How many people are buying less books for 4E than previous editions?

[Celebrim]

Not playing right now (not my choice, just finding it hard to find a group when your 35 and move to a new town).

Not playing the latest edition (by choice). Checking the shelf:

# 1st edition hardcover books: 6
# 2nd edition hardcover books: 1
# 3rd edition hardcover books: 5
# 4th edition hardcover books: 0

As you can see, not exactly a big spender in any edition (I tend to roll my own content because imagination is cheap and I've always been poor, besides I can always mooch off wealthier friends), but yes, I'm buying less for the current edition than previous editions.

The recession doesn't currently effect my buying habits in as much as I've always lived like we were in a recession. I find my finances and the nation's are seldom directly intertwined and I would like them to stay that way, as forlorn as that wish currently seems.

 

[malraux]

My most significant volume of purchasing right now is going to picking up 3e Eberron books. That said, I'm buying far more 4e books than I bought of 3e. I actually kinda like the 4e fluff, so I've gotten many of the 4e books that interest me. I really have no interest in the crunch books, but am subscribed to DDi.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Well, most people know my position on 4Ed, so its no surprise that I stopped after the initial Core 3.

Not like its saved me any money...I just bought myself a brand new guitar for my birthday...after buying a bunch of new pedals and such all year long.

 

[Gothmog]

The economy has had little effect on my buying habits- my economic situation has improved over the last two years. That said, I've been buying more 4e books and at a faster rate than I bought 3e books. I just find the 4e system and fluff far superior to the 3e stuff, and I have used every 4e purchase I've made so far (I am also a DDI subscriber). I just like having a physical hard copy of the book in my hands to peruse. I've also increased my spending on hobbies over the last few years- there are so many good games and minis I'm interested in now. I'm just thankful I'm in a financial position to be able to pursue my interests.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I buy most of them. The economy so far has not impacted me, and despite also having a DDI account, I still buy "splats" and all.

 

[fanboy2000]

I'm buying more 4e stuff than 3.5. There are few reasons for this:

1. Timing. I stopped buying 3.5 stuff when I had to quit playing regularly to go to university.

2. The Complete books never interested me.

3. When I went back to playing 3.5, I tried to be some weird kind "core only" DM. I used three core books + Spell & Magic Item Compendiums with a few optional rules from Unearthed Arcana. That lasted about half a game session.

 

[Aus_Snow]

None. I think that counts as fewer. . .

 

[weem]

Like others, the DDI subscription means I don't really need more books than I already intend on (and have been) buying which are just the core books (with one exception).

 

[wedgeski]

I've bought more 4E than I did 3E. This is partly because I prefer the new system, and partly because I have a regular group and new material actually gets used. I also have a DDI subscription, because as a DM the value-for-money is enormous. So on the whole, Wizards are probably getting more cash out of me this time around.

 

[delericho]

Yeah, I'm buying less. A large part of this is that I'm not running 4e, and have no plans to do so in the immediate future.

However, even if I were running 4e, I expect the number of books I would be buying would be down. My RPG spending has dropped dramatically in the last 3-4 years, such that I now buy the occasional Star Wars, Pathfinder or Warhammer book, and not much else. My only regular expenditure is my subscription to the Pathfinder adventure paths.

(Also, when Warhammer moves on to its new edition, I'll be done with it. The previews for the new edition have done a very good job of turning me away. Likewise, if and when WotC produce a new edition of Star Wars, I'll be done with that also - I've bought into five different editions of Star Wars from two different companies, and that's enough.)

By contrast, a few years ago, it seemed WotC were producing a 'must have' book for 3e pretty much every month. I forget which year exactly, but it was around the time "Lords of Madness" was released. That was pretty much my peak for buying D&D books. My peak for buying RPG books in general was around the time White Wolf did the revised (final) edition of "Vampire: the Masquerade".