D&D General Behold a final, and perhaps definitive, graph of D&D vs. AD&D sales over time! From Ben Riggs.

[darjr]

Behold a final, and perhaps definitive, graph of D&D vs. AD&D sales over time!

It includes all BECMI boxed sets, 1st & 2nd ed Player’s Handbooks, Dungeon Master’s Guides, Monster Manuals, and MC1-MC4.

Because of that, I believe this graph is tilted towards AD&D, especially AD&D 2nd edition where people had to buy several of the Monster Compendiums to get the same number of monsters that were contained in the 1st edition Monster Manual.

Despite the fact that the graph is biased towards AD&D, I believe it still shows the phenomenal strength of D&D.

Some observations.

+D&D peaked, then AD&D peaked. Did D&D act as an entry point for AD&D?

+D&D’s best year was 1981 when it sold 1,039,913 units. AD&D’s best year was 1983, when it sold 1,031,200 units. It’s interesting that in their best years they sold so nearly the same amount of product. Was that a sort of ceiling for the game at the time?

If you find me interesting, my book on D&D history, Slaying the Dragon, is out now. Pick it up anywhere books are sold, or use the link below!

Raw data in link below.

Next up, everything for Dark Sun or the Player’s Option line? Let me know in the comments!

Bens fine volume of nerd history: Slaying the Dragon - Macmillan

M.T. Black put this chart together.

Nice chart! I used the raw numbers to put together a cumulative chart:

View attachment 256929

 

[darjr]

Raw data:

 

[darjr]

I tried to link his Facebook post but Facebook isn’t cooperating.

 

[darjr]

Huh? So does 2nd edition count in the comparison btweeen Basic and AD&D sales in your mind? I’m torn.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Well. THIS chart explains why I think that AD&D was more popular than D&D. While I played a few times before 2e dropped, I only got serious about D&D with 2e. So my memories would come from the '89 spike and forward.

 

[Stalker0]

Can someone define what DND and ADND are for the purpose of this chart?

 

[darjr]

Can someone define what DND and ADND are for the purpose of this chart?

D&D are the basic boxes sets. AD&D are the 1e and 2e hardbacks and the 2e Monsteous Cimpendium.

 

[Mercurius]

Behold a final, and perhaps definitive, graph of D&D vs. AD&D sales over time!

It includes all BECMI boxed sets, 1st & 2nd ed Player’s Handbooks, Dungeon Master’s Guides, Monster Manuals, and MC1-MC4.

Because of that, I believe this graph is tilted towards AD&D, especially AD&D 2nd edition where people had to buy several of the Monster Compendiums to get the same number of monsters that were contained in the 1st edition Monster Manual.

Despite the fact that the graph is biased towards AD&D, I believe it still shows the phenomenal strength of D&D.

Some observations.

+D&D peaked, then AD&D peaked. Did D&D act as an entry point for AD&D?

+D&D’s best year was 1981 when it sold 1,039,913 units. AD&D’s best year was 1983, when it sold 1,031,200 units. It’s interesting that in their best years they sold so nearly the same amount of product. Was that a sort of ceiling for the game at the time?

If you find me interesting, my book on D&D history, Slaying the Dragon, is out now. Pick it up anywhere books are sold, or use the link below!

Raw data in link below.

Next up, everything for Dark Sun or the Player’s Option line? Let me know in the comments!

View attachment 256269

Bens fine volume of nerd history: Slaying the Dragon - Macmillan

Interesting to note that the Rules Cyclopedia (1991) didn't really move the dial on BECMI. I'm guessing that was BECMI's Essentials line, and its relatively low sales signaled an inevitable end.

I wish we could see similar charts of WotC D&D.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I'm going to say this again- I don't think these numbers accurately reflect 80s reality.

First, a quibble. While the "Basic" from Dr. Holmes is called "Basic," it is not the same as the later Basic/Expert editions. It is better to think of that as OD&D than what we saw starting with Moldvay. So the '79 and '80 numbers are all Holmes, and the '80 numbers are partly Holmes.

Next, the book sales don't necessarily equate to actual play. If you look at the GenCon reports (for example) you will see that there is always a consistent 10:1 or more advantage of AD&D tables to the combined number of OD&D and B/X tables during that time. Same with 3PPs and Dragon Magazine.

A lot of players who played AD&D also had B/X material (either they got it and migrated to AD&D, they bought it by accident, or they received copies of it from friends and relatives who wanted to get them "something" that was D&D).

But I think that the inference that I am seeing- that B/X was as popular, or even more popular, than AD&D during the 80s is wildly incorrect and poorly supported.

 

[darjr]

I don’t get you snarf. It was actually common knowledge that basic did a ton better sales wise than AD&D. Years and years of rumor and talk about it and some numbers too.