D&D 5E Is 5E Special

[doctorbadwolf]

I have no idea where you're getting any of this. Do you have an actual reference to back it up? Even if you're correct, I disagree that the game was totally geared towards old school gaming. If it had been, it would be far more lethal, have save or die everywhere, no short rest, etc. Or maybe it would have just been a cleaned up 3.5.

Nowadays 5E has been growing double digits every year, so of course new players outnumber old.

As far as cultural shifts and growth of the game I find it hard to believe that 4e towards the end of its life cycle would not have also benefitted from the same cultural shifts and changes. It didn't.

Don't get me wrong, I think if 4E had not been labeled D&D a fixed up 2nd version (or been given proper development time)could have maintained a sizeable niche. I just don't think it ever could have been as popular as 5e, it simply caters too much to a specific target audience. Nothing wrong with that, I just don't see it as having as broad an appeal. Of course now we'll never know.

I just find it odd that people can't simply accept that the game is actually pretty good. The authors put out a decent product. There doesn't have to be this "it's practically a minor miracle 5e is successful".

Did you reply to the wrong person, perhaps?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Do new players stay new forever?
Do young people prefer the styles and tropes of their own time or those of their parents or grandparents?

This is what I asked you.

 

[GreyLord]

Where is someone getting that D&D has 50 million active players today?

It is primarily a United States Game (or if you include Canada, a North American Game...sorry Europe, you have numbers but majority seem to be American from what I've seen).

They are stating almost 1 in 7 people play D&D in the United States. That would be, young, old, babies, elderly, etc.

50 million would far outnumber the tweeny audience people are saying are the majority of the audience today if that's how many active players there are (mostly in the US again).

Game of Thrones had 44 million viewers.

Walking Dead at it's peak had 17 million viewers.

I think someone CLAIMED it had 25 million players, but that's over 5e's lifetime, not specifically active right now.

Another claimed something like 15 million.

I know one source that CLAIMED 50 million players over the ENTIRETY of D&D's lifetime. I know another that claimed 40 million TOTAL players since D&D started (I think that COULD be a reasonable number).

I have NOT SEEN any source claim 50 million active players. If you have it though, post it.

 

[Parmandur]

Game of Thrones had 44 million viewers.

The statistics released by WotC are what we are going off of, and that as much as we can kmow at any rate.

I higihg this point, particularly, to show.how plausible numbers are, though. Game of Throne is an adult only show, whereas children play D&D and read D&D materials like those of Jim Zub. Both if which are.for sale in Target nationwide.

 

[GreyLord]

The statistics released by WotC are what we are going off of, and that as much as we can kmow at any rate.

I higihg this point, particularly, to show.how plausible numbers are, though. Game of Throne is an adult only show, whereas children play D&D and read D&D materials like those of Jim Zub. Both if which are.for sale in Target nationwide.

I don't recall them saying 50 million active players. In fact, I remember them distinctly NOT saying that.

So...if you have the reference...post it.

I know someone CLAIMED 50 million total players since the beginning (and another 40 million), but that's not ACTIVE players, that's TOTAL PLAYERS EVER since 1975.

WotC didn't claim 50 million active players that I've seen (we are talking active players... NOT TOTAL players for the game ever...those are different numbers). However, if you have the link that shows they made that claim, please post it.

 

[Smackpixi]

Why does it even matter how many people actively play D&D? I know some people like stats, I like stats, but the only relevant question is do you have enough people to play with today that you want to play with? If you’re alone, millions don’t matter but for hope, if your group is the last 5 in the world, all is good.

 

[Parmandur]

I don't recall them saying 50 million active players. In fact, I remember them distinctly NOT saying that.

So...if you have the reference...post it.

I know someone CLAIMED 50 million total players since the beginning (and another 40 million), but that's not ACTIVE players, that's TOTAL PLAYERS EVER since 1975.

WotC didn't claim 50 million active players that I've seen (we are talking active players... NOT TOTAL players for the game ever...those are different numbers). However, if you have the link that shows they made that claim, please post it.

Google D&D 50 million. They don't claim "active players"...but "active" isn't something that matters much to selling D&D t-shirts. It's the only number we have to go off of, and that is ten times what the same number was 25 years ago. And I doubt the 1e year olds in question are former players.

We do know from the Beyond purchase disclosures that D&D Beyond has 10 million active users, so that the baseline. Question is, how many active players douse Beyond?

 

[Minigiant]

This is what I asked you.

1) By definition, you can't be a new player and old player at the same time.

2) Logic dictates that people with will have different preference than other people 20 years older than them.

If 40% of 5e players are under 25 and 5e was not designed for the fantasy preferences of people under 25, the 5e was not designed for 40% of their audience.

 

[GreyLord]

Google D&D 50 million. They don't claim "active players"...but "active" isn't something that matters much to selling D&D t-shirts. It's the only number we have to go off of, and that is ten times what the same number was 25 years ago. And I doubt the 1e year olds in question are former players.

We do know from the Beyond purchase disclosures that D&D Beyond has 10 million active users, so that the baseline. Question is, how many active players douse Beyond?

Is it though?

They 40 million claim was with 15 million 5e players, which implies 25 million players prior to 5e were included in that number.

As I said, They did NOT claim active players because there are NOT 50 million active players for D&D currently.

I'd be surprised if it is even 20 to 25 million.

Just because people into the hobby WANT it to be that popular does not mean it IS that popular. I've said this before, but when looking at popularity in culture, compare it to things of like numbers. If it isn't having that type of impact on society in a similar field, chances are, it's not having the numbers to that level.

I stated Game of Thrones because I don't even see D&D getting that much of popular notice in culture as GoT still does.

I expect the movie will cause a spike in articles, searches, and popularity, but that will probably be more focused on the film itself than actual playerbase. It will probably cause a spike in the player base, but the movie probably will be the more popular search and experienced item in the general population than the game, or that's my expectation.

 

[Parmandur]

1) By definition, you can't be a new player and old player at the same time.

2) Logic dictates that people with will have different preference than other people 20 years older than them.

If 40% of 5e players are under 25 and 5e was not designed for the fantasy preferences of people under 25, the 5e was not designed for 40% of their audience.

2 is not logical, and does not follow. Again, Pokémon, Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Still popular 30 years later with the next generation in my experience.