D&D 1E My clever theory: why 1e AD&D is being reprinted

[Lanefan]

While I really hope [MENTION=2]Piratecat[/MENTION] is right in his theory, I'm afraid I'm a bit more cynical...until-unless proven wrong, which I would not mind in the least.

My concern: that the 1e re-release is an early bone thrown to the OSR crowd, a distant early warning that 5e will not resemble 1e (or any other e before 3) in the least.

Another, less cynical theory: that the 1e re-release is a trial balloon, if it does well 5e might incorporate more 1e elements than if it fails.

But I still hope P-cat is right.

Lanefan

 

[pemerton]

Wages are lower relative to GDP and productivity compared to the 1979 era. This is a factor of changes in the job market and a bunch of other things but it makes $40 adjusted seem like more money.

D&D[/B] buyer of the era, based on national GDP.

Now.

Fast forward to ... well, we're really dealing with one year here (2012) in which we have to buy the books but we do need a range...so let's say 2009 to 2011, just to remain consistent.

(crapski - the data calculator only comes up to 2010, not 2011 as I'd hoped; perhaps we can revisit later. Anyway)

2008 43,177.70
2009 41,313.18
2010 42,204.92

Ahh, now we get to the meat of the issue.

National GDP per capita has only roughly doubled - while prices have quadrupled - since the AD&D era.

And it's even worse than this, because - as Ace pointed out - the wage share of US GDP has been fairly steadily declining since the 1970s. So for those who are relying on wages rather than investment income to purchase their RPG materials - which is probably most RPGers, I imagine - the decline in purchasing power will be even greater.

 

[Spinachcat]

It's a PR gesture and hopefully WotC is giving enough per book to make the Gygax statue happen. But based on the comments in OSR forums, I doubt many people are going to buy the reprints.

BTW, the OSR proved that there is NO real market for OSR stuff. Its a market for hobbyists to make beer money, but nothing resembling a living wage.

 

[Ranes]

Damn it, I'm only here because someone mentioned hilarious debunking!

I think there's something to what you say, PC, but there are almost certainly other factors behind the decision, too.

Also, I think that WotC and Hasbro would generate even more goodwill and great PR were the world's biggest games company to simply foot the bill for the statue and donate revenue from the reprints to a good cause.

 

[Zak S]

Its a market for hobbyists to make beer money, but nothing resembling a living wage.

Um, I don't know if anyone reading this cares or is interested but this is actually provably untrue.

Carcosa and Vornheim have both made as much or more for their creators per time spent and per word than high-tier freelancers make.

This has been confirmed by major RPG freelancers via email.

More info here:

Playing D&D With Porn Stars: Time To D.I.Y.
and

here:
Playing D&D With Porn Stars: RPG Professionals: Rude Question, Luckily This Is A Blog So You Don't Have To Answer

And if Spinachcat is suggesting that these kinds of products wrapped up in WOTC trade dress, promotion and illustration wouldn't sell many more copies then they did when guys were selling them online to a tiny bunch of blog readers then all I can say is:

What will you give us if it happens and you are wrong?

 

[Li Shenron]

First, you've probably heard by now that WotC is reprinting special collector's editions of the 1e AD&D PH, DMG and MM. This is a wonderful thing, and not only because each sale is contributing to the Gary Gygax Memorial Fund.

I've been thinking about why (beyond massive goodwill and being generally cool) they're doing this, though, and I have a theory that may hint at the nature of D&DNext. None of this comes from inside knowledge, and I'm blindly guessing. It's an interesting guess, though.

Let's posit for a minute that the core of D&DNext cleaves more closely to 1e-2e-3e feel than 4e. Heck, lets even say closer to 1e with a bunch of modern innovations mixed in, like the best of the OSR games. I can see a problem with this. There are a ton of new gamers who have entered the hobby since 3e, and they'll have absolutely no idea what D&DNext is shooting for. Some of the decisions that cater to nostalgia may seem odd to them.

Thus, the re-release of the 1e books. They give newer gamers a chance to see what's come before, and (hopefully) they provide a positive basis for comparison with the new rules set. It's sort of brilliant, actually, because this is a case where everyone wins.

Opinions? Thoughts? Hilarious debunking?

If they were making the 1e books available for free as PDF (like they did before with some AD&D setting and adventure material), then your theory would be perfect!

But they aren't, they are selling the 1e corebooks at around 100$. How many of the 4e gamers would spend 100$ just to take a look at an old system and use as comparison for 5e?

Still it makes sense that WotC sees this as a possible side benefit, but mostly I think they are expecting people buying these reprints because of nostalgia or collection. Some may indeed want to try and run a game of AD&D of two (I would), although from skimming the old books from someone else's collection I remember I got the impression that they were painful to read, and had pretty bad artwork too, so I would probably spend those money on something else.

 

[Windjammer]

Thus, the re-release of the 1e books. They give newer gamers a chance to see what's come before, and (hopefully) they provide a positive basis for comparison with the new rules set. It's sort of brilliant, actually, because this is a case where everyone wins.

Opinions? Thoughts? Hilarious debunking?

I think you got it the wrong way round because you precisely think of 3E/4E fans when the easier explanation is to focus on the inverse fan segment.

In that vein, tThe best 'theory' I've read is Jolly Blackburn's (Kenzer & Co) over at TheRPGSite: this is PR stunt for 1E fans to check out Wizards' webpage again. When you go to the webpage to check the multiply linked to pre-order/sales pages for the 1E books you'll get instantly hit by a "SIGN UP FOR OUR 5E PLAYTEST HERE!" pop-up window.

Who's going to check out these pre-order webpages? 1E fans obviously. Dragonsfoot. Knights & Knaves Alehouse. D&D fans who call 3rd 'the edition which is not to be named' and for whom 4E is 'Jar-Jaromir and da magic ring'. People who've refused to go to Wizards' webpage for years.

And now they return. And are alerted to a 5E in the works, and are asked to sign up for a playtest.

 

[Reynard]

Grognards and OSRians aren't the only ones that felt WotC abandoned many of the traditions inherent in the game -- and primarily started in 1E -- with 4e. As a gesture saying "We get it -- old D&D matters to you" they aren't just talking to grognards.

 

[thedungeondelver]

I doubt many people are going to buy the reprints.

what

No, seriously.

I went on an atrocity tour of ...other... gaming sites and you know what? The one place I thought would be full of weeping and wailing and oh-noes and "our precious fore-eeh saves it from the naaasty furst addition!" was almost universally positive about this.

PENNY ARCADE's forums : psyched
theRPGSite : psyched
KNIGHTS & KNAVES ALEHOUSE : psyched
RPG.NET : psyched

...and I promise you there's no cross-pollination between those places.

(oh, yeah and THE DELVER'S DUNGEON : psyched)

Sadly, DRAGONSFOOT seems to be the place where the negativity is emanating from, as far as I can tell.

IOW, I have read a lot more enthusiastic welcomes of this than negative or neutral points of view. This is in the face of the fact that yeah you can get the originals for a few bucks.

I look at the glass as 99% full. I think this is going to be a great moment whether it's just a gesture or whether it marks the beginning of a slew of reprints from WIZARDS OF THE COAST. And I'm not gonna play in the theater of negative ideas on this.

 

[Pilgrim]

I'm of the mind that, barring how successful the sales of the 1E reprints are, we may then see reprints or compilations and reprints of some of the earlier modules too, in limited supply.

Doing limited supply means WotC gets to make a profit, the fans get the opportunity to purchase/repurchase old material, and WotC doesn't over extend themselves.

It makes pretty good sense. It's something they could have been doing for some time now. Not to mention, if the sales taper off and they hold back, then in another 5-10 years when players might be looking to pick up another set, they can do another limited run and they'll already have everything ready to go.