| From: | Mike Goldberg <michael.goldberg@*******.COM> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Re[2]: Maxim, again?! |
| Date: | Wed, 26 Mar 1997 18:24:40 MST |
>that's not really anything to do with shadowtk. How about "does Pepsi
>still taste like dilute urine in 2057?". Or "which megacorp owns Pepsi,
>and why would they want to when it tastes like dilute urine?". <Wipes
>rabid foam from chin>
>
>PLAYTHING OF A CRUEL GOD
>JAIMIE NICHOLSON
Actually, think for a second *grin*. Fine you don't like the taste of
the soda, and for that matter neither do I. Its the interaction
between corporations that I was illustrating. And that does have
plenty to do with Shadowrun and shadowtk.
I work at Time Warner Communications. And believe me, I have no
illusions about what that means. No role-playing game comes from a
vacuum. Watching how corporations work gives a gm plenty of knowledge
to use in their games. Translate a gm to a writer, and games to
shadowtk and it applies here.
If you are a gm, one of the more useful things to watch for is things
like what is going on with Pepsi. Pepsi is in three different (but
related) industries (and most of their products do nothing for me).
It is just the small start of a megacorporation. Look at how
Microsoft operates or even AT&T. If you feel you tell me that their
actions don't give inspiration of things you can do in cyberpunk with
a corporation, then I wish you to not only tell me that, but tell my
why that is so. *grin*
IMHO, having that bit of real world knowledge of corporations and
their strategies, makes the game feel a little more alive for me and
the players that I have gm'd over.
Most mom & pop restaurants would never know that Pepsi owns fast food
restaurants that are slowly driving them under. But they know because
Coca-Cola is sure to make noise about it if they found out a
restaurant is using Pepsi instead of Coke. This in itself gives me an
idea for a shadowrun to throw at the players.
Here is the idea two sides really:
One a small corporation wants to gain a foothold in a new city to
compete with the big boys in the junk food biz. They start convincing
local food stores to carry their product. Maybe at the same time,
they try and convince restaurants not owned by their competitors to
switch junk food suppliers. They gain a small foothold. A big bad
corp, doesn't like the decreasing profit line, and hence, all sort of
opportunities are open to a GM and players alike.
Where did I get this idea from? Netscape and Pepsi.
Mike
