From my last post on GURPS, it seems like there are some interesting things to note about the game.
Nobody I've heard, either now or back when 4th ed. GURPS was released, seemed to think the new edition was such a big thing. Add to that the fact that they went to hard cover only and I wonder if SJG limited the market just there. I've heard it said many times that hard covers sell better, but I'm wondering if that is true when the game isn't evolving as much as D&D was when 3rd ed and 4th ed came out. Is GURPS maybe a little too true to its roots?
It would be really interesting to know how the transition from 2nd ed. GURPS to 3rd ed. worked? I was there, but I wasn't at all connected to the business side of things. Not like everyone is today in the era of the information highways.
Also, how about those GURPS Compendiums? It has been said about many games that they have been to cumbersome, but I'm starting to wonder if GURPS didn't in fact implode from its own weight. I guess 4th ed. was an attempt to fix that, but maybe the timing was off.
The last thing which have struck me is the most ironic thing of all. What if GURPS is too good at being GURPS?
Think about it. If the game truly is the Generic Universal system you can use for anything, then it is the end of all games. Roleplaying games are really totally nonsensical from a business perspective. Once you have the rules, the only thing you need is your imagination. In perpetuity! Core rules should be prices higher, probably. Now imagine if you can use one set of rules for everything.
What if GURPS is just too good at being GURPS?