D&D General Some Interesting Stats About D&D Players!

The full cover spread for Phandelver and Below, by Antonio José Manzanedo​

GeekWire has reported on the recent D&D press event (which I've covered elsewhere). Along with all the upcoming product information we've all been devouring over the last day or two, there were some interesting tidbits regarding D&D player demographics.

• 60% of D&D players are male, 39% are female, and 1% identify otherwise
• 60% are “hybrid” players, who switch between playing the game physically or online
• 58% play D&D on a weekly basis
• 48% identify as millennials, 19% from Generation X and 33% from Generation Z
• The majority of current D&D players started with 5th Edition

 

[Charlaquin]

Sure, can't fault your math. But those 100 aren't just a statistically insignificant demographic. They are 100 real people who love the game and may feel that they are being implicitly told that they don't matter anymore, without even a thank you for staying and keeping the game alive during the lean years when the company that no longer cares about them needed them. People's feeling affect their behavior.

We’re talking about a market demographic survey here. Its purpose is to catalogue data, not to make people feel good about having supported the company. Like, yeah, of course those 100 people are all very special. But that has nothing to do with what’s being discussed here.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Sure, can't fault your math. But those 100 aren't just a statistically insignificant demographic. They are 100 real people who love the game and may feel that they are being implicitly told that they don't matter anymore, without even a thank you for staying and keeping the game alive during the le

an years when the company that no longer cares about them needed them. People's feeling affect their behavior.

Who's being told they don't matter anymore? The only thing that being less than 1% on a demographic study tells you is that there aren't very many of you. It doesn't JUDGE you! Good grief.

 

[Charlaquin]

Who's being told they don't matter anymore? The only thing that being lesst than 1% on a demographic study tells you is that there aren't very many of you. It doesn't JUDGE you! Good grief.

It doesn’t even tell you that! There may be tons of you, that would just mean there are tons more people in other demographics.

 

[mamba]

And still not a majority.

not only is it not a majority, it isn’t even 19%… (I split the 35 - 44 about evenly)

 

[Micah Sweet]

We’re talking about a market demographic survey here. Its purpose is to catalogue data, not to make people feel good about having supported the company. Like, yeah, of course those 100 people are all very special. But that has nothing to do with what’s being discussed here.

A question was asked about why folks are resistant to the survey results. That  is being discussed here.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Who's being told they don't matter anymore? The only thing that being lesst than 1% on a demographic study tells you is that there aren't very many of you. It doesn't JUDGE you! Good grief.

It is a certainly a judgement as to whether or not a corporation benefits from taking you into consideration in their products.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

It is a certainly a judgement as to whether or not a corporation benefits from taking you into consideration in their products.

Not really, though. I mean, they're probably not going to go out of their way to cater to any niche needs, but that's simply a conclusion that they can come to from the study, not one that they have to come to.

 

[Charlaquin]

A question was asked about why folks are resistant to the survey results.

Ok, so then you were just confirming the speculation that people are rejecting the numbers because the numbers make them feel bad?

That  is being discussed here.

I guess, but it wasn’t what @Lanefan was saying, to which my comment was a response. He was saying the numbers don’t make sense because people age into the older demographics, and I was explaining how growth of the younger demographics can cause the portion of the older demographics to shrink, even if the total number were to stay the same.

 

[bedir than]

Not really, though. I mean, they're probably not going to go out of their way to cater to any niche needs, but that's simply a conclusion that they can come to from the study, not one that they have to come to.

One thing they have done as away to recognize the value of older and disabled players is increase the font size.

Despite this being a small portion of the audience being helped, they're doing it.

The angst about older gamers being ignored has nothing to do with the real, actual things Wizards does

 

[Micah Sweet]

Not really, though. I mean, they're probably not going to go out of their way to cater to any niche needs, but that's simply a conclusion that they can come to from the study, not one that they have to come to.

What about WotC's business history would lead you to a  different conclusion?