Ravenloft TSR sales numbers

[bedir than]

It's kind of a miracle anyone remembers these settings at all considering how few purchased them

 

[Malmuria]

It's kind of a miracle anyone remembers these settings at all considering how few purchased them

I think this also makes it a good idea for WOTC to not overly cater to the original fans of the setting when updating them

 

[Mezuka]

That is abysmal... I only bought a single RL product and it was a module. Players were convinced I wanted to end the campaign. Such was the reputation of RL because of the Castle Ravenloft adventure.

 

[Jer]

It's kind of a miracle anyone remembers these settings at all considering how few purchased them

I'd like to see the computer game sales numbers. I wouldn't be surprised to find out that more folks know Ravenloft from playing the two Ravenloft computer games than from playing in a tabletop game.

 

[Bedrockgames]

It's kind of a miracle anyone remembers these settings at all considering how few purchased them

One thing to keep in mind is it only took one person buying them for four to eight people to play them in a given group (and if a GM had multiple groups, that number would grow). It was also a general low point in the hobby but a period where die hard fans of RPGs were intensely active so even if the numbers were low, the fans themselves often carries passion and enthusiasm for a long time.

Myself I started GMing with the Realm of Terror Boxed set and was obsessed with Ravenloft. I must have run it for scores for players over the years.

In our group and in my social circle we had multiple GMs and everyone seemed to have their preferred settings to run. One guy liked Birthright (distinctly remember two birthright campaigns I was in). Another ran Darksun pretty regularly, and he also ran Spelljammer and Planescape.

Another thing to keep in mind is these were still all prominently displayed on bookshelves at major bookstores so even if people didn't buy them, you were aware of the brands. I never played Hollow Earth, but I remember seeing it all the time on the shelf and had an awareness of it.

By far, at least in my group, Forgotten Realms was the most popular. It had the most novel support, seemed to have the most supplements and fit the most popular flavor of D&D at the time. Something like Ravenloft was more niche but that also made it appealing to people (for fans of horror and D&D it had a special attraction I think).

 

[Zardnaar]

Not overly surprised I didn't like RL then or now. Only "that guy" did locally.


Spelljamner probably benefitted from being released close to the 2E launch.

Birthright I think was the last one released and it's semi forgotten about wasn't that popular then or now.

 

[Retreater]

I loved Ravenloft back in the day. It was probably the campaign setting I've used more than any other.
Seeing the drop-offs in sales just reinforces how good of an idea the OGL was for creating niche products.

 

[Davies]

So sales of Realm of Terror actually rebounded after the Revised Box Set had been available for a year? That's a bit odd.

 

[Parmandur]

It's kind of a miracle anyone remembers these settings at all considering how few purchased them

Well, these numbers certainly provide context for 3E prodyct decisions.

 

[Jer]

Seeing the drop-offs in sales just reinforces how good of an idea the OGL was for creating niche products.

Actually seeing the raw numbers makes me realize what a risky proposition the Wizards purchase was. I remember Ryan Dancey alluding that it wasn't a slam dunk purchase of the assets. There had to be some folks looking at those declining numbers and wondering if it was more than mismanagement that had tanked the game - that it might be that D&D was done as a game entirely.