Is D&D recession proof?

[ki11erDM]

I think there is little doubt that we can call D&D books luxury items. And I think most people know that sales of luxuries go down in a rescission. And if you are not living in a fantasy world I think everyone is going to be at least somewhat hurt by the craziness.

So. Is D&D recession proof? It is for me for the most part, I might not buy every book but I am sure I will buy most. But my job is not going any were.

Is Hasbro highly leveraged? (I have no idea)

Will collectables (MtG) still sell?

Should I be up thinking about this at 12:14am? /sigh

 

[Dire Bare]

I think there is little doubt that we can call D&D books luxury items. And I think most people know that sales of luxuries go down in a rescission. And if you are not living in a fantasy world I think everyone is going to be at least somewhat hurt by the craziness.

So. Is D&D recession proof? It is for me for the most part, I might not buy every book but I am sure I will buy most. But my job is not going any were.

Is Hasbro highly leveraged? (I have no idea)

Will collectables (MtG) still sell?

Should I be up thinking about this at 12:14am? /sigh

No. Well, sorta. While luxury items do suffer in recessions, entertainment doesn't suffer as much. People need entertainment to cheer them up and distract them from other more pressing worries. Movies, books, video games and D&D have that going for them.

But, that doesn't mean D&D is recession proof. I don't think it's a coincidence that 4e doesn't have as many books offered per month as 3e did. And also the change in strategy for D&D minis as well. And WotC needs big profits to keep D&D viable for them.

And don't forget that while we all like to buy shiny new books, we all also realize we don't really need to buy new books to play our favorite game! If times get too tight, we'll just have to use all those RPG books we bought and haven't actually used yet!

 

[ki11erDM]

Yea i get you on the distraction part. But I am thinking they might have lucked out with the fewer books model. I hope it helps them keep things moving.

 

[RefinedBean]

D&D, and most other RPGs, has a point in its favor: its hardcore fanbase is probably going to REMAIN a hardcore fanbase, and snap up whatever books are put out.

I mean, roleplaying is a crazy cheap hobby. If you're out there collecting every single mini and every single 3rd party publication, well, you're probably well off. If not, you deserve debt.

But D&D? Your initial purchase is 90-100 bucks for the core three books. That's it; you don't need to buy anything more. But if you can find a way to spend 30 dollars a month, you can keep up-to-date with the latest splats. African children can be sponsored for less than that.

If a recession does hit, the game won't be adopted as much, but the concurrent splats should meet sales expectations. And 3rd party publishes market to niches, anyway, so that customer base probably will squirrel away some money to support their favorite companies.

Point is: Recession will hit everyone hard, but D&D (and RP games in general) is better positioned than most hobbies to weather the storm.

 

[darjr]

I think, in bad economic times, it might even do better. Players can arguably get by with fewer books, and get a lot of bang for the buck. Other forms of entertainment are not even close. It may occur to more than would otherwise be the case, that D&D maybe affordable entertainment.

Probably lots and lots and lots of whishfull thinking. Afterall, think of the hobby I'm in.

 

[malraux]

I think, in bad economic times, it might even do better. Players can arguably get by with fewer books, and get a lot of bang for the buck. Other forms of entertainment are not even close. It may occur to more than would otherwise be the case, that D&D maybe affordable entertainment.

Probably lots and lots and lots of whishfull thinking. Afterall, think of the hobby I'm in.

Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if RPGs are "inferior" products. Compare the cost of PnP rpgs verses an MMO. The MMO has the subscription, but also the cost of a fancy computer, gaming quality broadband, etc.

 

[Serendipity]

It certainly wasn't when the gaming market imploded in the 80s - but of course then it was TSR and there were lots of drama flakes being passed around the offices. Hasbro is a much more solid company so I think D&D will be fine. Gaming as a whole? Maybe not so much. I think it's pro'lly too early to tell.

 

[Treebore]

Its caused me to seriously cut back on my gaming purchases.

Besides, with RPG's, once you have the Core rule book, or books, you don't need any more to play it.

 

[jdrakeh]

The MMO has the subscription, but also the cost of a fancy computer, gaming quality broadband, etc.

These things (i.e., computers and broadband connections) are now common household features in many parts of the world, so I'm not sure that factoring them in as part of the cost for playing MMOs is fair. I mean, that's a bit like factoring in my $400 prescription glasses and monthly electric bills for overhead lighting as part of D&D's cost (because I need both of those things to be able to use my D&D books).

Also, it's worth noting that you can do more than play MMOs with a computer and a broadband connection (e.g., you can watch streaming video, download music, publish books, file your taxes, trade stocks, call overseas, send mail in seconds, etc, etc, etc). D&D books, on the other hand, are pretty much just good for playing D&D. They won't even begin to fill half of the roles that a basic computer will.

 

[dystmesis]

D&D may not be recession-proof, but microlite20 is