D&D 5E How do they generate revenue?

[FrogReaver]

You are right, but the way the books are selling suggest that the top-line revenue may even still be higher, since the core books have outsold the combine lifetime sales of 3.x so far, and are continuing briskly.

Higher population does that better than anything

 

[Charlaquin]

There’s also D&D Beyond, which sells access to the content that’s found in the books in an online format. Between people buying each book twice to have both physically and digitally, people paying the monthly subscription for the premium features and/or to share the compendium content with their players, and people buying sections of content peacemeal, I’m sure that helps keep the product profitable.

 

[bedir than]

My table* has 8 regular players. Players tend to average every other session. Zero were playing 5e when we started. Only 1 had a 5e PHB when we started. Three played 3/3.5. Only 2 played 2e and/or AD&D.

Now, all of them, to include one who had never played any form of RPG before, own a PHB. One DMs in 5e and owns the core 3. Two are planning on buying/maybe already bought, XGtE. I own core 3, SCAG, XGtE, Strahd, Tomb, Volo's, Tales and Tome of Beasts. (I'm a sucker!)

When I announce sessions on social media I have to turn down new people because I don't have time for any more sessions.


*tables may, and will, vary

 

[robus]

Didn’t Hasbro call out robust D&D sales in a recent quarterly earnings call?

 

[thethain]

There’s also D&D Beyond, which sells access to the content that’s found in the books in an online format. Between people buying each book twice to have both physically and digitally, people paying the monthly subscription for the premium features and/or to share the compendium content with their players, and people buying sections of content peacemeal, I’m sure that helps keep the product profitable.

I think they also took their lesson from the previous edition as: Don't spend time and money developing tools. License the tools and licenses out, let other people take the risks, and you get the profit either way. Hence why you have DnD Beyond, roll20, and Fantasy grounds. Soon to be the e-reader program.

 

[JacktheRabbit]

A big part I think is also that there is maybe 5% the amount of the party material out there compared to the high water Mark of 3.x so players really only have Wizards as their material source.

Sent from my SM-T820 using EN World mobile app

 

[Fanaelialae]

A big part I think is also that there is maybe 5% the amount of the party material out there compared to the high water Mark of 3.x so players really only have Wizards as their material source.

Sent from my SM-T820 using EN World mobile app

That's true, compared to the glut that occurred during 3.x, but there are quite a lot of 3rd party products out there nonetheless. A lot (most?) were made using Kickstarter.

Just off the top of my head: Pugmire (Monarchies of Mau), Fifth Edition Foes (Lost Spells, etc.), Tome of Beasts, Midgard, Ebonclad, Mists of Akuma, Ultramodern 5e, Primeval Thule, Book of the Righteous 5e, Arcanis, Dungeons on Demand, Hunter's Mark, Lost Citadel, Lost Dungeons, Scarred Lands Player's Guide, and Under the Mountain. Those are just the ones I can think of, I know there are more.

It certainly isn't the same as the days of 3.x, but there is quite a lot of 3rd party material out there, even outside the DM's Guild.

Edit: I should note that not all of the supplements I listed have been released. Some are still in development.

 

[Hussar]

Sure, there might not be as many 3rd party books as 3rd edition, but, 5e is hardly lacking.

I mean, DM's Guild has 1500+ adventures alone for 5e. So, that's about 500 adventures per year, never minding anything else. It's not like we're lacking for choice.

Granted, we seem to have moved away a fair bit from the print stuff, but, sheesh. 15 HUNDRED modules? Good grief.

 

[happyhermit]

It's pretty crazy that the last report showed the #4 best selling roleplaying game was actually a 3pp for 5e (AIME).

 

[Parmandur]

It's pretty crazy that the last report showed the #4 best selling roleplaying game was actually a 3pp for 5e (AIME).

Not terribly: one of the hottest intellectual property in the world, combined with a familiar ruleset. If the rights holders had done 3.x in Middle Earth, they would have made bank: but that doesn't seem as doable as 5E Middle Earth, pragmaticly speaking...