Ryan Dancey on Redefining the Hobby (Updated: time elements in a storytelling game)

[MongooseMatt]

Just curious, but are you willing to share, generally, the percent of sales that are US vs. UK vs. other country?

It is not quite as simple as a straight percentage I cannot begin to tell you what effect the plummeting Dollar has had, together with the problems in the three tier distribution system, problems that are quite unique to America.

When we first started, there was an 80/20 split between the US and the rest of the world. However, things have evened up greatly, with Europe developing at an amazing pace.

And as skeptical as I am of Ryan's numbers as well, it's at least a methodical way to try and come to a number in an industry where sales numbers are typically quite secret (thanks, by the way, Matt, for sharing what info you have).

Overall, I'm not knocking what Mr Dancey has done (I always tend to listen when he speaks), I'm just saying one figure is flawed

But, I have no numbers to back that, just some background having worked at Borders bookstores HQ as well as reasoned thinking. So I could be entirely wrong, of course. But I'm thinking it's a safe bet that Amazon sales are far, far larger than what Ryan is factoring at least for industry leaders like WotC. What would be interesting is if Scott could mention percent of D&D sales through Amazon vs. FGLS, etc. It could potentially shot a very large hole in Ryan's estimate.

We haven't really tackled Amazon, for various reasons. Drivethru, for example, brings in greater revenue for us on a monthly basis.

 

[Drkfathr1]

Tactical Strategic Roleplaying games.

Couldn't resist.

 

[der_kluge]

On the latest version of the WOTC D&D Podcast Mike Mearls and Dave Noonan mention watching a group of kids during a test group. They mention that the kids got almost everything wrong ruleswise, but they got the general gist of it and waaaaaay more importantly THEY HAD FUN.

I find this very telling, and I think it supports Ryan's assertion that the game is about the story - not about the rules.

I think in this regard, 3rd edition has gotten it wrong - too many rules; not enough story.

 

[GlassJaw]

Otherwise known as "How to make D&D more boring?"

Also known as "how to attract more people to the hobby".

 

[der_kluge]

Tactical Strategic Roleplaying games.

Couldn't resist.

Actually, it stood for Tactical Studies Rules.

 

[HeinorNY]

Mongoose brings in. . . a 'few'. . . million a year (it is a little few, not a big few ). It doesn't really matter if you believe that or not, but you should consider that we have 24 full-time employees, 3000 sq. ft. of offices in the UK, a miniatures production facility in the US, and we are still bringing in new licences. We just brought in about half a million's Dollars worth of printing equipment so we can avoid the inevitable route to China. Despite games like A Call to Arms and Battlefield Evolution, the majority of that is built on RPGs.

I'm a great mongoose fan.
I'd be very excited and optimistic by that words if it weren't for the fact that Conan RPG's new edition stepped back into a full B/W product. :\

 

[gizmo33]

The general opinion was that it's not railroading unless it's "bad railroading."

IMO that's a useless definition. In any case I really think it serves no purpose to continue to discuss this. "Decision trees" being mentioned in the definition of story telling? Railroading = bad railroading? I'm trying to get into the habit of stopping conversations in EnWorld any time the posts exceed the bounds of basic English and logic. If this actually represents the consensus of the community than I guess we'll see what comes of it. Maybe the next Player's Handbook will explain these terms (I won't hold my breath).

 

[Ry]

I'm noticing that when we talk about Dancey, there's something of a routine where people are finding the most objectionable thing on the page and responding to that.

Allow me to say oi...

 

[Raven Crowking]

IMO that's a useless definition. In any case I really think it serves no purpose to continue to discuss this. "Decision trees" being mentioned in the definition of story telling? Railroading = bad railroading? I'm trying to get into the habit of stopping conversations in EnWorld any time the posts exceed the bounds of basic English and logic. If this actually represents the consensus of the community than I guess we'll see what comes of it. Maybe the next Player's Handbook will explain these terms (I won't hold my breath).

Last time I polled, folks overwhelmingly decided that railroading meant whatever the players say it means, regardless of what it is. IOW, they decided that there were no objective criteria to the term. And even when that was pointed out, they still decided the same thing.

 

[Alnag]

Already happening.

http://www.indie-rpgs.com/
http://www.story-games.com/forums/
http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/
http://planet-sg.ogrecave.com/
http://community.livejournal.com/ige/
http://goplaynow.org/
http://www.ashcanfront.net/

I hope, that you understand the fact, that the above mentioned activities form just marginal part of overall RPG business. One can take it as kind of a natural experiment with "different brand", "different aprroach" and see, that on global scale (impact on majority of consumers) this does not work. It might work very well for small group of people (several per mille), but if this should replace D&D, we are doomed already.