Decline of RPG sales

[MerricB]

Incredible. About all the points about what's going wrong are pretty much what Wizards is *not* doing.

Cheers!

 

[Munin]

My experience as a WOTC delegate has fewer kids entering the hobby. It has been months since I introduced someone new.

I've introduced three people to gaming over the past year, the oldest being mid-20s and the youngest around 14 or so and female. I think there is plenty of potential for new blood, it just has to be cultivated by an active community that is willing to reach out. I know a few dms who actively dissuade young people from joining their groups because they don't want to be troubled with what might be perceived as immature play.

I still think that the supply/demand arguement is very much relevant. It's true that there are fewer publishers out there, but those that remain not only have to compete with one another, but also with everything else that has been published for 3/3.5. For example, if I want to run a published adventure, I start by flipping thru my stack of Dungeon magazines, then through the modules on my shelf that I haven't yet run, THEN I might look around for something new. The same goes for other material.

This isn't to say that new material is particulary good or bad, but that one has to consider the total of gaming STUFF that is out there, past and present, when considering what a publisher is up against, not just present competition.

 

[eyebeams]

And until an acutal industry person contributes to this thread, all people can do is speculate and provide anecdotal evidence.

And even if they do, there's so little data made public by the industry, that we still end up speculating.

Any time an actual industry person reports anything threatening to the image of a healthy hobby, he or she is greeted with raging disbelief by enough people to render any thread about the fortunes of the hobby useless.

 

[Hjorimir]

OH! One thing I forgot!

Rules arguements. There are none in a MMO. There's no stopping the game and fighting about what spell does what or how the DM and the players interprit(sp) a rule. There are no house-rule add-ons and no "God NPC syndrome DMs" (where the DM makes an NPC he really likes and plays it as one of the PCs, ect.)

So, you have none of that in a MMO, which is the only thing I think is superior to RPGs.

You must not visit the associated message boards of those MMOs then. There is nothing but rants about nerf this nerf that. People have been crying for nerfs in MMOs so long it goes back to when Zug wanted Roog's rock nerfed because it was shinier than his. Or what I'd call the, "Hi, I'm scissors, paper is balanced, nerf rock" posts.

 

[Rasyr]

Any time an actual industry person reports anything threatening to the image of a healthy hobby, he or she is greeted with raging disbelief by enough people to render any thread about the fortunes of the hobby useless.

Which is why I am staying out of THIS discussion.

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

Three Possible Additions:

1. An increase in the cost of RPG books without an increase in wages.

Some people claim that RPG books are not high-priced, or use the "cost of a dinner and a movie" sales pitch. This is pretty subjective, and I'm not arguing it. YMMV.

2. Residual ".5" edition revision negativity. While 3.5 is an improvement, I know many 3.0 players who refused to switch, and others who are wary of buying 3.5 lest 3.75 come out next year.

Some people claim that persons with 3.0 and 3.5 rulebooks can play in the same game without distraction or frustration. This may be the case in your groups, but it hasn't been the case in mine. YMMV.

3. World of Warcraft. 'Nuff said.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Any time an actual industry person reports anything threatening to the image of a healthy hobby, he or she is greeted with raging disbelief by enough people to render any thread about the fortunes of the hobby useless.

Or if someone points out something positive how those are all exceptions and that D&D CANNOT be doing as well as they claim it is and they must, despite saying they're not, be counting the miniatures into their RPG numbers.

 

[buzz]

Any time an actual industry person reports anything threatening to the image of a healthy hobby, he or she is greeted with raging disbelief by enough people to render any thread about the fortunes of the hobby useless.

Ditto when said persons report positive and supportive data. It's just a different group of ragers.

EDIT: Joe beat me to it. There's also some irony I could point out (not Joe-related), but that wouldn't be particularly productive.

 

[Belen]

Incredible. About all the points about what's going wrong are pretty much what Wizards is *not* doing.

Cheers!

huh....are you smoking crack? I referenced Wizards twice and only minor examples. I think you're a bit paranoid about people who dislike Wizards.

If anything, the hobby needs a organization that remains untied to the publishers that is capable of generating longterm interest in the hobby. The publishers are not doing it and we have way too many "fans" who think they are publishers who are producing a lot of material and causing a glut in the market by competing for money.

There was a time when most of these people would publish the items on the web for free. Now we have a million PDF producers for a tiny market.

 

[JoeGKushner]

There was a time when most of these people would publish the items on the web for free. Now we have a million PDF producers for a tiny market.

We should kill them and take their stuff!

But there is still a ton of stuff out there for free. Heck, even the official publishers put out a lot of stuff for free. Not seeing the issue with this bit here outside of maybe saying that because they're not brick and morter publishers that they should just be publishing it for free when people are willing to pay for it. Curse you Phil Reed, the mind control devices are working!