Tenkar's Tavern: The OSR is now "A Thing" at OBS - Interesting to Look at How it Tracks Differently at the Two Store Fronts

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

The OSR is now "A Thing" at OBS - Interesting to Look at How it Tracks Differently at the Two Store Fronts

If you browse from the drop down list and select "OSR" at RPGNow or DriveThruRPG, you get a Hottest Sellers listing for the OSR. Its interesting to see how the market differs between the two storefronts.

At RPGNow, LotFP's Vaginas Are Magical sneaks into the first spot. Its 10th over at DriveThruRPG.

The DCC RPG comes in in the first spot at DTRPG. At RPGNow, its 9th.

Actually, only four releases make the Top Ten of both lists: VaM, DCC RPG, Beyond the Wall and Hubris.

Not sure what to make of it, but it is interesting to note that the two storefronts obviously have differing customer bases, even within the OSR.

The RPGNow OSR Hot List is here.

The DriveThruRPG Hot List is here.

The Tavern uses affiliate links to both of the above storefronts. A percentage of sales go to support The Tavern. The OBS Christmas in July Sale starts friday.

6 comments:

DesaJuly 19, 2017 at 6:12 PM
Holy shit ... Pyramid is 13th place! I am surprised as hell.
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Greyhawk GrognardJuly 19, 2017 at 6:23 PM
Hmmm... Not sure if this is a good thing. It could lead to the further ghettoization of the OSR.
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Stephen NewtonJuly 19, 2017 at 11:26 PM
I've always felt that RPGNow catered to smaller, independent publishers. But given it's all the same backend now, I suppose it's largely preference and publisher links. I know any links I put in my site go to RPG and Goodman sends folks to DriveThru
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DerKastellanJuly 20, 2017 at 11:02 AM
I actually never considered that they track their sales independently. I thought they were just two storefront themes over the same ... well, everything. Just that RPGNow seemed to pick what to display on page one differently.
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Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 52, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)

Swords & Wizardry Light - Forum

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Wednesday, July 19, 2017

The OSR is now "A Thing" at OBS - Interesting to Look at How it Tracks Differently at the Two Store Fronts

6 comments:

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