The Independent Insurgency - Episode 009: Michael O'Sullivan on Criminal Element

You two are too damned kind. There I was, talking Michael's ear off until like 5am on, what, Thursday? Yeah. I'm glad he got something out of that conversation.

And seriously, I got to play in three games with Michael (including one I GMed). In the two where we were both players, we had a wicked rapport. In the DRYH I GMed, he brought the hardcore to it. A lot of the awesome credited to me should also credited to him, because in your game, Rob, is was our nigh-instant rapport that brought my play where it was.

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You mean my game about friendship helped start a friendship?

I think I just peed in my mouth a little.

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Heh. Well, Michael & I got started off with a game of Kingdom of Nothing before that, and then our wicked late night conversation...

But, yeah, I was glad to see him at our table for your game.

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Damn. I think I might be blushing.

Thanks, Ryan. I had a blast gaming with you as well. I'm really hoping that I can make it out to GenCon this year, if only so I can see all of the great people that I got to meet for the first time at Dreamation, like yourself. Also, damn your living in California! It's harder to hang out with my friends when they live on the other side of the country.

And Rob, once again, I had a blast doing the interview. It was fun talking about the game with you, as well as hanging out afterwards and just kibitzing. As you well know, more of this must be done soon.

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Okay, you said something in there that set me off a bit. You said (to slightly paraphrase) "It'd be great to sell even 50 ashcans, and for 20 of those people to try your game."

Holy shit, yes it would. That's an understatement. It'd be a fucking landslide success if you achieved both of those numbers, of the sorts where the Gods of Commerce and Playtesting and smiling down upon you. Now, I speak not from my own experience here, but from those who were actually "successes" from the Ashcan Front's point of view.

If I recall right, a couple of our "top sellers" were up in the high 30s for the four days of GenCon. This wasn't done by only working the booth a couple hours a day, but by working their asses off constantly to demo their game. The five people who kicked ass that weekend: Jeff Lower, Jeff Himmelman, Paul Tevis, and of course the two ringleaders, Paul Czege & Matt Snyder. You could probably find out from them how many copies their sold and how many of those people returned with feedback. I was to say that, for Penny, maybe 10 did -- but I don't know for sure.

Last year, I was exactly where you were now -- thinking that I had this neat game that people would be interested in (and, hey, I had those awesome cards to go with 'em), and that I had an audience listening to me, so I should be able to hit around 50. Partly because I didn't work the booth as much due to being overbooked, partly because my salesman skills are weak, (and, yes, partly because it just was a confusing game), I sold 15 copies of Know Thyself.

Incidentally, I can't say that I "loved" the ashcan experience. However, what I said the Michael was (something to the effect of) that it taught me a shitload, and I totally needed and respected that lesson.

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I hear you. My expectations aren't high even if my hopes are. However, I do know that Vincent and Emily sold many copies of their ashcan, so I'm hoping things work out there.

I'm also not expecting to only sell them at Gen Con.

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Sure, but you are neither Vincent nor Emily. And I'm also considering the online sales of your book as well.

As long as your expectations are reasonable, cool, but I think you did a wicked massive injustice to any listener who is considering ashcaning and hears that as a reasonable expectation.

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