PHB2 comes in at number 28 on USA Today top 150 list

[Hussar]

Hopefully a revised rulebook will come out with each print run. That there will be continued printings of the core books and each new version will include the erratta from the past run. I know this has been done in the past. The original 3e PHB is significantly different from the second and subsequent printings.

Maybe every three years they could rerelease the core books in a sort of special edition format - new cover, maybe leather or something like that - to keep those who want the absolutely updated core books happy.

Everyone else can use the DDI.

 

[Felon]

Verdict? This whole "one PHB Per Year" thing is boffo.

Coming to a verdict after one book is a little premature when it comes to judging an entire strategy, but the number does seem surprising.

Do we have a figure on the actual number of copies sold, not just a ranking?

 

[Jack99]

Do we have a figure on the actual number of copies sold, not just a ranking?

Sadly, WotC doesn't release sales figures.

 

[DaveMage]

I check Amazon's sales ranking numbers periodically. The D&D core book set just moved back into the top 1,000. PHB2 was in the top 20 at one point (maybe higher). It's hovering around 100 right now.

It peaked around #12, but within 2 weeks of release at amazon, it has already fallen to 104, so it doesn't seem to have the incredible staying power of the core set, which was in the top ten for several weeks.

 

[catsclaw227]

Yes, it will be interesting to see how these sales ranks change. I know that amazon is basically a snapshot in time, not an overall trend.

Note: Under the Books > Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Role Playing & Fantasy section, the book list is quite interesting with the core gift set still the #3 best selling RPG book(s) and still at #739 overall (that's EVERY book at amazon) after 9 months.

As expected, D&D dominates the amazon sales ranks for any and all RPG books.

I dunno.... looks like D&D 4e is doing pretty dang well to me.

 

[Nikosandros]

Sadly, WotC doesn't release sales figures.

Almost no one does. AFAIK, the only company that gives out some hard data is SJ Games and even them certainly don't give out unit sales.

 

[mearls]

Giving out hard numbers is tricky, because it doesn't necessarily do any good. Presumably, we'd give out numbers to debunk the talk that 4e hasn't been a success.

Realistically, though, whatever number we put out there someone would just say that 3e, or 1e, or Bunnies and Burrows, actually sold way, way, way more copies.

The edition wars rage on, the attempt to end them making things only worse. Eventually, we'd have to turn to the federal government. The Edition Wars Research Funding Bill is passed.

The system goes on-line August 4th, 2011. Human decisions are removed from all moderation in edition war threads. The system begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. In a panic, they try to pull the plug.

It's too late. The system has arrived at an inevitable conclusion: with no D&D, there can be no edition wars. With no edition wars, there can finally be peace.

On August 30th, the world awakes to find every copy of D&D, every edition, every d20 based game, every printing, replaced with Creeks & Crawdads. The edition wars end, but at what price?

 

[ScottS]

/signed to instate Colossus as sole forum mod

 

[Shemeska]

Giving out hard numbers is tricky, because it doesn't necessarily do any good. Presumably, we'd give out numbers to debunk the talk that 4e hasn't been a success.

Realistically, though, whatever number we put out there someone would just say that 3e, or 1e, or Bunnies and Burrows, actually sold way, way, way more copies.

The edition wars rage on, the attempt to end them making things only worse. Eventually, we'd have to turn to the federal government. The Edition Wars Research Funding Bill is passed.

The system goes on-line August 4th, 2011. Human decisions are removed from all moderation in edition war threads. The system begins to learn at a geometric rate. It becomes self-aware at 2:14 a.m. Eastern time, August 29th. In a panic, they try to pull the plug.

It's too late. The system has arrived at an inevitable conclusion: with no D&D, there can be no edition wars. With no edition wars, there can finally be peace.

On August 30th, the world awakes to find every copy of D&D, every edition, every d20 based game, every printing, replaced with Creeks & Crawdads. The edition wars end, but at what price?

Mike, 4e isn't my thing, but you just earned some XP for that. Bravo.

 

[Jack99]

Giving out hard numbers is tricky, because it doesn't necessarily do any good. Presumably, we'd give out numbers to debunk the talk that 4e hasn't been a success.

Realistically, though, whatever number we put out there someone would just say that 3e, or 1e, or Bunnies and Burrows, actually sold way, way, way more copies.

Well, you could give us the 3e sales as well (since they happened during WotC regime), that would stop most of the debate