4 years of 5E on Amazon: same old same old

[darjr]

Was it in the tonight show? How many times?

Was it in big blockbuster movies and tv? How many times? Compared to now?

 

[GreyLord]

I tracked down the culprit. Looks like Nathan Stewart made the statement in an interview to the Seattle times.

According to this D&D has officially surpassed MtG in NA I guess, and that means about 4% of all NA are playing D&D (325 Million US citizens + 36.3 million Canadians, unless someone thinks it is massively popular in Mexico and Central America). This means on AVERAGE for a town of 2000 you have 80 - 100 players. Interesting claim.

I would imagine this is what people are taking as an official statement. I don't see this as being that prevalent (but then, Maybe it's all in the Northwest and they all live in Washington, Oregon and California and the rest of the US is desolate...would make sense seeing the lack of materials and other things available on the East coast).

Interesting Mearls is letting Stewart take the fall on this if it causes a ripple. It's not from Mearls himself I notice. At least I think I found the source everyone is referring to.

I found THIS hilarious...give a statement but refuse specific numbers...which fits for Nathan's position

It’s a special time, and I have a big belief that people are really craving face-to-face connections,” he said. “Gaming is the perfect construct.”


As a result, 2017 was “the biggest” in D&D’s 44-year history, Stewart said.


He declined to disclose sales numbers but noted that in 2017, the D&D brand had a 44 percent sales growth over 2016, and the most number of players in its history — 12 million to 15 million in North America alone.

He's right, if it is currently at 15 million in NA alone, then it is bigger worldwide and the biggest D&D has ever been. In fact, it's bigger than MtG at this point if true. Ironically, it also means it's bigger than many other things. Black Panther had many repeat viewers, D&D is actually thus getting comparable to the number of players of it in relation to the number of VEIWERS (not ticket sales) of BP in NA (not equal, but comparable in relation to how big it would be as D&D players also play week after week).

If it's 15 million it SHOULD BE at around a 100+ million dollar industry just for D&D right now (once again, gotta love Stewart, wonder what his twist is on this. If it was straight up 12-15 he'd have given some sales numbers, so there's some sort of twist going on here, and I think I know what it probably is). Even at 12 million ACTIVE players, that's going to be close or surpassing 100 million.

To note, there were probably anywhere from 12 - 20 million viewers most likely for Allegiant (last of the divergent series). 15 million may seem like small change to some, but one should be seeing some pretty drastic influences right now from those numbers if it was straight up that many.

Interesting claim though. Even more so it came from Stewart and not Mearls.

 

[Parmandur]

There would be. If those of us who actually were older than 20 and saw the same thing going on now that we saw then...no data would even be necessary!

When I say it was like Marvel movies are now for a year or two of D&D...it was absolutely like that, at least for market penetration and what you saw in popular culture. (that's WHY D&D has remained in public consciousness ever since, with a fad as big as it was, it's kind of kept the niche all to it's own. Even when it was dying if someone was playing some game with odd dice people would assume it was D&D and call every RPG playing as D&D. The fad is when D&D became slang for everything under the sun relating to weird dice and RPGs as...well...D&D. It's continued with that slang over the years. Everyone and their joe was either playing it or hating it for a few months in some parts of the US).

It WAS big. You couldn't avoid it if you wanted to.

And yes, it was on the news.

If I saw it like that now, I could absolutely believe it was bigger.

Barring that, I'd love to see evidence for some of the wildest claims people are making about 5e.

The reason I say 9-10 million is that is what I've HEARD. I haven't seen the source people are quoting for 15 million from Mearls. Post a link.

I've heard a LOT of people exaggerating and saying things I haven't heard WotC say.

If WotC said it, and you post a link, I can actually see what was said and see if it was in the context people are claiming of if they actually meant something entirely different, or said it with just the right twist that it says one thing, but people are saying another thing. I haven't seen ANYTHING that says what some are claiming WotC states...but I would be interest and I'm certain some of the higher ups at Hasbro may be as well. 15 million in N/A puts it at or above MtG levels. If it's at that point and things are missing in the PR and marketing departments like the seem to be on this...well...if execs find out...could turn interesting real quick. This is NOT something Marketing and PR miss normally, nor do the higher ups miss, nor do the stock owners if nothing official from Hasbro has noted this.

The ENTIRE market supposedly is 55 million? In older reports. That's less than in the 2e days for JUST 2e D&D (granted that DOES include novel sales, but novel sales took a nosedive greater than anyone anticipated finally).

If the profits for D&D was simply 27 million for 1e (and not the higher guesses) than, rated for inflation, 5e is STILL not that big.

So, yes, if people are going to start making these claims about 5e that even certain individuals in relation to Hasbro have not seen, YES, post the links so I can judge for myself what exactly was said and what is being said.

I think much of this is misinterpretation from a very enthusiastic fanbase. If not though, it's going to make me start wondering what's going on between Hasbro and WotC if this is the case.

But POST THE LINKS so I can see these statements.

I'll see where I go from there.

How can you possibly expect us to remember our sources, that's like FIVE MONTHS ago?

Well, Nathan Stewart, Brand Manager of D&D, told the Seattle Times in May that:

"...2017 was “the biggest” in D&D’s 44-year history, Stewart said."

"He declined to disclose sales numbers but noted that in 2017, the D&D brand had a 44 percent sales growth over 2016, and the most number of players in its history — 12 million to 15 million in North America alone."

https://www.seattletimes.com/life/lifestyle/behind-the-scenes-of-the-making-of-dungeons-dragons/

Man, citing sources is hard.

 

[Jester David]

Interesting Mearls is letting Stewart take the fall on this if it causes a ripple. It's not from Mearls himself I notice. At least I think I found the source everyone is referring to.

...
Stewart is the brand manager. He’s Mearls’ boss...

 

[darjr]

I tracked down the culprit. Looks like Nathan Stewart made the statement in an interview

“Culprit”?

 

[GreyLord]

...
Stewart is the brand manager. He’s Mearls’ boss...

Yeah, he's the Director of D&D. Interesting that he came out with the statement instead of Mearls. Just something interesting to me I guess.

As I stated above, if this is true, then I'm wondering where all the money is.

They better show outstanding sales for the past fiscal year, and D&D should be MORE than a footnote in this case on the bottom of the report.

I now know where this idea came from and where people are getting it from.

If it is correct and this is active players, then worldwide it is bigger and probably the statement that it is bigger than D&D has ever been is correct. If he is ACCURATE it should ALSO mean great news for all the Hasbro Stock Holders...and the RPG market should be a HECK of a lot larger than 55 million.

I hope it turns out that way. Stock is on the rise over the past 24 hours now (hit a high today right before Noon it appears). [Of course much of that may be due to Fortnight and it's decrease but steady may be due to the news that they were releasing a convention exclusive in Europe before it comes to the US).

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

This thread is gold.

 

[Mistwell]

There would be. If those of us who actually were older than 20 and saw the same thing going on now that we saw then...no data would even be necessary!

I will be 50 in May, and I've played the game since 1978. I am seeing MORE now than I saw back then. Way more.

When I say it was like Marvel movies are now for a year or two of D&D...it was absolutely like that, at least for market penetration and what you saw in popular culture.

It really was not. I think that's nostalgia talking. It was much more amateurish back then, and the pop culture penetration was not nearly as pervasive, in my opinion.

And yes, it was on the news.

If I saw it like that now, I could absolutely believe it was bigger.

Dude it was on the Late Show in the past 30 days! Joe Manganiello was pimping his new D&D clothing line.

Maybe it's not nostalgia...maybe it's NOW you're more disconnected from pop culture!

 

[GreyLord]

I will be 50 in May, and I've played the game since 1978. I am seeing MORE now than I saw back then. Way more.



It really was not. I think that's nostalgia talking. It was much more amateurish back then, and the pop culture penetration was not nearly as pervasive, in my opinion.



Dude it was on the Tonight Show last week!

Maybe it's not nostalgia...maybe it's NOW you're more disconnected from pop culture!

That COULD BE.

When you get older, you tend to miss a LOT of the stuff that is in Pop Culture.

Now that I've found the source of what people were referring to (did they say anything at GenCon on this? if not, wonder why the local Seattle Paper and not a big event?) I'm willing to wait out and see where it goes in regards to sales and other things. If it is TRUE, then I expect that the RPG market has skyrocketed over the past year.

15 million is serious competing with MtG and probably indicates it has far more players worldwide than MtG. If it is official and that is active players, that actually is HUGE...and the money SHOULD reflect this.

 

[darjr]

There was a time not that long ago when folks were lamenting that the hobbiests playing were all old guys and the hobby would die with us. The assumption by some in this thread that Mistwell (along with many posters here) is a tyke is maybe also a sign. When did this change? It has to have been recently.