Critical Role Announces Publishing Company

The first game will be a board/card game called Uk’otoa. This will be followed by role playing game products including Syndicult, “an original modern magic roleplaying game designed by Matthew Mercer in which mob families jealously guard secrets and battle it out for power on the city streets.”

Announcing Darrington Press, Our Game Publishing Company | Critical Role

critrole.com

I’ve long wondered whether there might one day be the official Critical Role role playing game, and whether CR's massive influence could make a dent in WotC, the traditional 800lb gorilla.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

What is CR's viewership? (Have the vast majority of D&D players never seen an episode or never heard of it? Or is it the gateway to 5e that most players have seen at least a few episodes of?)

1.07 million subscribers on YouTube and last week's episode had 721,000 views. (Not counting me, as I listen to them as a podcast.)

I think it's generational. It's likely they're the dominant entry point for the streaming generation folks, but whether that constitutes even a majority of the Gen Z players, it's hard to know.

But they have a lot of fans.

I suspect WotC has a guess as to whether streaming or Stranger Things was responsible for a bigger bump in current playership, based on when the sales spikes came. Either way, they're likely a significant driver of sales traffic.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I would have thought their 11m Kickstarter would convince that they have a "fanbase that buys products". Funko-Pop wouldn't have made the Vox Machina figures if they didn't.

It's worth noting that Funko has never made Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy figures, and that's a geek franchise that's so omnipresent in the UK that newspaper articles casually drop in references to things like "so long, and thanks for all the fish" in mainstream articles.

So, Funko's market research folks think CR's commercial appeal is pretty significant.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Is there a critical threshhold for the social media stuff where it hits the main stream media? Having an upset employee vent on twitter and not getting tractions vs. an upset employee venting on twitter and the story getting traction and showing up in google news...

If there is, it hasn't been figured out yet. That's the holy grail for PR and marketing.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I dont even know what dimension 20 is

Trust me, a huge portion of the D&D fanbase Does.

Also, Dimension 20 is fantastic. If you only listen to or watch Critical Role, you're missing out on a lot of other great shows with professional performers, like Dimension 20, Not Another D&D Podcast, Nerd Poker etc.

NADDPOD (we are we are) is possibly the best D&D podcast out there, IMO. Season 1 is absolutely up there with CR or TAZ Balance.

What is CR's viewership? (Have the vast majority of D&D players never seen an episode or never heard of it? Or is it the gateway to 5e that most players have seen at least a few episodes of?)

Social media and good search results indicate it’s a pretty big overlap.

Recently put up a $75 Vax'ildan cloak that was available in sizes from XS all the way to 6XL? Every. Single. Size. Sold out.

Ugh seriously. I went to buy one and it was just gone. Very bummed. Maybe after Xmas, if they’re still selling it.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Hasbro's plans about D&D aren't only about the TTRPGs, but it is a serious project as multimedia franchise. Hasbro is not going to reject D&D because this can be useful to sell videogames, novels, comics, videogames, and media productions.

My complain about the 5th Ed. is they books are too expensive. I mean spending the same money in other sourcebooks by other publishers I have got books with more pages. Xanathar's guide was 50 €, but also this was my Changeling: the dreaming 20 Anniversary, and this with the rest of WoD 20 Anniversary Editions are one of the fattest RPG books I have bought. If the books are too expensive they will suffer the piracy, the illegal copies. If I buy D&D books it's because I want WotC to keep publishing more books. And I am a collector, not a true player.

D&D is not ready yet for crossovers of franchises set in modern age.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Where are all the people saying "Good riddance!"? I thought a bunch of people didn't want Critical Role in D&D?

 

[OblivionDrive]

NADDPOD (we are we are) is possibly the best D&D podcast out there, IMO. Season 1 is absolutely up there with CR or TAZ Balance.

Ugh seriously. I went to buy one and it was just gone. Very bummed. Maybe after Xmas, if they’re still selling it.

Hey! A fellow 2 Crew member! (The youth of a nation!)

And yeah I’m not gonna lie, I struck while the iron was hot because I knew they’d sell out. It came in about a week ago and it’s waaay warmer than I anticipated. Probably gonna be my default cool weather gear this year or at least a Snuggie-lite for when it’s chilly around the house. I’m sure they’ll be back in stock eventually though!

 

[Khelon Testudo]

Where are all the people saying "Good riddance!"? I thought a bunch of people didn't want Critical Role in D&D?

That implies Crit Role are going anywhere soon. The current campaign probably has over a year to go, maybe 2. And they've built up strong relationships with both D&D-adjacent companies and WotC itself. They'd be stupid to dump them, and I don't think anyone can call them stupid.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I guess Darrington Press will want to become a second Paizo, but to replace WotC is too ambitious, and now harder when D&D is in its best age, selling more books than ever. Pathfinder arrived when D&D was in the 4th Ed. I doubt Matt Spencer dared to become WotC's enemy.

But Darrington Press could try to occupy some genres where D&D isn't yet, for example no-medieval fantasy, steampunk, space-fantasy, urban-fantasy, superheroes, etc..

Even in the worst case the end of WotC wouldn't mean the end of D&D at all, because Hasbro notices this franchise can be useful to make money.

 

[MerricB]

I would have thought their 11m Kickstarter would convince that they have a "fanbase that buys products". Funko-Pop wouldn't have made the Vox Machina figures if they didn't.

There's a big difference between a game and an animated film.

And then you take another step beyond a RPG (which is what Critical Role depicts) onto a board game.

Honestly, I hope they succeed. But it will be tough. POPs are memorabilia; they do not require interaction. I have seen a LOT of licensed board games over the past decade and more just crash and burn - and some were good games by well known companies.

Consider how big a fan base the MARVEL movies have. More people saw those than watch Critical Role, right? Then how have the various Marvel RPGs and Board Games gone? Decently, for the most part, but the numbers of fans do not correspond to incredible sales of the games. (I wonder if the sales of POP figures outstrip those of the boardgames?)

I expect their first couple of games will sell well as people are curious about what they're selling. After that, it depends how good their games are AND how much the market wants them.

It is not like a new company cannot succeed. Look at Awaken Realms. Look at Stonemaier Games. But it is not a given.