Even with a perennial best-seller, the major toy and hobby manufacturers are always looking for ways to keep their product looking fresh and exciting. That's the challenge faced by TSR Inc., a pioneer company in the role-playing game industry.
The company's first product, and still its flagship, is Dungeons & Dragons (D & D), a group play game which is virtually synonymous with fantasy games. Developed in 1973, when it sold only 1,000 copies, it is now selling at the rate of 750,000 copies per year.
TSR credits its success to the same qualities it takes to play D & D -- skill, imagination, and good judgment, with some luck for good measure. The demonstrate this marketing ability by being willing to change part of their success formula when the market calls for it. …