D&D 5E (2014) Brand Vs RPG

[Tony Vargas]

That's an obnoxious way to phrase that.

Sorry, 'lesser' in terms of popularity and pride of place in RPG history, rather than quality. Didn't mean to insult any WoD fans out there (being an oWoD fan, myself).

 

[darjr]

Actually sword coast legends is just a bad game. If it wasn't for the D&D brand none of us would have heard of it.

 

[delericho]

On second though... how the eff could they sell that many? I mean physically. Was the first print run 300k+?

Yep, pretty much that. They took a risk, and it paid off.

WotC has gone through four print runs of the 5e PHB already, and they likely suspected it would do well. So it doesn't seem like they're wont to print massive runs for potential savings.

Yeah, but four runs of what size? Given the above-inflation price rise for this edition, it's not unreasonable to think they may have gone for a smaller run, in which case it's no surprise they'd have had to reprint sooner.

Or there could be some other explanation. But the fundamental problem is the same: a single piece of data is of fairly limited value without the other data that gives it context.

 

[Bluenose]

I'm probably going to get excoriated for saying this, but so be it.....

The power of the D&D "brand" is overwhelmingly overstated. To the average Joe or Jane Public, it's not even the most recognizable "fantasy adventure" brand, as that title would be held by Skyrim, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, or World of Warcraft in some order. Since Neverwinter Nights 2 was released in 2006, I can't think of a single product--tabletop, digital, or otherwise--that I either bought or considered buying simply because it had the D&D logo blazoned across the packaging.

Consider --- Sword Coast Legends is getting absolutely destroyed in the marketplace by "off brand" competitors Pillars of Eternity and Divinity: Original Sin. In the case of Pillars of Eternity, it's not even based on an existing IP of any kind. It's a completely new fantasy world. Consider also Dungeons and Dragons Online (DDO) and Neverwinter Online --- they've been moderately successful, but are decidedly a niche within a niche in the overall MMO scene.

Sure, the D&D 5e tabletop game has been an unqualified success. But if the goal is to "monetize the brand" in the same way as say, Marvel Comics, in terms of large-scale "branding" the RPG itself does very little to achieve that goal.

Popular 'Fantasy' brands would also cover the 'Modern Fantasy' genre that's become so popular, such as Dresden Files and Twilight. Perhaps Dragon Age or Warhammer, though you'd probably need some interest already for those. But it's worth noting that the Marvel Comics cinema/TV was regarded as quite a gamble, and have done very well despite the comics not exactly being huge money-spinners.

 

[Hussar]

If you had told me in 2005 that ten years later we'd have multiple Marvel superhero shows on TV and , two or three movies a year I'd call you crazy. Let's not forget that, by that time, we'd had far, FAR more failed comic book movies than successes.