Relation Between Message Board Visitors and Product Purchasers

[Samothdm]

Okay, so I couldn't think of the correct subject.

I saw someone over in the publishing forums who mentioned that even if every member of ENWorld and RPG.net decided to, for example, boycott a game company, the loss of sales would barely make a dent in that company's overall sales.

That got me to thinking about three d20 games I play in (one as a DM and two as a player).

The groups are as follows:

1) Me as DM (message board user). Eight players, one of whom is a regular ENWorld message board user (also visits RPG.net, the Wotc Boards, and the Necromancer and Green Ronin boards). There is one other player who will sometimes lurk at the boards if I point out an interesting thread to him.

Out of the 9 of us, the three who visit message boards are the only ones who buy supplemental d20 products beyond the core rulebooks. In fact, we're the only three who have bought *anything* beyond just the Player's Handbook.

2) Total of six players and one DM. Only two of us visit message boards frequently (the DM is actually one of the players in my other game who visits message board). Again, we are the only two who have bought supplemental d20 books beyond just the Player's Handbook.

3) New group just starting tonight! Six players and one DM (same DM as #2, above). No big surprise - only two of us visit the message boards and, again, we're the only two who buy supplemental d20 books. This one is *slightly* different in that we're playing in a "Dawnforge" campaign and so several people bought the Dawnforge CS. But, I should point out that all of these players are players in either group #1 or #2, above, and so already purchased their Player's Handbook a long time ago. For over 2/3 of this group, buying the Dawnforge: Crucible of Legend CS is only the third d20 product they've purchased in the past 4 years (after the 3.0 and 3.5 PH).

So, that gets me to thinking - maybe message board users *are* a significantly higher percentage of sales for these products? I know it's "first-person research".

What's your experience?

 

[Wombat]

My group consists of myself and six others. Of these, I am the only one who visits this board regularly. I am also the major purchaser of game material in the group, which probably explains why I am almost constantly the GM

 

[Dagda]

Of the 19 players I dm for (multiple games) only one buys anthing beyond the players handbook. And she only buys from her FLGS. I'm the only one who buys pdfs or over the web, and I'm the only one who visits ENWorld regularly (yes, I'm a daily lurker). I don't think any of the others have even visited ENWorld.

 

[Chronosome]

Makes sense to me. People who are more "devoted" and have less of a casual relationship with the game make more purchases and are probably more of the sort who visit EN World. Also, I think there are more DMs here than players, and I find they tend to buy more supplemental stuff than players.

 

[Vrecknidj]

My group has 11 people, of those, 2 of us use messageboards and forums and stuff.

Dave

 

[Pants]

I am the only one in my group that visits the MB's at all and I am the one who buys all of the books. I did manage to get one of my friends to buy Torn Asunder: Critical Hits.

My friend, however, slurps up all of the FR sourcebooks that he can get his hands on, but nothing else.

 

[Samothdm]

My group has 11 people, of those, 2 of us use messageboards and forums and stuff.

Dave

Do you and the other person also buy d20 stuff (print or PDF) beyond just the Player's Handbook? What about the other people in the group?

 

[Mark]

I can't be the only one who recalls hearing that most game companies have never thought it wise to have print runs of more than 5,000 (even though a few have stated that they have done so and even gone back to press on one or two select titles), and that was during the d20 boom of two years ago.

More currently many of the middle tier companies have stated, IIRC, that a more conservative approach is to have an initial print run of no more than 3,000 and in some cases 2,000.

If this is true, I would be very much surprised if at least 20% of sales of those print runs can't be directly due to folks who frequent message boards and the gaming groups whose buying decisions that they influence.

Can it be possible that the thousands of users of just the two message boards mentioned above, their gaming groups, the many lurkers who simply read the boards, and the groups influenced by those lurkers account for less than 400 to 600 copies of any given title?

Surely, I am even being conservative with my theoretical numbers. I'd have to think that the percentage is even higher.

Furthermore, there are other industry folks at other levels of the distribution chain that also gain some knowledge about publishers (reviews of products, impression of their professionalism, etc.) through these venues, such as retailers and distributors. Sleight those folks and you're indirectly cutting off potential customers who never even visit message boards as they either limit their orders or pass on their negative comments.

It makes no sense to me to believe that a company that has a print run of 3,000 on their products considers the buying power of what are likely their most knowledge fans (and the groups they influence) as negligible.

Some publishers might like to point to the lack of hard data to justify ignoring whatever posts are made by message board traffic but in an age where 10%, or even 5%, of sales can so severely effect the bottom line of a publisher can they really afford to take the chance?

 

[Zelda Themelin]

I am message board user, of course. I buy a lot rpg-stuff, it's my hobby.
I am not main dm for my groups, actually I dm rarely, instead I provide stuff. And show some to my friends, who at times find it cool and order it for themselves. I own around 300 d20 books and more books than small library generally. Yep, I like books.

Some of my friends who also buy books are active in internet, through e-mail and some forums, thought not with this one, as far as I know. One buys every forgotten realms product.

Another is fan of anything by Guardians of Order, Besm stuff mostly and some d20, and I can easily get him interested in getting something new. He also collects a lot of magic the gathering cards. Generally, he can afford much greater budget then most of my other friends.

DM of my group has bought basic d20 books and about 10 more books. Likes more old ad&d kind of DM.

8 or so people have bought player's handbook 3.0 but that's that.

I also buy a lot pdf:s, or rather get my friend to do that for me, since I don't have a credit card. I dislike pdf:s but they are useful for game-planning, since I don't have to pick books from cell each and everytime. Too bad, most pdf:s don't have index-links. Yes, many do, but it's alarmingly small percent of things I have. I don't get it why they don't do index links. I don't even remember what they are offically called but I can put them into my pdf-documents easily (those I make of my own files, that is).

The person who orders pdf:s for me does order pdf-stuff also, but not d20 stuff, he is not into d20 at all. He doesn't like pdf's either, only gets it for those products that are available only in that form.

 

[Psion]

Some of my players pick up stuff other than me. But I know this much: I am probably the biggest source of information and recommendations.

Heck, I had to tell my players there was a STARGATE game for d20.

I doubt they'll even know about online things like DTRPG unless I tell them.