From:	Bert Van de Merckt <Bert.VandeMerckt@****.be>
Subject:	Re: RPGs on their way out?
Date:	Thu, 02 May 1996 16:46:01 +0200

Matti Aistrich wrote:
> Once again, I can only speak for Finland, so maybe you should disregard
> this, but over here we don't see the kind of sales figures anymore there
> used to be, bookstores have stopped carrying RPGs, etc. Here it is going
> back to a hobby of a very limited group of people. While I kind of like
> that "exclusivity", I hate seeing games getting harder to get, getting more
> expensive, or dropping out of the market altogether.

In Belgium, roleplaying games sales actually picked up because of the increasing
card games sales: the latter attracted a much wider audience, they came into the
"special shops" that sold CCGs, saw all kinds of interesting books (or even a
game in progress!), and asked around...

The biggest problem with RPGs here is the availability of source material.
Two years ago, there were two shops in Belgium. Since the CCG-market has
exploded though, new shops arrived, and old ones have expanded. Actually,
it is a *good* thing, these CCGs.

I know of a few RPG-CCG clubs, where people started playing CCGs, and eventually
moved on to RPGs (mostly students).

And I'm doing my best to support the industry <grin>: I teach a lot of people
RPGs: what it is, play a demo session, ...

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