Art in GURPS books

[Maglubiyet]

Okay, I have to say it -- the art in GURPS books is subpar. D&D has invested in some quality artists over the years, even going back to 2e. Browsing through some of their books is a joy and helps create the immersive environment.

So why hasn't GURPS, with thirty years in the business, ever followed suit? Is it that expensive to buy the rights to decent images? I like the system, which is why this bothers me. It can be distracting browsing through their books with the amateurish artwork they decide to include. I wonder if the lack of decent pictures is part of the reason some people don't pick up the books.

I mean seriously -- compare this:

Spoiler: D&D image

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with this:

Spoiler: GURPS image

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[lightningcat]

Best answer I got is that D&D is attempting to create an immersive environment. GURPS is not, it is trying to do everything well enough: scifi, fantasy, superheroes, pulp, etc. Getting that much good art would break the bank, which is significantly smaller than D&Ds to begin with. Art is almost always the most expensive part of a RPG book, and Steve Jackson Games has a smaller budget then Wizards of the Coast. So they get the best they can, and it is not that bad. Although some of it is reprinted from the 80s.

[DigoDragon]

I do believe it's simply a budget issue. Artwork can be an expensive production cost because not only do you need to buy the image, but also buy the printing rights from the artist for reproduction in a book you plan on selling. :)

[Seltsamuel]

I don´t know how you feel but I could live with a book without any art except some equipment drawings. The fancy looks comes through the imagination and not the art.Just look at the 5e gnomes and halflings

[Ts_]

With few exceptions I am not distracted by the art, and sometimes I find it cool. But yeah, the big players can afford a lot better pictures.

Despite this, art in GURPS books sometimes has one unusual property: It's strives for accurate depictions. The Martial Arts (4e) book has small (supposedly) realistic drawings of all the weapons included, and the Low-Tech/High-Tech books have similar drawings for some equipment (far from everything). Real equipment is a niche, but it's a nice and useful touch for these books.

Regards
Ts

[Kaun]

Art is part of D&D's sales strategy.

Thats part of the reason every new edition has a big arts budget and a change of art style from the last one. It a major factor in convincing potential buyers that the new edition is new and different and exciting. It's also a good strategy for attracting new people who aren't rp's to the game.

SJ doesn't use this sales strategy. They do edition updates to improve on existing rules. They don't seem to have an aggressive sales strat for the product like D&D.

[DigoDragon]

SJ doesn't use this sales strategy. They do edition updates to improve on existing rules. They don't seem to have an aggressive sales strat for the product like D&D.

So in other words, GURPS uses a more... generic strategy?

[Kaun]

So in other words, GURPS uses a more... generic strategy?

Something like that.