Charles Ryan speaks - 4.6 million Americans claim to play D&D

[MavrickWeirdo]

Don't be dumb. Surveys and survey statistics are a well understood branch of math. You take a random sample of a large enough size, you get a reasonably accurate result and a margin of error measure. So they're not reporting the margin of error. Who cares.

please don't do that.

1. It's not nice to call someone dumb.
2. He does understand statistics, that was his point. The phrase "4.6 million Americans claim" implies that it is not a statistical projection.
3. Obviously he cares.
4. If you say thing like that to Umbran, then he will explain how the statistics works in detail, and none of us want that.

 

[JoeGKushner]

To place the 4.6 million in perspective, here's a site showing the relative sizes of various American religious demoninations. Compare the number of D&Ders to relatively mainstream churches.

http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html#religions


Nothing political, but at this size D&D should be a major market identifier for a whole slew of advertisers.

?

I'd say that the effective use of the D&D brand is used for things like movies, video games, magazines and books. Those other avenudes that might make use of it, are generally going to appeal to D&D fans anyway and will advertise in the D&D magazines like Dungeon and Dragon no?

 

[eyebeams]

I find myself wondering if you'd say this if it were Wulf or Chris Pramas making a similar claim. Calling someone a dissembler without any proof to back it up is a pretty unpleasant thing to do.

If either of them were D&D Brand Manager? You bet your booties.

 

[Jim Hague]

If either of them were D&D Brand Manager? You bet your booties.

Which is exactly my point. Just because he's Brand Manager doesn't automatically make him an EEEEEEEvvvvvillll Corporate Shill (tm), nor does it mean he's lying. Correlation does not equal causation.

 

[Turjan]

I have no reason to bout it but millions of D&D playes does not mean millions of buyers, nor millions of people with anything remotely resembling interest in anything not branded D&D.

The absence of anything related to sales figures was something I immediately noticed when I first read Charles Ryan's post. I know that he wasn't explicitly asked for those, but nevertheless.

 

[Odhanan]

Excellent point. Let's be honest, the man works for WotC. It's in his interest to promote the idea that D&D is widely played. Can anyone say, "Corporate propaganda"?

Oh... come... ON!

I'd say that the effective use of the D&D brand is used for things like movies, video games, magazines and books. Those other avenudes that might make use of it, are generally going to appeal to D&D fans anyway and will advertise in the D&D magazines like Dungeon and Dragon no?

Yes. I agree: it's already widely used. Not even speaking of the "Geek Attitude" growing more and more popular these days.

 

[JoeGKushner]

The absence of anything related to sales figures was something I immediately noticed when I first read Charles Ryan's post. I know that he wasn't explicitly asked for those, but nevertheless.

Well, to be honest, I would hardly expect them. It's definatly not something that the collective "we" are entitlted to in any way, shape or form outside of curiosity.

 

[Turjan]

Well, to be honest, I would hardly expect them. It's definatly not something that the collective "we" are entitlted to in any way, shape or form outside of curiosity.

True. I just remember that Charles Ryan was not reluctant to tell us about how D&D did last year, when he was proud to announce that they had their best year ever. Of course, it's hard to top a "best year ever", and I can understand if he doesn't want to share anything below that, even if it's just a "nearly as good year as the last one" . Then again, the year isn't over yet.

 

[Akrasia]

...
I'd very much doubt it. I remember Charles saying that "the best year for D&D ever" (which last year was) didn't count novels, miniatures or computer game sales. They're pretty good at differentiating between these things....

Ryan does specifically say 'table top D&D' in the quote -- I accidentally overlooked that. Sorry!

 

[Maggan]

Hereby I present a minirant. As rants go, it's rather lame, but hey ... everyone has to start somewhere.

-start rant-

Isn't it becoming a bit redundant to point out that Charles Ryan works for WotC as the D&D Brand Manager?

It's not as if most of us are stupid or anything, we know that Charles Ryan is the D&D Brand Manager.

If we couldn't have figured it out from the subtle clue of his job being "D&D Brand Manager", we are constantly reminded, as if we were stupid children, not to trust Charles Ryan because he is ... you guessed it ... the D&D Brand Manager.

All I'm saying is: yes we know that it is his job to talk about positive things for D&D.

Can't we at least get one, just one, single thread about something Charles Ryan said, without getting the "he's the brand manager, and I'll explain it to you really slowly because it seems you are to stupid to figure that out" treatment.

-end rant-

/M