Why are board games being sold as D&D?

[Crazy Jerome]

Is the D&D brand big or healthy enough to leverage new sales to people who don't play the traditional RPG? Or is this just taking more money from existing players who might have otherwise not spent it or spent it on a non-WotC product?

Anything that gets people playing something around a table, that is even vaguely D&D, or even vaguely roleplay, is a net benefit to the hobby. The market has never been so big that this wasn't true. See the old Steve Jackson essay on how GURPS sales rise and fall with the popularity of D&D. More people playing D&D means more people deciding to try other games too. It works the same way with things that might entice people to try D&D.

Basically, the roleplaying hobby has never been so big or healthy, not even at its height, that an attempt to expand it was unwarranted. Executed poorly or ill-thought in some instances, but never unwarranted.

 

[Echohawk]

Various types of merchandizing for a brand is very common; RPGs are actually well behind the curve on that.

Oh, I'm not so sure that RPGs are that much behind the curve. So far, in compiling the various Collector's Guides, I've come across the following D&D merchandise: Belt buckles, necklaces, key rings, t-shirts, flasks, stickers, jigsaw puzzles, stained glass windows, bookmarks, caps, telephone cards, napkins, drink cups, needlework kits, party hats, plates, records, tapes, binders, cake decorations, table cloths, party invitations, blowouts (those things you blow at parties that uncurl and make a silly noise), pencil by number sets, holograms, action figures, dominoes, calendars, window clings, shoes, backpacks, shop signs, coasters, soda, towels, woodburning sets, candles, chess sets, transfers, candy boxes, Halloween costumes and a tricycle.

That's not such bad going for merchandise

 

[WizarDru]

Are the board games showing up anywhere besides core hobby game stores?

Yes, they are.

What about the board games would bring players back to the table-top role-playing game? Is there any support in the box or from WotC for players making that leap?

All of WotC's materials have featured cross-promotional materials. The box games specifically start players into the idea and mindset of D&D, not so much with the specific rules as the idea of it. More importantly, it confers brand awareness and a way to explore D&D in a more limited way. They are no more expensive than a video game and offers both solo and multiplay. They feature very attractive components and artwork.

They have the potential to act like Dungeon!, Heroquest or a number of other gateway products. Many people bought the Blue Box or the Red Box and 'graduated' to AD&D because of it. This works on the same principle, as does the new Gamma World.

Is the D&D brand big or healthy enough to leverage new sales to people who don't play the traditional RPG? Or is this just taking more money from existing players who might have otherwise not spent it or spent it on a non-WotC product?

I'm not sure what you're driving at, here. If you're asking, is D&D healthy enough to try and cater to new customers....that's actually reverse thinking. A better question would be 'Can D&D afford to NOT attempt to bring in new players/customers to the hobby?'. There's an overtone to your last question that somehow, getting people to spend money on these is somehow tricking or otherwise 'taking' money from WotC's customers rather than not spending it or spending on presumably 'better' RPG products? I'm not sure what to say to that, other than each player has his or her own value proposition.

 

[fba827]

What are these products supposed to mean to me as a D&D player?

I don't think they are expecting the D&D brand to pull D&D players to boardgames, but rather the other way around... make boardgame buyers familiar with the D&D brand.

Even if it just means that 'mom passes it on the shelf and notices the name' it's still increasing brand awareness. And the board games get more visibility than RPG products (aka boardgames can be sold at general retail stores, book stores, etc that get a lot more foot traffic than a gamer store).

That's not to say it can't appeal to RPGers or anyone else. But slapping that D&D name on it is all about marketing to increase brand name recognition.

And, hey, if it didn't have the D&D branding, it could get reshuffled to -any- division at hasbro rather than the WotC division. And, you can't blame the WotC people for wanting to try things, anything, to increase their showing on the financial books.

(i.e. "why does Fed Ex need it's own sporting arena? Do all sports players need to send packages?" Na. but whenever spectators go to see the game, they get that brand name in the background of every play they watch)

 

[kaomera]

Is the D&D brand big or healthy enough to leverage new sales to people who don't play the traditional RPG? Or is this just taking more money from existing players who might have otherwise not spent it or spent it on a non-WotC product?

Wait, what? One, yes, I can say without a doubt and without any knowledge of how "healthy" the D&D brand is that being able to sell a product to buyers who would not be interested in buying RPG products is just more money for WotC. And yes, that's what they want - as a business WotC wants to make money. And yes, they're getting more money from me that I would otherwise have spent on non-WotC products, because I enjoy and spend money on boardgames. Not that it was a hard sell or anything - the game isn't that expensive for what it is (I've spent $70+ on similar products from other companies) and I'd spend as much getting just the miniatures, which I can use in my D&D game!

 

[Dice4Hire]

I am glad to see D&D making boardgames, especially ones that are so close to the regular D&D experience. I also do not think they are only making boardgames, though percentage-wise hre are a lot mroe this year than any other year.

 

[Incenjucar]

It's really important to keep in mind that D&D is a brand, and not strictly the one game. There are video games based on food brands, toys based on video game brands, and shirts based on rock band brands. So long as they keep it classy, the more the better. Go go Lil' Dragonborn plushes for the kids.

 

[TikkchikFenTikktikk]

I'm getting a major negative vibe towards my questions.

The board games are expensive, and I don't want to get suckered into buying them just because they say D&D on the tin. I've read reviews on Amazon and around the web, but thought I could bring specific questions to an audience I thought I could trust. What is your problem?

I have a lot of board game geek friends that don't role-play: should the “D&D” on the box mean anything to them? Are there characters in the box they can bring to a weekly 4E or Encounters session? Do they come with a little sheet that says something like “if you like this, try these products for the full experience”?

Is there anything in the box worth using at my weekly games or the Encounters sessions I organize for my FLGS? I see they come wit minis. Are they to the same scale as DDM figs? Is the plastic quality? Is the game board useable with 4E? Are there any useable rules or scenarios I could use? Other accessories in the box that justify their price if I wasn't going to use it for it's intended purpose much?

Jeez, I didn't think I was going to have to spell this out.

 

[kaomera]

I'm getting a major negative vibe towards my questions.

My apologies, I got a major negative vibe from your questions. I'm sorry if it wasn't your intention, but they way you phrased things seemed to say "how dare WotC make my D&D into a board game!", in particular the section I addressed directly.

The board games are expensive, and I don't want to get suckered into buying them just because they say D&D on the tin.

Don't buy them just because they're D&D-branded. Either buy them because you like boardgames and think they look fun, or maybe if you want to use the components for other purposes (like D&D).

I have a lot of board game geek friends that don't role-play: should the “D&D” on the box mean anything to them? Are there characters in the box they can bring to a weekly 4E or Encounters session? Do they come with a little sheet that says something like “if you like this, try these products for the full experience”?

It stands for "Dungeons and Dragons", I'd assume they know that. Ravenloft is a fairly iconic D&D "thing", idk about Ashardalon, personally, but I gather he's a red dragon, so there you go. There are no D&D character sheets in the box, but the concept of the board game characters are based off of 4e characters - if they like playing the Cleric (frex) in Castle Ravenloft then they may enjoy playing a Cleric in essentials. There is the now-pretty-much-standard advertising insert sheet, in my copy of the game it was the second thing down after the rulebook but before the adventures book - don't know if that was intentional but it seemed like good placement to me. The insert is focused on Essentials and has one side for players, one side for DMs.

Is there anything in the box worth using at my weekly games or the Encounters sessions I organize for my FLGS? I see they come wit minis. Are they to the same scale as DDM figs? Is the plastic quality? Is the game board useable with 4E? Are there any useable rules or scenarios I could use? Other accessories in the box that justify their price if I wasn't going to use it for it's intended purpose much?

The minis are nice. IMO the plastic is better (much stiffer, no deformation that I can see) than DDM minis, but they are not pre-painted. I've seen a number of examples of people painting them, so I guess they take paint ok. And there's a bunch of them - my own estimation is that I would have spent more on them (the equivalent DDM minis) as singles off of ebay than I paid for the box, but I didn't actually do a piece by piece comparison because I wanted the game anyway.

There's also a d20 in there, and the dungeon tiles are the same quality as the regular ones, but they fit together like a puzzle (so no flat outer edges). The rules of the boardgame are different from the RPG (similar, but simplified), so I think all of the cards and counters and such aren't going to be of much use to you. Really, if you want to just use components in your D&D game I think the minis would be the significant selling point.

 

[mudbunny]

I have a lot of board game geek friends that don't role-play: should the “D&D” on the box mean anything to them?

Not really. You know how some people say that 4E is nothing but a boardgame? Well, Ravenloft and Wrath of Ashardalon is the result when you actually distill the rules down to a boardgame level. There is no roleplaying in there. No need for a DM. (The monsters have a pseudo-AI on the card that runs them.)

Here is a nice review that matches the feeling I got the couple of times I have played it.

Are there characters in the box they can bring to a weekly 4E or Encounters session?

Nope. The second page of the article I linked above has a picture of one of the "character sheets." Stripped down is an understatement.

Do they come with a little sheet that says something like “if you like this, try these products for the full experience”?

I don't recall. I would be surprised if they didn't.

Is there anything in the box worth using at my weekly games or the Encounters sessions I organize for my FLGS? I see they come wit minis. Are they to the same scale as DDM figs?

They are to the same scale IIRC.

Is the plastic quality?

I am not sure. I am not a connoisseur of plastic, so I can't help you.

Is the game board useable with 4E?

Probably, if you wanted to use it as a dungeon map.

Are there any useable rules or scenarios I could use?

There is a rule book, and a scenario book that has a bunch of scenarios in it. Here is an example of some of the flavour text that comes with the adventures:

Here is the basic description:
Search for the Sunsword
The Heroes seek a magic sword’s missing piece. Once assembled, the legendary Sunsword becomes a powerful weapon against the evil threatening Barovia.
Goal: You must recover the last piece of the Sunsword from the crypts below Castle Ravenloft.
Number of Heroes: 2 to 5 Heroes (group adventure).

And here is the "box text"
Ages ago, Strahd’s attempt to destroy a powerful weapon left it damaged but not broken. The magic remained, dormant. Although the hilt of this blade is lost in the crypts below Castle Ravenloft, a young servant escaped with the weapon’s enchanted blade. After being passed down through generations, one of you now holds the blade of this ancient sword. If you can
reunite the blade with the original hilt, the power of the Sunsword will return and you will gain a powerful weapon against Strahd and his evil minions.

Hope that helps...

Oh yeah, here is the preview, which includes a pdf copy of the rules, in case you are interested.

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Castle Ravenloft Preview)