TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax

This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.

 

[Steverooo]

Y'know, as long as I've lived, I've never seen an ad for (A)D&D, outside of a gaming mag... I've never seen one for Monopoly, at ALL. WotC has done TV advertising for D&D, on some teenaged cable channel, as well as on the Sci-Fi Network, during the D&D II movie...

Sales of Monopoly and D&D both seem to be up...

 

[gideon_thorne]

Y'know, as long as I've lived, I've never seen an ad for (A)D&D, outside of a gaming mag... I've never seen one for Monopoly, at ALL. WotC has done TV advertising for D&D, on some teenaged cable channel, as well as on the Sci-Fi Network, during the D&D II movie...

Sales of Monopoly and D&D both seem to be up...

Really? I used to see them advertize AD&D on tv all the time in california back in the late 70's or so.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

So then, it sounds like the solutions would be:

1. On the FLGS side, have people behind the counter who are willing to expand at least some effort at promoting stuff in a favorable light, as opposed to have some brain-dead yutz who just wants to sit there on his duff and ring up a sale, but can't tell you the difference between Paranoia and Call of Cthulhu.

2. On the gaming company side, keep an eye on ways to propagate the hobby, perhaps making it more accessible without diluting the original product.

3. Also on the gaming company side, coming up with products that don't inhale air sharply helps too!

4. Again on the gaming company side, work with FLGS and also local gaming groups in the orbit of said FLGS's, to promote the products.

5. On the gamer's side, we need to keep an eye out to recruit more people into the hobby. For those of us who reproduced, make it a generational thing

Have I missed anything?

I also have a few opinions I've formulated about this, but they're still sort of swirling around in my head, not quite taking shape yet. Maybe later....

All of that is god business for merchants serving the public and for publishers. That will hale to assure the consumer base doesn't wither away.

To grow the consumer base the both shops and publishers must advertise and get such free promotion as can be managed. That keeps the shop in business, and if the publisher is doing it's best, there will be a growing number of consumers patronizing retailers...at worst new ones replacing those lost for all the reasons usual to a shrinking marketplace.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Y'know, as long as I've lived, I've never seen an ad for (A)D&D, outside of a gaming mag... I've never seen one for Monopoly, at ALL. WotC has done TV advertising for D&D, on some teenaged cable channel, as well as on the Sci-Fi Network, during the D&D II movie...

Sales of Monopoly and D&D both seem to be up...

Monopoly is, as I mentioned above, a classic that needs no advertising. Retailers do that for Hasbro so as to attract customers to their business.

I was not aware of the cable TC channel ads for D&D. Good to leanr that there were some. A lot more are needed,

As for sales being up, well, the general trend in hobby gtames is south, not north.

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Really? I used to see them advertize AD&D on tv all the time in california back in the late 70's or so.

That was TSR. As I said, we did a lot of consumer advertising to grow the audience base for the line

Cheers,
Gary

 

[gideon_thorne]

That was TSR. As I said, we did a lot of consumer advertising to grow the audience base for the line

Cheers,
Gary

That seriously cool cartoon was one of your best 'advertizements'.

Naturally I liked the Ranger and the Thief the best.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

That seriously cool cartoon was one of your best 'advertizements'.

Naturally I liked the Ranger and the Thief the best.

Indeed, the cartoon was excellent advertising for the D&D game

Now tell the truth, Peter, It was surely Bobby the Barbarian and Uni that were your favorites

Cheers,
Gary

 

[gideon_thorne]

Indeed, the cartoon was excellent advertising for the D&D game

Now tell the truth, Peter, It was surely Bobby the Barbarian and Uni that were your favorites

Cheers,
Gary

Well...unicorns can be nice. Grilled in a light barbeque sauce anyhow.

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Well...unicorns can be nice. Grilled in a light barbeque sauce anyhow.

We all notice you have nothing rude to say about Bobby

Cheers,
Gary

 

[Col_Pladoh]

Now I am going away for the day to accompany Gail to Milwaukee--she wants to do some antiquing, and has cozened me into the foray by a promise of Chinese dim sum.

Avante!
Gary