Ryan Dancey - D&D in a Death Spiral

[Cergorach]

Er, I'm not sure thickness is a fair way to look at it...Weren't most of the 3.0 books SOFTCOVERS which would naturally be less thick than their 3.5 and 4e counterparts.

I'm pretty sure I've seen Echohawk post his table showing that WOTC is basically on the same track as they have always been since they acquired TSR. Basically, 1 book per month.

If that's true, we should see ~24 products (2 years 4E). How come I see ~2.5 times that number of 4E books on my shelf?

More book space means that WotC is getting more money out of the property, either by producing more books, more hardcover books, or thicker books. Sure that softcover 3.0 adventure might be less thick, but that 4E adventure is 2.5 times as expensive ($9.95 vs. $24.95). The same sized adventures are 50% more expensive ($9.95 vs. $14.95) WotC has now moved to publishing very tiny race books. Half of that difference might be due to inflation, the other half on color prints and poster maps?

 

[AngryMojo]

If that's true, we should see ~24 products (2 years 4E). How come I see ~2.5 times that number of 4E books on my shelf?

By the end of the 3.5 run, WotC was releasing right about three products a month, between miniatures expansions, adventures, hardback books, and campaign setting books. If you add all the FR and Ebberron glut to your calculations, 4e is still a slower pace.

 

[Hussar]

Didn't I just see a post somewhere that there are actually no 4e products between October and December? There's D&D Essentials, but no actual 4e books.

And yet, strangely, the 3pp seem to have a larger market share now, when the ease of use is there, because they provide innovation in different directions.

Larger than what? Larger than 3pp had at the tail end of 3e? Well, the entrance of Paizo would account for a lot of that.

 

[Raven Crowking]

I have noted a lot of 3pp "retro-clone" games seem to have become more popular as well.

 

[Jhaelen]

There's D&D Essentials, but no actual 4e books.

I'm not sure you're using the word 'actual' correctly, since all Essentials products are actually 4e products.

 

[Hussar]

Yeah, ok. You know what I meant. No 4e books that aren't linked to a specific (Essentials) line. How about that?

 

[Ourph]

Yeah, ok. You know what I meant. No 4e books that aren't linked to a specific (Essentials) line. How about that?

I can't speak for Jhaelen, but I'm still confused about the distinction you are trying to make. The Essentials books seem to serve the same purpose as any other 4e book; expanding options and adding new material to the core game.

 

[Obryn]

There's also a focus on Gamma World over the next few months, I believe, which is for some reason considered a D&D product.

-O

 

[Hussar]

I can't speak for Jhaelen, but I'm still confused about the distinction you are trying to make. The Essentials books seem to serve the same purpose as any other 4e book; expanding options and adding new material to the core game.

I thought their purpose was to market the game to new audiences in order to draw in new gamers and expand the player base.

Granted, I could be totally wrong in that.

So, basically, we should draw no differences between something like the Essentials line and, say, a new Eberron book, or a new Martial powers splat?

 

[ProfessorCirno]

It seems like a bit of a silly distinction to make.

4e has books coming out, they're just Essentials books. They're different, yes, but they're still 4e.