Re: ORIGINS(TM) PBM Awards is a joke!

From: Rich <ricmal@delphi.com>

Date: Thu, 11 May 1995 00:00:00 +0000

Damage Control <jbrowning@hayes.com> writes:

>two cents as US Editor of Flagship. As for the Origins awards, I can't comment
>at all - perhpas the award is only for a PBM company that attends Origins? We
>certainly can't attend every convention, and so try to get to those that cover
>PBM more than others. Previously, this was AndCon, but since their purchase by

Bingo. You hit the nail on the head.  Those companies with the time and budget
to attend and lobby at every Origins event can get their name one  the ballot,
despite the fact that people who actually play or have played teh games
nominated overwhelmingly t
hink they SUCK, orevengames that aren't even out of play test can sneak a
nomination. The reason "Forgotten Realms PBM" gets a spot is RSI ran a demo
(translation a test marketing) even though the game is yet to be (to my
knowledge) incommerical run yet. L
ook at the awards asa wholeand ten  major companies DOMINATE the entire ballot
(47% of the  spots) and when in their specific areas of play that  ratio jumps
even further!

>As for us not ever being up for an Origins award - I always figured that's
>because we never atteded. For a brief peroid, we did provide White Wolf with

Why should a company have to lobby at Origins events to get a nomination?  Its
like the governor making his wife the secretary  of the treasurym, his borther
in law the secretary of public works, ect.  Small companies that provide FAR
better games than the
n the listed companies get locked out becuase they don't have the time, energy,
or money tobrown nose their way in.  Yet when it comes to bragging rights
"Origin Award Nomineee/Winner" carries a lot of weight.

My fear is that PBM will go the  way of role playing  with one or two mega
companies controling the market share and flooding the market with shoddy games
just to press out competition.  Origins is merely a way to do it, and it is
happening.  Remeber the o
ld days when companies actually had to come up with a new and original product
for PBM.  Now its a rehash of the same old stuff.  The few companies that break
out of the mold are small and get ignored and wind up folding making the hobby
even poorer.

References

ORIGINS(TM) PBM Awards is a joke!
Rich <ricmal@delphi.com>
Mon, 01 May 1995 00:00:00 +0000
Re: ORIGINS(TM) PBM Awards is a joke!
Bill Rapp <conquest@dnai.com>
Thu, 04 May 1995 00:00:00 +0000
Re: ORIGINS(TM) PBM Awards is a joke!
jbrowning@hayes.com (Damage Control)
Sun, 07 May 1995 00:00:00 +0000