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."

 

[Umbran]

Other TTRPGs are niche markets, they don't really compete against WotC at all.

You seem to miss the point. This has nothing to do with competition.

The point is that WotC, with its highly visible products, sets public expectations on what a fair price for a game book is. When that perceived fair price goes up, the price indie publishers can charge without so much public pushback also rises. It allows indies to widen their margins slightly.

So, basically, beating on WotC to keep their price down will have the knock-on effect of keeping indies working with smaller margins.

 

[Micah Sweet]

You’d rather sacrifice an entire company than accept less initial product? Even though the survival of the company may have resulted in years more production (not to mention actually keeping the people who made the books you love so much employed)?

With an attitude like that, I find myself glad that WoTC’s business strategy is at odds with your preferences…

I bought 2e product at the time. I contributed to the industry's health in the best way I could. And WotC is not TSR. What they're doing now is unrelated to what TSR did then.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Companies are allowed to raise their prices before reaching the point where they are actively losing money on each sale. In fact, it would be irresponsible of them to do otherwise.

Yeah, things were definitely taking a downturn financially for poor WotC before they decided to raise prices.

 

[codo]

Evidence that they are losing money on each sale please.

I never said they are now, but inflations is still rising. It won't take to many years before they are. I was mostly just criticizing your idea that as long as WotC is still making a profit (even if it is just 1 cent per book), that raising there prices at all is greedy and evil.

 

[Umbran]

Yeah, things were definitely taking a downturn financially for poor WotC before they decided to raise prices.

The sarcasm isn't really successful communication, you know.

In the end, you get to vote with your wallet. If you don't like their prices, drop them an e--mail about it and don't buy the products.

 

[codo]

I bought 2e product at the time. I contributed to the industry's health in the best way I could. And WotC is not TSR. What they're doing now is unrelated to what TSR did then.

Buying 2e books was not contributing to the health of TSR. When a company is selling books at a loss, buying books from them actually puts them further in the hole.

 

[Bedrockgames]

You seem to miss the point. This has nothing to do with competition.

The point is that WotC, with its highly visible products, sets public expectations on what a fair price for a game book is. When that perceived fair price goes up, the price indie publishers can charge without so much public pushback also rises. It allows indies to widen their margins slightly.

So, basically, beating on WotC to keep their price down will have the knock-on effect of keeping indies working with smaller margins.

As an indie publisher, I am not comfortable with this line of argument where we praise a big corporation for raising prices because that somehow helps smaller publishers do the same. Costs if everything are too high these days. We shouldn’t celebrate RPGs getting more expensive or treat a move that is likely motivated by greed as altruism for the little guys. Small publishers do have to raise rates to deal with tight profit margins but there us also a max value these products should have. Right now I am looking at different formats in the future, different approaches so I can keep prices low. If margins are so tight we have to charge unreasonable prices we should consider that our production costs are too high, that maybe books could be done on a tighter budget, with more modest production. If margins are that tight we need to ask ourselves tough questions about where we spend money because it is possible tight revenue streams are due to the realities of demand. I don’t begrudge indie publishers charging what they think is fair. But if anyone can afford lower cover costs it is WOTC. And I think it is very fair for fans to tell us when they think prices are too high

 

[Umbran]

It is also important to remember that WotC is not planning on only printing books in the next couple/few years. They are branching out into media, VTT, and so on. Those are costly and risky ventures.

Raising prices on the books can maintain a bit of buffer against that risk.

 

[Umbran]

And I think it is very fair for fans to tell us when they think prices are too high

Posts here are not telling WotC.

Posts here are a way to express yourself and vent, maybe. But this site is not a legitimate channel of communications with WotC. If you have a message for WotC, as a publisher, posting here is not a reliable way to deliver it. Please take your gripes with WotC to WotC directly.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I never said they are now, but inflations is still rising. It won't take to many years before they are. I was mostly just criticizing your idea that as long as WotC is still making a profit (even if it is just 1 cent per book), that raising there prices at all is greedy and evil.

Not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that right now there is no indication that WotC is suffering financially, due to printing costs or any other reason. In fact I would say they're doing very, very well in that department. Which makes me question using printing costs going up (as true as that is) as an excuse to raise prices.

Why are so many people here so sanguine about this? Is WotC's stuff so good that you wish they would charge you more for it?