Are Kids interested in Pen & Paper RPGs?

[PaulofCthulhu]

Overall my impression is kids are less interested in Pen & Paper RPGs than they were 20 years ago, probably for many of the reasons stated. The kids I see at cons are most often the relatives of older players, but there's not enough of them.

If it weren't an issue, why so many forum topics covering such similar subjects over the past few years? There's obviously a perceived concern.

How to fix it? Some of my friends do rather well at their children's schools by running after hours wargaming (and short RPGing) sessions for the kids. RPGs aren't for everyone but it's great to have a chance to show what they are and how much fun they can be.

In absence of an advertising budget I guess you have to go out and proselytize!

 

[hazel monday]

I don't care if kids want to play RPGs or not.
I'm an adult, why would I want to hang out with kids anyways?

Non-issue.

 

[Theroc]

I don't care if kids want to play RPGs or not.
I'm an adult, why would I want to hang out with kids anyways?

Non-issue.

Well, kids spend money to help continue the hobby. I believe the concern that the RPG gamer was a dying breed, and the OP was seeking either a confirmation or evidence to the contrary.

 

[Ariosto]

Or, if you look at sales figures, the number one selling book in the mid-seventies sold 1/10th the number of copies as the #1 selling book in the mid oughts.

How about a pointer to the sales figures you have in mind?

Yet, currently, Young adult fiction sales are up 25 per cent.

More than a year ago is currently? "Sales up more than 25 percent in the past few years" is relative to what?

These are awfully vague pronouncements. Any meaning attributed to them might be misleading. To know just what in fact is being claimed is essential to making any sense of them.

 

[ancientvaults]

My Labyrinth Lord group ranges in age from 20 to 40. So yes, young people are into Pen and Paper games and some even are into the Old School games!

 

[theodudek]

I play pen and paper RPGs, and so do many of my friends my own age. -_- I think that a lot more people are getting into them recently because of stuff like Futurama, crossover from MMOs, Vin Diesel, etc.

There are so many people into MMORPGs and console RPGs right now that tabletop RPGs are attracting the "spillover coolness." Other types of RPGs are more accessible and easier to play, that's all. It's like casual games vs. longform computer RPGs.

 

[Simon Atavax]

My Labyrinth Lord group ranges in age from 20 to 40. So yes, young people are into Pen and Paper games and some even are into the Old School games!

You think age 20 is "young people"? Dude, you just aged yourself!

 

[Toben the Many]

I'm not sure what is to be gained by getting kids into D&D, as opposed to just getting young people into the hobby. By and large, I run into numerous people all over the country whose first real roleplaying experience was 3rd Edition. These people did not get into the hobby as children but as young adults.

OD&D was not targeted towards children. It was targeted towards adults - namely wargamers. And later Gygax-directed editions were not aimed towards children either. If you look at even your old AD&D books, they are clearly not written with children in mind.

I think that there were kids who did get into D&D, despite it being a sophisticated game. Just like there are kids who get into other adult hobbies right now. But those hobbies do not deliberately target kids. For example, look at sports fishing - a hobby that both adults and kids get involved in. However, it is a hobby mainly aimed at adults.

 

[Mark]

I just added these to another thread on starter RPGs and figure that they would be useful to include in this discussion -

The Secret Lives of Gingerbread Men

Squirrel Attack

 

[ancientvaults]

You think age 20 is "young people"? Dude, you just aged yourself!

Drat! That is true. I did have a father and son play C&C and the son was 16, but with the S&W/Labyrinth Lord game 20 is the youngest currently, although a 16 year old did play a one-off, but I wouldn't consider that a group, just a try-out session. But yes, I did just age myself. At least I am not the oldest in the group.



By twelve days....