Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 12
  1. #1
    Ed Stark
    Guest

    News about Relaunch

    Hello, folks. I have some not great, but not really bad news. It concerns
    the new BIRTHRIGHT hardcover and the relaunch of the line. Here's the press
    release we're sending out to retailers and distributors. It's going out
    now, and I didn't want any of you to hear of it third-hand:


    BIRTHRIGHT® Campaign Relaunch Delayed

    The planned relaunch of the BIRTHRIGHT® Campaign has been delayed from this
    summer until next year to allow the product to take advantage of an
    exciting new format.

    “We think that the BIRTHRIGHT setting and rules variations are exceedingly
    cool and add a new dimension to the AD&D® game,” said TSR Product Group
    Director Bill Slavicsek. He credits the re-design team with hitting upon
    the unique relaunch plan. “The new format opens up all kinds of
    possibilities,” he said.

    Moving the relaunch to the 1999 schedule year will allow for additional
    development and assure that the product’s quality and presentation are of
    the highest standard, Slavicsek said. “I want to make sure we do it right,
    so I've given the team the time they need.”

    So, what is this new format? Stay tuned to this column for details as
    development continues. Until the new product ships sometime next summer,
    the original BIRTHRIGHT Campaign boxed set will remain in print.


    I can give you a few clues about the nature of the delay and the new
    format, but only within certain parameters. Here's what I've got so far:

    Bill Slavicsek, one of our best designers and, later, brand managers, took
    over the reigns of the TSR division of Wizards of the Coast late last year.
    One of his mandates was to review the product release schedule and make
    sure that (1) everything we were going to do was going to go over well in
    the marketplace and (2) all his designers and editors would have enough
    time to do everything WELL and RIGHT.

    Well, as you know, BR has not had the sales figures we would've wanted for
    the last year or so, and the relaunch was directed and boosting those
    numbers. Bill was behind the idea (in fact, he contributed heavily to the
    ideas for the relaunch--if you remember, he wrote some of the first product
    for the BR line).

    However, when Bill looked at the task in front of us (the relaunching of a
    premiere line) and the staff involved (myself, on staff, and Carrie Bebris,
    as a freelancer, and that was about it after the move), he just couldn't
    see how we could do an A+ job with the time and resources we
    had--especially with so many other big projects (such as ALTERNITY,
    STAR*DRIVE, and a few others) launching around the same time.

    Bill also questioned us about the value of some of the first projects we
    had planned for right after the relaunch and made us think about how new
    players would react to the SHADOW WORLD arc right off the bat. He argued,
    and I think rightly, that even though you, our fans, would like the
    material, any new fans we attracted with the relaunch would be very confused.

    So, rather than release only a couple of products this year or go ahead
    with a less-than-stellar relaunch (I, Carrie, and Bill all think the HC
    would've been good, but the marketing support wouldn't have been what we
    wanted), we put it on delayed status. Thomas Reid, the brand manager for
    the AD&D line, will be helping to direct the relaunch for 1999 (meaning it
    will get A+ attention from the AD&D core as well as the BR team) and we
    hope this really kicks things off well.

    In the meantime, I have talked to Dave Gross and Chris Perkins about DRAGON
    and DUNGEON material for BR. I personally have written a few new articles
    for DRAGON, and Chris is soliciting BR material for DUNGEON. Even the RPGA
    and POLYEDRON are behind keeping BR material in people's minds--the RPGA is
    still releasing HOGUNMARK as a special promotion and has contracted Sean
    Reynolds to write BR material for the magazine.

    I am currently lobbying the book department to let us release FALCON & THE
    WOLF (Rich's novel) online, and I want to publish at least some of the
    SHADOW WORLD material I've written online. I am, currently, working on an
    ALTERNITY project, but I will keep up with the BR mailing list and continue
    to help shepherd the relaunch along.



    Ed Stark
    Game Designer, Wizards of the Coast/TSR Division
    Asst. Brand Manager
    TSR Website: http://www.tsrinc.com
    also: http://www.tsr.com

  2. #2
    James Ruhland
    Guest

    News about Relaunch

    1st: thanks for your conciencious post, keeping us updated.
    2nd: see below for questions (2).
    >
    > Hello, folks. I have some not great, but not really bad news. It concerns
    > the new BIRTHRIGHT hardcover and the relaunch of the line. Here's the
    press
    > release we're sending out to retailers and distributors. It's going out
    > now, and I didn't want any of you to hear of it third-hand:
    >
    >
    Mildly upset about the delay (was *really* looking forward to all this
    stuff, but I do want it done well [the usual high BR standards], so if more
    time is what is needed, I will *sigh* and wait.) Queries:
    1) From what it sounds like, not just the Hardcover, but the entire BR
    product release for this year (I.E. the Cold Rider stuff, Regents, et al)
    are delayed. Is my interpretation correct, or am I just overreacting?

    2) Awhile back you asked us all for rule modification/changes/et al ideas,
    and we gave some. I donno if anyone wants to re-open that can of worms
    again, but with the additional time, would you have the inclination to pick
    our (sometimes creative. . .sometimes not so hot) brains again?

    I don't have any specific suggestions that I can think of right now
    (except perhaps a clarification of the Contest-then-Invest rules), but
    others might.
    Again, thanks for telling us. Now I have to go pout. ::G::

  3. #3
    DKEvermore
    Guest

    News about Relaunch

    I'm very angry.

    Ted Stark is saying there will be no new releases for Birthright for close to
    another year and a half except for a few scraps of material that *might* get
    put on the internet. TSR, it is my opinion that if you wait a year and half
    to put out new stuff neither I nor people I know in this area will be willing
    to shell out for a line that'll just be unsupported again.

    Tomorrow, I am supposed to run a Birthright game for CyCON (Of Varks and
    Winter Witches by Sean Reynolds, RPGA). What am I supposed to tell the
    players? This is really the greatest game setting TSR has made, but that they
    don't back it? That's ridiculous!! Why would they want to get involved with
    it then? The boxed set is not available. Supplies of vital campaign
    expansion appear to be nearly exhausted, at lest in my area. I'll be surprise
    if anyone show up at the gaming table tomorrow at this rate. In reference to
    sales of material put out last fall, you have to admit nobody's going to buy
    expansion material for a game they don't have and can't get core rules for.

    Heck, I've purchased nearly everything ever published for this game, and I
    doubt that I'm willing to stick with a setting that ranks so low on TSR's
    scale. It's all I've been running or willing to run for nearly 3 years, and I
    have to say that TSR's decision disappoints me in the extreme.

    A "new format"? I don't care about formats. I'd like to see the material.
    I'm not interested in how pretty my books are, I want them to be useful when I
    need them to be useful.

    Mr. Stark, I know you are not responsible for the decision at TSR, but if you
    have any influence at all please don't let Birthright go the way of
    Shatterzone, another really great idea that I believe you worked on (and seems
    quite similar to Stardrive...).

    Yours in gaming,
    - -Dustin Evermore

  4. #4
    Jim Cooper
    Guest

    News about Relaunch

    Ed Stark wrote:
    >
    > Hello, folks. I have some not great, but not really bad news. It concerns
    > the new BIRTHRIGHT hardcover and the relaunch of the line.

    Uh-oh. :(

    > The planned relaunch of the BIRTHRIGHT® Campaign has been delayed from this
    > summer until next year

    KYAIIIIIAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! ARGGH!!!

    ><
    >
    > I can give you a few clues about the nature of the delay and the new
    > format, but only within certain parameters. Here's what I've got so far:

    >>> Bill also questioned us about the value of some of the first projects we
    > had planned for right after the relaunch and made us think about how new
    > players would react to the SHADOW WORLD arc right off the bat. He argued,
    > and I think rightly, that even though you, our fans, would like the
    > material, any new fans we attracted with the relaunch would be very confused. ><

    Hmmm ... I'm not sure I understand your guys' thinking on this one. I
    know that when I first got the Birthright Boxed Set several years ago, I
    would have killed to get ANYTHING detailing the Shadow World. Isn't the
    Shadow World sorta a fundamental cornerstone of the BIRTHRIGHT setting?
    It is, IMHO, a large part of the Cerilian Gods history and events that
    lead to bloodlines et. al. Not only that, but of an entire PC race -
    Halflings.

    I guess you guys were really planning some funky new stuff to add to the
    original material ...

    ><
    > So, rather than release only a couple of products this year or go ahead
    > with a less-than-stellar relaunch (I, Carrie, and Bill all think the HC
    > would've been good, but the marketing support wouldn't have been what we
    > wanted), we put it on delayed status. Thomas Reid, the brand manager for
    > the AD&D line, will be helping to direct the relaunch for 1999 (meaning it
    > will get A+ attention from the AD&D core as well as the BR team) and we
    > hope this really kicks things off well.

    Ok, one burning question ... does this mean that there will be NO new
    products for Birthright released this year (or just the HC)? None of
    the Shadow World stuff will be released?

    Darren ('Oh please, oh please, let SOMETHING come out this year.')

  5. #5
    TOMMY.ASHTON@ASU.Ed
    Guest

    News about Relaunch

    What a way to ruin the weekend.

    I wish they would at least release the Book of Regency.

    But thanks for caring Mr. Stark, it is nice to know about it first.
    T

  6. #6
    James Ruhland
    Guest

    News about Relaunch

    >
    > I wish they would at least release the Book of Regency.
    >
    I'd second, third, and fourth the above (I am: me, myself, and I, so I get
    three votes). As to the below, I think you may be taking it rather. .
    .hard. Also, though the release mentioned "new format" several times, I
    think a careful reading of what Mr. Stark wrote indicates that it's not
    just a glossy new cover they're working on, but working on making sure the
    material is of the highest calabre.
    Does that mean I *want* to wait another year-plus? Absolutely not.
    However, I'm not prepaired to go postal about it. At least not yet. . . . .

  7. #7
    Memnoch
    Guest

    News about Relaunch

    I appreciate the information Ed. Thanks for Being Honest about it. There
    are several Questions that come up, regardless... 1) Is the Book of Regency
    still slated for release. I would assume that it still is, due to it being
    formatted on the original BR rules and not with the Relaunch.
    2) What about the upcoming Shadow World material? Any pending due dates
    on this one.


    Any more information would be Appreciated

    Memnoch

    P.S. Possibly you could incorporate the random nobility ranks ala Oriental
    Adventures in the new format... At least I think it would correct an
    extremely large gap in the Original rules as far as Noble Scions go.
    - -----Original Message-----
    From: Ed Stark
    To: birthright@MPGN.COM
    Date: Saturday, April 11, 1998 2:39 AM
    Subject: RE: [BIRTHRIGHT] - News about Relaunch


    >At 06:12 PM 4/10/98 UT, you wrote:
    >>Hmmm, Well that's not so good.
    >>I just hope that this "delay" is not the prelude to the end of Birthright
    >and
    >>that it actually is just a delay.
    >
    >I understand your concern. If this were a "delay" and not a delay, I would
    >have either said something to indicate that or I would've said something
    >completely different.
    >
    >Believe me, I've spent way too much time and effort on this line and gotten
    >too much excellent feedback from the people on this list to lie to you
    >about BR's future. I will give you as up-to-date information as I can and I
    >will NOT try to deceive you. That's the best I can do.
    >
    >
    >Ed Stark
    >Game Designer, Wizards of the Coast/TSR Division
    >Asst. Brand Manager
    >TSR Website: http://www.tsrinc.com
    >also: http://www.tsr.com
    >************************************************* **************************
    >>'unsubscribe birthright' as the body of the message.
    >

  8. #8
    Ryan B. Caveney
    Guest

    News about Relaunch

    Dear Mr. Stark,

    Thank you very much for being up front with us.

    > The planned relaunch of the BIRTHRIGHT® Campaign has been delayed from this
    > summer until next year to allow the product to take advantage of an
    > exciting new format.

    Please tell me this is not the Saga system, or anything like it.
    I have played and enjoyed a few sessions of gaming in the new Dragonlance
    setting with the Saga rules, but I far prefer the existing AD&D system.
    My request is this: if the "format" change you promise has anything to do
    with variant (i.e. non-2nd-Ed.-AD&D) rules or resolution systems, please
    either reconsider or, if irrevocably committed to a new system, publish
    all new material with all statistics printed in both old and new systems.

    > Bill also questioned us about the value of some of the first projects we
    > had planned for right after the relaunch and made us think about how new
    > players would react to the SHADOW WORLD arc right off the bat. He argued,
    > and I think rightly, that even though you, our fans, would like the
    > material, any new fans we attracted with the relaunch would be very confused.

    Actually, I agree. On the other hand, the other new release, the
    _Book of Regency_, should definitely be the first BIRTHRIGHT supplement
    published after the relaunch, particularly as it is designed to advise new
    rulers.


    Sincerely,
    Ryan Caveney

  9. #9
    Samuel Weiss
    Guest

    News about Relaunch

    < snipped DKEvermore's complaints about the delay>

    Gee dude, I am an old time time Greyhawker. I have three things to tell you:
    1. Deal with it. It happens, At least it isn't canceled.
    2. We aren't going to be hit with stuff like Puppets, gargoyles, and the
    works of Rose Estes for BR. Have to be thankful for that.
    3. Even if they did cancel it, that hasn't stopped people from being nuts
    about Greyhawk. And while it would annoy the heck out of me, (and seriously
    lower my view of WoTC) if they did cancel, it won't stop me from enjoying
    what I do have now.
    Which all comes back to point 1. If you really want to do some good for the
    setting, praise it beyond belief at the Con. Get a bunch of RPGA memebers
    hot about it, and let them send in their "requests" that the line stay
    active to WoTC/TSR. That will work to keep BR alive. But complaining, and
    threatening to neevr play again sure as heck won't.
    And worse case, if they do cancel it, then we really start whining until
    they relaunch it to shut us up. But I doubt that will be needed.

    Samwise

  10. #10
    James Ruhland
    Guest

    News about Relaunch

    Hmmmn. . .our reaction may be getting Ed down. I hope the TSR folks look
    at it this way: at least your announcement wasn't greeted with a massive
    wave of apathetic indiference. *G*
    >
    > Ed Stark wrote:
    >
    > > Hello, folks. I have some not great, but not really bad news.
    >
    > I dunno, from the what was written below, it sounds like there will be NO
    NEW
    > BIRTHRIGHT RELEASES UNTIL 1999, that sounds like bad news to me, I have
    been
    > waiting very patiently for new material, and have been somewhat
    disappointed.
    > Nothing new for BR until 1999 sounds like BAD news to me.
    >

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Sad news for D&Ders?
    By Lee in forum The Royal Library
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 03-19-2008, 04:20 PM
  2. Site News?
    By camelotcrusade in forum Birthright.net support
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 01-30-2004, 08:47 PM
  3. Relaunch
    By Christopher Kira in forum MPGN Mailinglist archive 1996-1999
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 04-08-1998, 12:25 AM
  4. Relaunch
    By Kurt Wiegel in forum MPGN Mailinglist archive 1996-1999
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 01-03-1998, 09:20 PM

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
BIRTHRIGHT, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, the BIRTHRIGHT logo, and the D&D logo are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used by permission. 2002-2010 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.