D&D is now in (exceedingly awesome) commercial form

[jonesy]

...this ad is chocked with nostalgia factor....

Yes. For AD&D.

I thought it was supposed to be aimed at NEW players?

That's exactly what I was thinking.

Other than the box itself briefly at the end, it doesn't actually show anything about the Red Box. At all. Which is why I was asking if this was real.

 

[IronWolf]

I thought it was supposed to be aimed at NEW players?

I think the Red Box is sort of dual purpose. It is a starter set which can easily be picked up by new players, while tugging at the nostalgic heart strings of lapsed players that remember the old Red Box.

As others have said, play that nostalgia card and it is likely to drive sales to people that might not start playing again themselves but buy it for their kids or nieces, nephews, neighborhood kid, etc.

I think it was a good move.

 

[OchreJelly]

If you are a younger, new player I don't think you need to be familiar with the art to like the ad. Likewise it doesn't need to say much about the game. I mean how much can show about DND in a 30 second spot? The impression-ad approach works better IMO.

If I was a 12-year old kid and saw this ad with strange monsters, skeletons and big swords, I would be intrigued to find out more

 

[Neonchameleon]

I thought it was supposed to be aimed at NEW players?

No. That advert is aimed at parents and uncles of potential new players. It's pitched for an ex player to remember the fun he had, with the aid of rose tinted glasses, and buy the red box for the next generation for Christmas.

 

[Wepwawet]

Gods! Is this for real?
Do WotC know we're in 2010?
This makes no sense nowadays. The aesthetics are awfully outdated and the music is so... 80s heavy metal

I understand that to old gamers and original red box gamers this is something orgasmically awesome, but come on, using this as the ad for the current 4th edition of D&D, published in 2008 is just pointless.

I can't imagine any potential new player being attracted to... this.


EDIT: It does tickle my heart to see this old artforms, the exact same style I used to see when I started playing. It brings some strong memories. But I do live in 21st century. That wizard with the purple stars over his eyes in this time of realistic fantasy movies... Just no.

 

[Sammael]

Horrible.

 

[mudbunny]

No. That advert is aimed at parents and uncles of potential new players.

This is one of the responses that they are looking for:

"You know, Lisa says that her son spends a lot of time playing this Building War game with his friends. It has magic, skeletons and stuff. Maybe he will like this as well."

Looks at price

"$20??"

Throws it in the cart.

Now which of these Disney Princesses does my daughter *not*have??"

 

[Ulrick]

I think they are trying to attract older gamers who ditched 4th Ed.

But its a terrible commercial. It's like something you'd see on late night TV, perhaps on local access.

Am I really supposed to get excited from stuff from the old Fiend Folio? Is that really what's inside that Red Box?

I guess there's only one way to find out without buying the Red Box.

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page

 

[Aeolius]

I think they are trying to attract older gamers who ditched 4th Ed.

I didn't get that impression at all. Perhaps it's aimed at impulse-shopping older gamers who stopped playing D&D in the 1e days.

 

[Nagol]

With an ad of that caliber...

I think it's time to play a different game system for a few years.