D&D 5E Why I Think D&DN is In Trouble

[Hussar]

Eh what? There's no competition to be on the NYT best selling novels list in fantasy? Really?

R a Salvatore, weis and Hickman. Ed Greenwood. I guess they don't sell book.

 

[Lokiare]

Eh what? There's no competition to be on the NYT best selling novels list in fantasy? Really?

R a Salvatore, weis and Hickman. Ed Greenwood. I guess they don't sell book.

The key is they don't publish their books in the same month or week (can't remember specifically when they publish the list). Everyone knows when a book is first published is when it sells the most copies.

I wouldn't be surprised if their publishers coordinated and publish a week or month apart just to take advantage of having the books featured one after another on the chart.

 

[DaveMage]

The D&D brand is worth millions.

If it was worth very little, I'd have bought it.

 

[Ahnehnois]

This isn't actually me pulling numbers out of thin air. This is straight from Wotc market research.

Where is this research?

 

[Hussar]

The key is they don't publish their books in the same month or week (can't remember specifically when they publish the list). Everyone knows when a book is first published is when it sells the most copies.

I wouldn't be surprised if their publishers coordinated and publish a week or month apart just to take advantage of having the books featured one after another on the chart.

Sure. That's a given. What's your point? It's not like they are only competing with each other. They are competing with the George RR Martins and JK Rowlings out there.

The point is, the D&D brand (not the game) is worth far, far more than the MtG brand, simply because slapping D&D on something will generate sales. Mostly because of simple brand recognition. That's basic marketing.

 

[Hussar]

Where is this research?

Ask and ye shall receive.

here is the seminar notes

Scott Rouse D&D Sr. Brand Manager put on a one hour seminar regarding 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. I am liveblogging, so forgive spelling errors.2008 Global Brand Study US and Canada and part of Europe.

Aided Awareness 89% (brand recognition)

80% WOW

89% D&D

54% have played D&D

94% think D&D is the same or better than other games (WOW, etc)

56% of respondents have high interest in buying D&D products in the next six months

For 2009 will continue to market to existing players and hope to have a halo effect on other new gamers.

Sorry, I was off by a percent.

 

[Dausuul]

Ask and ye shall receive.

here is the seminar notes

Sorry, I was off by a percent.

I'm sure WotC's market research is fine, but these numbers as presented are meaningless. We have no idea who was being surveyed. 54% have played D&D, 56% express high interest in buying D&D products; but 54-56% of whom? The general populace? (Yeah, right.) Males in the 18-44 demographic? (Also highly implausible.) WotC customers? (That would be my guess.) Self-identified gamers? People attending cons?

Without context, these numbers mean nothing, and I mean nothing. This isn't a minor technical point. It's the difference between "the fastest a human being has ever moved" and "the fastest a human being has ever moved, on foot."

 

[Hussar]

Well, put it another way. The 1999 WOTC market research found that 3% of American males 18-35 had played D&D in the last year. That's HUGE. That's what the brand is worth.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Well, that is interesting, however, it doesn't match the original claim:

Ask ten average people if they've ever heard of MtG and seven likely don't even know what it is. Ask the same people about D&D, and 9 of them know it's a game.

Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...k-D-amp-DN-is-In-Trouble/page47#ixzz2tJ3aV7RK

Clearly, this is survey data on a particular group of interest, ("gamers", however they defined it), not average people.

Well, put it another way. The 1999 WOTC market research found that 3% of American males 18-35 had played D&D in the last year. That's HUGE. That's what the brand is worth.

That's probably more realistic and pertinent. It certainly is a popular enough brand to be of consequence.

 

[billd91]

Well, put it another way. The 1999 WOTC market research found that 3% of American males 18-35 had played D&D in the last year. That's HUGE. That's what the brand is worth.

Was worth in 1999. We aren't really sure how it may have changed in that time.