Big Companies, Big Ideas

Amateur Hobby Thoughts
We currently live in an era of big corporations. I realize that when an industry starts out it usually has a number of small start-ups that pioneer the product and that as it matures, it usually results in just a few big companies who often bought out the others. The cola and automotive industries are good examples. At times I think our hobby is another such instance, though on a much smaller scale. The early days saw all the product being produced by small amateurish companies, some became bigger companies and their product reflected that with more professional art and layout, but not always better content. When it was shown that money was to be made, some of the established larger companies on the peripheral released product of their own, often of dubious quality. Buy-outs resulted in fewer companies and the extinction of many product lines.
Generally speaking I have found the small-press, amateurish hobby products to be among my favorites. I find they have an honest enthusiasm, freshness and originality often lacking in the offerings of the established companies. In an industry based on creativity and imaginative design, the upstart often has those qualities to a greater degree than the well established. What small shops lack, polish and scale, I find less appealing than the new ideas presented in their often amateurish products. The exception is good editing. I really appreciate good editing and nothing turns me sour on a product faster than poor editing.
Fortunately the internet has somewhat reversed this trend toward bigger companies in our hobby. The availability of desktop publishing software to aid the designer and downloads and print-on-demand services has opened the field to allow the amateur game designer access to the market in a way not previously available. The so-called indie-press games and more amateur internet-only products are often able to compete favorably with the big companies in terms of quality content, originality and innovation. What they lack in terms of production polish is more than made up for in entertainment value.
Pen and Paper roleplaying games offer the designer an opportunity to put their original ideas forth through writing alone.  Illustrations and maps help to convey the message, but there is no need for a complicated product requiring advanced manufacturing and the associated costs. The ideas are the product and the consumer need only read and put into practice at the gaming table for the transaction to take place. From designer's head to tabletop fun just requires a document. What could be easier? Blogs and websites devoted to the hobby can help get the word out regarding quality products, all for free.
The beginnings of the hobby are quite humble, three amateurish little brown books perhaps marketed from the trunk of a car started it all. The magic of those early days continues to drive the gamer with an idea who uses the internet to put that idea out for public consumption. Not all are gems, but many are good and continue to shape the future of the hobby. A number of innovations appearing in the latest edition of the game are perhaps borrowed from ideas that first appeared in more amateurish publications. A good idea is just that, regardless of where it originates.