Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 5324015" data-attributes="member: 59082">Regarding the question, "Where can WotC find new gamers?" I am of two minds. On one hand, it seems that tabletop gaming is doomed to die a slow death, especially as we Gen Xers grow old and infirm. But many of us will likely stop gaming as the years go by, although a bunch of us will probably play until they spread our ashes in the waters of Lake Geneva. Some of our kids might play, and other new players trickle in, but not enough to equal the twin peaks of the early 2000s and the early 1980s. Once you factor in developments in virtual technology, the hobby could very well be a tenth of what it is today in 30 years.On the other hand, with the proliferation of virtual technologies and the general increase in simulative media and entertainment, tabletop RPGs could enter a new Golden Age. Think of the popularity of Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. Fantasy as a whole may be more popular than ever. Healthy forms of "escape" may be more and more desirable given various cultural factors. I can cite one student of mine who played D&D for the first time last year and was overjoyed with his discovery - he was not a "gamerish" type but he simply loved D&D and last time I saw him was fretting about finding a game at college this year.My point being, D&D and other RPGs might be just what the doctor ordered for many people. There are literally millions of people out there that might enjoy RPGs if they just gave one a shot - the key is getting them to the table. RPGs have an addictive quality in that once you start playing, it is hard to stop.So the key question for Wizards of the Coast to ask, and the one I'm sure they are already asking, is: how do people to simply try Dungeons & Dragons? I think they are hoping that Essentials is the answer. I hope it is too, but I still think they haven't gone far enough, that they need an even more toned down, simple and basic game. My current opinion is that when we see 5E it may look rather like 4E, but with a much simpler core, with a modular model of basic core and advanced options. I personally think that is one of the keys to making a game that more people would play. It is hard for gamers to realize that most people don't like number crunching and fiddly bits as much as we do; I have never actually tried to get my very non-gamerish wife to play, but I can imagine her not enjoying the complexity of the rules but liking the story aspect.</blockquote>

Verification