Roleplaying outside the U.S.

[Glyfair]

In another thread I was speculating about the worldwide RPG hobby. So, I wanted to present this question to the ENWorld members, which has a reasonable international participation.

Which countries have D&D as their primary RPG now?

Which countries had D&D as their primary RPG at one time, but don't now?

Which RPGs have a major influence on each country?

 

[S'mon]

I think D&D's definintely the biggest RPG in the UK, though the 'Games Workshop hobby' may have more players.

 

[Edheldur]

In Mexico, the most played game is D&D hands down, followed really, really close by oWoD/Exalted. As far as other RPGs, there might as well don't exist since nobody really plays them (I've yet to find/convince a gaming group to try Mutants & Masterminds).

 

[Alnag]

OK. Czech republic (Central European country) State of RPG Industry review:
==========================================================
After the fall of communist regime in 1989 first RPG is introduced. It is loosely based on Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1981). Ironically authors could have based it on AD&D if they had more money. This system "Draci doupe" (Dragon's Lair) has almost monopolised the whole RPG market.

Several tries for creating local competition or import and translate foreign game (Shadowrun 2e) became a fiasco. The demands for license on AD&D and or GURPS were to high for small local market. The running translation of AD&D was scratched as well as another try of the same with D&D 3e Intruductory Box.

Currently the older and more experienced gamers are more fluent with English so the games like D&D, AGOT d20, Engel d20, D20 Modern, True20, World of Darkness, Exalted, GURPS and Cadwallon are easier to find a players for.

There is also quite a tradition of translating the free games - the Window, Risus, FATE, SRD etc. and not so free games as well.

In 2006 the community of more experienced gamers was flooded and hardly damaged by missionary invasion of indie RPGs. The great outburst of emotion (greater than cancellation of Dungeon and Dragon here)was not yet calmed down absolutely. Lot of animosty stayed. The tradition of translation as far as I know lead to translating indie RPG - My Life With Master.

The greatest influence is definitively from English-speaking markets of North America and GB and than also from our nearest neighbours Germany and Poland.

 

[Maggan]

In another thread I was speculating about the worldwide RPG hobby. So, I wanted to present this question to the ENWorld members, which has a reasonable international participation.

Which countries have D&D as their primary RPG now?

Which countries had D&D as their primary RPG at one time, but don't now?

Which RPGs have a major influence on each country?

Sweden:

1. No, D&D is not the primary RPG now.

2. We never had D&D as our primary RPG.

3. The single most important influence in Sweden and Scandinavia has been and is the Swedish RPG Drakar och Demoner, based on a licensed BRP from Chaosium, and then developed into a sort of independent rules system.

To me the domination of Drakar och Demoner is really compelling evidence that it is not the system that made D&D the dominant RPG in the US, but a set of favourable circumstances, where first (or near to first) mover advantage had a huge influence on the outcome.

That's basically what happened in Sweden. Drakar och Demoner was the first Swedish language RPG, and it totally dominated the scene.

/M

 

[DragonLancer]

Here in the UK I think that D&D is still the biggest, though Vampire and Cthulhu also seem pretty popular. We haven't had the social stigma/attention over here on the game that it has had in the US, and I think its more accepted here than over there by sounds of it.

 

[Mycanid]

Last I knew, in Russia rpg's were not as popular as historical re-enactments - a la the SCA or the Ren Faire here in America, but focusing on Russian history. These things are fairly popular also in France, I think ... especially war-based re-enactments.

 

[Ron]

Dungeon & Dragons is the market leader in Brazil by a far margin. However, World of Darkness, despite being definitely second, has a solid share. Everything else, Brazilian created or translated from English, has a tiny slice of the market. GURPS was once strong, as it was the first translated rpg (at least two Brazilian made came earlier but are now OOP) and supported by the main publisher but nowadays is nearly absent from the shelves.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Canada = the US in all respects as we are treated as the same domestic market for virtually all purposes.

But you all knew that already, right?

 

[jujutsunerd]

Sweden:
2. We never had D&D as our primary RPG.

Hmm. I guess it's possible that RQ or Traveller was the primary rpg back when I started roleplaying (1980), but I'm fairly confident it was Dungeons & Dragons. Everyone I knew was into one of those three games before 'Drakar och Demoner' was released, but Dungeons & Dragons seemed the most common. At least that's the way I remember it. Though, of course, it's been a few years.

Doubtlessly you're right about the years after Drakar och Demoner was released. I've never played it myself, as I got caught in first CoC, then RQ over the years that Drakar och Demoner grew. A bit of 'age snobbery' too I guess, all the people playing Drakar och Demoner seemed so young and immature. (They must've been, what, three or four years younger than me. Which is awfully important when your 15 or so.

/Jonas