Revolutions are Always Verbose: Effecting Change in the TTRPG Industry

[Thomas Shey]

To actually post something directly relevant to the thread, I think others have had the right of it: there's too many people of at least competent capability willing to do the work for too little for there to be much pressure for pay to be raised much.

Of course, you can legitimately ask the question of whether the RPG market is one of those that, in a sense, shouldn't exist. What I mean by that is there are classes of business in many places that can only function at all because they're to one degree or another, free-riding on the backs of underpayed employees; what the public is willing to pay is, essentially, not enough to keep a real market with proper pay alive. I'm of more than one mind what should be done about that kind of situation.

 

[Umbran]

See: Just-in-time supply networks.

Yep.

When earthquake and tsunami damaged Japanese computer chip manufacturers a decade ago, Toyota took a hit, as their plans had assumed that chip supply and other parts supply would bounce back from interruption at the same rate, which they didn't. Chips lagged behind the plastics/polymers industries, for example.

Having had that experience, Toyota changed their behavior - they started keeping several months of production worth of computer chips in inventory. So, when covid-19 similarly interrupted chip manufacture, while other car manufacturer's car production slowed to a trickle, Toyota kept on going.

They kept to the ethos of actually fixing problems, and it worked.

 

[Umbran]

Of course, you can legitimately ask the question of whether the RPG market is one of those that, in a sense, shouldn't exist. What I mean by that is there are classes of business in many places that can only function at all because they're to one degree or another, free-riding on the backs of underpayed employees; what the public is willing to pay is, essentially, not enough to keep a real market with proper pay alive. I'm of more than one mind what should be done about that kind of situation.

Or maybe we need to recognize that some parts of the market are really fully-fledged businesses (like, WotC and Paizo) and much of the rest is essentially lone artists and cottage industry.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Honda is a lot like Toyota in that “problem solving” regard. When the EPA started really tightening down on emissions & MPG regulations, the (then) Big 3 complained and lobbied about the new regulations being “impossibly burdensome”.

...then Honda met the goals with a new cars before the laws were in effect, which helped them gain market share.

And Toyota, being Toyota, learned from that. I’ve noticed that they not only try to meet or exceed regulatory demands, they occasionally lobby for tighter standards they believe they can meet. If/when those standards get adopted, they’re at a competitive advantage .

Which is part & parcel of why 6 of the top 10 consumer automobiles that are kept beyond the industry average lifespan are Toyotas.

But back to gaming…

Yes, a guild-like structure or accreditation program for creative talent that had actual, meaningful standards as a condition of membership would be helpful, if only as a guideline for the potential employers. It might cut into some executive compensation an/or add a few pennies to the market price of the product, but I’m willing to pay a little extra for quality. Quality matters.

Awards, nominations and other industry accolades are nice, but they only provide a snapshot of the absolute best of the best at a particular time. The “also-rans” who might be pretty much as gifted and talented (or not, as the case may be) won’t be recognized.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Or maybe we need to recognize that some parts of the market are really fully-fledged businesses (like, WotC and Paizo) and much of the rest is essentially lone artists and cottage industry.

Lone artists are one thing, but even cottage industry needs to be able to pay people.

 

[Umbran]

Lone artists are one thing, but even cottage industry needs to be able to pay people.

Cottage industry doesn't typically operate with the usual "employer/employee" relationship, and isn't often considered "professional employment". Two people working in their craft room, garage, or on a laptop at their kitchen table, selling on etsy or DMs Guild or wherever aren't necessarily going to be able to make ends meet with that they are doing.

And, that's okay, if everyone involved is on board with it. But we then should recognize that some of the smaller operations are more like buying a dice bag off etsy than they are buying a game from a game publisher.

 

[amethal]

Insofar as anyone who is putting in a full day's work ought to be able to earn a living wage, yeah, it is a problem.

So how far is that? The topic isn't actually about waiting on tables, which obviously deserves a living wage.

Do people deserve a living wage regardless of what they decide to spend their time doing?

There has been more talk lately in the UK of a universal basic income, but we aren't anywhere near that at the moment - and some people fear it might become a means of social control (toe the government line or lose your income).

 

[PsyzhranV2]

Do people deserve a living wage regardless of what they decide to spend their time doing?

If the alternative is people starving, or ending up homeless, or not being able to afford the medical care they need; then yes, everybody deserves a living wage.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Cottage industry doesn't typically operate with the usual "employer/employee" relationship, and isn't often considered "professional employment". Two people working in their craft room, garage, or on a laptop at their kitchen table, selling on etsy or DMs Guild or wherever aren't necessarily going to be able to make ends meet with that they are doing.

And, that's okay, if everyone involved is on board with it. But we then should recognize that some of the smaller operations are more like buying a dice bag off etsy than they are buying a game from a game publisher.

I've apparently seen the term used somewhat more broadly, as I've seen it applied to people who had a shop behind their house that wasn't really a professional operation, but they still employed people (though only one or two).

 

[Thomas Shey]

If the alternative is people starving, or ending up homeless, or not being able to afford the medical care they need; then yes, everybody deserves a living wage.

As the above poster said, that gets back more to UBI than forcing any given occupation to be functional, no matter what.