If Wizards of the Coast went out of business

[Nellisir]

You are forgetting that D&D is pretty much the only RPG that's being sold in mainstream book and hobby stores in the USA. Us hardcore gamers tend not to bother with that, because we have our own distribution channels we rely on, but a large number of people buy D&D there and start D&D with the books they find in the stores.

I'm not sure this is as true as it once was. I gave up my FLGS for mainstream sources, because they got books faster and gave me a discount (between 20% and 30% - not insignificant). The D&D shelf has downsized, but the WoD and WoW selections have massively increased in the past year or two.

 

[Mark CMG]

You are forgetting that D&D is pretty much the only RPG that's being sold in mainstream book and hobby stores in the USA.

Where did you hear that?

 

[madelf]

You are forgetting that D&D is pretty much the only RPG that's being sold in mainstream book and hobby stores in the USA.

No it's not.

I live in a very rural area, and even around here the bookstores carry more than just D&D. The Barnes & Noble carries White Wolf stuff, GURPS, Shadowrun, Conan, Serenity, M&M, (and others I know I'm forgetting). Even the little Waldenbooks closer to home carries several different systems.

Honestly, unless you want to count in all the d20 stuff from other publishers, D&D doesn't even dominate the RPG section any more - and hasn't for awhile. Sure there's more books for D&D than any other single game, but not more books all together. There are plenty more options readily available if D&D dropped off the face of the earth.

 

[khyron1144]

Not if Mattel have anything to say about that. Never underestimate the power of the Barbie and Hot Wheels fans.

I may be totally wrong here, but I believe that Mattel is another division of Hasbro. I'm not 100% sure on that.

I do remember Hsbro bought out Galoob at some point.

 

[khyron1144]

No it's not.

I live in a very rural area, and even around here the bookstores carry more than just D&D. The Barnes & Noble carries White Wolf stuff, GURPS, Shadowrun, Conan, Serenity, M&M, (and others I know I'm forgetting). Even the little Waldenbooks closer to home carries several different systems.

Honestly, unless you want to count in all the d20 stuff from other publishers, D&D doesn't even dominate the RPG section any more - and hasn't for awhile. Sure there's more books for D&D than any other single game, but not more books all together. There are plenty more options readily available if D&D dropped off the face of the earth.

I'm in a moderately large city and the local Barnes & Nobles have a lot of White Wolf on the shelves and a little GURPS and a bunch of d20 licensee stuff. Waldens around here pretty much sticks to D&D and White Wolf, but that White Wolf presence is at least as noticable as D&D. Oh and both have at least a little Warhammer Fantasy RP.

 

[Mark CMG]

I may be totally wrong here, but I believe that Mattel is another division of Hasbro.

Nope.

 

[khyron1144]

Nope.

Thanks much. I stand corrected. Good to know some kind of competition still exists.

I do remember seeing some analysis that suggested that if you throw a brick in a Toys R Us, you stand a better than even chance of hitting a product produced by Hasbro or one of its subsidiaries. Although my memory is a collection of random useless junk and hallucinations and incomplete data that leans things towards unlikely conclusions.

 

[guildofblades]

>>I may be totally wrong here, but I believe that Mattel is another division of Hasbro.<<

You ARE totally wrong here.

Mattel tends to be Hasbro's "larger" competition. Most years, Hasbro is looking at its market share trying to figure out how to catch up to Mattel's sales. Hasbro simply has a stronger presence in toys, action figures, and now through WOTC, hobby games. Mattel dominates the girls market plus does well with younger boys with brands like Hot Wheels and others.

Most year, pretty much the only thing that places Hasbro in the same league as Mattel in gross sales is their hold on the Star Wars license for toys and games.

Ryan S. Johnson
Guild of Blades Publishing Group
http://www.guildofblades.com
http://www.1483online.com
http://www.thermopylae-online.com

 

[Ranger REG]

Thanks much. I stand corrected. Good to know some kind of competition still exists.

I do remember seeing some analysis that suggested that if you throw a brick in a Toys R Us, you stand a better than even chance of hitting a product produced by Hasbro or one of its subsidiaries.

Because Hasbro and subsidiaries produce most of your classic boardgames, from Life to Monopoly.

 

[Vigilance]

No it's not.

I live in a very rural area, and even around here the bookstores carry more than just D&D. The Barnes & Noble carries White Wolf stuff, GURPS, Shadowrun, Conan, Serenity, M&M, (and others I know I'm forgetting). Even the little Waldenbooks closer to home carries several different systems.

Honestly, unless you want to count in all the d20 stuff from other publishers, D&D doesn't even dominate the RPG section any more - and hasn't for awhile. Sure there's more books for D&D than any other single game, but not more books all together. There are plenty more options readily available if D&D dropped off the face of the earth.

Yeah, gaming would continue, and d20 would grow as 2nd tier publishers like Mongoose and GR moved in to fill the void.

But even if Hasbro shut WOTC down, they would never, ever, sell D&D, Eberron, Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk etc, unless they got a VERY generous offer. Selling IP is just not the business they're in.

So the biggest effect would be no more Greyhawk, Eberron or FR probably.