As I have mentioned in the past, a major problem with Free RPG Day since its inception has been the limited number of items available from some publishers (see "Six Thoughts about Free RPG Day"). I do not have a problem with the paint kits and dice included in the kit, as those are comparatively pricey to produce and assembly. However, if you are going to promote your game to customers stopping in at some 500 game stores, sending more than three copies of the item you spent time and money to create to promote your game seems a good idea. Sure, publishers can post the item for free on their website later, but that means the customer must remember the game and take the time to look at it. Free RPG Day allows publishers to utilize the distribution capabilities of participating stores to get their rules or sample into interested customer hands.
I was sorry to read of the passing of Paul Arden Lindberg from a stroke this past Monday. Though I never met him, I stocked a number of the games he wrote and published over the years including $tar Corp$, Critter Commandos, and Toy War as well as miniatures for the games and several RPGs, such as Vampire Hunter$ and Doomed. He had a quirky sense of humor (a line from $tarCorp$ was "Fed Ex Rangers, when it absolutely positively has to be blown up overnight! ") and loved the small press aspect of the industry he brought to the table. As the only income source in his family, they are under quite a bit of stress right now, both emotionally and financially. If you would like to make a donation to help, here is a link to a GoFundMe campaign.
Your thoughts on Free RPG Day or remembrances of Paul Lindberg? Send them to castleperilousgames@gmail.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.
