Over Half Of New D&D Players Got Into Game From Watching Online Play

I know this is really a small issue if any at all, but yet I find it mildly disturbing that so many people watch others play D&D instead of playing it themselves... it's kind of similar to the rise of "eSports" and their possible inclusion even in the olympics. And also my kids are starting to watch people play Minecraft on youtube instead of playing it themselves! It's ok to watch occasionally to get some inspiration, but if it's more often than the real thing then it raises some questions...

 

[Caliban]

Honestly, were they ever trendy?

4th edition?

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

You haven't seen the screenshots from the Halloween games then. Being theater geeks and voice actors, they tend to go all out on their costumes.

Halloween is a different situation. I wear my Xena outfit for that days game.

 

[Uchawi]

Since everyone lives in their own bubble these days (gamers are notorious for this) I am not surprised WOTC is presenting a whole bunch of bubbles so a player can not only learn the game but identify the type of game they want to be in. That also ups the chance that one of the players will become the DM, and that is what makes the game survive.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Honestly, were they ever trendy?

Trending, not quite the same thing as Trendy...

D&D hasn't been trendy since the 80s, but it has experienced trends....

Min/Max (pun-pun!), rule-precision (RAW!): 3.5
balance (AEDU!), rule precision (keywords!): 4e

Trending now: watching other people play?

:shrug:

 

[werecorpse]

I find its an interesting stat. I haven't read the original article. Is it saying that 50%+ of people who played D&D for the first time with 5e were introduced by online games or merely that they watched a game before they played?

My kids watch people play video games but tend to watch games they already play, or you tubers they already follow play a new game. So the idea that people who haven't played D&D and don't already follow these people from other things choose to watch people play D&D online as their first exposure to the game I.e. without first having some other exposure to the game I find surprising.

If otoh it's just a case that someone hears of D&D, thinks they might like it so checks it out on YouTube/twitch etc before playing a game that makes more sense. That's just the new way of watching other people play something you think you light like.

its easier to arrange to watch some D&D than it is to play so I watch a bit. Im glad my favourite hobby is available for me to watch as well as play. I can usually manage to play at most 1/week more often 1/fortnight, but I can watch an hour or so online every 2-3 days. It doesn't mean I play less, in fact in being able to watch roll20 videos has got me into playing using roll20 - so I now play more. Chris Perkins & his gaming crew are interesting, not my cup of tea, Matt Mercer & co have been great, Adam Koebel is my current favourite online GM.

 

[OB1]

YES! This is the first D&D liveplay to keep my attention (maybe it was AI, can't remember for sure), it made me try harder to get 4e to work for us, which ultimately was a failed endeavour but that's besides the point. Unfortunately their 5e trial was kind of embarrassing to all involved but they are trying other systems which is cool.

Yeah, I was hoping Critical Hit would move to 5th after the end of the Lords of the Feywild arc (using the conclusion of that as a reason for the world changing) or just leave the story there (the last episode of LotF is one of the best sessions of D&D I've ever heard), but alas 5e didn't work for them. Didn't follow Legacy of Ghosts but listened to their Pathfinder game and thought that was pretty excellent. Samantha really gave Rodrigo a run for title of best GM of the podcast with that campaign.

Really hoping to get caught up with Critical Role before the new campaign in January, but have the new 55 hour long Stormlight book taking up my commute right now.

 

[MarkB]

I enjoy watching several roleplay streams at the moment. They haven't eaten into my D&D playing time - I'm currently in two weekly games, which is higher than my average over the past few years. Instead, watching these and similar shows has supplanted my viewing of traditional television.

Last month I cancelled my subscription to Sky TV that I've had for somewhere going on 20 years, because I came to the realisation that I hardly watch any TV on television these days. 75% of what I watch is on YouTube or Twitch, and around 20% is on streaming TV services like Netflix. The remaining 5% of traditional TV shows, I can still view via streaming services such as iPlayer.

I'm a little behind on Critical Role right now - the shows that I watch weekly are Roll4It, which just finished an entertaining Star Trek series and has a fantastic ongoing Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, and Geekspacetv, for their Stars Without Number series.

I don't watch particularly for gaming tips (though they can be educational in that regard) or to see people who are somehow more 'professional' at playing non-competitive board-games, if such a concept even exists. I watch them to see people I like playing entertaining characters, and generally just having fun with each other.

If you go into these shows with the mindset that you're there to watch a game or a sport, they will disappoint you. If you approach them with the mindset that you're going to watch an entertaining story with strong elements of structured improvisation, then maybe you'll find something to enjoy.

 

[Sunseeker]

I know this is really a small issue if any at all, but yet I find it mildly disturbing that so many people watch others play D&D instead of playing it themselves... it's kind of similar to the rise of "eSports" and their possible inclusion even in the olympics. And also my kids are starting to watch people play Minecraft on youtube instead of playing it themselves! It's ok to watch occasionally to get some inspiration, but if it's more often than the real thing then it raises some questions...

Stop being such a grandpa, grandpa.

But seriously I totally agree. *shakes fist* I mean, it's cool when people watch something and then go play it, I have no issues with that. But the sort of vicarious "playing" of games that goes on these days by watching other players play and never engaging in the game themselves is sort of weird to me. Especially since I love playing games and find even sports terribly boring to watch (but quite enjoyable to play).

 

[Parmandur]

4th edition?

Was 4E ever "trendy," as such?

 

[Parmandur]

Trending, not quite the same thing as Trendy...
Min/Max (pun-pun!), rule-precision (RAW!): 3.5
balance (AEDU!), rule precision (keywords!): 4e

Trending now: watching other people play?

:shrug:

Trendy or trending, not sure those ever really achieved either status...