D&D 5E 5E Lifetime Sales in North American Big Box Stores Revealed

[Zardnaar]

Thanks.

Can confirm. Professor also did a follow up video.

Re-released of Strahd and Tyranny of Dragons outsold newer adventures.

He jokingly said if you want a big selling adventure stick a dragon or vampire on the cover or have a vampire ride a dragon on the cover.

Think it was this one.

 

[darjr]

No. The idea that it’s a quarter of total sales has nothing to do with the fact that book scan includes Amazon numbers.

They are two separate ideas.

I was confused at first too.

The total sales of the PHB was known to be 800 to 1 million at one point, 2017 I think, and when Teos looked at the book scan numbers at that time and it showed a quarter of that number.

If that ratio holds true then we are possibly losing looking at 6 million PHBs sold.

 

[Zardnaar]

No. The idea that it’s a quarter of total sales has nothing to do with the fact that book scan includes Amazon numbers.

They are two separate ideas.

I was confused at first too.

The total sales of the PHB was known to be 800 to 1 million at one point, 2017 I think, and when Teos looked at the book scan numbers at that time and it showed a quarter of that number.

If that ratio holds true then we are possibly losing looking at 6 million PHBs sold.

Maybe one can also cross reference the size of the rpg market from which doubled in size (2018ish to 2022) which indicates 1.6-2 million more sold.

Which brings into close to professors 3 million estinate potentially 4.

Also you can adjust old TSR number, adjust for inflation which also gives a number similar to 3-4 million (they've outsold TSR by a 2-3 factor).

 

[darjr]

Maybe one can also cross reference the size of the rpg market from which doubled in size (2018ish to 2022) which indicates 1.6-2 million more sold.

Which brings into close to professors 3 million estinate potentially 4.

Also you can adjust old TSR number, adjust for inflation which also gives a number similar to 3-4 million (they've outsold TSR by a 2-3 factor).

That doubling in size? Since 2017 that would only bring the PHB number to half a million for bookscan, we know that’s not true, it’s 2 million.

 

[darjr]

Did the professor know about the million number from 2017 when doing his estimate?

 

[Zardnaar]

Did the professor know about the million number from 2017 when doing his estimate?

No idea even at a million though they woukd gave to sell 5 million copies to hit your 6 million. The data set glitch or incorrect is an easy explanation.

WotC also gave us sales figures for the boxed set. 800k. Sales since then also indicate the X2-3 ratio.

Broadly speaking the X2,-3 ratio also holds up with big selling 5E books vs big selling TSR books.

Context the professors estimates low side 5E has sold around high end estimates for red box and 1E combined, plausible numbers throw in 2E as well.

Cross referencing with that 4E thread and the other figures in that other thread a month or so ago and his 3-4 million estimate range seems very plausible.

Modern D&D pre 5E has done a lot worse than most posters would likely assume as well. 3.0,3.5 and 4E combined are similar to 1E let alone 5E. I knew 3.5 didn't do that well comparatively.

 

[darjr]

x3 is six million.....

 

[Zardnaar]

x3 is six million.....

I was looking at 1.5ush in the video and used tgat number.

Professors video was two weeks after the first ones he appeared in. IDK what metrics he used.

I dod cross reference multiple sources not just one thread.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

Even if it's 6 millions which is the higher number mentionned, that would mean the 50 millions D&D players are sharing a PHB for a 8 to 9 players. My own experience was more around or a little below one (a few players don't have it, a few of them (GMs...) several over the 5e lifetime). But we're committed players.

 

[Zardnaar]

Even if it's 6 millions which is the higher number mentionned, that would mean the 50 millions D&D players are sharing a PHB for a 8 to 9 players. My own experience was more around or a little below one (a few players don't have it, a few of them (GMs...) several over the 5e lifetime). But we're committed players.

The 50 million players are all editions ever not 5E only And I thought it was 40 million?