I'm seeing some signs that D&D could be reaching the end of it's Shelf Life as a brand. Not to start an edition war, there are some signs that the product is reaching the end of it's life.
The problem with the basic thesis of this thread is that D&D hardly gets used as a brand at all, outside of gaming. The last couple years have been a little better, but we're still missing some key uses of the brand:
1) First and foremost, the fact that there is not a D&D branded cartoon on CN or DXD or the like is ridiculous.
2) Where are the McFarlane Toys D&D monsters. These would be amazing, and sell like hotcakes.
3) The starting and stopping of D&D comics is a travesty; get a real creative team on it and give it some real time to grow.
4) No current PC games besides DDO? Really?
5) Boardgames!
Now, it looks like they are going to try 3 again, and give 5 a real go. 4 just amazes me, given that it was games like Baldurs Gate that kept D&D alive while the tabletop game floundered. 1) and 2) are probably pipe dreams, but D&D is a world recognized brand, known by far more than those that play the games.
D&D is THE brand for those who are not serious about roleplaying (snip...)
The problem with the basic thesis of this thread is that D&D hardly gets used as a brand at all, outside of gaming. The last couple years have been a little better, but we're still missing some key uses of the brand:
1) First and foremost, the fact that there is not a D&D branded cartoon on CN or DXD or the like is ridiculous.
2) Where are the McFarlane Toys D&D monsters. These would be amazing, and sell like hotcakes.
3) The starting and stopping of D&D comics is a travesty; get a real creative team on it and give it some real time to grow.
4) No current PC games besides DDO? Really?
5) Boardgames!
Now, it looks like they are going to try 3 again, and give 5 a real go. 4 just amazes me, given that it was games like Baldurs Gate that kept D&D alive while the tabletop game floundered. 1) and 2) are probably pipe dreams, but D&D is a world recognized brand, known by far more than those that play the games.
What do you mean by "not serious?"