D&D 4E The Business of 4ed Part I: The Problem

[pemerton]

there are multiple "barriers to entry" to someone who might be interested in taking up tabletop roleplaying.

Lots of people over many years have attempted to explain why the hobby is not growing and, in my opinion, they all miss the mark. The cold, hard truth of it is that D&D -- heck, roleplaying in general -- is an esoteric, fringe activity that takes more time and patience than most people are willing to invest in an entertainment. It's no different in this regard than wargaming or model railroad building or playing bridge.

<snip>

My own feeling is that gaming, both as a hobby and a business, would be healthier if people recognized this and acted accordingly.

My feeling is that while it may be true that RPGing is a fringe activity, the comparative success of games involving some overlap of flavour and play-experience - MMORPGs, MtG, etc - suggests that there is room for RPGing to grow.

And I think getting rid of barriers to entry is a good start. Of the editions of D&D that I'm familiar with, only Moldvay's Basic really set out a set of game rules that one might learn by onself in order to start a game. OD&D, AD&D and 3E certainly don't.

 

[diaglo]

And I think getting rid of barriers to entry is a good start. Of the editions of D&D that I'm familiar with, only Moldvay's Basic really set out a set of game rules that one might learn by onself in order to start a game. OD&D, AD&D and 3E certainly don't.

Holmes tried too. you know the one that was the basis for transition to the "Advanced" game. also the one that Moldvay tried to emulate.


diaglo "proud to be a grognard" Ooi

 

[dmccoy1693]

I see this statement alot, but I don't get it. Does White-wolf depend on D&D...does Runequest? I think the d20 industry depends on D&D but I'd actually like to see evidence or a logical argument that the above is the case. Didn't TSR totally screw up D&D...yet the "industry" continued.

Another point to consider is just how many people start with D&D and then move to another system? I'm betting most of other companies customers started with D&D and then moved (or played another in addition to D&D). D&D is the gateway into the hobby for most players.

From Monte Cook's Journal about his ICE days:

Kevin and Coleman taught me that in the game industry, despite the way it appeared from the consumer level, there wasn't a lot of actual competition. TSR and D&D certainly weren't the competition. In the late 80s/early 90s, ICE and other "second-tier" companies like GDW, Steve Jackson, and West End fed off the scraps that TSR left behind, and were happy to do so. Almost without exception, every member of our various audiences was a former D&D player. That person left D&D looking for something simpler, something more complicated, or something different, and all the second tier companies offered the customer their various options.

Emphasis Mine.

 

[dmccoy1693]

First...what is a grognard?

From Reference.com

[Grognard] also refers to players who prefer some past, usually out of print game or edition of a game, to current games or currently-printed editions of same.

 

[pemerton]

Holmes tried too. you know the one that was the basis for transition to the "Advanced" game. also the one that Moldvay tried to emulate.

I left it out because it's not one I'm familiar with, but I'm not surprised that it should be added to the list.