I can't help but wonder--how many AD&D 1e players ARE there out there?

[Xyanthon]

I currently don't have a group as I have moved overseas and not managed to get another one started. However, not long ago when I actively played, I played 3e but we also played 1e (my game of choice). I still actively buy material for 1e from ebay as well as the new stuff being produced. In fact, I'm working on some of my own OSRIC material right now (which due to RL constraints is a slow process). But I'd say that there are quite a few of us who still play (or would like to) older editions of the game.

 

[dcas]

i know of at least 3 OD&D(1974) campaigns just in the Atlanta area.

Yes, but don't you run them all?

 

[Odhanan]

I'm sure there are many OD&D, B/XD&D and AD&D players out there. I've known quite a few over the years in France, in Canada, the UK and US mainly, and I'd say the number is steady. There's an untapped market here, clearly, based on my sole (limited) experience.

 

[Aus_Snow]

In the immediate local area, I know 12 people who (at least sometimes) play/run AD&D (1e, generally). So it's fairly popular, from what I gather in 'the real world'.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

They are among us . . . and their numbers are legion!

--Ghul ;-)

And one day we will reveal our master plan and rewrite all of D&D so that Highlander 2, er 3e never existed!

 

[RFisher]

This tells me that the number of people who visit DF to download their stuff is hugely greater than the number of people who register and post on their forums.

No. It just tells you that we don't remember where we saved it last time, so we just D/L it again whenever we want to look at it. (^_^)

 

[grodog]

I think Henry's figures might be a bit low -- perhaps the numbers he gives could be doubled or tripled. (This is based on the distribution figures for my 1e .pdf's which are hosted on Dragonsfoot.)

I think you're both way low: the AD&D MM, PHB, and DMG were each printed and reprinted in the millions through the height of D&D's heyday. Based on WotC's 1999 pre-3e marketing survey--which speaks to 1e/2e D&D player demographics---6% of the overall US population have ever played rpgs, while 3% play monthly. Those percetages are after at least two major rpg market crashes and the emergance of PC games as key competitors, neither of which which were factors for TSR or D&D until well-after 1986; I think those figures would be higher if TSR had performed market research back in the day.

The US population in 1980 was 226,545,805 so 6% of that figure is 13,592,748 people who ever played AD&D in its heyday (the percentage was likely higher), and 6,796,374 people who played at least monthly (again, likely higher too).

The question becomes how many players are still playing pre-3.x D&D after 1999, when the national survey was conducted? The US population in 2000 was 281,421,906, so there should have been 16,885,314 folks who'd ever played rpgs around (using the 6% figure sans caveats), and 8,442,657 active monthly+ gamers. While TSR's market share had fallen during those darkest years just before WotC bought them, they still commanded around 60% of the market, so there should have been 5,065,594 folks who had ever played D&D around, and 2,532,797 or so active gamers playing D&D at least monthly.

How many of those 2.5 million active players never converted to 3.x, or converted and switched back? That's much harder to guesstimate, and will have to wait for a night when I have a little more time on my hands than is left in this evening

 

[ssampier]

The answer is always 42.

 

[sydbar]

The 8 players in the group i'm in, play 2nd ed most of the time, but a couple of us love 3rd ed, but the guy whose house we play at, doesn't like any of the 3rd/3.5 games weve played, but he prefers to play in a specific way, and isn't happy if we don't play in the kind of game he likes. He is a great guy, and a good dm, but is very inflexable when it comes to gaming. I know of another guy who was with the group, who also prefers 2nd ed over any other, i myself am a big fan of 1st ed, and basic edition, but then i am willing to play any rpg, but Teenagers from Outer Space is probably my favorite(with a good dm).

 

[Catman Jim]

OK, I'll come forward. I started playing OD&D in high school in 1977. I switched to AD&D in college from about '79 to '82, and ran every one of the old 'classic' TSR modules. I still have just about every game book, magazine, & module for most game settings from that time. I did a lot of Dragonlance in the 80's when they came out, but never converted to 2E. I quit D&D for Magic: The Gathering, as I didn't care to invest in 2E, although I did collect all the Ravenloft material that came out in the 90's. When 3E came out, I renewed my interest in D&D, and have sold all my M:tG materials & re-invested in RPGs, mostly used material on eBay. I've joined a game group that is doing Age of Worms, but I find myself more often getting familiar with 3.5 by on-line gaming in Neverwinter Nights. I will confess it was hard to un-learn the way I think about AC, THAC0, & the like, and adopt the incredible flexibility of races/classes/alignments now.