D&D General Is DnD being mothballed?

[Parmandur]

Yes, but it shows that if this became a habit (1 release a month let's say) that it would frustrate a portion of the target audience.

1 a Quarter would be my preference: maybe one hardcover a Quarter, and one oddball out of the norm set like the Deck of Many Things or like a classic box set per year.

 

[dave2008]

yeah, I guess they all understand why it was like that 10 years ago, they are just wondering why after the massive success over those 10 years, so little has changed about the approach

maybe because of the massive success?!

 

[Umbran]

Finally. I love Critical Role, but we’ve seen the bookscan numbers, and if CR had has much influence on book sales as some people like to say you’d think their campaign book would be selling better than almost all of them.

That does not necessarily follow. Critical Role can be an advertisement for D&D in general, without being a sales juggernaut itself. Folks can see CR, buy D&D, play published adventures in the FR or their own worlds, and not feel a desire to specifically play in the CR campaign world.

 

[Umbran]

maybe because of the massive success?!

Yeah. Gooses. Golden eggs. Etc.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Look he’s admitted himself he doesn’t pay attention to WotC nor does he buy their books or products.

Intelligent people take that as a sign that they shouldn't speak about things they don't know about. "Content" creators on the other hand...

 

[darjr]

Or else a game that would have plateaued kept rising because of them.

Like anything else, statistics often shows what the person wants it to show, not what is.

Sure, but you’d expect a change in trajectory if it was a significant effect. More saw tooth than even slope.

 

[Maxperson]

Finally. I love Critical Role, but we’ve seen the bookscan numbers, and if CR had has much influence on book sales as some people like to say you’d think their campaign book would be selling better than almost all of them.

Not really. It could/would be very intimidating to try and run Mercer's setting after having watched him run it, and for people who may also have watched him run it. I know that I wouldn't want to do that and I'm a very experienced DM whose players have lots of fun. It makes perfect sense for his setting not to do as well as the ones WotC puts out.

 

[darjr]

Intelligent people take that as a sign that they shouldn't speak about things they don't know about. "Content" creators on the other hand...

Yea well it’s the internet. Anybody can say anything. They often do.

 

[Professor Murder]

Side point: If we could continue to improve release quality before quantity, that would be great....
(Looking at you Spelljammer)

 

[mamba]

But what if WotC believed they could only sell 10,000 of thar, when they could sell twice as many of Keys from the Goldeb Vault...?

I know, that is probably what they internally are doing. Not sure why they would think that given the sales data we have is showing that rulebooks sell better than adventures however…

In any case, this is only an either / or if WotC makes it one, they could also increase the staff / hire temps and do both books.

That to me was where Matt was going, why do you still only have 10 people working on this when it turned into this runaway success