Too many d20 products?

[Aven]

This just in from the review page:

There are currently 1099 reviews available on 545 products

Look, i spent a lot of time trying to word this carefully so as not to get reamed, but then i gave up. Basic point of my post:

Where's the saturation point?

When do we reach the point where new d20 products are just so much wasted paper? Are we there yet? Getting Close? Passed it a long firkin' time ago ?

P.S: Fun math fact: If we let the current amout of products produced since the d20 system was unvieled be the basis of our prediction, there will be 5000+ d20 products by the time the system reaches the age 2nd edition was when it was replaced.

 

[Crothian]

Your looking at quanitiy, you should look at quality. As long as good products are being put out, then I'm all for more products.

Also, how many of those are modules? I'd bet more then half, much more.

Some have said Modules are staurated. There are a lot of them. But sourcebooks? Not nearly. There are many topics that have yet to be covered. Wait another year or so then ask this.

 

[Aven]

Ugh, replying to my own post already. I don't think we're quite there yet, tho the tone of my post seems to imply otherwise. sorry about any confusion. i do, however, think we'll be getting there in the not too distant future...

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Salutations,

Why care?

Would it change what you plan to purchase if the saturation point hits today? six months from now?

What happens happens.

The publishers may be concerned, but then that is all the more reason the companies need to find a niche and/or make sure their quality is relativly high enough.

FD

 

[EricNoah]

What's amazing to me is how quickly we've gotten this far. Last year at this time when the ENnies were being developed, there were hardly any products to pick through. Some of the stuff that was the "best" last year would hardly register on the radar this year, in my opinion.

To me that means that we can finally afford to be picky. Last year at this time you grabbed any adventure and any rulebook you could just to have stuff to do. This year ... don't buy something that's sub-par.

 

[Morrus]

Heh - and the database isn't even up to date yet. Wait until you see the figure in a couple of weeks!

 

[hong]

I don't think you can have too many d20 products. You can have too many _crappy_ d20 products (and not enough good ones). However, that's something quite different.

After all, there's no-one compelling you to go out and buy every d20 splatbook, expansion or module out there. And they do look nice and formidable on the shelf, pushing all the White Wolf, GURPS, and Palladium stuff into the nooks and crannies....

 

[Impeesa]

N64: Very few games, possibly less than a dozen truly classic games to date, thanks to Nintendo's nazi-esque licensing regulations.
Playstation: Incomprehensible number of games, 99% of which were crap. Sheer volume of games guaranteed at least a couple new high-quality games every month.

Guess which one is widely considered to have been 'better' for the gamers? Same situation here.

--Impeesa--

 

[BiggusGeekus]

" Too many d20 products?"

Son, we don't like your kind 'round these part. There aint no such thing as "too many d20 products." Now I have re-cieved an ed-u-ca-tion. So I am more broad-minded than some folk. But I'd advise you to mind your peace.

 

[nopantsyet]

it's all relative. for players who want dozens of prestige classes to choose from, you could make a case for saturation--or at least indistinguishability.

but...

and i want all d20 publishers to pay close attention...

there is a distinct shortage of d20 products targeted at DMs. having DM material in the same book as player information DOES NOT WORK! you must start separating DM- and player-targeted books. i will not spend my money on a book that is not targeted at DMs because i'm not going to use it. come out with books designed to seed a dungeon master's already insidious mind with all sorts of evil ideas to throw at PCs that they won't suspect because it's after the PrCs in their favorite splatbook, and you will get my gaming dollars.