Is D&D recession proof?

[Mighty Halfling]

I don't think the INDUSTRY is recession proof. People always have better things to spend their itty-bitty paychecks on.
However, D&D/RPGs as a HOBBY is recession proof. Once you buy in, you can play for free as long as you have someone to play with, and it looks like more and more of us will have even more time to do so.

 

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

While not recession proof, the hobby is cheap entertainment for people, especially when compared to going out to dinner and a movie for the evening. We had a staff meeting two weeks ago and were discussing just this very topic. Part of our plans to deal with it are to push the 'recession beating' qualities of our products in upcoming ads (i.e. paper terrain is the most inexpensive type of terrain out there, it provides hours of entertainment building with friends/family for just a few dollars, etc.)

After talking to a number of local players, the general sentiment seems to be they will cut back on big purchases, but they will continue getting smaller items (minis, pdfs, magazines, small supplements, etc.). Recession or no, people who are used to getting new stuff for their hobby each month will want to continue doing so, it just means smaller, more targeted purchases.

 

[Wombat]

Recession-proof?

Very far from.

Two local game stores are increasing their sales of non-rpg items, and cutting well back on rpgs, due to drops in sales over the past 3-6 months.

D&D continues to sell in their stores, but not to the levels they anticipated.

 

[Vrecknidj]

Anything that is purchsed is not recession proof. I think it depends upon the severity of the recession (or depression). Without going too far afield into the economics of the situation, I'd say that WotC is going to suffer for the next few years. I would not be surprised to see some layoffs, perhaps including some of our more favored employees (sadly).

It will be harder to be extravagant at the conventions (except, perhaps, for what will happen at D&D XP this year regarding the D&D Miniatures game, I suspect), and I would expect fewer WotC staff will attend some of these events. Even as fuel costs come down, flying people all over the place will be harder to justify if the books aren't being gobbled up by fat-walleted teens.

I live in Michigan, and we've been in recession for years. Unemployment here has been far worse than most of the rest of the country. We've endured the super-high foreclosure rates for a few years already. If our economy is then a predictor of what the rest of the country is likely to face, it's not cheery.

That said, I agree with those who point out that the game itself is rather free from economic calamity. It's the commercial support that will take a hit. Provided WotC and Hasbro weather the storm, they'll still own the property in a few years and will recover, and the game will return to the robustness of a few years ago. But, between now and then, I think we're in for some lean times.

Dave

 

[Shroomy]

One thing to consider is the rise of on-line retailers since the last US recession in 2001. A steep 30-50% discount at base will certainly keep many more people buying new supplements then they would if they had to pay full price at a brick and mortar store (though, it would probably suck to be an owner of a brick and mortar store).

 

[el-remmen]

I don't think the INDUSTRY is recession proof. People always have better things to spend their itty-bitty paychecks on.
However, D&D/RPGs as a HOBBY is recession proof. Once you buy in, you can play for free as long as you have someone to play with, and it looks like more and more of us will have even more time to do so.

This.

The hobby is more important than the industry.

 

[malraux]

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.

But there's a difference between a computer and broadband, and a gaming computer (with extra large monitor, high end graphics card, multicore machine, etc) and gaming broadband (low ping times, fast upstream, etc).

 

[El Mahdi]

This.

The hobby is more important than the industry.

I'd agree with this also. I'd even say that the actual gaming side becomes more attractive during a recession. When a typical movie outing runs $30-$40 for a couple (even worse for a family), and you have less money to spend on recreation and entertainment, game night starts looking real attractive.

 

[Thasmodious]

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.

Broadband not so much, but computer related expenses, certainly. If you use your computer just to watch video, d/l music illegally, and surf, then you don't need anything besides a bare bones system with onboard graphics. If you use your computer for gaming, gaming results in a stream of upgrade costs. Gamers need quality gaming cards, which are expensive, and become nearly obsolete in a year or two. They need two of them in crossifre. They need high quality HDs with great response time. They need a gaming mouse with on the fly sensitivity, a good quality HD monitor, a gaming keyboard, and a box with sufficient power and cooling for those two video cards... And none of that helps you do your taxes any faster.

Even just a gaming mouse or quality keyboard costs considerably more than a D&D supplement. So I think it's pretty fair to say that playing MMOs or PC gaming is a rather expensive hobby.

 

[jdrakeh]

But there's a difference between a computer and broadband, and a gaming computer (with extra large monitor, high end graphics card, multicore machine, etc) and gaming broadband (low ping times, fast upstream, etc).

Not really. A 7mb broadband connection will run you the same $40 per month that basic dial-up cost about six years ago and it's more than adequate to play any MMO out there. Likewise, while you can still lay down 5k for a giant performance computer, it is by no mean necessary to play an MMO.

The fallacy that games require expensive hardware is what keeps the companies who manufacture such hardware in business. For the record, my $500 custom built (by me) computer can run the supposedly nigh-unrunnable Crysis at near optimum video settings — something that many so-called, high dollar, performance computers can't do.

Things like gaming mice and gaming keyboards are totally optional. Much like buying limited edition D&D books You don't need leatherbound, foil-stamped, D&D books to play D&D just like you don't need a $200 Logitech "gaming keyboard" to play WoW — especially when the $45 Saitek actually performs better.

I know dozens of MMO players, not one of whom has anything more fancy than an off the rack Best Buy special computer and a $40 per month Internet connection. The idea that playing an MMO costs several thousands of dollars is a gross misrepresentation (albeit a gross misrepresentation that retail sales associates, retail store owners, and hardware manufacturers everywhere do their best to promote).