1893: A World's Fair Mystery update

[Guest]

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This week, 1893 has reached 2000 copies sold. I've got enough left to last
through the holiday season before having to make the decision whether or not
to re-up and run another 1000 copies. Probably I will, sales at at least one
store have been steady (roughly one per day), though sales through my online
site average more like one per week. Still, it has been two years, and
encouraging that the game has sold pretty much the same amount in the second
year as it did the first.

If there is some interest, I would be happy to write up some thoughts about
what works and what doesn't and what to expect sales-wise for IF to post on
rec.arts.int-fiction or to a suitable website (you'll have to give me some
time to collect those thoughts, though). I'm also cross-posting this to
rec.games.int-fiction in the hope it jogs some memories and someone says,
"wow, what a great idea for a christmas present, I'm going to pop over to
http://www.illuminatedlantern.com/1893 right now and pick up a couple." Hey,
stranger things have happened.

If anyone has played the full-graphic version of the game and would like to
drop me a line about it, please do, I would love to hear from you. If we
have corresponded in the past, please send me some new comments since I've
just rebuilt my hard drive and managed to corrupt the folder of my inbox
that contained all my 1893 email, and it's all gone. There is also an
amazon.com page that I'm trying to build up to eventually sell from, so you
can post comments there:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002JU7OI/qid%3D1102222167/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/002-4205055-8551238 ,
especially if you really liked it.

For myself, I'm looking forward to re-downloading the comp games and playing
them. I had plans to review them all, but then, I had plans to enter a game,
too. Now I just want to play a few!

-- Peter Nepstad
1893: A World's Fair Mystery
http://www.illuminatedlantern.com/1893

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

I will definitly buy a copy during the next year, so please run some
more copies. The game looks great.

Bob

"PTN" <peterdeletethisnepstad@gmx.de> wrote in message news:<MFwsd.39387$Qv5.6604@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com>...
> This week, 1893 has reached 2000 copies sold. I've got enough left to last
> through the holiday season before having to make the decision whether or not
> to re-up and run another 1000 copies. Probably I will, sales at at least one
> store have been steady (roughly one per day), though sales through my online
> site average more like one per week. Still, it has been two years, and
> encouraging that the game has sold pretty much the same amount in the second
> year as it did the first.
>
> If there is some interest, I would be happy to write up some thoughts about
> what works and what doesn't and what to expect sales-wise for IF to post on
> rec.arts.int-fiction or to a suitable website (you'll have to give me some
> time to collect those thoughts, though). I'm also cross-posting this to
> rec.games.int-fiction in the hope it jogs some memories and someone says,
> "wow, what a great idea for a christmas present, I'm going to pop over to
> http://www.illuminatedlantern.com/1893 right now and pick up a couple." Hey,
> stranger things have happened.
>
> If anyone has played the full-graphic version of the game and would like to
> drop me a line about it, please do, I would love to hear from you. If we
> have corresponded in the past, please send me some new comments since I've
> just rebuilt my hard drive and managed to corrupt the folder of my inbox
> that contained all my 1893 email, and it's all gone. There is also an
> amazon.com page that I'm trying to build up to eventually sell from, so you
> can post comments there:
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002JU7OI/qid%3D1102222167/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/002-4205055-8551238 ,
> especially if you really liked it.
>
> For myself, I'm looking forward to re-downloading the comp games and playing
> them. I had plans to review them all, but then, I had plans to enter a game,
> too. Now I just want to play a few!
>
> -- Peter Nepstad
> 1893: A World's Fair Mystery
> http://www.illuminatedlantern.com/1893

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

"PTN" <peterdeletethisnepstad@gmx.de> wrote in message news:<MFwsd.39387$Qv5.6604@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com>...

> If there is some interest, I would be happy to write up some thoughts about
> what works and what doesn't and what to expect sales-wise for IF to post on
> rec.arts.int-fiction or to a suitable website (you'll have to give me some
> time to collect those thoughts, though).

I'm sure there would be interest in that. And thanks for the update
-- it's neat to hear how the project is doing.

-- Emily

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

"PTN" <peterdeletethisnepstad@gmx.de> wrote:
> If there is some interest, I would be happy to write up some thoughts about
> what works and what doesn't and what to expect sales-wise for IF to post on
> rec.arts.int-fiction or to a suitable website (you'll have to give me some
> time to collect those thoughts, though).

I think a lot of people would be interested to hear what works and
what doesn't in IF marketing. This could be very valuable information.
Please tell us, whenever you get the chance!

Say, since you're about to print a new set of CDs, let me ask you a
question. Do you include in your package any kind of information about
the IF community? I mean, you seem to have found a way of getting IF
out to a whole bunch of new people. It'd be cool if some of them
became active members of the community.

Maybe now that Future Boy is on the scene, you and Kent Tessman could
do some reciprocal marketing!

I will buy 1893 someday, when I'm not quite so poor.

Greg

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

"PTN" <peterdeletethisnepstad@gmx.de>, you wrote on Sun, 05 Dec 2004
05:04:44 GMT:

>If there is some interest, I would be happy to write up some thoughts about
>what works and what doesn't and what to expect sales-wise for IF to post on
>rec.arts.int-fiction or to a suitable website (you'll have to give me some
>time to collect those thoughts, though).

I would love to read such a background story.

I am especially interested to find out if it helped (in your opinion)
that you are selling a work about Chicago in Chicago.

--
Deze geheele aarde door ijzeren banden omspannen, met de
stoomvaartlijnen die als draden over de zeeën zijn getrokken,
Dezen wereldkloot in zijn tuimeling door het heelal breng ik U.
"Grashalmen", Walt Whitman, binnenkort op www.gutenberg.net

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

PTN wrote:
> This week, 1893 has reached 2000 copies sold.

Cool. What with the usual debates about whether IF is commerically
viable, it's good to see someone getting on and doing it. Well done!

David

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

PTN <peterdeletethisnepstad@gmx.de> wrote:

> If there is some interest, I would be happy to write up some thoughts about
> what works and what doesn't and what to expect sales-wise for IF to post on
> rec.arts.int-fiction or to a suitable website (you'll have to give me some
> time to collect those thoughts, though).

Yes please. Obviously the sales angle will be of interest to people
hoping to market IF commercially in some form. But personally I'm most
interested in how you are successfully targeting this game/package at a
wider audience, i.e. how you're making IF appealing in a general sense.

And I'll probably buy a copy or two of the game in the New Year, but
after the busy time of the Christmas post I think. Being outside the USA
I don't really want to order an international delivery right now ...

Viv

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

"PTN" <peterdeletethisnepstad@gmx.de> escreveu na mensagem
news:MFwsd.39387$Qv5.6604@newssvr33.news.prodigy.com...
> This week, 1893 has reached 2000 copies sold. I've got enough left to last
> through the holiday season before having to make the decision whether or
> not to re-up and run another 1000 copies. Probably I will, sales at at
> least one store have been steady (roughly one per day), though sales
> through my online site average more like one per week. Still, it has been
> two years, and encouraging that the game has sold pretty much the same
> amount in the second year as it did the first.
>
> If there is some interest, I would be happy to write up some thoughts
> about what works and what doesn't and what to expect sales-wise for IF to
> post on rec.arts.int-fiction or to a suitable website (you'll have to give
> me some time to collect those thoughts, though). I'm also cross-posting
> this to rec.games.int-fiction in the hope it jogs some memories and
> someone says, "wow, what a great idea for a christmas present, I'm going
> to pop over to http://www.illuminatedlantern.com/1893 right now and pick
> up a couple." Hey, stranger things have happened.
>
> If anyone has played the full-graphic version of the game and would like
> to drop me a line about it, please do, I would love to hear from you. If
> we have corresponded in the past, please send me some new comments since
> I've just rebuilt my hard drive and managed to corrupt the folder of my
> inbox that contained all my 1893 email, and it's all gone. There is also
> an amazon.com page that I'm trying to build up to eventually sell from, so
> you can post comments there:
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002JU7OI/qid%3D1102222167/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/002-4205055-8551238 ,
> especially if you really liked it.
>
> For myself, I'm looking forward to re-downloading the comp games and
> playing them. I had plans to review them all, but then, I had plans to
> enter a game, too. Now I just want to play a few!
>
> -- Peter Nepstad
> 1893: A World's Fair Mystery
> http://www.illuminatedlantern.com/1893
>

Today i decided to purchase your work (1893: A World's Fair Mystery) not
only because it was really on a money waiting list, but also because the
site/promotion, really make me very curious about this game.

I sure hope that everyone which might want to do so, takes this oportunity
(xmas) to do so

Regards,
RootShell

 

[samwyse]

Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

On or about 12/4/2004 11:04 PM, PTN did proclaim:

> This week, 1893 has reached 2000 copies sold.

Whoo-hoo! I eagerly await "1904: Another World's Fair Mystery", set in
my home town, St. Louis. If you need plot ideas, I would point out not
only that hot dogs, ice cream cones and iced tea were all first
introduced there, but that the 1904 Olympics were also in St. Louis that
summer, the only time that they have been held in conjuction with a
World's Fair.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

"PTN" <peterdeletethisnepstad@gmx.de> wrote:

> This week, 1893 has reached 2000 copies sold.

I thought you only printed 1893 copies. Oh well.

-- Gunther

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

"samwyse" wrote:

> Whoo-hoo! I eagerly await "1904: Another World's Fair Mystery", set in my
> home town, St. Louis. If you need plot ideas, I would point out not only
> that hot dogs, ice cream cones and iced tea were all first introduced
> there, but that the 1904 Olympics were also in St. Louis that summer, the
> only time that they have been held in conjuction with a World's Fair.

Are you trying to give me a heart attack? No, I'll leave that fair, the
biggest of them all, to someone with more energy. The Chicago Ferris Wheel
was there in 1904, its last appearance before hitting the scrapyard. I'm
kind of attracted to the disasterous 1901 Pan-American Fair in Buffalo,
though, for an IF setting: you can't go wrong with a plot that would include
the assassination of President McKinley.

But no, I think I'm done with World Fairs. I have sketched out a sequel, but
it also would take place in Chicago (hey, its my hometown, I've got to do
it).

And keep in mind, part of the impetus for writing 1893 was my irritation at
LOST NEW YORK featuring NYC and no comparable game featuring Chicago. Can
St. Louis be far behind?

-- Peter
1893: A World's Fair Mystery
http://www.illuminatedlantern.com/1893

>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

In article <Lr_sd.41202$Al3.34956@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com>,
samwyse <dejanews@email.com> wrote:
>Whoo-hoo! I eagerly await "1904: Another World's Fair Mystery", set in
>my home town, St. Louis.

You too?

I'll buy you a drink sometime.

But I don't think you want "Stiffy Makane at the 1904 World's Fair."
Really, I don't.

Adam

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

In article <cp3bor$fo0$2@news.fsf.net>, Adam Thornton <adam@fsf.net> wrote:
>In article <Lr_sd.41202$Al3.34956@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com>,
>samwyse <dejanews@email.com> wrote:
>>Whoo-hoo! I eagerly await "1904: Another World's Fair Mystery", set in
>>my home town, St. Louis.
>
>You too?
>
>I'll buy you a drink sometime.

Wow, that was totally unclear.

What I meant was, "I live in St. Louis too."

And that I'll buy you a drink because, hey, IF author, lives in
St. Louis, Whoo Hoo!

Adam

 

[samwyse]

Archived from groups: rec.arts.int-fiction,rec.games.int-fiction (More info?)

On or about 12/6/2004 8:49 PM, PTN did proclaim:

> "samwyse" wrote:
>
>>Whoo-hoo! I eagerly await "1904: Another World's Fair Mystery", set in my
>>home town, St. Louis. If you need plot ideas, I would point out not only
>>that hot dogs, ice cream cones and iced tea were all first introduced
>>there, but that the 1904 Olympics were also in St. Louis that summer, the
>>only time that they have been held in conjuction with a World's Fair.
>
>
> Are you trying to give me a heart attack? No, I'll leave that fair, the
> biggest of them all, to someone with more energy. The Chicago Ferris Wheel
> was there in 1904, its last appearance before hitting the scrapyard.

And, according to local legend, the Wheel's axle was too big to scap and
so was buried on site in what is now Forest Park.