D&D (2024) Is There A New Sheriff in Town?

[MGibster]

You don't even need the best designers. Just spend enough money on marketing, you'll be #1. The product itself is almost irrelevant to that. The sad truth about the modern world--in any industry--is that marketing matters much more than the actual product quality.

While there's some truth to this, I'm not so cynical to think it's entirely true. How many movies studios spent tons of marketing on have flopped because it was terrible? Pepsi dumped a ton of money in marketing Crystal Pepsi but it only lasted two years (with a brief revival in 2016). The product does matter. D&D isn't my favorite game, but it's popular because a lot of people like it. i.e. It's a good product.

 

[MGibster]

You wanna know if a game that releases one month ago has a "realistic shot" at taking down a game that's been top dog for 50 years?

How about you come back in a couple of years, and let's see if Daggerheart is a going concern, before we have that other discussion, hm?

If D&D ever gets dethroned as the #1 RPG, it's probably going to come as quite a surprise like the death of hair metal or the collapse of the Soviet Union.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I think Professor DM said it best...

What does he say? I'm not in a position to watch a video.

 

[Micah Sweet]

While there's some truth to this, I'm not so cynical to think it's entirely true. How many movies studios spent tons of marketing on have flopped because it was terrible? Pepsi dumped a ton of money in marketing Crystal Pepsi but it only lasted two years (with a brief revival in 2016). The product does matter. D&D isn't my favorite game, but it's popular because a lot of people like it. i.e. It's a good product.

It is certainly a good enough product for most of its target audience.

 

[Umbran]

If D&D ever gets dethroned as the #1 RPG, it's probably going to come as quite a surprise like the death of hair metal or the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Not to turn this thread into a discussion of history, but while nobody could predict the day, the collapse of the Soviet Union was a cascade of events over the course of years. It was not a surprise to those who were watching.

 

[MGibster]

Not to turn this thread into a discussion of history, but while nobody could predict the day, the collapse of the Soviet Union was a cascade of events over the course of years. It was not a surprise to those who were watching.

You're absolutely right. The same is equally true of death metal. I think if D&D is ever unseated, it'll come as a surprise, but when we have a chance to look at it with a little perspective we'll figure out why.

 

[Staffan]

Not to turn this thread into a discussion of history, but while nobody could predict the day, the collapse of the Soviet Union was a cascade of events over the course of years. It was not a surprise to those who were watching.

My favorite fictional example of such an event is from the Expanse. There's a scene in season 2 where the party's botanist notices that the hydroponics on the station they're on has some yellowing leaves in it. He then, correctly, deduces that the station is dead and just doesn't know it yet, because if things are at the "yellowing leaves in hydroponics" level, things have already gone too far to reverse.

 

[Corinnguard]

so, Elon?

Knowing Elon, he probably would seek to remake D&D into something like the Oasis in Ready Player One.

 

[Laurefindel]

My favorite fictional example of such an event is from the Expanse. There's a scene in season 2 where the party's botanist notices that the hydroponics on the station they're on has some yellowing leaves in it. He then, correctly, deduces that the station is dead and just doesn't know it yet, because if things are at the "yellowing leaves in hydroponics" level, things have already gone too far to reverse.

Can’t stop the cascade…

But unlike the Titan’s station, i don’t think D&D is as hermetically removed from other «natural» redundancy system that can share the strain.

 

[Theory of Games]

It's interesting to speculate though.

I spent decades in the automotive industry and remember when most Americans couldn't imagine a Japanese automaker dominating the U.S. market. Then Toyota did it. The great empire of Ford Motor Cars got dethroned and the brand hadn't been the same since. We watched Walmart take down K-Mart & Sears. Now Amazon is taking aim at Walmart.

There's always brands who stay on top for a long time, but eventually, they fall. The only constant in life is change. Based on the direction Hasbro is going with D&D, I can see another ttrpg dethroning it. The only question is: how soon? Will Darrington Press have the money and the passion to pull it off?

There's been some great discussion here though!