Pathfinder 1E Paizo no longer publishing Dungeon and Dragon

[Nightfall]

Shawn,

Misty is also apparently a Loth by nature. Who knew?

 

[Steel_Wind]

Well when a magazine has a circulation of 50K, and you have an active player base of 5 million, it doesn't seem like a radical leap to think you could do better.

I know Dancey keeps throwing 2 to 3 million a month numbers around from the late 90s.

You know something? I'm not buying into that anymore. I just don't believe it to be true.

 

[Vigilance]

Let me draw an analogy:
In the Hobby something will continue to happen. But it won't be Dungeons and Dragons.

Wow. What a horrible analogy.

A magazine with a circulation of 50K out of 5 million players is canceled (or transmogrified I guess) and that's the END?

Melodramatic much?

 

[Vigilance]

I know Dancey keeps throwing 2 to 3 million a month numbers around from the late 90s.

You know something? I'm not buying into that anymore. I just don't believe it to be true.

Those are Paizo's numbers actually.

Both of them.

50k subscribers and 5 million players.

Those were the numebrs Paizo used to sell advertisers.

http://paizo.com/paizo/about/advertise

 

[Nightfall]

Vigil,

Edena has always been melodrama. Just ask "her" about her Faerunian character.

 

[Maliki]

I'm not one to generally wish ill upon others ( ) but I really hope Wizards digital iniative falls flat on its face.

Ditto.

 

[Pozatronic]

I went through the five stages of grief in about as many minutes. Yes, I had nothing but love for the magazines, and I do feel it is the end of an era....


That being said, I am SO TERRIBLY EXCITED for the new Pathfinder books. Have any of you gone over the paizo website to take a look (I went from page 4 of this thread to page 26, so I haven't seen anybody comment on it)? It looks phenomenal!! I've read the blog and can't wait for updates. I love new worlds to explore, and Wayne Reynolds artwork looks amazing. The adventure paths where a big help to Dungeons rise to popularity, I hope this matches it and I pray it does well. I plan on pre-ordering the first copy next paycheck, but I'll wait to see if my local Borders starts to carry it. They offer coupons several times a month, often 30% off, and I won't have to pay S&H or wait for my copy to arrive.

Good luck, Paizo Guys!

 

[Reynard]

Well when a magazine has a circulation of 50K, and you have an active player base of 5 million, it doesn't seem like a radical leap to think you could do better.

Especially because the magazines were WELL RUN.

Those circulation figures aren't a slam at Paizo in any way.

But maybe, just maybe, those numbers are a sign that the magazine industry isn't a good one to be in, and it's time to try something else?

Maybe?

Maybe. however, the issue isn't so much WotC trying something else as it is WotC trying something instead of. For that to happen, especially when WotC is putting relatively few resources toward the production of Dragon and Dungeon (I'd say none, except I assume they had someone checking something be sure they were in line with their licesnse, etc...), means that WotC must believe that the continued existence and publication of Dragon and/or Dungeon* as a print magazine will somehow hurt the something else. And for that to be the case, WotC must think their something else will appeal to the same market -- which might be 1% of the players, as stated -- which means either it is the same niche of product, or that the 1% is the group that spends money on D&D. I don't know the answers, but that is sure as hell a lot of questions.

*I am still of the opinion that Dungeon was the actual issue. it just so happens that the two were likely managed under a single license, so getting rid of Dungeon required sutting out Dragon as well. As I stated in one of the other umpteen threads, i believe this had more to do with WotC wanting to take control over the D&D adventure market -- for numerous reasons -- and didn't need an entirely too competetive Dungeon magazine hindering their efforts. I mean, today i bought Eyes of the Lich Queen because that's what my group decided on, but we went through quite a list of alternatives, including all 3 Paizo adventure paths and only ended up with EoLQ because the guys didn't want to start off at 1st level. otherwise, we'de be playing Age of Worms.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

Wow. What a horrible analogy.

A magazine with a circulation of 50K out of 5 million players is canceled (or transmogrified I guess) and that's the END?

Melodramatic much?

Not particularly.
When Dragon started back in the 70s, there were practically no rpers, since roleplaying games were just being invented. Yet the magazine flourished and grew anyways. It grew and flourished because people were interested in it, and so they bought it.
Yet in spite of your 5 million gamers, there isn't enough money left to sustain Dragon magazine ... apparently not enough to sustain it in any printed form.
Yeah, that's bad. Yeah, those train tracks are being torn up.

 

[Vigilance]

Maybe. however, the issue isn't so much WotC trying something else as it is WotC trying something instead of. For that to happen, especially when WotC is putting relatively few resources toward the production of Dragon and Dungeon (I'd say none, except I assume they had someone checking something be sure they were in line with their licesnse, etc...), means that WotC must believe that the continued existence and publication of Dragon and/or Dungeon* as a print magazine will somehow hurt the something else. And for that to be the case, WotC must think their something else will appeal to the same market -- which might be 1% of the players, as stated -- which means either it is the same niche of product, or that the 1% is the group that spends money on D&D. I don't know the answers, but that is sure as hell a lot of questions.

*I am still of the opinion that Dungeon was the actual issue. it just so happens that the two were likely managed under a single license, so getting rid of Dungeon required sutting out Dragon as well. As I stated in one of the other umpteen threads, i believe this had more to do with WotC wanting to take control over the D&D adventure market -- for numerous reasons -- and didn't need an entirely too competetive Dungeon magazine hindering their efforts. I mean, today i bought Eyes of the Lich Queen because that's what my group decided on, but we went through quite a list of alternatives, including all 3 Paizo adventure paths and only ended up with EoLQ because the guys didn't want to start off at 1st level. otherwise, we'de be playing Age of Worms.

But instead of is the only way to go in a situation like this.

Wizards has made it very clear that they didnt want to be in the magazine business. They licensed that puppy out as fast as they could.

So if they were going to bring the whole operation in house, the magazine had to go.

By the same token, if they want to do web content for pay, competing with their own magazine doesn't seem smart either.

Sometimes things just die man. Let it go. The magazines are gone.