Pathfinder 1E Paizo no longer publishing Dungeon and Dragon

[Joël of the FoS]

Email sent to WotC at corporateinfo@wizards.com:

Please add my name to those extremely unhappy about that decision.

I'm surely not going to subscribe to an online mag that I can't bring in the bus or read where I want.

New Coke was a bad marketing decision, but Coke changed it and they became heroes. Should makes you think

Regards,

Joël Paquin



Got a reply: I have forwarded your email to the brand manager for D&D, so he reads your disappointment and feedback.

Those wishing to change their mind could do the same.

Joël

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

I've been listening to the tone that WOTC has been taking for the last several years, and I think their message regarding this event is rather clear:

We're doing this. Live with it.

They are probably not concerned if people are angry about it, IMO.

EDIT: I went over and looked. Yes, they went ballistic on the WOTC boards. But it doesn't matter.

 

[Dragonblade]

We've heard a lot from fans of the previous Adventure Paths that things kind of get to be too much in the last few adventures. So Rise of the Runelords is sort of an experiment as far as that goes. We're certainly leaving a lot open for sequels or expansions, although the 1st-15th level arc we have for this Adventure Path is complete and self-contained. It won't feel like it's missing much.

But as for adventure paths that go from 1st to 20th level? Pathfinder will CERTAINLY feature adventures that cover that range sooner or later.

Thanks for the reply. Thats good enough for me.

But see my rant here:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=194150

 

[Steel_Wind]

I've been listening to the tone that WOTC has been taking for the last several years, and I think their message regarding this event is rather clear:

We're doing this. Live with it.

They are probably not concerned if people are angry about it, IMO.

EDIT: I went over and looked. Yes, they went ballistic on the WOTC boards. But it doesn't matter.

It would matter a very great deal if they thought that their hardcore lifestyle gamer customers would actually walk and not buy their products. Those customers guarantee a minimal level of sales and ensure that WotC's 2 hardbacks a month publishing schedule continues unabated.

The problem with the hardcore gamer is those sales are taken for granted. While they are a mouthy and cantankerous lot - they still buy the products.

Were that to change - I'm not so sure WotC wouldn't blink. But I don't think it will change.

 

[bowbe]

Every Bad Idea has its Day

No, it didn't. Chainmail was an unmitigated disaster, and while it's true that the miniatures are collectible, you don't NEED them to play the game.

If I'm reading this right, in 4ed. miniatures will actually BE the game, rather than an accessory you can do without.

Did I mention that I really, really hate suits?

I would dare to guess that every bad idea that has come out of WOTC has had its roots in WOTC and not with its rather large, well known and much maligned master. Its my understanding that Hasbro doesn't really take any more money out of the % profit and operating costs that WOTC makes than did Peter Adkison and his partners did when they held the reigns to the company.

What Hasbro did for WOTC was create the venue/ability to produce cheap chinese miniatures at a cheap Hasbro run chinese factory.They also opened up Hasbro's very real and very wide market.

Likewise I would guess that most of the various firings/removals/resignations of various wildly popular developers and contributors at WOTC had a lot more to do with "creative differences" with the one or two constants involved in the D&D line at WOTC since the start of 3ed.

Figure that one out rather than assuming a "suit at hasbro" made a mandate and you'll probably be closer to the source of this most recent blow to yet another iconic piece of FRPG literature. Removing a zero sum loss loss leader and ultimately free (to WOTC) advertisement on the magazine rack and forcing folks to a non collectible non print "online" content is yet another of those "Bad Ideas".

My largest dissapointment in this is that to be honest one of my favorite things about Dungeon and Dragon for years has been the advertisements. As a kid I probably learned more about painting miniatures from the adds for fledgling Games Workshop ads. I learned about Reaper from the adds. I learned about Call of Cthulhu and the old West End James Bond from the adds.

Regardless. I already know other great things will come out of this. That said I wouldn't want to be working the WOTC booth this year at Gen Con. Especially if they announce 4e Hahaha.

 

[Ghendar]

Actually, I like that he and others are making their point in WotC's lobby.

If someone's giving you a message to your face, you can't ignore it.

And obviously, they aren't. They intend to crack down on the message.

It would be interesting to see just how many people get "disciplined" over this.

I like it as well. It may come to nothing but sometimes you have to stick up for what you believe in.
I'm not attempting to equate this to some far more relevant social or political protest but I like the fact that some are willing to do it.

Stick to your guns guys.

 

[Ghendar]

Email sent to WotC at corporateinfo@wizards.com:

l

I just sent them an email as well.

 

[TheLostSoul]

From Nicephorus on another board:

:
Their statement in Dragon #351 says
41,772 (13,517 from subs) for the most recent issue.
47,220 (13,438 from subs) average for the last 12 months.

That suggests that sales are dropping slightly in stores. For comparison, circ was around 125,000 in 1992.

You cannot conclude anything from this particular statistic. Give me the sales from every month, the last twelve months and that conclusion might be right. Standing alone it doesn't say anything... You also have to take the content of each individual issue into account. How useful is it to the average gamer? Issue #352 for example was only really interesting for those who knows/enjoys China Mieville's writings...

 

[Vigilance]

They could have had a preview of the online content ready to display, and done a LOT more to assay the fears of their consumer base than what they have done.

If, in my job, I did anything like this to our customer base, it would be regarded as an outright disaster. They have frightened, angered and alienated a significant portion of their consumers through simple lack of information - coming off as either disinterest or disdain.

Anouncing you have cancelled something, remaining mute for 24 hours, and then posting some "warm remembrance" quotes from a handful of staff members, AND not having any meaningful information at hand for what is to be the replacement is sloppy marrketing and PR, in my opinion (and business experience).

The way Paizo have handled things is infinitely better...

This product doesn't roll out for MONTHS.

Maybe they wanted to give the end of the magazines some respect and some time in the sun?

Maybe there's more to the way they reacted than incompetence and malicious hate of the honest, god-fearin gamers?

 

[Alaric_Prympax]

Of course, I'm hoping that everyone who have chilled out will take reasonable action. If they have never written a letter before ... and I do not mean a manifesto nor a death threat ... they should start writing passionately why these magazines should remain in print.

And snail mail it to Wizards:

Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Attn Customer Service
PO Box 707
Renton, WA 98057-0707

"Why don't I just email them?" You asked.

Then you're proving to them that the internet is the way to get information. They just want you pay for their information.

If you want something IN PRINT, then ask for them IN PRINT.

I just put the finishing touches on my 1 and half page letter, that I started last night, to WotC which I will put in the mail in a few minutes. I was going to email this so they would receive it as quickly as possible but something about that was nagging me in the back of my head. I realized didn't want use an electronic format to support a paper product.