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Is D&D Entering a New Golden Age?
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<blockquote data-quote="Jester David" data-source="post: 7723397" data-attributes="member: 37579"><p>It's better to just assume nothing can ever be as good as it was during a couple magical years in our late teens/ early 20s?</p><p></p><p>Okay, one last bit of data:</p><p><a href="https://medium.com/@increment/the-ambush-at-sheridan-springs-3a29d07f6836" target="_blank">https://medium.com/@increment/the-ambush-at-sheridan-springs-3a29d07f6836</a></p><p></p><p>That article is written by historian Jon Peterson on the Gygax's loss of TSR. Halfway down he shows a chart on the revenue of TSR in 1982, pegging it at $22 million. And then mentioned later on that the 1983 revenue was $26.7 million. </p><p></p><p></p><p>I can already hear you saying "But when you adjust for inflation, that's <em>less</em> than the $45 million of the entire hobby industry!!"</p><p><a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?1984-Top-5-RPGs-Compiled-Charts-2008-Present#.Wa6gNch95aQ" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?1984-Top-5-RPGs-Compiled-Charts-2008-Present#.Wa6gNch95aQ</a></p><p></p><p>Okay. That's true. The $26.7 million of 1983 - when D&D peaked - would have been $65,620,343.37!!</p><p>Wowza. </p><p><a href="http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/" target="_blank">http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/</a></p><p></p><p></p><p>Except... that $65 million isn't D&D. It's TSR. As the article notes, sales of D&D books slightly declined in 1983 compared to 1982 levels, so the increase wasn't just associated with the game books. At the time TSR had a number of games (Boot Hill, Crimefighters, Metamorphosis Alpha, Top Secret, and Star Frontiers). And they had a magazine that just peaked at 100,000 copies. Plus numerous board games including Dungeon! and others. </p><p>Still... the bulk of that $65 million had to be D&D, right? While right now D&D is probably only 50-60% of the aforementioned $45 million.</p><p></p><p>Except...</p><p></p><p>The $45 million on "the chart<s> [are] based on interviews with retailers, distributors, and manufacturers." And, most importantly "these do not take into account online sales, direct sales, Amazon, or anything other than hobby retail sales. "</s></p><p><s>So the estimated $25 million that is D&D could <em>easily</em> be doubled. After all, the PHB is continually sitting on the Amazon top 100. Right now it's at #39 in books, but even if it were at 100 it would be selling over 8000 copies each month: </s></p><p><s><a href="https://www.tckpublishing.com/amazon-book-sales-calculator/" target="_blank">https://www.tckpublishing.com/amazon-book-sales-calculator/</a></s></p><p><s></s></p><p><s>When you add in Sales from Amazon.com alone, D&D is sitting at close to $30-million for this year. And when you add in Chapters/Indigo/Borders and other points of sale it gets higher still. $35 million. Maybe $40 million. </s></p><p><s>Now, still less than what D&D was likely making in 1983. But, it's <em>more </em>than what D&D was making in 1981. And D&D 5e is still growing...</s></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jester David, post: 7723397, member: 37579"] It's better to just assume nothing can ever be as good as it was during a couple magical years in our late teens/ early 20s? Okay, one last bit of data: [url]https://medium.com/@increment/the-ambush-at-sheridan-springs-3a29d07f6836[/url] That article is written by historian Jon Peterson on the Gygax's loss of TSR. Halfway down he shows a chart on the revenue of TSR in 1982, pegging it at $22 million. And then mentioned later on that the 1983 revenue was $26.7 million. I can already hear you saying "But when you adjust for inflation, that's [I]less[/I] than the $45 million of the entire hobby industry!!" [url]http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?1984-Top-5-RPGs-Compiled-Charts-2008-Present#.Wa6gNch95aQ[/url] Okay. That's true. The $26.7 million of 1983 - when D&D peaked - would have been $65,620,343.37!! Wowza. [url]http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/[/url] Except... that $65 million isn't D&D. It's TSR. As the article notes, sales of D&D books slightly declined in 1983 compared to 1982 levels, so the increase wasn't just associated with the game books. At the time TSR had a number of games (Boot Hill, Crimefighters, Metamorphosis Alpha, Top Secret, and Star Frontiers). And they had a magazine that just peaked at 100,000 copies. Plus numerous board games including Dungeon! and others. Still... the bulk of that $65 million had to be D&D, right? While right now D&D is probably only 50-60% of the aforementioned $45 million. Except... The $45 million on "the chart[s] [are] based on interviews with retailers, distributors, and manufacturers." And, most importantly "these do not take into account online sales, direct sales, Amazon, or anything other than hobby retail sales. " So the estimated $25 million that is D&D could [I]easily[/I] be doubled. After all, the PHB is continually sitting on the Amazon top 100. Right now it's at #39 in books, but even if it were at 100 it would be selling over 8000 copies each month: [url]https://www.tckpublishing.com/amazon-book-sales-calculator/[/url] When you add in Sales from Amazon.com alone, D&D is sitting at close to $30-million for this year. And when you add in Chapters/Indigo/Borders and other points of sale it gets higher still. $35 million. Maybe $40 million. Now, still less than what D&D was likely making in 1983. But, it's [I]more [/I]than what D&D was making in 1981. And D&D 5e is still growing...[/s] [/QUOTE]
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