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Message: <blockquote data-quote="exile" data-source="post: 6507117" data-attributes="member: 20068">While out for a jog today, I devised a theory regarding 5e's release schedule and organized play program. 5e is being marketed to draw customers into game/hobby stores. Though I hear less about it now, it seems like a few years ago, game/hobby stores were really in decline, closing doors at an alarming rate. In the short time that I have lived in Prestonsburg, KY, I have seen two game/hobby stores die. The organized play program clearly rewards in store play in a way that it does not reward home play; this is a departure from previous D&D organized play programs that rewarded home and store play more equitably. The release schedule has been called slow by some. Others argue that it is not slow, that it is simply different from previous release schedules. What is true is that players of HotDQ earn a greater reward for playing in stores than at home. Store players can also more easily access Expeditions for more play experiences. As an aside, this really annoys me because, at the moment, I don't have a store at which I can enjoy these play experiences. I digress.Anyway, to make this brief (because I am really starting to ramble), I believe that both the release schedule and the organized play program look the way they do specifically to get players into stores. But why? Yeah, there's the nebulous crap about building community, but I don't really buy it. There's not a ton of product directly related to the RPG (again that is counter to this edition's real goal-- which I am about to unveil). There are ancillary products like Attack Wing and boardgames (again, as an aside, these do nothing for me). The real reason that 5e is shaped the way that it is is because WotC wants people in games stores buying anything-- D&D, comics, snacks, table space, and especially Magic.With 5e, I believe that WotC is doing what they can to keep brick and mortar stores in business. And despite my earlier complaining, this is a good thing. I love game stores (I wish I had one in my town). But it is not strictly altruistic. I have no idea how much money D&D makes, or Magic, but I do know that Magic is widely regarded as a cash cow. Further, I believe that Magic would be a much skinnier, poorer cow without brick and mortar stores packing people in to play on multiple nights of every week (but especially on Fridays).So, there you have my wacky theory: D&D is a loss leader for brick and mortar stores and Magic.</blockquote>

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