D&D 4E I'm Not Sure I Can Afford 4e

[fnwc]

In my experience -- which may or may not be typical -- while full-time college students are often gamers, they aren't heavy consumers of supplements because they lack money and don't have easy access to anyone they can convince to buy stuff for them. Certainly I buy far more gaming material now than I did when I was in school.

I've read in various places that computer gamers average around 31 years of age. If that's true, I wonder what the average D&D player's age is?

I'd imagine that in your thirties that a new D&D edition wouldn't really be much of a financial burden.

 

[Ranger REG]

"Originally Posted by Turanil
3) (I believe the main factor) The huge and sore economical recession that is coming will eventually kill WotC.


"As long as WotC remains under the tight grip of Hasbro, I don't see this happening."


I totally agree.

I'm having a hard time believing that Hasbro forced WotC to make a new edition of rulebook since WotC have a pattern of making new editions of their own TCGs and is applying that business model to RPGs.

 

[jdrakeh]

D&D in general is a pretty cheap hobby. For the price that I pay for my monthly internet service alone, I could buy two hardcover books.

I could buy three -- that said, for what I spend with my ISP every month, I get access to music, movies, video games, VOIP long distance, forums, email, and dozens of other things. i can talk to family and friends that live on the other side of the globe, watch movies that I can't rent locally, buy music that stores in the US don't carry, discuss RPGs with hundreds of people at one time, and *instantly* immerse myself in hundreds of peristent fantasy worlds with the click of a button -- etc, etc, etc. All things considered, the return that I get for my $75 a month in internet service is much greater than the nine or ten hours of fun that I get out of a tabletop roleplaying game in a given month.

 

[jdrakeh]

I'd imagine that in your thirties that a new D&D edition wouldn't really be much of a financial burden.

No, but if you're in your 30s and have a full-time job, a family, or other responsibilities that you rank more important than playing games, it can be real PITA finding time or people to play. In which case, it's not a financial burden, but it is a lousy investment.

 

[Hussar]

The point is though, JD, that RPG gaming is hardly an expensive hobby. Not by a long shot.

Now, whether or not you or I personally want to shell out the money is a totally different issue. But, complaints that 4e is somehow "pricing itself out of the market" are spurious at best. As a hobby, rpg gaming is one of the cheapest things you can do.

Let's not forget to break it down too. You might game at the table 12 hours a month (or 16 for a 4 four hour session month) plus the hours spent reading the books as well. Never mind the hours you spend here. Thirty bucks a month buys you a LOT of gaming material.

 

[The Little Raven]

All things considered, the return that I get for my $75 a month in internet service is much greater than the nine or ten hours of fun that I get out of a tabletop roleplaying game in a given month.

Both things require free time to dedicate to them (can't really surf the internet if you're too busy), but D&D doesn't have a recurring cost to maintain access. That is a large and key difference.

 

[pawsplay]

Now, whether or not you or I personally want to shell out the money is a totally different issue. But, complaints that 4e is somehow "pricing itself out of the market" are spurious at best. As a hobby, rpg gaming is one of the cheapest things you can do.

I think a key point is whizzing past you. D&D can price itself out of the market... not by being expensive in absolute terms, but by being 50% to 100% more expensive annually than other games, including some that are multi-genre or have years of development behind them.

It's true, there are plenty of people for whom D&D, whatever edition or the current edition, is essentially the only RPG, but you don't need 4e to sell books to them.

 

[Fifth Element]

All things considered, the return that I get for my $75 a month in internet service is much greater than the nine or ten hours of fun that I get out of a tabletop roleplaying game in a given month.

Yes, but D&D costs considerably less than $75 per month.

Apples to apples.

 

[The Little Raven]

I think a key point is whizzing past you. D&D can price itself out of the market... not by being expensive in absolute terms, but by being 50% to 100% more expensive annually than other games, including some that are multi-genre or have years of development behind them.

This reasoning would suggest that a company that produces more content than competitors would price itself out of the market (since, if I produce twice as much content at the same prices, that's 100% more expensive), which is definitely not the case, as proven by the market share leaders, who produce way more content than everyone else and still make more money.

 

[pawsplay]

This reasoning would suggest that a company that produces more content than competitors would price itself out of the market (since, if I produce twice as much content at the same prices, that's 100% more expensive), which is definitely not the case, as proven by the market share leaders, who produce way more content than everyone else and still make more money.

You're going to have to draw me a picture, because I don't see how that reasoning suggests that at all. I've already mentioned upstream that I pick and choose, so more available content doesn't cost me anything.