How can WoTC get new players buying Essentials?

[falcarrion]

Unless the book is a dictionary.....

(But point taken. Each method has its own ups and downs)

I thought of that...

 

[kitsune9]

I'm in a great new 4e campaign at the London D&D Meetup, 3 sessions in now. Most of the other players are brand new to 4e, though they've often played previous editions. ALL these new players turn up to the game with freshly-purchased 4e Players' Handbooks; I'm the only one at the table using Heroes of The... (Fallen Lands, for my Thief, Larsenio Roguespierre ). They then struggle with their fiendishly complicated 4e PCs, just as I remember doing - one tried a Feypact Warlock and gave up after one session, returning with a Fighter; another is struggling with Warlord, a third who I think must have some 4e experience seems to have a reasonable handle on her Cleric.

IMO all these players, like me, would have been much better off with the Essentials builds. But when they went into the FLGS, they didn't pick up Heroes of the Fallen Lands, they made a beeline for the traditional access point to D&D, the massively errated and near-obsolete 4e Players' Handbook.

Part of many trading seminars I attend is to provide a sales pitch for a particular product and/or service. One of the Borders in the SF Bay Area is offering D&D Encounters games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I don't know if it's being done anywhere else aside from FLGS.

That's what these places do aside from providing a game is to sell the product. A game that makes use of a particular book is highlighted.

The DM starts with the adventure and says, "Today's material will be use rules, abilities, and builds from the [insert book title here]. If you don't have a copy, the store is offering a today-only special of a X% discount." The store clerks place a copy of the books nearby so the players can be eyeing the books/boxes while playing.

At the conclusion of the game, the DM and clerks will again reiterate the presentation of the game book used and to pick up a copy for a special discount.

 

[Erudite Frog]

"fiendishly complicated 4e PCs"

??????

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Well, I picked up Gamma World, looked it over, read the rulebook, and decided that it was not for me. Not saying that it is a bad game, though it is too gamist for my tastes, just that is not what I want for PA gaming.

It is however what I would like to see in a starter set for younger gamers - enough in the box to get folks really started, though including dice would have been nice. If they were to reissue the Redbox with similar content I would not be unwilling to point folks in that direction.

I will likely end up giving it away, but I won't say that it was bad, just not to my tastes. Spycraft 2.0 is a better fit for me, and I like the Fallout setting better than the current GW setting. (I also like Darwin's World, and have Warlords of the Apocalypse on preorder.)

Sorry for the tangent.

The Auld Grump

 

[Fifth Element]

There are alot of advantages to e-readers and tablets, and computers. For those with vision problems, being able to increase the font size is a major boon for them.

This is true. One guy in one of my groups is legally blind, though he can see at extremely close range, and his tablet makes playing the game so much easier for him.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Seconded- I'm getting one for my mom for precisely that reason.