Top 5 RPGs--Q2 2011

[Steel_Wind]

One thought just occurred to me - So WotC, with a greatly reduced publishing schedule, is doing essentially the same amount of sales as compared to the year before, but with (assumption incoming) a much lower overhead back in Renton.

(Note, this is not to be in any way interpreted as a slam or slight against Paizo.)

At that particular store, yes, I think that is fair to say.

I would note, however, that a GOOD sized chunk of Black Diamond's sales for WotC products are not from books at all, rather, that's revenue from D&D miniatures sales. (A large chunk of which, in turn, is being bought up by Pathfinder players to use for their games, as it happens). So when it comes to minis sales, you get a synergy effect where rising Pathfinder sales can also float a WotC boat in the short to medium term.

That D&D minis inventory is dwindling and that aspect of BD's retail business is drying up as a consequence. So it's not all a matter of WotC getting more value from book inventory and servicing an established cusomer base with DDI at a higher markup with reduced cost of sales.

Don't get me wrong -- a good chunk of it is EXACTLY that -- but a good chunk of those sales are minis, too. And once that inventory is gone -- it's gone forever as far as WotC's participation in that revenue is concerned.

And that same story is being repeated across the country in all manner of stores. While I am sure that WotC is only exiting the business because it wasn't making them money (or at least, enough money to offset the risk and overhead) -- that does not mean that the product was not selling to core RPG customers.

Certainly Paizo/Wizkids thinks Pathfinder Battles can be profitable -- but the price point for those minis is significantly higher than WotC's minis were.

"We'll see".

 

[OnlineDM]

Fascinating sales info - yay data! And interesting point about minis.

I'll just mention, however, that WotC announced that they're going to be making minis again starting next year. It won't be the same way they've done in the past - these will be non-random packs of minis, primarily for monsters you might want hordes of from the sound of things - but they will be selling more minis in the future.