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

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."

 

[Hussar]

There is a big difference between playing Magic online and playing D&D. Magic online is basically just an online card game, while D&D requires half a dozen people to simultaneously live stream video. We have had reliable online card games for literally decades. Live streaming video requires exponentially more processing power and internet bandwidth. It is really only in the last couple of years that video chat has improved enough to reliably play d&d without constant lag and speaking over each other. Video chat has really come a long way in the last few years thanks to the pandemic.

I think you are vastly overestimating how cheap it would have been for d&d to move into the digital space. Software development is incredibly expensive, and quite frankly until the recent explosion in the number of players with 5e, tabletop rpgs never really earned enough money to make the expense worthwhile.

WotC did try with 4e, but to make it cost effective they did it on the cheap, and suffered horrible results due to a murder/suicide. It wouldn't surprise me Wotc spend more buy DnD beyond than they ever earned from 4e.

Who needs video chat? Never minding that reliable video chat was around 10 years ago, but, certainly voice chat has been around for at least that long.

You do realize that there's been free VTT's on the market since 2001 right? A chat program wedded to a browser and a random number generator is hardly cutting edge technology.

 

[codo]

On April 13, 2022, Hasbro announced its acquisition of D&D Beyond for $146.3 million. And we know that WotC tried to hit 50 million annual revenue with DnD4, because that's what Hasbro wanted from its core brands, and we know they didn't make that.

So, this looks like hyperbole, but...

Yep, that wasn't hyperbole. I was just putting things in perspective. 5e really is a run away success.

 

[codo]

Who needs video chat? Never minding that reliable video chat was around 10 years ago, but, certainly voice chat has been around for at least that long.

You do realize that there's been free VTT's on the market since 2001 right? A chat program wedded to a browser and a random number generator is hardly cutting edge technology.

I don't need video chat, but I want it. Being able to look people in the eye and actually read their facial expression is a lot more immersive and fulfilling. A vtt map and voice chat is ok for combat, but voice only really hampers roleplaying. If online play is going to compete with in person play and not just be an inferior imitation that people use for the convivence, full video is required.

 

[Hussar]

I don't need video chat, but I want it. Being able to look people in the eye and actually read their facial expression is a lot more immersive and fulfilling. A vtt map and voice chat is ok for combat, but voice only really hampers roleplaying. If online play is going to compete with in person play and not just be an inferior imitation that people use for the convivence, full video is required.

Actually, I strongly disagree. I find that voice chat without video actually strongly encourages role play. People aren't embarassed or shy when they can be a little bit anonymous. Having video on tends to make people, IME, much more inhibited and less likely to engage. It is certainly not an "inferior imitation".

But, in any case, this is largely beside the point. The point is, RPG companies have not spent anything on actually trying to branch out into virtual space play. I certainly don't mean that they should be doing it to the exclusion of tabletop. It's mean to be in addition to tabletop.

Think about it this way. How much time and money do RPG companies spend on doing the convention circuit? Doing game demos and trying to evangelize their games. But zero time in trying to build an online community around a game. It's such a lost opportunity.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

They will never replicate 2E's volume of lore. It wasn't a good business model for TSR. In addition with all the resources available on DmsGuild or for free with a simple google search it's no longer necessary.

TSR had alot of problems, lore wasn't one of them.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

No, it's a 20% increase. When inflation since their last price adjustment has been 28%. The 2014 Core books cost $63 in today's money, so $59.95 is a rational price increase.

Why are you doing PR for a greedly corporation? They don't need to price rip off their their customers, they made 150 million in profits from D&D last year alone, they aren't hurting for money.

They aren't increasing the price to cover inflation, growing popularity already did that, they are doing it to take more of our money to give to those who already have everything, the shareholders.

On funny, but also thought provoking video this.

 

[Oofta]

Why are you doing PR for a greedly corporation? They don't need to price rip off their their customers, they made 150 million in profits from D&D last year alone, they aren't hurting for money.

They aren't increasing the price to cover inflation, growing popularity already did that, they are doing it to take more of our money to give to those who already have everything, the shareholders.

On funny, but also thought provoking video this.

NEWS FLASH ... THIS JUST IN ... WOTC IS NOT A NON-PROFIT CHARITY AND COMPANIES MAKING A REASONABLE PROFIT IS NOT GREED ... REPEAT ... WOTC IS NOT A NON-PROFIT CHARITY ... STAY TUNED FOR MORE ....

 

[Echohawk]

TSR had alot of problems, lore wasn't one of them.

That depends if we're talking about volume, quality or consistency.

I realise that you're a fan of TSR-era lore. I am too. I have no problem agreeing that measured only by quantity, it is hard to fault. However, once we stray into a discussion of quality or consistency, the lore produced during TSR's time at the helm is hardly without its own problems.

In terms of quality and consistency, 1e/2e era lore is a real mixed bag. There are many products (and product lines) with deeply problematic lore: lore that is misogynist or racist by today's standards, lore that is plain silly (the Dragonlance product Gnomes-100, Dragons-0 has an encounter with an ocean-dwelling kraken inside Mount Nevermind that requires the use of a nearby steam-powered laser to resolve) and a vast quantity of lore that contradicts other lore. Sure, TSR did make some effort to try to avoid outright contradictions, but given the sheer volume of their output, it isn't hard to find contradictions when researching almost any topic.

I enjoy my library of TSR products for what it is. But I certainly don't share your view that it is in any way a flawless body of lore.

 

[Umbran]

Why are you doing PR for a greedly corporation?

Mod Note:
We don't require you to like how WotC handles things.
We do require that you not attack other people on the boards over how WotC handles things.

So, dial it back. Now. Please and thanks.

 

[Parmandur]

Why are you doing PR for a greedly corporation? They don't need to price rip off their their customers, they made 150 million in profits from D&D last year alone, they aren't hurting for money.

They aren't increasing the price to cover inflation, growing popularity already did that, they are doing it to take more of our money to give to those who already have everything, the shareholders.

On funny, but also thought provoking video this.

The price increase is below inflation: I literally paid more for the books in 2014 than I will be paying moving forwards. If a company is increasing prices behind the curve of inflation, that is by definition not price gouging, that's technically decreasing prices. Same as how I paid more for Breath of the Wild in 2017 than I did for Tears of the Kingdom in 2023 despite the nominal price beong higher, because of inflation.