The New Gamer-Game Company Relationship

[Thorntangle]

I think the upcoming new edition of D&D 3e is indicative of an interesting phenomenon. At least in the gaming industry.

Games Workshop started publishing new rules, rules changes and tweaks every month in their in-house mag and sells the compilation every year now. WotC's D&D FAQ is a living document with monthly updates. FAQ use, while not necessary, is increasingly important because of increasing accessibility via the internet.

With the proliferation of fan-based messageboards and newsgroups, gamers have been increasingly vocal about the games they play. Newsgroups and messageboards are concentrated feedback (although vocal minority noted) that I think gaming companies feel increasing pressure, and also desire, to heed. I think this, in effect, has led to a culture of using this feedback as perpetual, on-going playtest data.

This seems an obvious enough double-edged sword. Fans are heard and responded to quicker, but also, sometimes the squeaky wheels get the grease (the vocal minority). Fixes are incorporated and tweaks are made, but this means a new edition more often, meaning more money out of the gamers wallet. A culture of constant game adjustment seems to be accelerating change faster than it has historically, but in the end will we actually have a better product?

In the final analysis I hope it will be a better product. But that's only a minor factor in my decision to buy. I know I'll buy the new edition because it'll give me some new reading material, it's fun for me to discuss and learn the new changes, and it's necessary to keep up with the critical mass of games out there.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

This phenomenon is especially interesting with regard to Games Workshop.

They will make changes to army lists and army stats, not based on "overall" play balance, but in how any given army is doing at any given time on the "tournament scene."

For example, years ago the vehicle rules were not very friendly-- most tanks were referred to as rolling coffins, and you'd be a fool to use them. GW releases a new edition with decent vehicle rules, but they were still largely overlooked until a great many skilled players (yay! myself included!) started winning on a regular basis with vehicle based armies.

GW has since tweaked the vehicle rules themselves as well as the tournament army composition rules to discourage vehicle-based armies-- not because they are really BETTER than anything else, just because people got tired of seeing them win.

They also use this as a way to push certain miniature lines-- whatever they want to sell, they'll introduce neat new rules.

I don't see WOTC's efforts even remotely in this regard, however-- at least, not with regard to the revised D&D. Magic the Gathering-- well, that's a whole 'nother ballgame!


Wulf