D&D 5E Reasons Why My Interest in 5e is Waning

[sunshadow21]

The market drops in half and that's no big deal? People, like you, are already clamouring and starting umpteen threads about not having new supplements and how this is going to sink 5e. And you think D&D dropping out entirely won't have a massive ripple effect?

Sorry, no, I don't think so. If D&D was to close up shop today, that would drive the remaining hobby stores virtually entirely out of business (they've been dying a slow death for the last twenty years, last numbers I saw pegged the number of gaming shops at about 500 in the US, down from thousands ten years ago). Which would mean no more Adventurers League and probably no more Pathfinder Society. Which means much fewer new gamers entering the hobby. Ten years from now, natural attrition would pretty much kill the hobby.

I think it was a big deal then, to be certain, but already it's recovering just fine to a point where Hasbro shelving D&D would have nowhere near the same impact again. Paizo would continue much as they are now and everyone would basically look to Paizo as the new clear leader and adjust accordingly. Adventurers League would die, but Pathfinder Society would still do just fine. Now if Magic would take a sudden hit and the stores that support PFS would lose that critical income, than PFS would likely be in a lot of trouble, but at this point, what WotC does with D&D will have comparatively little impact on what Paizo does with Pathfinder, and the impact will only grow smaller as time goes on.

 

[Sailor Moon]

Even if Magic went and most FLGS stores shut down, the hobby would still continue on with Pathfinder leading the way. They aren't dependant on shops because they have taken advantage of the Internet. People would then rely on more home games, which more than likely makes up the majority anyway, and playing online. I think would see loads of online gaming programs pop up. I believe the hobby would become a lot more modern than it ever has.

 

[bmfrosty]

Even if Magic went and most FLGS stores shut down, the hobby would still continue on with Pathfinder leading the way. They aren't dependant on shops because they have taken advantage of the Internet. People would then rely on more home games, which more than likely makes up the majority anyway, and playing online. I think would see loads of online gaming programs pop up. I believe the hobby would become a lot more modern than it ever has.

The problem isn't knowing where to buy the books. The problem is player attrition and having an infrastructure for helping new players get into the hobby. The stores offer a venue for new players who don't have friends that already play. I guess the ideal is that new players come into stores and play for 3-6 months in store and make some new buddies with interest in the hobby who eventually split off into groups to play around kitchen tables.

The store is the easy starting point. I think WotC sees direct value in having the stores continue to exist, and are going out of their way to lead people to using physical product in store instead of offering an easy digital alternative.

 

[Sailor Moon]

The problem isn't knowing where to buy the books. The problem is player attrition and having an infrastructure for helping new players get into the hobby. The stores offer a venue for new players who don't have friends that already play. I guess the ideal is that new players come into stores and play for 3-6 months in store and make some new buddies with interest in the hobby who eventually split off into groups to play around kitchen tables.

The store is the easy starting point. I think WotC sees direct value in having the stores continue to exist, and are going out of their way to lead people to using physical product in store instead of offering an easy digital alternative.

I would argue that now a days the Internet is the best way now.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I've tried a few internet games on Roll20 and they all collapsed. It seemed that players had a lot less investment and would quit with no warning compared to face to face.

 

[Hussar]

I would argue that now a days the Internet is the best way now.

Really? How exactly?

How would you introduce a new person to gaming using only the Internet?

I think the reason Paizo doesn't really care so much about the FLGS, is because most of its fandom is made up of current gamers. I have no idea how many new gamers Pathfinder has brought into the hobby, but, considering efforts like WOTC's Adventurers League, I'd say it's a lot less than what WOTC has done. I think Paizo has essentially cannibalized the 3e gamer fandom. Even something like 5e is probably more beneficial for bringing new gamers to Pathfinder than, say, something like Pathfinder Society. People start out in the hobby with D&D. Then they move on to Pathfinder or whatever other game. But D&D is the gateway game.

Take away D&D, and ten years, fifteen years down the road, simple attrition will sink most of the RPG companies out there.

 

[SkidAce]

I've tried a few internet games on Roll20 and they all collapsed. It seemed that players had a lot less investment and would quit with no warning compared to face to face.

A Roll20 game would be problematic, due to scheduling conflicts. Our PbP has been running three years now.

 

[bmfrosty]

A Roll20 game would be problematic, due to scheduling conflicts. Our PbP has been running three years now.

PbP? I don't know that acronym.

 

[Wicht]

PbP? I don't know that acronym.

Play by Post

 

[bmfrosty]

Play by Post

Thanks!