RPG Society: The 2005 Thread

[CarlZog]

I disagree. There was a cartoon, lunchboxes, even D&D foodstuffs. It was everywhere.

I don't think D&D's public profile in the early '80s will give you good guidance in attracting new people to the hobby today.

Achieving temporary status as a cultural fad isn't the same as fostering growth of long-term participation in a some leisure-time activity. Beanie Babies, Pokemon cards, country line dancing, CB radios, surfing; all of these were "everywhere" at some point. Right now, everybody's ga-ga about playing poker. This too shall pass. Obviously some people being introduced to poker right now may become lifelong players, but most will quckly move on to the "next big thing."

Carl

 

[CarlZog]

I think that all the parents that are bringing their kids into gaming are our secret weapon as if the kids then get their school friends playing it'll help create a new younger generation which could be crucial for the long term future of the hobby.

I agree. As the generation who started in the '80s reaches the age of having kids and passes on the hobby, I hope we'll continue to see a sort of "baby boom" of new gamers.

But along those lines, I do think there is a market for simpler, entry-level products. C&C seems to be getting good marks in that department.

Carl

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

I don't think that an ad in a magazine would really go that far.

However, an ad campaign on Spike TV or the newly re-vamped MTV2 *could* go a long way in attracting individuals to the game by providing information as to where to buy books and the like...

 

[Crothian]

I think you'd need an add campaign, not just a single add.

 

[kenobi65]

However, an ad campaign on Spike TV or the newly re-vamped MTV2 *could* go a long way in attracting individuals to the game by providing information as to where to buy books and the like...

"This game is so cool, even Vin Diesel plays it!"

But, seriously, I don't think an ad campaign is the answer (and I think it's highly, highly unlikely that BelenUmeria's wished-for organization could ever afford it, anyway).

Honestly, it's probably word-of-mouth that brought a lot of us into this hobby in the first place. I'd wager that most people started playing D&D because some friend / some kids at school / their older brother played it.

That's why WotC pours money into DCI (for card games) and RPGA (for RPGs), and why WizKids puts money into their Organized Play program. They work to encourage people to run demos and tournaments, often at public places. (Now, you could argue that those games are being played in places that already contain gamers, but that's another issue.) Those activities help build a grass-roots community of gamers.

Besides, I think a message of "play *this* cool game" (be it D&D, Mage Knight, whatever) is going to have a lot more pull than "play a game in general." And, that message is most likely going to be coming from the manufacturer of said game.

 

[kenobi65]

There was a cartoon, lunchboxes, even D&D foodstuffs. It was everywhere.

All of those were licensing opportunities for TSR, that came about because D&D was *already* a cultural phenomenon in the early '80s. While I imagine that some kids did try the game because they saw the Saturday-morning cartoon, the cartoon existed because D&D was already popular, not vice-versa.

 

[Acid_crash]

You'd need some kind of organization, some money, an add compaign, AND somebody most non-gamers know and see who is POPULAR. I think if it lacked any one of those things, it'd most likely fail. The ads would have to last at least six months to see if there is any noticable change, can't do it in just one magazine or one month.

Another reason that this most likely won't happen is that over half the responses on this thread have rejected the idea even before it began. Why? Sure word of mouth is one way, and it's a good way, but it's NOT the only way.

If this 'industry' is going to grow beyond the average-age 30ish people playing today, and become more like an 'industry' and not just the hobby it is, then more non-gamers/non-players need to see this either on tv as a commercial, news reports on the news, or getting popular people like Vin Diesel to go to a big con, like GenCon, and promote it. Where he goes, so will reporters, and the news.

Now, getting him to actually do something like that is a pipe dream waiting to be smoked, but hell, even if a few news stations had a hold of his introduction in the 30th anniversary book and read it on the news then a lot of people would at least think once about it, and maybe twice.

I think this is a good idea for trying to get more people to hear about it, notice it, but it would require some serious resources that most of us just do not have. You might get a decent amount of change if all members of this website donated just ten dollars to the cause, and if you somehow included people from rpg.net, the wotc boards, etc... wishful thinking and all, but unless it somehow gets started, how the hell are we gonna know if it would work or not?

Another thing... word of mouth and some of you getting 3 new gamers a year is fine and all, but that's just 3 people. If you could somehow target more people, to get a growing interest, then how would you do it?

 

[Turjan]

Finding new players for the hobby? Cool !

What about pit traps in the local mall? Although it's only half the fun, we might even leave out the spikes .

 

[francisca]

Another thing... word of mouth and some of you getting 3 new gamers a year is fine and all, but that's just 3 people. If you could somehow target more people, to get a growing interest, then how would you do it?

Well, one of the 9 I recruited has spun up his own group of 6. I told 2 friends, and they told 2 friends, and so on, and so on....

 

[francisca]

All of those were licensing opportunities for TSR, that came about because D&D was *already* a cultural phenomenon in the early '80s. While I imagine that some kids did try the game because they saw the Saturday-morning cartoon, the cartoon existed because D&D was already popular, not vice-versa.

Bingo. Pop culture is always behind the curve.