No 5e threads for now, please

[Hussar]

They keep trying that. I see no-one recommending these incomplete and unsupported intro games, though, because they're obviously a bad deal when compared to "the real McCoy"...which you'll have to buy anyway, if you like them.

As a thought experiment, I'd assume that people won't buy an incomplete Beginners Monopoly that requires you to buy Monopoly after a game or three. They'll buy Monopoly or not at all. People are only so stupid, even if the product is provided with sincere intent. Even as a kid you'd feel gypped by a half-game.

Umm, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Keep on the Shadowfell (a three level module), complete with quickstart rules, available FOR FREE on the WOTC site?

How much more do you need?

 

[Maggan]

Umm, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Keep on the Shadowfell (a three level module), complete with quickstart rules, available FOR FREE on the WOTC site?

And the Character Builder, which allows the creation of PCs up to level 3. With that given away for free, it sure feels as if WotC is lowering the threshold to entry for D&D4e.

/M

 

[Hussar]

And, again, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the compendium thingie, or whatever its called, the thing that's got all the monsters in it and whatnot, also free to use up to about 3rd level?

Y'know, throughout the history of WOTC running D&D, critics have constantly shoveled it on top that WOTC was nothing but a bunch of money grubbing suits who do nothing but try to line their pockets. Yet, I'm having a tough time thinking of all that many RPG companies that give away as much free material as WOTC does. Free adventures, free rules, free tools.

Hrm.....

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

They just give away the free material to get more customers that bring in the money!

WotC can't win.
Or rather, it can't win that battle. But they don't need to.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Assuming everyone who is playing a 1e ruleset would be playing a 5e ruleset if 1e was unavailable, yes.

That has nothing to do with it.

By definition, the mere existence of a competing product that sells eats into the profits of any other product in the same market. That substitute could be getting 20% or 0.002% of the market, but that is money that's not going to the front runner.

And if the competing product is produced in-house, that means that you're not only taking some potential sales away from your lead product (including some would-be new gamers), you're diverting production resources away from that lead product to produce the other one. IOW, cannibalism.

The ONLY reason a company produces multiple similar product is to capture buyers who would or could not ordinarily buy the lead product. In those cases, they are hoping to "grow the pie" by making consumers of non-consumers. With cars, this is done by having entry-level, mid-level, luxury, sport, off-road and other vehicles to appeal to persons in different economic strata, with different needs.

While on the surface, it would seem that this is exactly what we're talking about with the various RPG editions, that perception would be erroneous. Here, the each version of D&D is a complete game that would cost about the same to produce and purchase, but with differing design criteria...all with essentially the same name. They're more akin to differing trim lines within a vehicle than distinct vehicles within a product line.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Even though a lot of online people think WOTC is a fool for not printing out older games, WOTC won't be printing out older games. To think otherwise is merely wishful thinking. If there truly was a large demand for old-school gaming, supply and demand dictates that another company will produce old-school style games and become successful because they tapped into such a demand.

It's all about the Economic Realities. Of course, if you're still determined to change WOTC's mind, might I suggest you hire a lobbyists?

 

[ggroy]

The ONLY reason a company produces multiple similar product is to capture buyers who would or could not ordinarily buy the lead product. In those cases, they are hoping to "grow the pie" by making consumers of non-consumers.

This was probably the purpose of the basic D&D box sets from the late 1970's (Holmes), 1980's (Moldvay B/X and BECMI), and well into the 1990's. Back in the 1980's, I remember seeing the basic D&D box sets being sold in places like department stores, which otherwise did not stock any of the AD&D hardcover books or modules.

 

[ggroy]

Assuming everyone who is playing a 1e ruleset would be playing a 5e ruleset if 1e was unavailable, yes.

My hardcore 1E AD&D grognard friends would highly disagree with this statement. These particular 1E grognard friends generally will not play any 3E/3.5E, 4E, 5E, etc ... games, even if there was nothing available for 1E.

The only way to get these hardcore 1E grognards to stop playing 1E AD&D, would be for them to die and/or taking away their 1E books from their cold dead hands.

I'll give you my gun when you take it from my cold, dead hands - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Lanefan]

The only way to get these hardcore 1E grognards to stop playing 1E AD&D, would be for them to die and/or taking away their 1E books from their cold dead hands.

You forgot the intermediate step: chasing us down after we rise as undead and keep on playing!

Lan-"in my game, it's called 'Necromantic Continuation'"-efan

 

[Lanefan]

Umm, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Keep on the Shadowfell (a three level module), complete with quickstart rules, available FOR FREE on the WOTC site?

Are you serious? How long has this been the case?

Lan-"I paid real money for that adventure"-efan