D&D 5E I believe the D&D boardgames actually hinder the table top game.

[Eejit]

In short they can (and in some cases have) serve as a trailer for the 'real' game.

Gateway dragons. Just say no.

 

[Sailor Moon]

The tabletop rpg experience may always be a small niche hobby but I see no replacement for it.

And this is what WoTc doesn't seem to want to accept. They are trying to grow a product that is a small niche, to the point of possibly having their expectations too large.

 

[Sailor Moon]

Board games are a completely different animal. For those who have a strong desire to run or play in a role playing campaign, a board game just isn't going to scratch that itch. A similar doom for table top rpg play was pronounced when MMOs hit the market. Why would anyone ever want or need to play a tabletop rpg again when you play adventures together online?

What about new customers? If you don't know the feeling of a good table top RPG then you wouldn't know the difference between a fantasy boardgame and D&D. Especially a D&D boardgame.

 

[Gnarl45]

[MENTION=6776331]Sailor Moon[/MENTION]: You're kind of making it sound like the only way RPGs are going to thrive or survive is if it's the only form of entertainment available... That's not going to happen. If WoTC isn't the one producing their MMOs or tactical boardgames it's going to be another company.

If a small part of whatever income they can make by exploiting the brand name goes to the TTRPG, I'm on board. I would prefer they sold the D&D franchise to a smaller company that would be happy with smaller margins but since that isn't going to happen, I'm glad they're doing their best to meet Hasbro's rediculous corporate expectations.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

And this is what WoTc doesn't seem to want to accept. They are trying to grow a product that is a small niche, to the point of possibly having their expectations too large.

I think they accept it just fine... They're not trying to replace TTRPGs; they're trying to branch out into other avenues of revenue.

I think the bone of contention between you and several of the other posters is that you apparently don't like how they're handling D&D and others couldn't care less about it, are ok with it or like it. Those opposing viewpoints are not going to be reconciled.

You obviously feel passionate about how WotC is handling D&D and I think that's a good thing. But, if these boards and others like it are any indication (and there is just no way to tell about that), your view is part of a minority. I think you'd be better served, though, to email your concerns directly to WotC and get as many like-minded people to do the same. I don't think it'll actually change anything, but you never know.

 

[ExploderWizard]

And this is what WoTc doesn't seem to want to accept. They are trying to grow a product that is a small niche, to the point of possibly having their expectations too large.

On the contrary, I think WOTC HAS finally accepted this. Thus we have a focus on expanding the D&D BRAND that isn't limited to just the tabletop rpg. The core game can only get them so far along the revenue stream. Other games and products carrying the D&D Brand have to help it along.

 

[Mistwell]

You can call me pessimist, or a doomsayer or whatever.

You are a pessimist, a doomsayer, and whatever.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

This is a common fear about splitting a brand. But these kinds of things can also have a strong synergistic effect so long as both product lines are quality.

 

[Sacrosanct]

On the contrary, I think WOTC HAS finally accepted this. Thus we have a focus on expanding the D&D BRAND that isn't limited to just the tabletop rpg. The core game can only get them so far along the revenue stream. Other games and products carrying the D&D Brand have to help it along.

I agree. And it's the reason why they have acknowledged that they have no plans for splat book insanity like in previous editions. I think they know how small the actual TTRPG side is, and are focusing on the brand as a whole.


To the OP: I don't get any sort of D&D feel from boardgames, and I think D&D boardgames will affect my desire to play TT D&D as much as video game RPGs affected my desire to play D&D back in the 80s when Nintendo blew up in popularity. I.e., I still played D&D just as much as ever.

Totally different experiences, and I play the game that gives me the experience I want.

 

[Jester David]

I'm ignoring the cry for more content, as there's already a lengthy thread on that subject, started by the OP [MENTION=6776331]Sailor Moon[/MENTION]. So getting into that is repeating myself. So I'll just focus on the board game topic.

Now because of this limit on time, we have to choose what we what to do with in the little bit that we have. Sometimes we are forced to choose between several things we like to do but don't have the time to do. Some people try to spread it out among weeks or even months but I tell you from personal experience that gaming once a month or even once every two months is not very fun because you actually forget a lot of what went on during the last game.

Well WoTc have decided to continue the tradition from a few short years ago and focus on D&D boardgames. I for one feel this actually creates competition with in your own line which in my opinion isn't a good thing. I see fantasy boardgames as one of the many things out there that is a bane on D&D. I'm not talking about "a" boardgame here or there. I'm talking about a series of boardgames like the ones that were put out not so long ago. They tend to give you a bit of that D&D feel without all the prep time.

There are several problems with this thesis.

It assumes the audience for the board game is the same as the roleplaying game. This might not be the case.
While fans of the RPG might play the board game, many will rightly feel it is a pale shadow to the RPG. Why play the board game when you can play the "real" game? For that reason alone there's not likely to be much competition.
This means the board game is secondary to that audience, played when they cannot play the RPG due to limited time, limited attendance, and the like. It's a game you play when a couple players cannot make the session (rather than cancelling the social activity) or when you only have a couple hours.

It's also a game you can play with people who do not enjoy the RPG, giving them a taste of the game. Showing them what the game is like to see if they're interested in the full experience. I've played one of the earlier game with my in-laws, or broken it out during a board game night.
And, like the MMO, it's a game that scratches the D&D itch when you can't commit to a full campaign or make it out to a regular game. Especially since you can play with only one or two people.

The board game might also appeal to people who do not play in the RPG for whatever reason. There are a lot of board game players out there. Potentially more than D&D players. Tapping into that audience means more money for D&D that does not have to come from the stretched wallets of RPG players (putting the entire finances of the game on a single group). And it might interest them enough to pick-up the RPG, increasing the total number of players.