Palladium Books in danger of going out of business.

[Velorath]

Seemed like this might be of interest to anyone who was a fan of RIFTS.  Apparently they're having some serious financial trouble right now.

A Crisis of Treachery

At a time when Palladium Books’ future has never looked more promising, we have been dealt a crippling blow.

For legal reasons, I cannot go into details about exactly what happened. Suffice it to say that betrayal of trust, theft, and embezzlement has inflicted what we estimate to be $850,000 to 1.3 million dollars in damages to Palladium.

It is a blow from which Palladium cannot recover. At least, not without YOUR help.

Out of options . . .

I have borrowed tens of thousands in loans and sunk every dime I’ve had into Palladium Books. I’m selling everything I own to keep Palladium going. That’s the real reason I’m selling my 25 year old toy collection, art and other items at the Palladium Open House.

But it’s not enough.

For the last year I had kept Palladium going with the hope that something would break in our favor. After all, we had all kinds of exciting things going on behind the scenes, and the huge loss seemed, for a while, like something we could overcome. Then a string of misfortune.

A series of unfortunate events

- The truly wonderful Rifts® videogame – Rifts® Promise of Power – was stillborn. The N-Gage platform never took off in North America. That meant the N-Gage and Rifts® Promise of Power would NOT be available on the mass market in the USA and Canada. Finding it anywhere in North America required an act of God.

- There would be no Nokia royalty-based revenue stream.

- Nor would there be a Nokia videogame sequel and the money that might come from it.

Note: Nokia treated me nothing short of GREAT. They lost truckloads of money on this venture. We’re both the victims of marketing fallout. Please don’t blame these wonderful people for Palladium’s woes – circumstance just didn’t make them part of our solution.

- Minimal gains into the book trade (Barnes & Noble, Borders, Hastings, etc.). PSI’s (Publisher Services Inc.) efforts to get Palladium RPG products into the book trade have been slow to say the least. Although we are confident PSI will be a good partner and get us into many national bookstore chains, it is taking much longer than anticipated.

- The Rifts movie? Stalled. Until Jerry Bruckheimer has a script he loves, the movie can’t get the green light. That makes perfect sense, but it doesn’t help Palladium’s bottom line right now.

- There were discussions with a company interested in doing a Rifts® MMOG but it didn’t pan out.

- Other potential deals have moved forward at a snail’s pace or have fallen to the wayside.

- Going public with this appeal may very well cost us getting the Robotech® license renewal.

- It doesn’t help that the role-playing game industry is in a slump and going through a transitional phase.

- Palladium has a team of amazing writers and artists brimming with ideas and enthusiasm. We have dozens and dozens of ideas and opportunities that will knock your socks off, but not the money to implement them.

- Palladium’s writers and artists have been troopers, waiting months to get paid, but their generosity is not enough.

- Treachery and skullduggery from within threatens to put us out of business.

I can't really comment on the embezzlement and betrayal stuff, but from the rest of the things listed it just seems like they were counting a little too much on shaky licensing deals.  I can't help but think they might be in a better position of they were ever able to actually release any of their products within at the very least 6 months of the scheduled release date.

[HaemishM]

Shame about the N-Gage game. I've been wanting that one for a while now, but have no idea where to buy N-Gage games anymore.

[Descended]

I'm not sure why I shouldn't write this up to survival of the fitest.

[Velorath]

Very few RPG makers actually seem fit to survive these days.

[Samwise]

All they had to do was release a d20 version of RIFTS and they could've hoovered a few hundred dollars out of my pocket very easily, if not more.  I always loved the RIFTS world to pieces but their actual game system is just too arcane for me to be able to get anyone else into it.  Ah well.

[Raging Turtle]

That does suck.  I used to buy rifts books in comics stores knowing I would never play a game, just because they were awesome to read over and over. 

... wonder if I should start trying to buy used copies on Ebay of the ones I don't have before they get expensive. 

Anyone want to speculate on what the treachery and skullduggery is?  Embezzlement I can see, not sure how the others would work in a single gaming company.

[Kail]

All they had to do was release a d20 version of RIFTS and they could've hoovered a few hundred dollars out of my pocket very easily, if not more.  I always loved the RIFTS world to pieces but their actual game system is just too arcane for me to be able to get anyone else into it.  Ah well.

Agreed.  Palladium always struck me as a company run by guys like the people I used to game with.  Very passionate, love their games, but not a real firm grasp on business or layout or writing.  Not that I know any of them personally, of course, that's just the impression I get when I read Siembieda's stuff.  It would be sad to see them go, though.

Does this "beg for money" thing seem a bit worrying to anyone else?  They're looking for 5,000 copies of a sketch sold at $50.00 a pop to pull them out of an eight hundred thousand dollar debt...?  I can't help but shake the feeling that even if they manage to pull this off (which doesn't seem TOO unlikely) they're still going to be in serious trouble.  Maybe that's just my pessimism talking, though.

[Samwise]

That does suck.  I used to buy rifts books in comics stores knowing I would never play a game, just because they were awesome to read over and over. 

Yup, that's me to a T.  And if they (or anyone) released a d20 version I'd buy 'em all over again in the hopes of getting my D&D group to play a Rifts campaign.

[Velorath]

Does this "beg for money" thing seem a bit worrying to anyone else?  They're looking for 5,000 copies of a sketch sold at $50.00 a pop to pull them out of an eight hundred thousand dollar debt...?  I can't help but shake the feeling that even if they manage to pull this off (which doesn't seem TOO unlikely) they're still going to be in serious trouble.  Maybe that's just my pessimism talking, though.

What's worrying is that they don't seem to have any real plan on how to use the money other than business as usual.

YOUR help is real

Any amount we can sell will make a difference. 2000 prints sold is a big help and “should” enable us to limp through the rest of the year working toward getting into the book trade and launching new products that can make a difference. 4000 prints sold “should” free us of the most crushing debt, and help get us standing on our feet. 5000 prints or more should help enable us to release a range of amazing role-playing games, sourcebooks and related products. With the cash we need, Palladium can do all of the following.

Release the stockpile of exciting new sourcebooks and products created by Palladium’s unbelievable crew of talented freelance writers and artists.

Palladium can release new RPGs and publish more products for ALL its game lines, hopefully boosting overall sales and making Palladium strong again.

Palladium can reprint key titles.

Palladium can expand vital advertising.

Palladium can keep doing the X-Mas Grab Bag that makes Christmas that much brighter for so many people.

With your help, a little luck and hard work, this will be the boost we need to keep Palladium going for years and years to come.

Without giving away too many secrets, we’ve been looking into a number of exciting licenses and new product areas you guys and gals have been asking for over the years, including novels, comic books and toys. Things that would already have been in production except for the crisis of treachery.

YOU will be a bigger, intrinsic part of the Palladium Megaverse than ever before. You’ll be true champions who did something noble, kind and significant.

YOU have my word that fans will always come first and I will repay you by keeping Palladium’s quality high, our prices reasonable, and giving back whenever I can.

It looks like they're still even trying to count on licensing revenue despite how undependable they've found it to be.

[SurfD]

I have always been a big fan of palladium's works.

I have been a proponent of their system from time to time, deffending and clarifiying its pros and cons vs the d20 system, but mainly, is simply LOVE their worlds.  Palladium and their writers have made some of the most awesome worlds / settings to play in that i have ever encountered.

It really does rather suck that Promise of Power will probably never hit stateside, since I was really looking foreward to playing that on the Ngage-QD i won way back when (whatever happened to that website address, the-world.com, or whatever it was?)

the whole theft and embezzelment thing really strikes me as odd however, since i had been under the impression that palladium books was practically a Mom and Pop type operation at heart. (will have to talk to one of my sources, a diehard Palladium fan from the very early days, who is practically on a name to name basis with one of the founders).

[Mesozoic]

Wow, thats sad.  I spent a lot of my youth playing TMNT, Heroes Unlimited, Robotech, and Rifts.  I can honestly say that they didn't go out of business from lack of attention on my part.

[tazelbain]

I agree that failing modernize the system was a big mistake.
Failing to capitalize on such great IP reeks of incompetence.

Jerry Bruckheimer! WTF.

[Mortriden]

I always loved the RIFTS world to pieces but their actual game system is just too arcane for me to be able to get anyone else into it.  Ah well.

This is me as well.  I loved reading all their books, but god damn was that system clunky.  Character creation alone took hours.

[Riggswolfe]

Jerry Bruckheimer! WTF.

Out of all the licensing deals he spoke of this is the only one that seems semi-intelligent. Say what you want about Bruckheimer (I'm a fan in a guilty pleasure way) but his movies tend to make zillions of dollars. Seriously, the guy has a good track record. He knows what sells and how to sell it for the most part.

[Trippy]

Jerry Bruckheimer! WTF.

Out of all the licensing deals he spoke of this is the only one that seems semi-intelligent. Say what you want about Bruckheimer (I'm a fan in a guilty pleasure way) but his movies tend to make zillions of dollars. Seriously, the guy has a good track record. He knows what sells and how to sell it for the most part.

Yeah, Jerry's a money making machine. Unfortunately even if he had a script it wouldn't help Palladium unless he was willing to foot them an advance based on whatever percentage of the profits they agreed to since it takes a while to get that kind of movie made.

[Bunk]

I looked at the revised 3rd edition Palladium fantasy books recently. I'd hoped they'd be good, I was a big fan of Palladium way back in highschool - really liked the system.

Well, the big new edition revisions were essentially a few rule tweaks to bring things in line with Rifts. For every clarification he added, he pulled something out and dumbed it down to match it's Rifts counterpart. Not what I was looking for.

Tried starting a campaign anyways. Went three sessions before we tossed the Palladium and converted the characters over to 3.5.

As much as I hate to say it, D&Ds current system has made it really tough for me to go back to older, simpler systems.

[Margalis]

I don't know anything about D&D "D20" stuff. How is it different from stuff like Palladium?

[Samwise]

I don't know anything about D&D "D20" stuff. How is it different from stuff like Palladium?

The main benefit of d20 is that it's an "open standard" - you can base your game on the core d20 system without having to pay WotC for the privilege.

The core d20 system basically consists of the ability scores, the combat system, and the basic skill system (plus all the skills that are in D&D).  Nothing about d20 necessarily ties it to any particular setting or genre, but any game that you base on the d20 system is going to be pretty easy for anyone familiar with other d20 games to learn.  That's the real beauty of it - it makes it much easier to get into new games if they're d20-based, because 90% of the mechanics are stuff you already know from D&D or whatever.

The other difference is that the rules are inherently pretty elegant - they're not that complex to learn, but they're easily adapted to many sorts of games and many types of character, and they make it pretty easy for the DM to make "reasonable" rulings on a wide variety of situations without having to make too much up on the spot.  (Some like making everything up as they go, of course, but that's what Rule 0 is for.)  The "d20" name comes from the fact that almost every action a character takes, from firing a gun to baking a loaf of bread, can be "resolved" (if needed) by rolling a d20, adding some modifiers, and comparing to the number needed for success.  (Compare to a system like Palladium's where you have one sort of check for making an attack, one for casting a spell, one for using a skill, one for dodging an attack, et cetera.)

Click here for more information than you ever wanted to have on the d20/D&D 3.5E system.

[Kitsune]

For YEARS people have been clamoring all over Palladium to get its head out of its collective ass and publish a d20 conversion for their books.

YEARS.

Any mention of a d20 conversion on their forum will get the thread deleted, and potentially ban the poster to boot.

Now, holy shit, they didn't listen to their customers, didn't pay attention to the market, and instead of getting in gear and putting out a book that isn't cut and pasted crap from 1989, they beg for money.

I'd buy a d20 converted Nightspawn (er, Nightbane, fuck you Todd McFarlaine) book without a moment's hesitation.  I might even buy a d20 Rifts.  Palladium can have my money, just as soon as they put out a product that deserves it.

[Samwise]

For YEARS people have been clamoring all over Palladium to get its head out of its collective ass and publish a d20 conversion for their books.

YEARS.

Any mention of a d20 conversion on their forum will get the thread deleted, and potentially ban the poster to boot.

Has anyone made the offer of writing the conversion themselves, like Swords and Sorcery did with the Ravenloft setting?  Obviously if Palladium was that hostile to d20 they'd have said no, but if they're going belly up that could change things.

[schild]

Kitsune hit the nail on the head.

[Der Helm]

Looks like I confused Palladium Books with Paladin-Press, which made for a very weird and oddly amusing read so far.

[Trippy]

Details regarding the theft and settlement

[Jain Zar]

Shame about the N-Gage game. I've been wanting that one for a while now, but have no idea where to buy N-Gage games anymore.

Umm. from the N Gage website?  Where I got it, Civilization, Warhammer 40K, and a number of other games?

[HaemishM]

Shame about the N-Gage game. I've been wanting that one for a while now, but have no idea where to buy N-Gage games anymore.

Umm. from the N Gage website?  Where I got it, Civilization, Warhammer 40K, and a number of other games?

I'm lazy that way.

[Xerapis]

Hey, I tossed a 50 their way.  I'm sure I've spent more for worse reasons, and I got a couple of their books at home.

Honestly...I like to study gaming systems.  I see the D20 OGL as the Borg.

I'm all for supporting the rest of the guys.  Not that I don't eat up Borg products too.

I just want to see good diversity.  Not universal conversion to the almighty D20.

[Jain Zar]

Im actually prepping for a TMNT minicampaign myself because of all this.

Bioweapon mutant animals vs zombies and shit in a Center for Disease Control Hospital/weapons lab.

Picture a mixture of Silent Hill's hospital and the GI Joe's Pit.

With machinegun toting bears.

[Broughden]

Well is it just my cynical hard ass or does this not sound like EVERY MMO business plan right now?

5000 prints or more should help enable us to release a range of amazing role-playing games, sourcebooks and related products. With the cash we need, Palladium can do all of the following.

Release the stockpile of exciting new sourcebooks and products created by Palladium’s unbelievable crew of talented freelance writers and artists.

Palladium can release new RPGs and publish more products for ALL its game lines, hopefully boosting overall sales and making Palladium strong again.

Just like MMOs. "Yes we know our game is released full of bugs but if you will stay subscribed and give us more money all your gumdrop dreams will come true Timmy! We promise!"
Maybe Palladium is just using the new SWG-NGE business model?



Also WTF does this mean?

working toward getting into the book trade

Your company has been publishing gaming source books plus other material for how long now? And you seem to have NO clue how to get retailers to stock them on the shelves? Sound to me like survival of the fitest should kick in and this company should go bye bye.

[SurfD]

Well is it just my cynical hard ass or does this not sound like EVERY MMO business plan right now?

5000 prints or more should help enable us to release a range of amazing role-playing games, sourcebooks and related products. With the cash we need, Palladium can do all of the following.

Release the stockpile of exciting new sourcebooks and products created by Palladium’s unbelievable crew of talented freelance writers and artists.

Palladium can release new RPGs and publish more products for ALL its game lines, hopefully boosting overall sales and making Palladium strong again.

Just like MMOs. "Yes we know our game is released full of bugs but if you will stay subscribed and give us more money all your gumdrop dreams will come true Timmy! We promise!"
Maybe Palladium is just using the new SWG-NGE business model?

Not sure what you'r geting at here.  Palladium has survived because it has a fairly wide variety of settings attached to its rulesets.  WoTC / TSR has, what, 1 or 2 settings that are popular.  Palladium has Palladium Fantasy, Rifts, TMNT, Heroes/Villians Unlimited and Ninjas/Superspys, Nightbane and Beyond The Supernatural all as fairly popular product lines.  And I may be missing a few here and there.

 Saying they hope to release lots of books and goodies for various settings (and usually makeing good on it) has been their operating philosophy for ages.

Also WTF does this mean?

working toward getting into the book trade

Your company has been publishing gaming source books plus other material for how long now? And you seem to have NO clue how to get retailers to stock them on the shelves? Sound to me like survival of the fitest should kick in and this company should go bye bye.

Getting Gameing books into hobby / game shops is one thing.  Getting them into Chapters / Barnes and Nobles / Borders etc style stores is probably something else entirely.  Plus, I believe palladium has only recently gotten into the serialised fiction type stuff, which is likely a whole different ballpark all together.

[Broughden]

Not sure what you'r geting at here. 

Im getting at exactly what I said.

Typical MMO-
"Yes, we know are game is unbalanced, full of bugs, and not really all that fun, but if you will stay subscribed and give us your money we will fix it! Also we will release a new expansion that you have to pay for that will have all new uber stuff in it."

Palladium-
"Yes, we know we havent updated our game system or even the art work in our books in 15 years, but if you will give us money we will use that to release new books (ie expansions) that you all will have to pay for."