Shadowrun

 Though the big two, Dungeons & Dragons and the Pathfinder RPS get all the attention, there are a number of second tier RPGs that quietly sell, day in and day out.  At our store, that’s Shadowrun.  Released back in 1989, we’ve carried it since before the store opened, when we used to do conventions and mail order only.  One of the few times I remember seeing a crowd of gamers running  was at GENCON in 1992, when the release of the 2nd edition of the Shadowrun rules was released. FASA announced only a limited number of copies available at the show. For some reason, I was in the exhibit hall when the doors opened and watched as a couple of hundred excited games ran through the aisles towards the FASA booth, hoping to score a copy of the 2nd edition rules.  The only other time I have seen that much excitement over a game release was when TSR finally released the Temple Of Elemental Evil  back in 1985.

Since then , Shadowrun has sold steadily for us, to the point we try to keep 2 to 4 copies of the core rulebook on the shelf at any one time. The only other RPGS in the store that get stocked to that depth  are Dungeons & Dragons and the Pathfinder RPG.  In fact, because of sales, Shadowrun and Pathfinder are the only two RPGs that we stock all of their hardback sourcebooks 2 to 3 deep at all times.  Even Dungeons & Dragons (4th edition anyhow) doesn’t get stocked that deeply (mainly because there are a lot more hardbacks for D&D than for either Pathfinder or Shadowrun).  Looking at the shelf at the moment, we have nine Shadowrun hardbacks in stock  and another 9 or 10 paperbound books.  They sell.  Week in and week out, they sell for us and justify the shelf space and inventory.  We average sales of 3 to 5 of each new sourcebook when they hit the shelves (campaign settings and adventures not nearly so well) and have to restock two to three assorted hardbacks weekly, so this is a line that really gets hurt in our store when a book goes out of print, as happens way too often with the line.  Looking at our records, we have sold 6 copies of the rulebook since the beginning of the year and this is of an edition that cam out almost three years ago.

A Fond Look at the Shadowrun RPG

 Though the big two, Dungeons & Dragons and the Pathfinder RPs get all the attention, there are a number of second tier RPGs that quietly sell, day in and day out.  At our store, that’s Shadowrun.  Released back in 1989, we’ve carried it since before the store opened, when we used to do conventions and mail order only.  One of the few times I remember seeing a crowd of gamers running  was at GENCON in 1992, when the release of the 2nd edition of the Shadowrun rules was released. FASA announced only a limited number of copies available at the show. For some reason, I was in the exhibit hall when the doors opened and watched as a couple of hundred excited games ran through the aisles towards the FASA booth, hoping to score a copy of the 2nd edition rules.  The only other time I have seen that much excitement over a game release was when TSR finally released the Temple Of Elemental Evil  back in 1985.

Since then , Shadowrun has sold steadily for us, to the point we try to keep 2 to 4 copies of the core rulebook on the shelf at any one time. The only other RPGS in the store that get stocked to that depth  are Dungeons & Dragons and the Pathfinder RPG.  In fact, because of sales, Shadowrun and Pathfinder are the only two RPGs that we stock all of their hardback sourcebooks 2 to 3 deep at all times.  Even Dungeons & Dragons (4th edition anyhow) doesn’t get stocked that deeply (mainly because there are a lot more hardbacks for D&D than for either Pathfinder or Shadowrun).  Looking at the shelf at the moment, we have nine Shadowrun hardbacks in stock  and another 9 or 10 paperbound books.  They sell.  Week in and week out, they sell for us and justify the shelf space and inventory.  We average sales of 3 to 5 of each new sourcebook when they hit the shelves (campaign settings and adventures not nearly so well) and have to restock two to three assorted hardbacks weekly, so this is a line that really gets hurt in our store when a book goes out of print, as happens way too often with the line.  Looking at our records, we have sold 6 copies of the rulebook since the beginning of the year and this is of an edition that cam out almost three years ago.

Shadowrun gets little to no promotion (I don’t recall Catalyst mentioning any upcoming releases for it during their presentation at this year’s GAMA Trade Show) and certainly flies under the radar in most stores but its players have quite a bit of devotion to the product, enough to make it our third best selling RPG. 

New Years Eve

 As usual , we will stay open for board and card gaming until midnight on New Year's Eve. We will have pie and the makings for ham and cheese sandwiches.We are running a Shadowrun game from 5:30 to 8:30 but the spots for it are all filled.

Three Cheers for Shadowrun

 

Though , Dungeons & Dragons and to a lesser extent today, the Pathfinder RPG get all the attention, there are a number of second tier RPGs that quietly sell, day in and day out.  At our store, that’s Shadowrun.  Released back in 1989, we’ve carried it since before the store opened, when we used to do conventions and mail order only.  One of the few times I remember seeing a crowd of gamers running  was at GENCON in 1992, when the release of the 2^nd edition of the Shadowrun rules was released. FASA announced only a limited number of copies available at the show. For some reason, I was in the exhibit hall when the doors opened and watched as a couple of hundred excited games ran through the aisles towards the FASA booth, hoping to score a copy of the 2^nd edition rules.  The only other time I have seen that much excitement over a game release was when TSR finally released the Temple Of Elemental Evil  back in 1985.

Since then , Shadowrun has sold steadily for us, to the point we try to keep 2 to 4 copies of the core rulebook on the shelf at any one time. The only other RPGS in the store that get stocked to that depth  are Dungeons & Dragons and the Pathfinder RPG.  In fact, because of sales, Shadowrun and Pathfinder are the only two RPGs that we stock all of their hardback sourcebooks 2 to 3 deep at all times.  Even Dungeons & Dragons (4^th edition anyhow) doesn’t get stocked that deeply (mainly because there are a lot more hardbacks for D&D than for either Pathfinder or Shadowrun).  Looking at the shelf at the moment, we have nine Shadowrun hardbacks in stock  and another 9 or 10 paperbound books.  They sell.  Week in and week out, they sell for us and justify the shelf space and inventory.  We average sales of 3 to 5 of each new sourcebook when they hit the shelves (campaign settings and adventures not nearly so well) and have to restock two to three assorted hardbacks weekly, so this is a line that really gets hurt in our store when a book goes out of print, as happens way too often with the line.  Looking at our records, we have sold 6 copies of the rulebook since the beginning of the year and this is of an edition that cam out almost three years ago.

Upcoming Releases for Shadowrun

Hey chummer, here are two new supplements for Shadowrunn arriving this summer:

CYT27453 Shadowrun: No Future

$49.99 SRP SDI A key part of Shadowrun’s longtime appeal is its setting, where cyberpunk blends with fantasy and a lot of attitude. No Future emphasizes the "punk" part of cyberpunk, offering new details about the setting including current music acts, popular and underground trid shows, media sources, and Sixth World sports from both the mainstream and the fringes, and all sorts of pirate media from people following the core DIY principles of punk. With detailed setting information and game rules for creating and using characters who rise out of Sixth World culture, No Future is an indispensable resource for gamemasters and players who want to experience the full richness of Shadowrun.

CYT27454 Shadowrun: Neo-Anarchist's Streetpedia

$34.99 SRP SDI There are many ways to enter Shadowrun’s Sixth World setting—the classic RPG, the story-focused Shadowrun: Anarchy RPG, card games, board games, computer games, dice games, and more. What all these things have in common is the gritty, detailed Shadowrun world, one of the primary hooks that draws people to the games. No matter how people play, they can benefit from The Neo-Anarchist Streetpedia, perhaps the most detailed reference to the Sixth World ever produced. With hundreds of entries on topics ranging from Ares to the Zürich-Orbital Habitat and written in a lively, engaging style, this book will be a useful reference to anyone wanting to keep up with the details in one of gaming’s all-time great settings.

Order by Date: June 1, 2019 Release Date: June 2019

Our Number 3 RPG

Though the big two, Dungeons & Dragons and the Pathfinder RPS get all the attention, there are a number of second tier RPGs that quietly sell, day in and day out.  At our store, that’s Shadowrun.  Released back in 1989, we’ve carried it since before the store opened, when we used to do conventions and mail order only.  One of the few times I remember seeing a crowd of gamers running  was at GENCON in 1992, when the release of the 2^nd edition of the Shadowrun rules was released. FASA announced only a limited number of copies available at the show. For some reason, I was in the exhibit hall when the doors opened and watched as a couple of hundred excited games ran through the aisles towards the FASA booth, hoping to score a copy of the 2^nd edition rules.  The only other time I have seen that much excitement over a game release was when TSR finally released the Temple Of Elemental Evil  back in 1985.

Why Do RPGs Fail

I was looking at the wide variety of RPGs on the store shelves recently and got to wondering what separates a Dungeons & Dragons from a Chivalry and Sorcery, a Pathfinder from a Lord of the Rings, a Shadowrun from a Cyberpunk? Why is one comparatively successful in the industry while the other, after some initial success goes out of print or languishes in relative obscurity. Chivalry &Sorcery, Lord of the Rings and Cyberpunk all had substantial success during their first release, but the relaunch of C&S soon fizzled, LOTR died as Decipher imploded and the release of an updated Cyberpunk may have done well in direct sales but hasn’t gotten any footprint in brick and mortar stores. Some thoughts on why to come.

And New Shadowrun and Battletch Stuff

Coming in November

CYT26850 SR: Anthology Vol. 1: Spells & Chrome $14.99 SRP	CYT11050 Henchman $24.99 SRP
Welcome to the year 2072… …And a world unlike anything you’ve ever imagined. A world where magic and machines exist side-by-side. Where cybernetics can replace organs or entire limbs with ease, and arcane spells can make the impossible happen. Where the Matrix has become an artificial world of its own, filled with all kinds of pleasure, treasure, and trouble. Where dwarves, elves, orks and trolls walk alongside humans every day. Some work for megacorporations whose invisible tentacles wrap around every aspect of modern life. Others choose a much less legal career, doing whatever dirty work the corp executives need done—for a price. Featuring fifteen new stories about the men and women who make their living in the shadows of the Sixth World, Spells & Chrome takes you into the dark and dirty streets of the future. Whether risking their lives to execute a mission for an employer who might be planning to double-cross them anyway, or just doing whatever they need to do to survive another day, shadowrunners use everything they’ve got—cyberware, spells, or a very big gun—to get the job done.	The Game of Surviving Evil Masterminds! Congratulations! As the new franchise owner of a Henchman Unlimited Agency, you provide the needed help for many of the world's most discriminating major villains as they implement their evil plans. Survivors often claim that the experience is quite rewarding! But beware those doomsday plans...
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CYT35180 CBT: Clan Expansion Box Set $49.99 SRP
The boxed set will include: Clan OmniMech and battle armor miniatures Rules for battle armor 3050 upgrade variant record sheets for all 24 ‘Mechs from the Introductory Box Set Primary and Alpha configuration record sheets for the Clan OmniMechs and battle armor Map tiles: cardstock hex tiles to add terrain items to existing map sheets The boxed set will not be a stand-alone product and will require the purchase of the Classic BattleTech Introductory Box Set. The map tiles are part of a larger HexPack product that Catalyst is currently developing. There is no word yet on the number of minis or hex tiles that will be included in the boxed set.