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The Sales of D&D vs. AD&D vs. AD&D 2nd Edition
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<blockquote data-quote="Bruce Heard" data-source="post: 7848978" data-attributes="member: 6746560"><p>Hi all. Bruce Heard here.</p><p></p><p>There wasn't anything "wrong" per se with 2nd Edition AD&D (or for that matter with any of the early versions). The problem with 2nd Edition sales and TSR sales in general is manyfold. The drop coincided with changes in the marketplace, such as the rise of computer video games and growing competition from other RPG publishers. There also was a glut of core books already in the hobby (honestly, a lot of 1st Edition material was already in the hands of gamers, many of whom just weren't interested in buying new hardcover books). Once folks purchase their core material, there generally is little incentive to replace them. I'm still using hardcover books printed 30+ years ago! If I were to buy new books, it would logically be some other game I don't already have, suggesting a loss in sales for my original publisher. It looks like the market also topped out to a certain degree at that point. Later on, CCG got in the way as well. Combine all of the above, and now you know why sales numbers flagged. It was unavoidable.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Bruce Heard, post: 7848978, member: 6746560"] Hi all. Bruce Heard here. There wasn't anything "wrong" per se with 2nd Edition AD&D (or for that matter with any of the early versions). The problem with 2nd Edition sales and TSR sales in general is manyfold. The drop coincided with changes in the marketplace, such as the rise of computer video games and growing competition from other RPG publishers. There also was a glut of core books already in the hobby (honestly, a lot of 1st Edition material was already in the hands of gamers, many of whom just weren't interested in buying new hardcover books). Once folks purchase their core material, there generally is little incentive to replace them. I'm still using hardcover books printed 30+ years ago! If I were to buy new books, it would logically be some other game I don't already have, suggesting a loss in sales for my original publisher. It looks like the market also topped out to a certain degree at that point. Later on, CCG got in the way as well. Combine all of the above, and now you know why sales numbers flagged. It was unavoidable. [/QUOTE]
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Community
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The Sales of D&D vs. AD&D vs. AD&D 2nd Edition
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