D&D 5E Alphastream - Why No RPG Company Truly Competes with Wizards of the Coast

[darjr]

Eh? No, of course not. it’s just a conversation!

Ah, well I found my anxiety. I wondered where it’s been. Could’ve used a longer break.

 

[Oofta]

They have to analyze it since it's part of their growth, but i'm fairly sure WoTC knows it's an unatural growth inflation in comparison to normal curve and that next years won't be as big unless similar conditions would happen again.

That, and nothing can grow by 30% forever. Sales will plateau at some point, I assume that's why they're branching out into the entertainment side of things. Actually kind of surprised they had not done more already.

 

[Jacob Lewis]

After 5E was announced it was not. Check out the link morrus just posted.

Yeah, I did mention that. I was responding to two different but related posts, like this one.
EDIT: Ok, I see that I was implying without actually stating it. But still...

Also not quite true. During 2nd edition Vampire came really close. And according to some may have indeed outsold D&D for a short time.

Note I dint believe it did, I don’t have any good evidence it did.

I guess it depends on what we consider "competition". Vampire coming "really close" is like hitting the baseball without scoring a run. Frankly, I think it would be good to shake the foundations once in a while just so the company doesn't grow complacent.

 

[darjr]

That, and nothing can grow by 30% forever. Sales will plateau at some point, I assume that's why they're branching out into the entertainment side of things. Actually kind of surprised they had not done more already.

That was the plan at 5ths release, to do media and licenses out of the gate. What I’ve figured, and I cannot corroborate this, there was a freight train that changed their short term plans. Fifth editions success.


Edit: oh and I forgot about the movie rights snafu and the video game missteps. That didn’t help either.

 

[Oofta]

That was the plan at 5ths release, to do media and licenses out of the gate. What I’ve figured, and I cannot corroborate this, there was a freight train that changed their short term plans. Fifth editions success.

Maybe? Considering that 5E was kind of a Hail Mary, they decided to wait a bit to have an even bigger recognition and acceptance of the brand.

 

[Mannahnin]

Also not quite true. During 2nd edition Vampire came really close. And according to some may have indeed outsold D&D for a short time.

Note I dint believe it did, I don’t have any good evidence it did.

Its one of those really hard things to tell since people generally keep sales figures awfully close to their chest.

Maybe, if we're lucky and he doesn't decide it's too "inside baseball" to appeal to a wide enough audience, Jon Peterson will write another book about TSR, covering the post-Gygax years.

 

[darjr]

Maybe, if we're lucky and he doesn't decide it's too "inside baseball" to appeal to a wide enough audience, Jon Peterson will write another book about TSR, covering the post-Gygax years.

Ben Riggs is writing a book about TSRs sale to WotC that I think covers a lot of it, but focused on that sale.

He’s red excerpts on his podcast as he’s been writing, and written articles here. Also him and Jon were seen together recently and even commented on how they are covering the different eras.

PlotPoints Podcast – Plotpoints Podcast

plotpoints.com

 

[darjr]

Looks like there are some interesting things in the comments

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Sorry, maybe my level of English isn't right but I can't understand totally this phrase:

"Spain sold D&D branded bologna in the ‘80s, as part of the craze over the D&D cartoon"

Isn't Bologna an Italian city. And I remember to have bought some numbers of a comic adaptin episodes of the cartoon.

* One of the elements is a product the parents want their children play with, to promote creativity, social skills, to learn to choose and face consequences of the actions.

* We can agree the current success of D&D is a combo of factors. One of them is this edition is easiest to be learnt by newcomers, and it arrived years after Lord of the Rings in the cinemas, and Word of Warcraft as the main MMORPG.

* Hasbro hasn't wanted to hide their intention with D&D was to become a multimedia franchise, this means selling different types of products, toys, videogames, comics...

* And the TTRPG is the perfect tool for the sector of the fandom who loves to create their own stories and ideas.

 

[Plaguescarred]

Sorry, maybe my level of English isn't right but I can't understand totally this phrase:

"Spain sold D&D branded bologna in the ‘80s, as part of the craze over the D&D cartoon"

Isn't Bologna an Italian city.

Balogna sausage, also spelled baloney, is a sausage derived from mortadella

I believe it was this product but i'm not sure i can't read spanish