D&D 4E 4e price increase?

[Nikosandros]

Tell me if my math is wrong… been a long time since math class. This is a real life example of my group of friends compared to an average movie.

D&D: 7 people. 7 player’s handbooks, 1 dmg, 1mm at $40 each is $360. We play about 20 times a year for about 6 hours each time. So 120 hours. $360 divided by 120 hours is $3/hour.
Movie: $8 for 2 hours is $4 per hour.

That looks like a no brainer to me. Plus I can talk to people while I play instead of sitting in a dark room being antisocial.

Well, I'll buy the 3 books as soon as they are out, but I think this kind of analogy (which is proposed very often) is somewhat flawed.

When I go to watch a movie, I just sit back and (hopefully) enjoy the show. With RPGs I have to put a lot more effort in creating an enjoyable experience for myself and my fellow players. This is not only the out of session work (especially for the DM) but also the concentration and participation necessary during the game.

When I'm tired, for example, I usually derive and provide to others less enjoyment during a game, but my enjoyment of "passive" entertainment is not diminished.

 

[nerfherder]

Except in Europe, they slap an EUR sign instead of the USD sign on all prices, which means they will end up being about 50% more expensive at the current exchange rate.

(35 EUR = 52 USD at the moment)

Just paid £42.69 on amazon.co.uk for mine - which is almost exactly what I paid to fill up with gas this evening. Man, this hobby is cheap! (just don't mention plasticrack )

 

[JoeGKushner]

Eh, I still think D&D books are the best value for my entertainment buck.

Even if the PHB costs $50, that's the price of a video game.

Except that the video game will last me 20-100 hours, as opposed to a PHB which I can use for, well, forever really, but let's assume I always upgrade when Wizards does, then its a measly 5-10 years.

God I hate this comparission. It just doesn't apply at all.

A video game is plug and play.

Most of them include tutorials and are heavily visual based so you don't have to even read the instructions.

Most of them you can easily find used in a specialty stores that are easy to find and shop at. Whole industries are built around the rental of it. (Guess I need to go rent my Player's Handbook tonight.)


Heck, if we're going to talk about Video Games in this way, how about Guild Wars? No monthly fee and it's cheaper than $50.

 

[Nikosandros]

Except in Europe, they slap an EUR sign instead of the USD sign on all prices, which means they will end up being about 50% more expensive at the current exchange rate.

(35 EUR = 52 USD at the moment)

It's usually cheaper to buy online from US discount vendors (and take the shipping hit) than go to a local store or an Italian online vendor :\

 

[Hella_Tellah]

God I hate this comparission. It just doesn't apply at all.

A video game is plug and play.

Most of them include tutorials and are heavily visual based so you don't have to even read the instructions.

Most of them you can easily find used in a specialty stores that are easy to find and shop at. Whole industries are built around the rental of it. (Guess I need to go rent my Player's Handbook tonight.)


Heck, if we're going to talk about Video Games in this way, how about Guild Wars? No monthly fee and it's cheaper than $50.

It's completely fair to compare one product to another if you're paying for it in the same currency. In macroeconomics one speaks of the choice between "butter and guns," but the principle is the same: money spent on one product cannot be spent on another. Video games and tabletop RPGs are both designed to increase the consumer's happiness through recreation, and there's significant overlap in the consumer base--many people who play tabletop RPGs also play video games. Since that overlapping consumer base pays for both video games and tabletop RPGs from the same limited supply of money, every consumer who is in both markets chooses which one will make him happier. The products compete over the consumer's limited supply of money. Really, what other product competes as directly with RPGs as video games do?

Here's a more controversial statement, but I'd lay a good wager on it: D&D competes more with World of Warcraft than it does with World of Darkness. That is to say, there are more potential buyers of D&D that are choosing between spending their money on WOW or D&D than there are potential buyers choosing between WoD and D&D. When Wizards puts an MSRP on D&D 4th Edition, they may consider the prices of other RPGs on the market, but they're probably more interested in comparing the price of D&D to the prices of video games.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I'd love to see the study of them comparing the price of video games to rpgs.

Heck, what if they start targetting steak lovers? They might have to lower the price to compete with the really good cuts of meat!

 

[MerricB]

Comparing the cost of the core books to a video game is a really bad analogy.

I can assure you that if I took the latest PS2 game home, I wouldn't be able to play it. Why? No PS2!

Compare the cost of the core books to the actual console... that's a better comparison.

Cheers!

 

[Imaro]

Here's a more controversial statement, but I'd lay a good wager on it: D&D competes more with World of Warcraft than it does with World of Darkness. That is to say, there are more potential buyers of D&D that are choosing between spending their money on WOW or D&D than there are potential buyers choosing between WoD and D&D. When Wizards puts an MSRP on D&D 4th Edition, they may consider the prices of other RPGs on the market, but they're probably more interested in comparing the price of D&D to the prices of video games.

You know what I wonder, is it the same market though? D&D has (had??) an online game and...well...it flopped. I never even tried it, and really wasn't interested in it, but I wonder why didn't it do well. The name is their, mechanic design (assuming it was based on D&D) was there, and an established fanbase was there...so why did it fail?

I'm not saying your wrong, but sometimes I feel people forget WotC had a chance to compete in this market and couldn't pull it off. I don't think the rpg will ever be able to compete with WoW and as technology gets further and further along...even less so.

 

[Imaro]

Comparing the cost of the core books to a video game is a really bad analogy.

I can assure you that if I took the latest PS2 game home, I wouldn't be able to play it. Why? No PS2!

Compare the cost of the core books to the actual console... that's a better comparison.

Cheers!

Yeah, and without a group of players or a Dungeonmaster the corebooks are useless as well (which is more often the case than not...unless you have a live in group of gamers.). Besides alot of core systems do more than just run videogames, they're basically mini entertainment centers.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Yeah, and without a group of players or a Dungeonmaster the corebooks are useless as well (which is more often the case than not...unless you have a live in group of gamers.). Besides alot of core systems do more than just run videogames, they're basically mini entertainment centers.

Next thing you'll talk about the benefits that they have over books like being able to play CD's, DVD's, or even the next generation of entertainment.

You'll talk about how you can actually rent them and how can play them without needing other people around.

Crazy talk!