D&D 5E The Printers Can't Handle WotC's One D&D Print Runs!

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One of the reasons why the three new core rulebooks next year will not be released together is because D&D is such a juggernaut that the printers can't actually handle the size of the print runs!

Jeremy Crawford told Polygon "Our print runs are pretty darn big and printers are telling us you can’t give us these three books at the same time.” And Chris Perkins added that "The print runs we’re talking about are massive. That’s been not only true of the core books, but also Tasha’s Cauldron. It’s what we call a high-end problem."
 

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Actually, his main concern is that book prices continuing to be low impacts the ability of game designers to be able to make a living.
Truthfully developing RPGs is a horrible business to be in. The truth is that RPGs are just an incredibly cheap hobby. Once someone has bought the core books for a system, there really isn't anything more you actually need. You could maybe buy one or two adventures per year, but lots of groups never buy adventures.

Some companies, and WotC in the past, try to make money by selling lots of spat books to players, but that is ultimately a loosing proposition. The splat book churn of 3 and 4e suffer from massive diminishing returns. Each slat book you release leads to fewer sales than the last one. Ultimately people only need so many books. This leads to the edition churn of 3 and 4e. Because each additional book you release costs the same to produce, but brings in less and less sales, eventually you need to throw everything out and start over.

The splat book churn is also incredibly brutal on your employees. How many people remember WotC annual round of Christmas firings? Because each book brings in less money, eventually you need to start cutting staff to remain profitable. Say what you will about 5e's slow and steady release schedule, but it does provide a lot more stability and security to WotC employees.

I just want to point out here that I think there is only 1 rpg company from the early days that hasn't gone bankrupt, and that is Chaosium and Call of Cthulhu. The way they survived is basically WotC's evergreen strategy. Releasing the same game with slow iterative improvements. Seriously look at all the RPG publishers that went out of business, TSR, GDW, Fasa, White Wolf, West End Games.
 

Fair enough. It doesn't change anything. We'll never know what would have happened. All we know is that for many years TSR put out a lot of great content, to me particularly in their last decade of operation. I loved (loved loved) a great deal of that content, as it came out during a formative period of my life and formed great memories for me, and am glad it exists. That's my point of view.
I think you are good person Micah, but you come off as extremely selfish as you continue this line of argument. I guess that is fair, we are selfish creatures. I also imagine you’re not as selfish as these posts make you out to be, but I just wanted to let you know that it makes you appear like you have no compassion for other people. I don’t think that is your intent, but it is a side effect. Just wanted to let you know.
 

I think you are good person Micah, but you come off as extremely selfish as you continue this line of argument. I guess that is fair, we are selfish creatures. I also imagine you’re not as selfish as these posts make you out to be, but I just wanted to let you know that it makes you appear like you have no compassion for other people. I don’t think that is your intent, but it is a side effect. Just wanted to let you know.
I have to agree. It comes across as less advocating for what you want, and more as advocating that other people should not get what they want, just because you don't like it. We are all pushing for what we like, but pushing for other people not getting what they like, just reads as selfish and petty. I hope that is not what you are advocating, but that's how it comes across.
 
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I just want to point out here that I think there is only 1 rpg company from the early days that hasn't gone bankrupt, and that is Chaosium and Call of Cthulhu. The way they survived is basically WotC's evergreen strategy. Releasing the same game with slow iterative improvements. Seriously look at all the RPG publishers that went out of business, TSR, GDW, Fasa, White Wolf, West End Games.
Steve Jackson Games, but their strategy seems to be spend so little on your website that you don't even use HTTPS.
 

Steve Jackson Games, but their strategy seems to be spend so little on your website that you don't even use HTTPS.
Thats true, but they publish a lot more than just RPGs, they also sell lots of board and card games as well. If they had to rely of sales of GURPS to keep them afloat they would probably not still be around. I think that Munchkin is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here.

I also realized that Palladium is still technically around, although they are literally a one man show and they were forced to beg for donations from their fans to stay a float.
 


Thats true, but they publish a lot more than just RPGs, they also sell lots of board and card games as well. If they had to rely of sales of GURPS to keep them afloat they would probably not still be around. I think that Munchkin is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here.

I also realized that Palladium is still technically around, although they are literally a one man show and they were forced to beg for donations from their fans to stay a float.
What again?!
 

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