Re: PBeM RPG's: Free or Pay?

From: chrisk@iago.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Chris Kessel)

Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 00:00:00 +0000

|> >mine, the service I get from my regular GM's, who know who they are,
|> >is worth the small financial outlay involved.
|>
|>   hhhmmm...I did some figuring once.  It seems that the average gamer
|> spends more money on games that they rarely play but want "for the
|> research library than they would spend on a PB(e)M.  (This is not a real
|> statistic, but said with a wry grin).

PBM's are expensive, very expensive.

Let's say $6 a turn, though many are more.  26 turns a year (turn every
2 weeks) is $156, plus every game I've played usually required at least
$5 in phone calls for diplomatic activity, another $130.

So for $286 dollars in a year you get to play ONE PBM game.  For that same
$286 you could buy around 7 board games *PLUS* you'd get to keep all those
board games to play for years and years.  One your PBM money is spent it's
gone never to be seen again.

The PBM industry has been pretty stagnant for years and years now.  I stated
about 2 years ago and I still believe, PBM will never grow unless turn
fees come down by probably 50% and things move to email/www where diplomacy
can be conducted online instead of through long distance.  And turn around
times can move to 1/week.

All that said, I still find I play a PBM now and then, though preferrably
through email.  It's always easy to join a game, the GM handles finding
opponents, and you get to play when you want instead of trying to set up
a time where all the people can play (like a board game).  PBM is about the
only way to play a game with 15, 20, etc other people at a time.

Just my opinion of course.

--
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Christopher Robin Kessel        Portland, Oregon | Yes, I was named
chrisk@protocol.com             Protocol Systems | after *that* Christopher
-------------------------------------------------| Robin.  Winnie the Pooh
Pooh:  I'm Pooh.                                 | is my hero. :)
Tigger:  What's a Pooh?                          |
Pooh:  You're sitting on one.                    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

References

Re: PBeM RPG's: Free or Pay?
thor@netwit*7*.net.au (Steve Johansson)
Wed, 18 Jun 1997 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBeM RPG's: Free or Pay?
soliiigm@aol.com (Sol III GM)
Thu, 19 Jun 1997 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Re: PBeM RPG's: Free or Pay?
thor@netwit*7*.net.au (Steve Johansson)
Wed, 18 Jun 1997 00:00:00 +0000
Re: PBeM RPG's: Free or Pay?
soliiigm@aol.com (Sol III GM)
Thu, 19 Jun 1997 00:00:00 +0000