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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 5014614" data-attributes="member: 59082">It was just a joke (although I have wondered how many users are behind those 85,000...maybe 30,000? And how actually check the boards at least once a month? Maybe 10,000? Any data on this, Morrus?).I honestly have no idea. I could believe that 1 million Americans play some form of RPG on at least a semi-regular basis (although I'm pretty sure Dancey's figures were meant to refer to D&D players). That's one out of about 300 people? That seems like a lot to me, but maybe it is true.I've always been fascinated by gamer demographics but have been disappointed with the lack of studies. But there are so many questions: How many people in the world have played an RPG? How many play now? What percent play D&D? World of Darkness games? GURPS? Etc. What I'd like to see is one of those microcosms where "If a 100 people play RPGs, x-number play D&D, x-number Rifts, etc."My guess is that about 80% of RPGers primarily play D&D, and maybe 60-70% only play D&D.But I digress...Very interesting post (I cut some of it in the quote to get to the key points and to save space a bit).Given the traditional usages of the term "Golden Age"--as based in Greek and Indian (Vedic) tradition--I think you are right, which is what I was getting at in some of my earlier posts, although maybe didn't go far enough. It is also interesting to note your implication that we've come full circle to some extent, back to another Golden Age. With your ideas in mind, here's a new configuration of my "Four Ages Hypothesis" of RPGs:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">First Golden Age - 1970s, first ideas ("First Time"), the archetypal world, innovation, a simpler time, even an Eden.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">First Silver Age - 1977 to mid 80s - The First Time is brought into reality as RPGs make it big; major period of expansion; further innovation; commercialization.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">First Bronze Age - Mid 80s to mid-to-late 90s. Further developments and diversification. RPGs become "humanized" (story games, World of Darkness, etc).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">First Iron Age - Also called the Dark Age; this could refer to the late 90s when little innovation was occuring, when TSR went bankrupt, when "glut ruled the day."</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Second Golden Age - OGL and amateur publishing. PDFs. Anyone and everyone can be a game designer.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Second Silver Age - 4ed. D&D market begins to fracture with 4ed, 3.5ed, Pathfinder, the Old School folks, etc.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Second Bronze Age - ? If the pattern holds there will be some kind of humanistic development where the tactical/combat focus of 4ed (as with 1ed) is challenged by a new, more humanistic development (as White Wolf did).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Second Iron Age - ? Hasbro sells/shelves D&D, decides against a 5ed. The demise of tabletop RPGs as a major hobby? Much of it is integrated into virtual (computer) games. A strong core lives on through the Dark Ages to begin a new Golden Age, and so the cycle begins again...</li> </ul>        Speculating is fun.</blockquote>

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