I don't know if there will be a large influx of gamers. What I did notice with LOTR was that a ton of people finally understood the worlds I enjoyed and played in. People who would have never understood before. It opened communication avenues and things that we could discuss together that might not have been possible later. Also many of the people who may have scoffed at hearing about people playing D&D suddenly loved movies deeply entrenched in the genre. It was pretty cool to have people who may have snickered now talking about magic and swords, and dwarf jokes.
Will the Hobbit bring in new gamers?
- Thread starter Olgar Shiverstone
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Honestly, I couldn't guess. I started playing D&D (in 1977) and read the Lord of the Rings in the same summer, but after already playing my first games of D&D. Many, many people at the time were reading Lord of the Rings, and even then, there's only ever been a handful of people playing D&D at the time and since. I think it's coincidental that I read the books and was playing D&D. Just because somebody I knew read LotR, doesn't equate to they will want to be exposed to RPGs now.
I can say, everyone I game with read the books and saw the movies, but that's because most of us gamers are Sci-Fi/Fantasy fans. It's not necessarily true the other way around. Being a Sci-Fi/Fantasy fan doesn't mean they also play RPGs.
And the more recent movies - was there a big sudden growth in D&D with the release of those films? Not to my knowledge. I knew people who expected a video game to be released soon after, but not one person who said to me, "Since watching LotR, now I want to try out roleplaying games" - not one person.
That's my expectation for The Hobbit as well. If somebody starts doing table top after watching the movie, it's coincidental. Watching one doesn't guarantee playing the other. I see no real connection whatsoever.
It's good that the OP was compelled to start playing after exposure to LotR, but that's just one case. I don't think it's a situation to rely upon to increasing the number of participants in our hobby.
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Well, I'm quite sure there was a surge of interest in board and card games based on LotR, though.
By extension some of those interested in the board games might eventually stumble over RPGs, as well. I don't imagine they'd become interested in D&D (which imho isn't particularly suited for playing in a Middle-Earth setting), but they might find, e.g. 'The One Ring' and thus get started playing RPGs.
gamerprinter
Mapper/Publisher
I'm not saying a path to RPGs didn't exist with the release of the movies, and that some people didn't in fact go to video, board games, cards or even RPGs. It's just that a popular fantasy movie release doesn't automatically mean more D&D sales in significant levels.
I think people have to be actively proselytized to play RPG's.
But i think people are more open to conversion when films like Lotr are popular.
The Hobbit will present more opportunities for the 'evangelical' game master. But it will not do any 'proselytization' in and of its self.
I had two female friends that would have NEVER even considered playing DND, play in our Lotr sessions, because they loved the movie.
But i think people are more open to conversion when films like Lotr are popular.
The Hobbit will present more opportunities for the 'evangelical' game master. But it will not do any 'proselytization' in and of its self.
I had two female friends that would have NEVER even considered playing DND, play in our Lotr sessions, because they loved the movie.
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