Atlas Games of Roseville, Minnesota has come up with a unique marketing strategy for a mature RPG line -- the publisher is offering the public a free download of the entire Ars Magica Fourth Edition Core Rulebook.  First published in 1996, the 272-page Fourth Edition Ars Magica Rulebook has gone through some five printings with sales that amounted to more than 12,000 copies sold (at $45 for the hardcover edition or $32.95 for the paperback).  The current offer is not the first Ars Magica freebie available on the web (the previous downloads were 'jump start kit' adventures designed to teach the basics of the game); in contrast the Fourth Edition Core Rulebook provides all the essentials and many of the subtleties of this elaborate fantasy gaming system.

At GAMA representatives of Atlas Games told ICv2 that the core rulebook had been downloaded more than 2,000 times during its first week of availability on the web.  Somewhat surprisingly they also said that the company had received no complaints from retailers, in spite of the fact that many dealers probably have the Ars Magica Core Rulebook in stock.  Certainly a 272-page download can be cumbersome to deal with and not nearly as convenient as a bound edition, so many fans who download the file may end up buying the bound version if they like the game, plus, with more than 30 ancillary volumes of adventures, sourcebooks, and scenarios available for Ars Magica, Atlas Games has many other reasons to hope that the company can interest more fans in trying this elaborate fantasy gaming system.  Also Atlas is currently working on a Fifth Edition of the core rulebook, which will be out in late 2004, so the publisher is hoping to get as many gamers as possible interested in Ars Magica before the new edition of the rulebook goes on sale late next year.