A first and important difference is that, while most writers have an exclusive and faithful publisher who prints all their new books, game authors look much more frivolous.... While writers-publishers relations are long, faithful and exclusive affairs, infidelities seems to be the norm between game authors and their publishers. The reason is that most publishers have a “product line” approach and try, even when all their games are more or less targeted at the same style of gamers, to have very different games that will not cannibalize one another. That’s the reason why the Asmodée line now goes all the way from small purple ponies to busty bloody succubi, and that means publishers can’t publish all the games of an author, even when they like him really like him…

As always, a fascinating look at the inside world of gaming from Bruno.  The relationship between designers and publishers is a complex one indeed.

Often you can trace the downward spiral in the quality of an author’s work to the point at which they stopped listening to their editor. Most authors do in fact make major changes in the content of their books based on “suggestions” from the publisher. Stephen R Donaldson talked a little bit about the back-and-forth over Fatal Revenant on his web site, and he’s a very successful author.

On the other hand, you can see the wordcount ballooning and the pulse deadening in authors like Stephen King, Tom Clancy, and even J K Rowling once they achieved success (probably a large part of which was due to good editing) and were apparently not as closely edited. Or compare Dune, in which an editor was apparently heavily involved, vs later books in the series which are often bloated and incoherent (and I’m not even talking about he’s son’s recent attempts to cash in).

Whatever, books and games are rather different beasts. Creating even an average book is a lot more work than an average game. But they both need good editors.

I wonder though if the drive to purchase a game or a book are different, which is why the publishing world for each is different.

My wife looks for certain authors (she reads books, I read game rules) because she enjoys the style of writing, the subject matter and other author specific reasons. She enjoys reading the same type of book, the modern thriller. She seeks out similar, but not the same.

I look for games that have different mechanics, themes, etc. Auction game, war game, or a light trick taking card game, different games for different moods and circumstances.

Reading the same book gives pretty much exactly the same experience each time you read it. Of course the second or third reading might reveal some nuance that the reader missed the first time, but the words are all the same, the same events happen. Games are different, each play session can have vastly different outcomes, the “story” changes. Same components, same theme, even the players can be the same, yet the “story” is different.

One thing I have noticed in a lot of game reviews that I have been reading lately is a (somewhat) disparaging comment along the line of: This game is made up of the X mechanic from game A and the Y mechanic from game B. Gamers have a “been there done that” kind of attitude when looking at games with re-used mechanics, unless its done in a radically different manner.

I suspect thats why in books a publisher wants a bunch of work from the same author, similar but not the same. The game publisher seems to seek out different designers for a different style of game. Both attempting to catering to what their audience wants.

Peace

How long before an author is so displeased he insists on the name “Alan Smithee” being put on the box :)

Just in case Bruno’s piece is being studied by an aspiring game designer it is important to realise that there are two types - the amateur and the professional.

Bruno represents the professional.  His living is dependent upon other folk publishing his games and thus keeping the money rolling in.  So he is understandably almost forced to ‘go with the flow’ as it were.  It isn’t easy for him to appear to be ‘difficult’, which could antagonise the people he was dependent upon for a living.

But for amateurs it is different.  They already have an income presumably, and for them the attraction of getting a game published is not the royalty cheques (welcome but seldom amounting to much in themselves) but achieving a sort of status within the hobby.  And this won’t be achieved if their game is so tampered with that they hardly recognise it.

I came into this latter category and with the seven games I have had published my contract always stated that no changes were to be made without my permission.  If the publisher didn’t like it, too bad. But none of them objected, and provided there is mutual respect this need never be confrontational. 

(This didn’t apply to the recent version of ‘Warrior Knights’ simply because it had already been published precisely as I had devised it.  So for the re-publishing I made no such condition and the end result illustrates - for better or worse - how far a game, once in the hands of developers, can depart from that originally envisaged by its designer.  So it is as well to go into an arrangement with your eyes open and any necessary words written!)

- Derek

Good observation, Derek, and one that applies as much to authors as game designers.

The number of people who aspire to write for a living is huge, and publishers can use this fact to their advantage. If one writer demands “unreasonable” changes to a contract and the project was generated in house, the publisher might just find another writer. (This has happened to me.) For a project brought to a publisher by a writer, the publisher will simply drop the project. (This has happened to my wife and some of her writer friends.)

With so many writers and writing wannabes in the world, specific projects are often irrelevant to book and magazine publishers. Game publishers could likely adopt this principle as well.

Wow, Eric.

“Literary publishers clear changes with authors or (more commonly) ask the authors to make the needed changes, while game publishers rarely do this, leaving game designers in the dark as to how their creations will play once they appear in print. All in all, a very interesting read…”

I couldn’t disagree more.  I know when I was a publisher I often worked closely with designers regarding their creations, both for those I’d already committed to publishing and also some that I eventually decided not to publish.  A lot of times I’d get a submission that was “close” but not quite ready for prime time, and if I thought I might be interested then I’d work with the designer to develop the game to the point it would be ready.  In one case, I did end up publishing the game in the end - in several others I had to decline for one reason or another, but they got free “advice” from me out of the deal which they could then use even if someone else published it.
At the very least I would say that I didn’t think the game would fit the product line or that I just didn’t feel enthusiastic enough about it to be an effective publisher/marketer/seller for it, but then usually only in cases where I didn’t see enough promise to even play it.

The only game that I published (or strongly considered publishing) without significant mechanical changes was Employee of the Month, and that one got a huge theme overhaul.

I also know from talking to at least one game designer that they often get tips from the publisher as to why a game of theirs was turned down - either it doesn’t fit in the product line, or there is a particular thing about it the guy didn’t like.  I sat in on a prototype demo with one prominent publisher and designer not to be named, and at the end there was much feedback given. 

I’m sure that not EVERY contribution to a publisher gets such thoughtful treatment, but I think any game that showed enough promise to get playtested by the publisher probably does in most cases, especially if the designer is a well known one.  Every publisher runs their business differently but from what I’ve heard talking with people who submit to publishers, they usually get feedback one way or the other.

Addendum to comment above:  I wouldn’t even consider making a change to the game that a designer wasn’t on board with.  I know some publishers do that but I wanted everyone to be happy with the end result.

"The only game that I published without significant mechanical changes was Employee of the Month, and that one got a huge theme overhaul.”

I know, and I still mourn the loss of Heaven For Bid!  :-(

(Not that you didn’t made the absolute right call in changing this theme, Anye, but it would have made for a very cool title and theme!)