthwhile ads, I am sure.

<snip>

I find this response interesting for some things that it implies,
more than what it says:

Is the primary content you want in a PBM magazine advertisements?
That is the only thing you mention, and you are critical of it, so I
assume that is your main complaint with the existing content.

Are there a lot of PBM companies/moderators out there with "good" ads
that are clamoring for magazine advertising space, but can't get it?
You claim that there is a player base for a PBM magazine, so I would
assume that the content exists for this player base, but the existing
mags just aren't providing it to you. Or is the problem the reverse
of the original comment. The player base exists, but the content
doesn't, so the magazines have nothing to print.

Jeff