Pathfinder 2E Release Day Second Edition Amazon Sales Rank

[darjr]

Sales rankings are categorized, right? I mean the top 100 books doesn’t include thermometers does it?

I do think that home school books and other books like that suppressed the ranking of the rpg books but do you mean to say things like thermometers did too?

 

[BryonD]

I'd say that the dip was a result of AMazon prioritizing essential items. The way it works (I work for Amazon) is that you don't get charged, so the sale doesn't happen, until the item ships. With things like RPG books de-prioritized by Amazon the sales take a hit but will flatten back out once those products go out the door. I have an item I ordered last week still sitting and waiting to ship with an expected arrival date of May 8th. IN stock. I expect we will see dips and bounce backs over the coming weeks until we return to normal. Trusting Amazon sale rankings right now is not a good measure, if it really was at all considering Amazon is not really a book store anymore.

I doubt it is that. It is tied to purchase events, not shipping dates.
I do think that a lot less people are buying gaming books right now though.

 

[teitan]

Sales rankings are categorized, right? I mean the top 100 books doesn’t include thermometers does it?

I do think that home school books and other books like that suppressed the ranking of the rpg books but do you mean to say things like thermometers did too?

No, I'm saying a ton of essential books like text books were prioritized and that based on how Amazon's system works that it caused a dip so the sales appeared to suffer. It can also be seen in the dip in 5e's PHB sales as well. Sales didn't get finalized due to priority and once they cleared a bunch out they sent the RPG stuff which is why the bounce back occurred. D&D is routinely in the top 100 but it's at 200 right now.

 

[darjr]

Ah, that I concur with. It was mentioned earlier in the thread as a possibility. Is this confirmation?

Your comment about “not just a book store” made it sound to me you meant other things besides books.

 

[darjr]

Note it could be that gaming book sales are ALSO up but are being drowned out by other book purchases. Strange times and all.

 

[darjr]

Relative sales rank, the two books to each other, does still tell us something however.

I think any “general” pressures suppressing the sales rank works for both of them.

 

[teitan]

OH yeah, I've said it before and I think P2 will be a slow burn and that I think the pocket editions are cutting into the sales a little bit, unintentionally splitting their market. They were in for an uphill battle anyway with an entrenched fanbase originally built on rejection of 4e. I sold my P2 a few months ago because I didn't think I would get to play it but now my wife and I are talking about a second game and I have debating 1e Pocket Guides or just getting P2 with the Gamrmastery guide.

 

[Morrus]

OH yeah, I've said it before and I think P2 will be a slow burn and that I think the pocket editions are cutting into the sales a little bit, unintentionally splitting their market.

The goal isn't to get good Amazon sales rankings. The goal is to sell books. If they sell more books overall because of the pocket editions, who cares what the sales rankings on individual products are?

 

[teitan]

Not a book store anymore means that book sales are not Amazon's primary money maker. Books are still in the top 5 (no. 5) but are outsold by electronics, video games, cameras and toys.

 

[teitan]

The goal isn't to get good Amazon sales rankings. The goal is to sell books. If they sell more books overall because of the pocket editions, who cares what the sales rankings on individual products are?

I agree with you but its also the same argument for why TSR put out so many settings that popular consensus says was their downfall.

Also seems to be the point of the thread so I was chiming in because I saw some discussing the recent dips and wanted to put some insight onto that. Threw out some speculation.