RPGing resources to contact and develop network with

Some companies and organizations to contact about any existing research data they may have, or may be useful to include in upcoming researcch to acquire GM's, assistants, facilities, test subjects, etc.

* Steve Jackson Games

* Wizards of the Coast

* Author of Pendragon (Jackson suggested - Greg Stafford (also first Runequest))

* What other game manufacturers might be good to include?

* CAR-Pga

* Eastern Washington University

Please suggest others to contact. Better yet, if you could please include the website url, best contact person with email (for research information), and recommended phone number and postal mail address.

how about rpg.net as well, though less formal, they have various interesting polls and postings.

WotC market research link:

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/br/br20010323a

Why WotC thinks the RPG market declined, and that there should be fewer game system choices:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/srdfaq/20040123a

WotC forum posting and hypothesis on what is alienating female gamers:

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19912570/First_barrier_Breaking_Down_Genre_Barriers_to_Women_in_D38D

"women do not like scifi"

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19912922/Women_Dont_Like_Scifi_according_to_this_guy

WotC forum posting on "having to be a geek to play D&D (as ideal player)".

http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19912710/What_Kind_of_Wierdo_Plays_This_Game

Thanks to Katy for sending a reference to M. at WotC. Haven't heard back from that email meet, but hopefully something around next week.

Meanwhile, at The Gamers II Dorkness Rising post screening tonight at Coffee Social on Indiana, I went ahead and spoke with both Scott ("Bards Suck" and Christian ("I'm not evil" about the RPG Research project. I am still developing my "elevator pitch" on this, but I think it's getting there. Anyhow, they at least seemed interested and intrigued. Scott indicated Don might want to know more, and he would forward my card with the rpgresearch.cocm website url and my phone and email. Meanwhile Christian was kind enough to provide me with his email to contact him. So I will follow up in a few days, and refresh his memory, they seem to have a very busy schedule.

My hope from them is to gather resources for game masters and players who are willing to provide demographics information, participate in clinical research studies, etc.

Many others to contact over time, but off to a good continuation this week. Now back to my Human Development backlog...

Some quick background on earlier resource development contacts.

Around the Summer of 2006 I made my first semi-officlal pitch about the RPG Research project to a former head of the Eastern Washington University Pscyhology department. He was kind enough to give me a few hours of his time in private to help get a clearer picture of approaches to take, and pitfalls to watch for.

In explaining the goal of the longitudinal multivariable study, he explained that until I had at least my masters, and preferablly my doctorate, that I would need to find someone to sponsor (and basically take over) my project.

I asked about how it would work if I approached EWU with a proposal. He explained the process. He also (very politically carefully) warned me that if I did go through the university, that by the end of the process, the research project would come out a very different creature than going in, and would likely not be meeting the goals I hoped to check, but rather other professors' goals. For smaller projects this might not be an issue, but for the larger one, it was recommended to either wait until I had my own advanced degress, or else try to find someone who would be the "front man" for the project, someone with a masters or doctorate level degree.

I spoke with a few Masters level therapists and psychologists, and though they had some interest in the project, they were not research-strong, and so weren't really the right contacts.

Later that summer in Salt Lake City, I spoke to an old family friend and PhD-level psychologist, who was semi-retired. He was not interested in sponsoring the projects, but provided the additional suggestions to first take on smaller projects, and work up the larger one. He specifically mentioned contacting local V.A. Hospitals about PTSD sufferers, especially recent ones returning from the Iraq & Afghanistan wars. He said this was an area that really needed more tools to help people.  So this is a topic I hope to research further, and I need to make some contacts at the local Spokane V.A. to develop contacts there for future research.

Interestingly enough tonight, one of the people I spoke with is in a group who has a participant struggling with PTSD after multiple tours in Iraq, and is finding the RPGing cathardic. It would be interesting to further research that.

So, those are some thoughts and history I wanted to get written down as reminders going forward.

Ciao for now!

-Hawke