D&D 5E Light release schedule: More harm than good?

[doctorhook]

Allowing other companies to create unlicensed compatible products is a strategy: X Co. produces content that expands the D&D brand for WotC, at no cost to WotC. The danger is that other companies could either taint the brand with crappy products, or subsume the brand by dominating the market and drowning the original brand.

WotC is in the unfortunate position of being a hobby-publisher in an era where the internet has grievously wounded both traditional hobby gaming and traditional publishing. So, WotC's strategy is to try to build new revenue streams for D&D brand using formats with more growth-potential than dead trees. Unfortunately, that's not great news for those of us who want more books, but it's just WotC trying to keep D&D above water for the long-term.

 

[TDarien]

You assume that WotC decided on this schedule by choice and not because of outside influence like lack of funds. Not saying that this definitely happened, but it is a possibility.

Well they did decide this schedule by choice. When 5e was in early development they did extensive polling to see what exactly D&D players and DMs wanted. Guess what they found? The great majority of fans wanted less bloat. They didn't like the splatbook-a-month release schedule.

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

I believe that evergreen core rules with the occasional expansion is the best we could get, but some standalone modules wouldn't hurt either. I'm not a huge fan of this "big campaign" model that seems to be exactly the point where WotC wants to do the same as Paizo.

 

[Sailor Moon]

Well they did decide this schedule by choice. When 5e was in early development they did extensive polling to see what exactly D&D players and DMs wanted. Guess what they found? The great majority of fans wanted less bloat. They didn't like the splatbook-a-month release schedule.

Why can't you put out products but keep the bloat down?

One or two books a year is really exaggerating the whole bloat issue.

 

[guachi]

I find the "big campaign" a massive turn-off, too. Assume you are brand-new to the game and have little or no knowledge of the old material out there and even if you did you'd be terrible at converting it. You either like the one adventure or you are stuck for six months and by then you've probably moved on to something else.

Maybe it's where the market's gone? Maybe if you are only going to release something once every six months the only thing you can release is a massive campaign.

The current release schedule is the exact opposite of bloat. What's worse (as a consumer) than too much product for me to buy? You producing so little I have nothing I want to buy.

 

[Sailor Moon]

On Twitter, Mearls has made the comparison to Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride: evergreen games that get occasional expansions or thematic variants (personally, I have Egypt Catan!).

They are releasing multiple products, and have active Encounters in stores. Nobody will think the game is "dead" based on this. There is, however, apparently good evidence that product glut limits the audience, leading to a death spiral. Anecdotal evidence bears this out, but Wizards has the hard data metrics to bear that out. They are rational actors.

Hard data huh?

When was the last time Wizards actually found a happy medium with their release schedule? Their track record proves they don't really have a clue to be honest.

 

[Sailor Moon]

I find the "big campaign" a massive turn-off, too. Assume you are brand-new to the game and have little or no knowledge of the old material out there and even if you did you'd be terrible at converting it. You either like the one adventure or you are stuck for six months and by then you've probably moved on to something else.

Maybe it's where the market's gone? Maybe if you are only going to release something once every six months the only thing you can release is a massive campaign.

The current release schedule is the exact opposite of bloat. What's worse (as a consumer) than too much product for me to buy? You producing so little I have nothing I want to buy.

The market hasn't gone in that direction. Just look at Paizo.

Yes they stick with the same campaign setting, but their stuff can be used anywhere and they churn out a good amount of product.

 

[Celebrim]

In my long time opinion, I think this light release schedule is going to do more harm than good.

There are only two possibilities.

a) Revenue hit or beat expectations, in which case the light release schedule is a sign that WotC has finely figured out that gaming revenue comes in waves and can't be sustained from year to year, in which case this is all to the good. I'm more concerned about them retaining artistic talent and publishing high quality, heavily play tested books than just books.
b) Revenue didn't hit or beat expectations, in which case the light release schedule is a sign that WotC has realized that it killed its brand and it won't be able to renew it easily. The big campaigns have been a dud. Interest in the new rules was there, but the market didn't grow especially. In which case, the fact that they are sustaining a small core of developers is again good. I presume that the release schedule is whatever they've projected will allow them to keep paying the salaries of the 8 or so employees that they've now got.

But seriously, who was not expecting this? I'm just happy 5e actually got published and was an amazingly good rules set all things considered. If they print 12 rule books over the next six years and they are all quality, I'll be jumping for joy.

 

[Sailor Moon]

There are only two possibilities.

a) Revenue hit or beat expectations, in which case the light release schedule is a sign that WotC has finely figured out that gaming revenue comes in waves and can't be sustained from year to year, in which case this is all to the good. I'm more concerned about them retaining artistic talent and publishing high quality, heavily play tested books than just books.
b) Revenue didn't hit or beat expectations, in which case the light release schedule is a sign that WotC has realized that it killed its brand and it won't be able to renew it easily. The big campaigns have been a dud. Interest in the new rules was there, but the market didn't grow especially. In which case, the fact that they are sustaining a small core of developers is again good. I presume that the release schedule is whatever they've projected will allow them to keep paying the salaries of the 8 or so employees that they've now got.

But seriously, who was not expecting this? I'm just happy 5e actually got published and was an amazingly good rules set all things considered. If they print 12 rule books over the next six years and they are all quality, I'll be jumping for joy.

I wouldn't say it's due to a lack of money.

They have bloated the last three editions and when people say they don't want bloat, Wizards pulls back way too much instead of finding that balance.

 

[Celebrim]

They have bloated the last three editions and when people say they don't want bloat, Wizards pulls back way too much instead of finding that balance.

If they are planning 1-2 splatbooks (Monster Manual II, Wilderness Survival Guide), 1-2 setting release (Players Guide to Greyhawk, and Secrets of Greyhawk), and 1-2 adventure release for the coming year (Forces of Elemental Evil, Against the Slavers), that's probably about the right balance. Personally, I'm skeptical that 6 books might be too aggressive of a release schedule unless they get an unlikely successful market penetration into other media - popular game releases, Netflix picks up Chronicles of the Dragonlance to compete with 'Game of Thrones' and it's actually good, etc.