Goodman rebuttal

[ggroy]

Joe Goodman wrote a semi-rebuttal article to Orcus' (Clark's) article.


Goodman Games • View topic - My opinion on D&D 4E

 

[Crothian]

Thanks for pointing that out.

 

[S'mon]

He seems to be confirming that 4e sales in 2009 are nowhere near 3e sales in 2001 and that it's silly even to compare them. Hmm, I'm pretty sure WotC were aiming for something comparable.

Edit: In fact, his generational analogy indicates that we should be comparing 4e in 2009 to D&D sales 8-9 years after the 1982 peak... or the 1e to 2e transition. *eek* - that's a pretty low benchmark of success for a company like Hasbro.

 

[Rechan]

Hmm, I'm pretty sure WotC were aiming for something comparable.

Maybe. But I"m pretty sure their bottom line is something profitable.

 

[Mark]

Will 4E do as well as 3E?

I won't refute Joseph's information or conviction but my own personal question has never been if 4E is doing well but rather if, with a different approach toward the market and 3PPs, it could be doing as well as 3E.

 

[S'mon]

Maybe. But I"m pretty sure their bottom line is something profitable.

I doubt it - a publicly listed company can't afford just to be profitable, as if it were a basement operation like Nec or Goodman. It needs to meet Return-on-Investment expectations. Otherwise the shareholders will go elsewhere.

 

[Amphimir Míriel]

Excellent points, and this proves that what's good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander...

In the meantime, while I am a bit disappointed that I might not be able to buy a Tome of Horrors 4E, I am very happy with my Master Dungeons and Level Up purchases

 

[Piratecat]

Excellent. Thank you.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Fiery Dragon putting out the Tome of Horrors 4e?

 

[Glyfair]

I won't refute Joseph's information or conviction but my own personal question has never been if 4E is doing well but rather if, with a different approach toward the market and 3PPs, it could be doing as well as 3E.

Interesting, I have never seen a thread on this specific topic. It would be interesting if it avoided the "edition war" feel (which I doubt it could).

I would say 100% it's next to impossible, as Joe states in the article. 3E was a combination of things that all had to be just right to reach that benchmark.

 

[Doug McCrae]

He seems to be confirming that 4e sales in 2009 are nowhere near 3e sales in 2001 and that it's silly even to compare them. Hmm, I'm pretty sure WotC were aiming for something comparable.

Why? My reading of Goodman's article is that WotC aren't foolish. But that they would be to aim for that.

Edit: In fact, his generational analogy indicates that we should be comparing 4e in 2009 to D&D sales 8-9 years after the 1982 peak... or the 1e to 2e transition. *eek* - that's a pretty low benchmark of success for a company like Hasbro.

D&D is a small part of WotC. For all we know, D&D's main purpose from a business perspective might be to drive sales of the far more profitable D&D minis. I'm not saying that is the case, but it may be.