D&D General Why Were the Dragon and Dungeon Magazines Discontinued?

[the Jester]

A big part of the reason the 4e era digital versions flopped was that they weren't treated as a priority. The content was thin, they were late, they just didn't get the kind of love that they got when they were being run by the guys outside the company in 3e.

Yes, sales and all that, but the 3e era mags (AFAIK) did well and only stopped being published because WotC decided to pull them back in house. Combined with the complete clusterhump that was the failed digital tabletop and the sad sack launch of half-assed digital tools, Dungeon and Dragon simply never got treated like they were important during the 4e days. With the exception of a few early issues, they had minimal content and very little to pull you in. Add to that WotC's insistence on trying to force everyone to use the delve format that early 4e adventures used- which, make no mistake, was awful- and you had a flaccid, soggy, unexciting mess.

 

[payn]

Thread is in D&D general and ill say Paizo APs are as close to monthly publications with lore you can get.

 

[Parmandur]

Thread is in D&D general and ill say Paizo APs are as close to monthly publications with lore you can get.

Don't ever see them on the rack at Krogers, though.

 

[payn]

Don't ever see them on the rack at Krogers, though.

FLGS though.

 

[Distracted DM]

Part of me is sad about that...but not sad enough to go get any magazines?

I mean, I hate that smart phones have taken many spots that books used to have for me (bathroom and bedtime reading) buuut I still have a very difficult time reading instead, even though I'd like to. It's not 1:1 but I think the comparison is close enough.

 

[MGibster]

With that said, why do you think the magazines were discontinued, and would you like to see them return?

The magazines were discontinued because they weren't profitable. There are simply fewer magazines in publication today than there were twenty-five years ago, so this wasn't a problem unique to Dragon or Dungeon Magazines. I never had a subscription to either magazine and only purchased them once in a while. I do miss them, but if they were still being published I don't see myself making regular purchases. They were a product of a bygone era.

 

[Parmandur]

I mean, I hate that smart phones have taken many spots that books used to have for me (bathroom and bedtime reading) buuut I still have a very difficult time reading instead, even though I'd like to. It's not 1:1 but I think the comparison is close enough.

Books I still find time and resources for: but magazines? I loved them, but they are super gome (did get the Pokemon-D&D-Minecraft Time maga,own stuff a few months ago).

 

[Parmandur]

The magazines were discontinued because they weren't profitable. There are simply fewer magazines in publication today than there were twenty-five years ago, so this wasn't a problem unique to Dragon or Dungeon Magazines. I never had a subscription to either magazine and only purchased them once in a while. I do miss them, but if they were still being published I don't see myself making regular purchases. They were a product of a bygone era.

I think they were still profitable when WotC cut the print version...bit on a downward trend, and the digital version did not turn it around.

 

[Parmandur]

FLGS though.

Sure, but being at FLGS and not Kroger or even Barnes & Novle or Target demonstrates the problem.

 

[payn]

Sure, but being at FLGS and not Kroger or even Barnes & Novle or Target demonstrates the problem.

Id say just be thankful you have any option when it comes to monthly magazine type products.