D&D (2024) Kobold Press posts 2024 DMG Hit Piece

[Morrus]

Then I will go back to the politics and punching up arguments. I fully understand not liking it, but it is a thing underdogs do.

Kobold Press is probably the biggest TTRPG company outside WotC and Paizo (maybe Modiphius, but they don't do 5E stuff). They aren't underdogs. They may be smaller than WotC, but they're in the top percentile of the industry.

 

[Belen]

Kobold Press is probably the biggest TTRPG company outside WotC and Paizo (maybe Modiphius, but they don't do 5E stuff). They aren't underdogs. They may be smaller than WotC, but they're in the top percentile of the industry.

Well, I wish that ENWorld would get some of the DDB action.

I think KP gets some special treatment because they have old TSR/WOTC vets with relationships with current designers.

 

[mamba]

Meanwhile I have a few KP books, this is makes it less likely I will buy more.

I am surprised you still buy WotC at all if something this minor reduces your interest

 

[GothmogIV]

You know that Kobold Press is in partnered with WotC right? Their product is literally on sale on DnD Beyond. This all reads hipocritical to me, even mre so when they say DnD doesn't support homebrew, while selling Kobold Presses third party products on their website...

Dollah, dollah, dollah bills, my dude. $$$

 

[mamba]

Kobold Press is probably the biggest TTRPG company outside WotC and Paizo (maybe Modiphius, but they don't do 5E stuff). They aren't underdogs. They may be smaller than WotC, but they're in the top percentile of the industry.

two things can be true at once, a millionaire is still the underdog punching up when the other side is Elon Musk

 

[Parmandur]

two things can be true at once, a millionaire is still the underdog punching up when the other side is Elon Musk

The problem isn't "punching up" versus "punching down"...it is punching at all.

 

[Morrus]

two things can be true at once, a millionaire is still the underdog punching up when the other side is Elon Musk

Sure, but it's not a binary KP/WotC situation, it's a whole industry situation. They aren't really in competition; KP is in competition with other 3PP makers of 5E compatible stuff. It takes a lot of squinting to look at the TTRPG industry and view KP as an 'underdog'.

 

[Remathilis]

Then I will go back to the politics and punching up arguments. I fully understand not liking it, but it is a thing underdogs do.

However, it comes off as tone deaf since it's just reinforcing the divide in the community. The people who prefer D&D[emoji3481] aren't going to be moved to play TotV, in fact the opposite is happening. Those who already had a bone to pick with WotC just got more reason to stay the course. Nobody jumped ship, it only keeps you in your camp. I guess MAYBE someone who was playing Level Up because they hated WotC might jump ship to TotV instead, but that's not hurting WotC.

I guess if you're of the opinion that there is no bad press as long as they spell your name right, it's fine. But it reeks of a company that bet a lot on being the next Paizo against anti-WotC sentiment and it's not working out the way they want it to.

 

[GothmogIV]

WotC: $1.5 billion (2023)
Kobold Press: $4.8 million (2023; estimated)

 

[Parmandur]

However, it comes off as tone deaf since it's just reinforcing the divide in the community. The people who prefer D&D[emoji3481] aren't going to be moved to play TotV, in fact the opposite is happening. Those who already had a bone to pick with WotC just got more reason to stay the course. Nobody jumped ship, it only keeps you in your camp. I guess MAYBE someone who was playing Level Up because they hated WotC might jump ship to TotV instead, but that's not hurting WotC.

I guess if you're of the opinion that there is no bad press as long as they spell your name right, it's fine. But it reeks of a company that bet a lot on being the next Paizo against anti-WotC sentiment and it's not working out the way they want it to.

It was weird to watch how the early Tales of the Valiant was positioned to be the more conservative version of 5E compared to the upcoming WotC revisions...which is not a wide market niche, as it turned out.