Pathfinder 1E Is PAIZO becoming the next Wizards?

[ProfessorCirno]

Totally not getting involved here, but, you do realize that RPG.net was pretty negative about 3e D&D for the entire run right? So, a game which purports to continue 3e D&D is not likely going to be well received.

Just tossing that out there.

I am very well aware of that, but that doesn't really change the nature of the hate ;p

And my basic point stands - Paizo is very much getting hate from certain parts of the internet. Certainly most of it is just edition war backwash, but then again, I think a lot of WotC is the same.

 

[Mistwell]

Given we were all able to mostly-civilly discuss this topic without fomenting a flame war with another message board for page after page of posts, I hope we can go back to doing that. I am missing why this is an important aspect of this topic.

So, can anyone outline a theoretical business plan and realistic series of events that would result in Paizo growing to the size that WOTC is right now within the next 5 years?

 

[Piratecat]

Meh. Let's not speculate about what other message boards love or hate; just like this one, they're made up of many different people with many different opinions. Saying "so-and-so hates X" is a gross generalization at best. More often boards are focused around what they love, not what they hate.

Back on topic, please.

 

[ggroy]

So, can anyone outline a theoretical business plan and realistic series of events that would result in Paizo growing to the size that WOTC is right now within the next 5 years?

Turn it into a hedge fund.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

So, can anyone outline a theoretical business plan and realistic series of events that would result in Paizo growing to the size that WOTC is right now within the next 5 years?

The only realistic plan I could see growing them that rapidly would be a buyout from a company similar in size to Hasbro. Those with ownership in Paizo would have to be nearly saintly in their devotion to the game to resist the big payoff selling to one of Hasbro's rivals.

A less realistic series of events, IMO, would be a discontinuation of the D&D brand. Paizo's Pathfinder would become the de facto current supported edition and would probably see a influx of business large enough to allow them to expand.

 

[ggroy]

A less realistic series of events, IMO, would be a discontinuation of the D&D brand. Paizo's Pathfinder would become the de facto current supported edition and would probably see a influx of business large enough to allow them to expand.

If such a scenario were to happen, the question is how much of the remaining D&D audience will move over to Pathfinder products.

For example, will all those 4E players left hanging suddenly move over to Pathfinder? There's nothing to indicate a priori that there will be a huge exodus of "4E refugees" from WotC to Paizo. In principle, such "4E refugees" could go to other rpgs or stop playing tabletop rpgs altogether.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

If such a scenario were to happen, the question is how much of the remaining D&D audience will move over to Pathfinder products.

For example, will all those 4E players left hanging suddenly move over to Pathfinder? There's nothing to indicate a priori that there will be a huge exodus of "4E refugees" from WotC to Paizo. In principle, such "4E refugees" could go to other rpgs or stop playing tabletop rpgs altogether.

Agreed. It would almost exactly what happened when 4E came out. I didn't want to play 4E so I found something else, in my case 3.5 / Pathfinder.

Alot of 4E people (at least here on ENworld) probably wouldn't go to Pathfinder as more than a few of them declared an open dislike of 3.5.

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

Agreed. It would almost exactly what happened when 4E came out. I didn't want to play 4E so I found something else, in my case 3.5 / Pathfinder.

Alot of 4E people (at least here on ENworld) probably wouldn't go to Pathfinder as more than a few of them declared an open dislike of 3.5.

Alot is so nebulous. I can also say with confidence that alot of "4E people" merely prefer the edition over 3.5E and if left with no new content for 4E might "move on" to a supported version (Pathfinder). I believe that D&D has remained at the top of the RPG world for one main reason: support.

 

[xechnao]

Paizo will grow successfully if it can establish in the hearts of gamers some Pathfinderisms. Since Pathfinder is mostly based on D&Disms, this will be very hard for them to achieve -but nothing is impossible. IMO, they should be trying to figure it out already, so they will be ready for the next step when the Pathfinder of today grows old.

 

[Dice4Hire]

First, I do not want to see Paizo becoming WOTC. I think WOTC is held back or controlled too much by its parent company, though I do like 4E and WOTC in general. I think they would be making better games if they were still independent.

But one reason WOTC is so big is that it is part of a huge company. If the corporate peoples want to, they have access to huge amounts of resources, which Paizo simple does not have.

I also agree with a lot of posters that Paizo needs to develop their own fantasy game, to become a signature company. They are diversifying, and that is good for them and the hobby, but I's like them to do a totally new game, still fantasy, but not a derivitive of 3.5. In my opinion, doing Pathfinder makes them too close to WOTC, just like when they were doing the magazines and Dungeon APs, to be a true industry leader.

I would like to see them as an industry leader.