Attracting new people to gaming -- ideas and strategies

[HeapThaumaturgist]

I think there's also the adversarial nature of poker, American Idol, etc, that draw people to it. RPGs, on one fundamental level, are largely cooperative games.

The "players" are there to cooperate with one another to accomplish some goal, as opposed to being there to pit their skill/luck/talent against the OTHER players to determine who is "superior" to the others.

In some ways I suppose the game could be constructed as the GM vs. The Players, but this becomes a situation in which one person has all of the power and becomes a definate bad-guy.

If there WAS a World Series of D&D, it would have to be pretty different from the games most of us play on the weekends. Like the Bridge Players Association Of America getting excited about World Series Of Poker ... if they're not playing the game you're playing at home, but using the same mechanics, what's the point?

If we bring in 500,000 'new gamers' who think that D&D is a mental combat sport against the GM-cum-Enemy Combatant, how is that going to create interest in what the REST of us do?

Maybe I'm being pessimistic today, but I think one of the fundamental reasons things like CCGs and Minis Games are bigger sellers than RPGs is because their basic make-up pits one player vs. the other. Somebody wins, somebody loses; somebody gets to feel superior to somebody else ... with RPGs you don't really get that. There's the good feelings of having a good time, of overcoming adversity and coming together with people you like to enjoy a common past-time.

If we created a richly detailed computer game, it would really just end up being that, a computer game. If it were obvious to the viewers at home that the GM was in control of the "monsters" and "bad guys" it would STILL be hard not to cast him as some sort of opponent.

Which, played to the hilt, would probably work. Half the reason people watch shows like American Idol is to see at least one of the judges be absolutely scathing to the contestants. I'm sure you could get a cult following for "The Dungeon Master" if you got some handsome, well-spoken sort of naughty bad-boy who dressed cool and made fun of the players' mistakes. "Ohhhh, you didn't take the Balor's Magic Resistance into account when you cast that spell, Jamie. Everyone knows Balors have SR. Are you some kind of idiot? Do you WANT Mialee to die? If you had any sort of skill AT ALL, this would have been a walk in the park! And your hair is ugly."

They just wouldn't really be playing the kind of game I'd want people to come to my table expecting to play.

--fje

 

[Steel_Wind]

“I thought it would be a good idea to discuss ways that we can recruit new gamers, especially young people to our hobby.”

I have mentioned this before in another thread recently, but I do think it’s the best way to market the game so I’ll say it again in hopes that someone who works at Hasbro will pitch it to a brand manager.

The fundamental problems which WotC faces when trying to sell its products is that it is difficult to sell the product to someone who does not know what it is. It is even more difficult to sell a complicated game that takes place in player’s minds to a player who has never played before.

The result – as I am sure we all know – is that gamers tend as a rule to be recruited into existing gaming circles. They learn the rules from the books and osmosis, but they learn how to play from others who already know how to play. It is, in the end, a largely oral tradition. A new player is, in effect, recruited and inducted into the hobby.

This makes D&D a game which is dependent on a person’s social contacts in terms of being able to learn how to play and to play the game.

WotC knows this (as did TSR) and much of their marketing efforts behind the game reflect this. The RPGA exists as an organization of first contact, a way to learn how to meet other players to learn to play, largely in a public space. The suggestion to move “learning the game” outreach sessions to libraries similarly focuses on bookish kids and mentoring programs to accomplish the introduction to the game. It’s principal strength is that it is a very cheap marketing program.

While the above is better than nothing, it falls way short of what they should be doing. All the efforts end with a gamer having to meet up with an existing gaming circle to be shown how to play. They are, therefore, dependent upon social contacts and prevent one kid out of the blue just starting to introduce his friends to the game cold. Because it is dependent upon social contacts, it perpetuates the “geeky” aspect of the game and adds a significant barrier to entry. Socially, you need to hook up and game with the geekier side of the tracks to learn to play and it becomes a self-perpetuating stereotype.

Barriers to entry are bad. Where there are fewer barriers to entry (MMORPGS, say) the same essential game concept (though not game experience) can be sold to a much broader based audience.

So. You need to:

• offer a solid method of teaching new players how to play that is easy and fun;
• you need to offer the method in a manner which permits the player to teach his/her own friends the game cold without expanding their social circles or traveling to a convention or other site to play so as to reduce barriers to entry.

Your reward for doing this is to permit the game to be marketed and played by entirely new groups of gamers, increasing your odds of catching a longterm lifestyle gamer while swelling your ranks of temporary revenue customers. Your potential for spinoff sales goes way up and once you got a new group of gamers as customers. Even if they eventually move away – you get to milk them of their cash before churn eliminates your new market.

The Solution

The solution to this quandary was hinted at in the 3.0 release of the Player’s Handbook,

In that volume, at the back, the book contained a CD Rom of software targeted at the new gamer to D&D 3.0.

My proposed solution is not software based at all – but it is disc based. Instead of packaging books with CD Roms of introductory software, the book needs to be packaged with a slickly produced DVD movie / infomercial which shows the gamer how to play by showing gamers playing. You replace that first few sessions of the new player at an established gaming circle where the new player is shown how to play with movies / infomercial showing them how to play. If the movie illustrates rules, than so much the better - but teaching rules has never really been the problem. Gamers can read the books for that once they are motivated. A new recruit needs to learn how to play and be excited about learning how – and that’s where your DVD comes in.

The DVD removes the barriers to entry to the game significantly. The player does not need to find existing gamers – he or she is encouraged to recruit their existing circle of friends and is given the DVD as a tool to market to their own social circle. (Viral marketing through word of mouth and spreading of movie)

There are no organizations to looks up, no conventions of odd gamers to find, no library to attend – no gaming shop mailing list or games in the backroom necessary.

The DVD removes all of that at a stroke.

It also allows WotC to promote the game with some glitz in an exciting way and to depict those who play the game as something other than you typical fatbeard gamer. Instead, the DVD depicts attractive everyday people of both genders playing the game. The hope is that by reducing the barriers to entry to pitch to a new type of player, the stereotype becomes somewhat less self-fulfilling and a broader based market can be reached.

The DVD is professionally produced and scripted. It is not done on the cheap. It makes use of glitzy graphics, decent actors and lots of miniatures and accessories to make the game LOOK exciting and compelling. The DVD needs to be accessible and entertaining on its own. Most of all – after watching 3 hours or so of this, a viewer should have a very good idea on how to play D&D. If you like – bundle a Basic Game .pdf with the DVD. Or not (the D&D basic game was a large source of revenue to TSR once upon a time, but those days seem over).

So – that’s your DVD. Now – where do you put it to get it into the hands of the people who are likely to buy your game?

Simple – put it where people who are most likely to take the bait are going to come in contact with it. That means:

• - Bundled with D&D Miniatures starter set.
• - Bundled with Star Wars minis starters;
• – bundled with MMORPG software;
• - Bundled with CRPG software, especially D&D branded console and PC games;
• – bundled with the D&D movie DVD
• - Bookstores, intended to be racked near fantasy and SF;
• - Magazines where the demographic of the readership justifies the expense.
• - Dream Spot: Toys R Us at the check out (very, very expensive).

So that’s the plan. Main problem with the plan is that it is expensive. The cost of the movie is substantial and post production could easily push the thing to half a million or a million USD depending on the glitz level without breaking a sweat.

That does not touch the costs of printing the DVD, packaging it a la AOL and then rack and bundle fees to get it into the hands of all of those potential customers. That cost is very large, depending on the degree of market exposure you seek. Bundle it with PC/Console games and the D&D movie seems the best option right off then decide if it’s working.

The nice thing is though that the DVD is a virus in terms of marketing success. By definition, those who watch it and wish to pursue the game will introduce friends to it - so word of mouth is extremely high for the marketing campaign (where it sticks).

Marketing success is similarly viral in nature and one successful DVD viewer tends to spin-off viewing among friends.

The Reward

Simple: New Long term lifestyle gamers. We are extremely valuable customers and add measurably to the goodwill of WotC. We, not their IP, are their most valuable asset. They would *love* to have a few hundred thousand more of us – make no mistake.

In order to get more of us – they need more newbies.

In my submission – this marketing campaign has a high potential of success. It does, however, come at a substantial cost and is, therefore, a greater risk than perhaps WotC/Hasbro is willing to take.

 

[Sleepy Voiced]

I have to agree with two earlier suggestions, a cartoon and new entry level products.

Once upon a time I would have thought putting a D&D cartoon on cartoon network next to Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon was blasphemous and unnecessary. Now, I don't know if the Pokemon cartoon was popular because of the CCG, or if the CCG gained in popularity because of the cartoon (not really a CCG historian). I have, however, seen kids get into Pokemon after watching the shows. Kids are imagination-powered robots, they thrive on fantastic ideas and "let's pretend" type games. Give the kids a show with lots of fantasy, kid protagonists, humor, and and the usual messages about overcoming odds and you will have kids beating a path to pick up D&D so they can get in on this world. Kids want to be heroes. Why do so many say fireman or police officer or nurse or doctor when asked what they want to be? These are heroes in our society, and that has great appeal to children.

Secondly, while the Basic D&D box was a creditable first step, it really can't be the gateway product WotC wants it to be. One of these reasons is cost. Yes, the basic set is reasonably priced. In fact, it is a steal with all the tiles and minis in there. That is part of the problem. If a kid plays through the boxed set's materials (about two weeks worth, really. Remember how much time you have for things like this when you are a kid?) and wants to continue, they are pointed to the PHB. The PHB is $30 on most store shelves, more expensive than the basic box. And while we all know that you could play a game for awhile with just the PHB, how many kids are going to be satisfied with that? In their introduction there were monsters, magic items, traps, minis, map cards, dice and premade characters.
It seems like a huge step between the two, and could easily put a lot of eager kids off. (warning! anecdotal experience ahead!) I gave my nephew a copy of the basic set for Christmas this year, and played through most of the adventures in it over a few days with various family members joining in. We had a blast. My nephew subsequently took the game to his friends and they enjoyed it, for a couple of weeks, then the material petered out and they returned to Yu-Gi-Oh. Their excitement over the game was still there, though. My nephew asks about playing D&D when I come to visit. And last month, while visiting, he and I sat down to play. Admirably, he and his friends created all sorts of ideas for new things for the game. Unfortunately, they didn't have the structure to build it on, so they resorted to Yu-gi-oh types of "attack" and "defense" and summoning, etc. It really didn't work with the game (and damned if I didn't try to accomodate it). I showed him my PHB, to see if that would be a likely next gift to give. He was bewildered. Too much rules and not enough of the exciting stuff, like monsters and adventures. The old red set had it right. It gave the tools up front to make your own characters, provided all you needed to become a DM and create adventures. Mostly, it was a well pared-down set of rules that gave all the fun of playing AND creating. The new set misses the creative aspect of the game. Sure, it gives some rudimentary rules on character creation and adventure design, but with such limited scope as to limit more than promote imaginative work.

OK, long post, my apologies. To sum up: Cartoon=good, Robust intro product suited for younger audiences=good.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Libraries?
Mentoring?

What we need is to be banned like in the good ol' days. An updated version of Mazes and Monsters! People on Dr. Phil crying about their children playing RPGs! Exposes on 20/20! Nothing brings in the kids like a good "Don't do that!" attitude.

In all seriousness though, I agree with the one kid at a time approach. We cannot create the "next big thing" or make D&D popular with the next generation, we can only introduce them to the game and let them decide what to do about it. But as long as parents are playing, I'm doubtful that it will regain the popularity among kids the game had in the early 80s.

 

[Sleepy Voiced]

Wow, several posts while I was typing. Steel-wind, great idea with the DVD. Hell, brilliant idea.

I have to agree that the barrier of "learning to play via and established group" is one of the big problems that D&D needs to beat. I think the DVD does that.

I also think the old red box did that as well. Almost all the AD&D gamers I've met over the years started with that red-box, alone (by alone I mean without a group, not more products). In fact that was my experience as well. The intro to playing in the old basic set DID allow a player to learn how to play on their own and recruit their own group from there.

I have to disagree with the idea that the "toy factor" will bring in more players. It seems to me to breed an idea that there are all sorts of bells and whistles needed to play a "real" game of D&D, and that without a mini of a gnoll, you can't have a gnoll encounter, or that map cards are necessary to create dungeons or castles or what have you.

I think the fewer "required" objects to just get in and play the better. I don't think a system that teaches kids to play with just an intro book (maybe to level 10 or so), some paper and dice will keep those kids from buying minis or battle-mats or any other little extras. But it will get them playing right away, and I think "setting the hook" is more important than introducing new players to all the sideline products out there. If the kids develop a love for the game, they will seek out more items to enhance their experience.

Ultimately it is the experience of playing a fun game of imagination in cooperation with friends that makes D&D unique. That is what needs to be sold, not minis or other "toy" products, those sell on their own.

 

[jmucchiello]

So that’s the plan. Main problem with the plan is that it is expensive. The cost of the movie is substantial and post production could easily push the thing to half a million or a million USD depending on the glitz level without breaking a sweat.

That does not touch the costs of printing the DVD, packaging it a la AOL and then rack and bundle fees to get it into the hands of all of those potential customers. That cost is very large, depending on the degree of market exposure you seek. Bundle it with PC/Console games and the D&D movie seems the best option right off then decide if it’s working.

Actually these costs are nothing really. The real problem with the plan is actually writing and directing the DVD. You've seen how diverse the range of "what is roleplaying?" is in the threads on these boards. If you only show one style of play on the DVD, you alienate your existing fan base because they have to suffer through "re-educating" the noobs.

But producing a movie where 5 people just sit at a table is not that expensive in terms of filming costs. And producing millions of AOL-like drink coasters is less than a dollar a DVD. No the real problem is you have to get it right the first time or the idea is toast. Letterman and Leno mocking the "D&D DVD" will attract a few people and deter a lot more.

But I'm glad you mentioned this idea. Someone always does in these threads and it is the "best" idea for accomplishing the goals of the thread. But only WotC could do it and I don't think they have a large enough advertising budget to justify the expense.

 

[GuardianLurker]

Actually, in terms of viral marketing, a really good strategy would be to connect the tabletop to RPGs. Place advertising for the Core Books in the D&D Online, Everquest, and other MMORPG product boxes. ("Tell your own stories! Create your own quests! The only limits are in YOUR imagination!") Start "Gamer seeking Gamer" threads on the various MMORPG forums. Create co-sponsored (software company and tabletop RPG company) "Game days" for that put both MMORPGs and PnP games next to one another.

 

[jcfiala]

I've been reading this thread re: library programs for D&D and I think thats a cool idea. To go one better though...how about having WOTC sponsored demo days at some of the large chain bookstores that actually sell the books? I'm Canadian, and the only real "big" bookstores in my area are called Chapters, and all of them (or at least most of them thet I've been in) have a Starbucks attached, as well as a fairly large area of tables to sit and have your coffee. This would be great place for in store demos or contests. And the Chapters stores here seem to do pretty well with the D&D line, miniatures included. Anyway, I'm presuming that the chain shops in the States, like Barnes and Noble etc, are built from the same mold and would be able to do it as well.

There was a group here in Denver that was doing that for a few years - they had once-monthly gaming days at the Borders near Park Meadows. They had an advantage in that they worked in the store, which helped. But Borders is pretty smart - while you were playing, they brought out all the racks of D&D books so they were easy to find. I think it died down after a while, but they had a lot of kids playing, and people would walk by and see the games. (The question of stepping on a nearby FLGS's tails was helped by the fact that there isn't a FLGS in that area of town.)

 

[sad_genius]

Dungeon Majesty, with attractive, charismatic "real" roleplayers around the table cut together with big-budget, well acted "reenactments" of what happens in game - the actors in the in-game segments should be *different people* than the ones around the table. It would work. Imagine a guy like Seth from the OC rolling some dice, describing his actions well, talking in character, flirting with the girl playing the elf, then it cuts to Viggo Mortenson and a bunch of LotR standard orcs fighting it out. Teh win, if you will.

 

[Tinner]

Another thought that has crossed my mind is why isn't Hasbro doing more to build the D&D brand? Hasbro has some of the biggest, most well known brand names in toys today.
To name just a few:

Nerf
Milton-Bradley
Monopoly
Chutes & Ladders
Candyland
Lazer Tag
G.I. Joe
Transformers
My Little Pony
Parker Brothers
Bratz
Pkayskool
Play-Doh
Rubik's Cube
Scrabble
Super Soaker
Spirograph
The Game of Life

These are HUGE, well recognized brand names.
Two things that Hasbro does to maintain their brands are cross-promotion, and ubiquitous exposure. Neither of these things is being done with D&D

Case in point - Monopoly.
There are Monopoly sets for all sorts of IP. Star Wars Monopoly, Lord of the Rings Monopoly, Peants Monopoly, Pokemon Monopoly, FOUR different Star Trek Monopoly games!
If you wanted to cross-promote D&D, a D&D Monopoly game sounds like a no-brainer to me!
Heck, use D&D Mini's pieces as playing pieces and really go for the throat! Board game players seem like good candidates to become D&D players.
Why isn't this being done?

Why isn't there a line of Nerf D&D weapons? Heck, develop a boffer combat game to go along with them, and you've got the new D&D LARP!

Why not do a D&D version of Chutes & Ladders. Call it ... Mazes & Monsters?

The other reason Hasbro's brands are so well known is because they have been made ubiquitous. They are literally everywhere.
G.I. Joe has bedding, clothing lines, school supplies, books, comics, etc. You name it, they have slapped a G.I. Joe logo on it.

Milton Bradley game CD's have been stuck inside breakfast cereal.

Monopoly has been a successful McDonalds promotional game for what ... 30 years?

These brand names stay in our minds because we see them over and over again.

Why aren't D&D minis in McDonald's Happy Meals?
Why isn't there a My Little Pony D&D Unicorn figure?
I'd buy a Super Soaker brand Decanter of Endless Water.

I'm sure there are inter-company reasons why D&D isn't being promoted like some of these other brands, but from where I'm sitting, I sure can't see the logic.