The copy of this ad is almost identical to the Star Frontiers ad that ran in comic books at the same time - https://comicvine.gamespot.com/profile/cbishop/lists/star-frontiers-comic-ads-61/61075/
"Products of your imagination" is it? I thought we all decided the notoriously nonexistent (but well advertised) Imperial Earth was the imaginary game of choice around here? :)
Off topic but speaking of ads, way back in 2020 you did a post on the blog about the much-advertised but never seen Anywhen system and its Fireland and Imperial Earth settings.
I was noodling around today and found a 2006 thread on the Purple Site that offers a lot more info on what when on with that whole situation. It's all anecdotal stuff from folks who lived near the (non)publisher when the ads were running and/or saw the empty booth at GenCon when it was due to release, but I don't see any reason to doubt them. You can read it all here:
It's not terrible, in that the alien may be a Vrusk (it is more clearly so in the comic ad). The Frontier has no connection anymore to the homeworlds of the four species, but it could be they had a way back, and ONLY on forbidden Earth could they acquire the Star Frontiers game that explains the Frontier.
TSR was at least trying with their advertising, in a time when nobody else really reached past "Boris illustrates another sword guy/gal posing" in gaming magazines where you already knew about RPGs.
This feels like one of those commercials where a family is at the beach, having fun, playing, cool music playing, everyone smiling, then the pharmaceutical company launches into their pitch for the new hemorrhoid medicine. Like…. What….
"Star Frontiers Game"
ReplyDeleteReal "What is this I don't know how to write copy for this thing" vibe.
It was....well, better than I expected!
ReplyDeleteIt’s like if one of those commercials for L. Ron Hubbard’s “Dianetics” smashed into a commercial for K-B Toys.
ReplyDeleteThe copy of this ad is almost identical to the Star Frontiers ad that ran in comic books at the same time - https://comicvine.gamespot.com/profile/cbishop/lists/star-frontiers-comic-ads-61/61075/
ReplyDelete"Products of your imagination" is it? I thought we all decided the notoriously nonexistent (but well advertised) Imperial Earth was the imaginary game of choice around here? :)
ReplyDeletehttps://grognardia.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-harsh-sentence.html
Living as I did in the UK I had no idea there was such a thing as TV commercials for RPGs.
ReplyDeleteThose graphics are fancy for 1983. Now I need to find out who the agency was and who rendered it.
Living in the USA during that time period and I had no idea there was such a thing either.
DeleteOff topic but speaking of ads, way back in 2020 you did a post on the blog about the much-advertised but never seen Anywhen system and its Fireland and Imperial Earth settings.
ReplyDeletehttps://grognardia.blogspot.com/2020/09/a-harsh-sentence.html
I was noodling around today and found a 2006 thread on the Purple Site that offers a lot more info on what when on with that whole situation. It's all anecdotal stuff from folks who lived near the (non)publisher when the ads were running and/or saw the empty booth at GenCon when it was due to release, but I don't see any reason to doubt them. You can read it all here:
https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/anywhen-by-k-society.290458/
That was fantastic!
ReplyDeleteIt's not terrible, in that the alien may be a Vrusk (it is more clearly so in the comic ad). The Frontier has no connection anymore to the homeworlds of the four species, but it could be they had a way back, and ONLY on forbidden Earth could they acquire the Star Frontiers game that explains the Frontier.
ReplyDeleteTSR was at least trying with their advertising, in a time when nobody else really reached past "Boris illustrates another sword guy/gal posing" in gaming magazines where you already knew about RPGs.
This feels like one of those commercials where a family is at the beach, having fun, playing, cool music playing, everyone smiling, then the pharmaceutical company launches into their pitch for the new hemorrhoid medicine.
ReplyDeleteLike…. What….
Wow how much of the budget did they blow on those graphics?
ReplyDelete