woodelf said:
Which, if you're correct, is an example of one of the most despicable aspects of free-market capitalism: it's not about product darwinism, it's about company darwinism, and there's a distinct disconnect between survival of the product and survival of the company. Contrary to what some vocal proponents claim [not saying you did this], it *doesn't* lead to the best products/services surviving, because there are so many ways that a company can, in toto, be th ebest without producing the best products.
In the short term, yes. In the long term, no. As long as there is profit to be made, competitors will seek to enter the market. Eventually, the one with both best product and the healthiest financials will emerge on top.
Only significant barriers to entry will sustain the market leadership of a company that sells a poor product. Eventually a competitor will come along who not only has the financial savvy of the market leader, but has a better product too.
The problem with the RPG industry and more specifically d20, is that right now there are so many companies fighting for the dollars of a limited customer base. Like somone said earlier (Pramas?) the best selling books are the ones that appeal to DMs because they invest the most in the game. Likewise, a lot of DM's screen materials that players bring to the table. So there is not a lot of incentive for players to go out and buy books that there DM may not let them use. When you really think about it, most books aren't even marketed to the entire RPG fan base. They are marketed to the DMs, an even smaller subset of an already small market!
There are two main solutions that I see, although neither one is easy. One is to encourage more purchasing by players. This would require more DM's to be more free in what they allow to their table.
One reason that CCG's like Magic do well in comparison to the RPG market is that there is no one really standing over you and saying this card is allowed and this one isn't. You as the player can buy and play whatever you want without a DM to overrule you. Granted, that in a collectible market like mini's or CCG's, companies like Games Workshop and WotC frequently rule older cards or minis as "illegal" but this is done to foster the purchase of newer cards and minis, and it generally works.
But RPG players by the nature of the beast are required to submit to the rulings of a DM and the DM is course free to limit whatever goes at his/her table. You would have to massively change attitudes, like eliminating things like Rule Zero, and basically demanding that all DM's must allow all "official" D&D products.
This would alienate DMs and and even if it worked you are still only reaching the limited RPG market. But still, it can boost sales and WotC's reissuing of the core rules in the form of 3.5 does partially take advantage of this market strategy. Something they learned from the CCG market.
The other and much better option is to expand the RPG market base. More players and more DM's means more books sold all around. I also see elements of this strategy in WotC's recent move to 3.5 and connecting the game to the minis market. This accomplishes several things. It allows WotC to sell both books and minis, cross-marketing their RPG products and their minis products and hopefully expanding the customer base for both products at the same time.
Also by focusing more on the tactical table-top wargame aspects of D&D, it allows WotC to appeal to the non-gamer. Let's face it, the image of a bunch of "geeks" sitting around, talking in funny voices, and playing "Dungeons and Dragons" is very negative image/stereotype that does not appeal to the mass market. But when you have something like minis and grid maps, suddenly things start to look much more like a fascinating and complex board game. And board games appeal much better to the mass market than the negative RPG stereotype does.
If WotC can sell minis to gamers, sell RPGs to minis players, and bring in new blood with either market or through the new D&D board game, they will be doing all of us a great service because they will be expanding the RPG market base. That means more customers for not only other d20 publishers, it also means more people getting into RPG's and higher sales for WW, Hero Games, etc.
Some things WotC should be doing right now: Get the D&D board game in major U.S. chain stores like Toys R Us and Wal-Mart, include ads and discount coupons for the D&D mini's game and for the core rulebooks within the box.
They should also go to Cartoon Network or use some of that Hasbro purchasing power to put out a FR cartoon show. Hasbro could even do action figures and stuff, in addition to the minis. Who wouldn't want to buy Battle Action Drizzt? Or Elminster with Kung-Fu grip? Other figures and accessories sold seperately!
Seriously, the amount of IP that WotC sits on and does nothing with just boggles my mind.
