D&D 5E Price Increase on D&D & MtG coming

[Stormonu]

Yup, Van Richten's was printed in the USA @aco175 : View attachment 141527

Wow! Last time I bothered checking, they were done in China. When did they switch?

 

[billd91]

Wow! Last time I bothered checking, they were done in China. When did they switch?

Not sure, but my copy of Candlekeep says printed in USA too.

 

[Charlaquin]

Also... didn't this come hot on the heels of WotC announcing increased profits for the first two quarters?

This. It’s exactly the same as the discussion about the standard price of AAA video games going up to $70. Defenders can claim “keeping up with inflation” until they’re blue in the face, but the bottom line is that the corporations’ profits are increasing without these price hikes, so no, they aren’t “needed” or “overdue.”

 

[abirdcall]

This. It’s exactly the same as the discussion about the standard price of AAA video games going up to $70. Defenders can claim “keeping up with inflation” until they’re blue in the face, but the bottom line is that the corporations’ profits are increasing without these price hikes, so no, they aren’t “needed” or “overdue.”

My problem isn't with how much the books cost but how little all the workers who are involved are probably making. That's the real crime.

 

[Parmandur]

Wow! Last time I bothered checking, they were done in China. When did they switch?

Just checked my 2014 copies of Rise of Tiamat and the Mosnter Manual, and both were printed in the USA. Also, the 3E PHB and FRCS were printed in the USA. To my knowledge, so are Magic cards. Printing in the USA is important to Hasbro when feasible, to my memory.

 

[Parmandur]

My problem isn't with how much the books cost but how little all the workers who are involved are probably making. That's the real crime.

Though hopefully that has gone up some since 2014....

 

[Parmandur]

This. It’s exactly the same as the discussion about the standard price of AAA video games going up to $70. Defenders can claim “keeping up with inflation” until they’re blue in the face, but the bottom line is that the corporations’ profits are increasing without these price hikes, so no, they aren’t “needed” or “overdue.”

I don't have a PS5, nor do I want one, but at $70, PS5 games are cheaper than PS1, PS2, and PS3 games in real terms. Fiat currency changes in value, if Sony increases their prices less than the decrease in currency value, that's still less expensive
My new Switch games are nearly half the actual cost of new games we would buy in the 90's. Are game companies and WotC making healthy profitable? Good, I want them to, so I get more of what I want. I appreciate that WotC kept the lid on costs as long as they did, but it's business.

 

[Zardnaar]

This. It’s exactly the same as the discussion about the standard price of AAA video games going up to $70. Defenders can claim “keeping up with inflation” until they’re blue in the face, but the bottom line is that the corporations’ profits are increasing without these price hikes, so no, they aren’t “needed” or “overdue.”

They've shifted the cost of the games to subscriptions, dlc, microtransactions.

GTAV for example, Assassin's Creed etc. AAA stand alone games are few and far between.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Apparently there's a big shortage of containers. China's had Covid outbreak if they lock down their ports.....

Think we have large piles of empty containers but it's not worth picking them up due to shipping shortage.

makes sense

 

[turnip_farmer]

I only really get US news on the economy, but I think at least some of these factors are going to be in play in the rest of the Anglosphere and the first-world economies.

Can confirm from over here in Europe that much of the same applies. Obviously the container shortage is a global supply chain issue, but interestingly Europe also has a shortage of truck drivers, I'm not really sure of the structural reasons behind that.

Another knock-on effect of the pandemic was the near elimination of air freight. Most international mail and air freight travels on passenger aircraft; and international passenger air travel obviously plummeted in volume. Small shipments which it used to be economical to send by air suddenly became prohibitively expensive and subject to huge delays. Even if you pay the inflated price your shipment can still get repeatedly bumped back in the schedule if someone shows up with a higher priority goods classification.