D&D 5E D&D product sales numbers on Amazon, etc.

[Parmandur]

I'm not sure why this is supposed to be meaningful. Buy what you think is useful or will enjoy. Are there really that many people who buy everything?

The downside to me of lots of product like in 2e is that I have a harder time evaluating whether a product would be useful or interesting, not that I can't purchase it. The same problem exists with the flood of product on DMs Guild.

The only gaming system I almost bought everything for was WEG Star Wars. I found it interesting enough to keep buying new products. The products had good production values and great art (from the LucasFilm archives), at least until the final few years when the trade dress changed from product to product and quality plummeted. None of my friends were buying it after the first few products (important as in High School, for example, we got a complete set of 1e AD&D books by having one person buy a book outside the core three. My purchase was the Wilderness Survival Guide).

In 3.x and 4E, I bought one book per edition: the PHB in both cases. Not that other books didn't appeal, but there were too many, so I went with buying none due to indecision.

Now, I'm on track to get every single 5E book, though I'm still missing a couple due to the speed at which they are releasing them...

 

[dagger]

Now, I'm on track to get every single 5E book, though I'm still missing a couple due to the speed at which they are releasing them...

The speed? I would hate to see slow!

 

[happyhermit]

Yes, the speed. Lots of rpgs over the years that didn't release 3 full size hardcovers per year. In most other hobbies it would be considered extreme ie; a video game with 3 full size expansions per year, board games with 3 expansions per year, etc. are all on the extreme end of the spectrum. Cost-wise it is a bit low on a monthly or yearly investment, but that is partially due to the nature of the hobby, moreover, that is exactly where you want to be if you want to expand your userbase and raise awareness of your brand.

 

[Parmandur]

The speed? I would hate to see slow!

Yup, a book most every quarter that costs ~$50? That's a big ask for the entertainment budget.

 

[Parmandur]

Yes, the speed. Lots of rpgs over the years that didn't release 3 full size hardcovers per year. In most other hobbies it would be considered extreme ie; a video game with 3 full size expansions per year, board games with 3 expansions per year, etc. are all on the extreme end of the spectrum. Cost-wise it is a bit low on a monthly or yearly investment, but that is partially due to the nature of the hobby, moreover, that is exactly where you want to be if you want to expand your userbase and raise awareness of your brand.

For sure, this.

 

[dagger]

Yup, a book most every quarter that costs ~$50? That's a big ask for the entertainment budget.

For some people maybe. I am fine though, I just buy other rpg books for other systems I am interested in.

 

[happyhermit]

For some people maybe. I am fine though, I just buy other rpg books for other systems I am interested in.

Which is the point really, there is plenty of things to spend you dollars on, even in rpgs, even in 5e with DMsG new content and older content becoming available. Wotc isn't concerned about capturing ALL of your TTRPG dollars (and they shouldn't be because that strategy often ends poorly, especially for the industry as a whole but also for consumers and brands). They are concerned about many things such as each book being an "event" and profitable, brand awareness, system bloat, system longevity, userbase, etc. not getting maximum amount of dollars per consumer.

 

[dagger]

Yes that is obviously the point, but I also think the releases are too slow. I can both understand their plan (and even agree with it) and also at the same time wish for more/faster releases.

 

[Shasarak]

Yup, a book most every quarter that costs ~$50? That's a big ask for the entertainment budget.

It guess it may have been a big ask for me twenty years ago. But really what other hobby has it so cheap?

 

[Parmandur]

It guess it may have been a big ask for me twenty years ago. But really what other hobby has it so cheap?

True, but I got bills to pay, mouths to feed. And I am not complaining, mind, just quarterly releases is faster than I can keep up with.