WotC So, when do the announce the July book? Guesses on what it'll be? 🤔

[bedir than]

WotC's core market for D&D is early teens.

Claimed without evidence and runs counter to the current trend in D&D which is mostly supported by Millenials being the most common player

 

[Parmandur]

Claimed without evidence and runs counter to the current trend in D&D which is mostly supported by Millenials being the most common player

Incorrect, Gen Zers actually are the larger block, at 40%. 8-12 year olds alone are 11% of the player base. Family friendliness for nerds is a part of the modern D&D brand.

From WotC:

 

[bedir than]

Incorrect, Gen Zers actually are the larger block, at 40%. 8-12 year olds alone are 11% of the player base. Family friendliness for nerds is a part of the modern D&D brand.

My memory of the last data point was that more than 50% were older than 25 (the youngest millenials)

 

[Parmandur]

My memory of the last data point was that more than 50% were older than 25 (the youngest millenials)

I edited my post to include the full numbers from last year. It's actually pretty even between Millennials and Gen Zer's, partly depends on where you assign the GenX/Millennial cutoff and Millennial/GenZ cutoff, neither of which is 100% firm. Point is, an older Millennial would be comfortable playing D&D with their 8 year old Niblings, for instance. That's just where the game is at. Edgy for Middle School, but not too edgy.

 

[Reynard]

I edited my post to include the full numbers from last year. It's actually pretty even between Millennials and Gen Zer's, partly depends on where you assign the GenX/Millennial cutoff and Millennial/GenZ cutoff, neither of which is 100% firm. Point is, an older Millennial would be comfortable playing D&D with their 8 year old Niblings, for instance. That's just where the game is at. Edgy for Middle School, but not too edgy.

In a couple weeks I fall off that chart entirely. I hope I don't just poof out of existence...

 

[Parmandur]

In a couple weeks I fall off that chart entirely. I hope I don't just poof out of existence...

Greg Tito clarified later that the last part should read "40+" not "40-45", it was a typo.

 

[bedir than]

I edited my post to include the full numbers from last year. It's actually pretty even between Millennials and Gen Zer's, partly depends on where you assign the GenX/Millennial cutoff and Millennial/GenZ cutoff, neither of which is 100% firm. Point is, an older Millennial would be comfortable playing D&D with their 8 year old Niblings, for instance. That's just where the game is at. Edgy for Middle School, but not too edgy.

Teens are definitely not their target. And especially not single-digit kids, as the products and official streams target PG-13 standards.

While the books need to be accessible to teens, the target market is probably something more like 18-35, just like the majority of pop culture

 

[Reynard]

Greg Tito clarified later that the last part should read "40+" not "40-45", it was a typo.

It certainly explains a lot about how I feel about the current D&D aesthetic. I don't mean that pejoratively or bitterly. I'm glad D&D is alive and well with a vibrant, diverse, young fan base. But the look and feel of it has become less and less "for me" in recent years. Too "cutesy" if I had to put a word on it.

 

[Reynard]

Teens are definitely not their target. And especially not single-digit kids, as the products and official streams target PG-13 standards.

While the books need to be accessible to teens, the target market is probably something more like 18-35, just like the majority of pop culture

The folks with disposable income.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

"Spell like abilities" are a pet peeve of mine and always have been. I think it is lazy monster design and lazy writing. Monsters and enemies benefit from cool, unique abilities that tell the players something about the monster. Having to flip pages is just an added annoyance.

Yeah, like this to the maximum possible degree. Spell-like abilities and monsters casting spells instead of having abilities is totally rubbish. I understand how it evolved and so on, and it make sense of actual enemy casters to cast spells, but otherwise, do something cool and specific.