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We're Getting Old - and is WotC Accounting For That?
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<blockquote data-quote="delericho" data-source="post: 6206627" data-attributes="member: 22424"><p>One thing to bear in mind is that Mike Mearls said, some months back, that the 4e Red Box actually sold very well. Despite being an absolutely absymal product (IMO), it does appear that the 4e Red Box did its job. 4e's problem wasn't that WotC couldn't get people to <em>try</em> the game, it was that they couldn't convert people who tried into lasting gamers (and, more importantly for them, repeat customers).</p><p></p><p>Now, to a large extent that's inevitable. Even back in the fad days of the 80's, I'll bet a huge number of people bought the Red Box, tried it a couple of times, then threw it in a closet and never looked at it again. D&D simply isn't for everyone. Indeed, even had video games not killed it and taken its stuff, it's likely D&D was destined for niche-dom.</p><p></p><p>But part of it <em>can</em> be mitigated, by Ryan Dancey's fabled "Network Externalities". A new player is more likely to have an easier time of it if they can latch on to an existing group than if they're left to sort it all out for themselves. They're <em>certainly</em> more likely to stick with it if they're surrounded by enthusiastic and experienced fellow gamers than if they have to recruit a handful of somewhat-willing non-gamers and teach them the rules before they start to play.</p><p></p><p>And that's why it's important that WotC not simply ignore existing gamers. I'm not saying that they should pander to our every whim (which is impossible anyway), but they do need to at least be mindful of what we think. Because as fractious, intractable, and unpleasant as we may be, we're also the only network that they have.</p><p></p><p>If they can persuade us, in significant numbers at least, to convert to their new game, WotC will have a much easier time acquiring new players - they'll have a network of existing groups evangelising for them.</p><p></p><p>On the other hand, if a newbie goes to the store to buy his shiny new Red Box, only to be met by an army of experienced players who tell him, "don't play that game; it sucks. Try 4e/PF/OSRIC instead," then it's likely WotC have just lost a sale - at best, it goes to the competition; at worst, the potential new gamer is driven off entirely by the wave of negativity.</p><p></p><p>I do believe it would be a mistake for WotC to go too far in trying to please ex-players, and especially the more intractable amongst them. However, it would equally be a big mistake for WotC to "sack the fans" with a view to replacing us with an entirely new crop of gamers. Because only the first half of that plan will work.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="delericho, post: 6206627, member: 22424"] One thing to bear in mind is that Mike Mearls said, some months back, that the 4e Red Box actually sold very well. Despite being an absolutely absymal product (IMO), it does appear that the 4e Red Box did its job. 4e's problem wasn't that WotC couldn't get people to [i]try[/i] the game, it was that they couldn't convert people who tried into lasting gamers (and, more importantly for them, repeat customers). Now, to a large extent that's inevitable. Even back in the fad days of the 80's, I'll bet a huge number of people bought the Red Box, tried it a couple of times, then threw it in a closet and never looked at it again. D&D simply isn't for everyone. Indeed, even had video games not killed it and taken its stuff, it's likely D&D was destined for niche-dom. But part of it [i]can[/i] be mitigated, by Ryan Dancey's fabled "Network Externalities". A new player is more likely to have an easier time of it if they can latch on to an existing group than if they're left to sort it all out for themselves. They're [i]certainly[/i] more likely to stick with it if they're surrounded by enthusiastic and experienced fellow gamers than if they have to recruit a handful of somewhat-willing non-gamers and teach them the rules before they start to play. And that's why it's important that WotC not simply ignore existing gamers. I'm not saying that they should pander to our every whim (which is impossible anyway), but they do need to at least be mindful of what we think. Because as fractious, intractable, and unpleasant as we may be, we're also the only network that they have. If they can persuade us, in significant numbers at least, to convert to their new game, WotC will have a much easier time acquiring new players - they'll have a network of existing groups evangelising for them. On the other hand, if a newbie goes to the store to buy his shiny new Red Box, only to be met by an army of experienced players who tell him, "don't play that game; it sucks. Try 4e/PF/OSRIC instead," then it's likely WotC have just lost a sale - at best, it goes to the competition; at worst, the potential new gamer is driven off entirely by the wave of negativity. I do believe it would be a mistake for WotC to go too far in trying to please ex-players, and especially the more intractable amongst them. However, it would equally be a big mistake for WotC to "sack the fans" with a view to replacing us with an entirely new crop of gamers. Because only the first half of that plan will work. [/QUOTE]
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