What do you think WotC "owes" gamers?

[Einan]

I've seen a few threads over the last few months in which a poster will speak of "distrusting" WotC or losing faith in WotC. But what does WotC "owe" its fanbase?

Given that WotC is a profit based enterprise that deals in creative pasttimes, where does the balance go? For example, if WotC says that in Eberron, it won't detail Xendrik, then two years later releases a supplement that does that exactly, does that constitute a breach of trust between a creator and consumer? Should WotC place consumer opinions as high as profit/loss calculations? Is there an available middle ground?

Einan

 

[frankthedm]

The owe us nothing. They are polyp on a megacorp. We should expect them to do everything to make money. From catering more to playerswho buy the books rather than DMs who run the game, to marketing stratagies that milk the D&D brand for all it is worth, DDM, books with content proven to be profitable "Dragon Magic" and a slow escalation of power in optional books so they sell well.

I demand the playtest documents for a better understanding of what was chosen and why it was chosen..

 

[Morrus]

Nothing, any more than Heinz owes me anything. Well, apart from the $1000 of advertising I'm still waiting to be paid for...

However, I daresay it's good business sense to keep your customers happy.

 

[seskis281]

Ditto to the above comments.

A gaming company doesn't owe anything to any group of fans. Especially since that "base" is really a vast congolomeration of differing gaming interests and really isn't a single "base."

The primary focus of Hasbro is to make money. Individuals within the corporate structure, especially in the design area, probably do care and pay attention to what the consumers want. Whether these individuals have the power that a Sean Reynolds or Monte Cook had previously at the co. is another question.

 

[Crothian]

3.5 version of the Oozemaster

 

[GwydapLlew]

3.5 version of the Oozemaster

I love you.

 

[Teflon Billy]

But what does WotC "owe" its fanbase?

Well, what do they "owe" us? Nothing I guess.

In days of yore, there were three groups to whom companies traitionally (and equally) owed their best efforts: The Customers, The Employees and the Shareholders.

Since the 1980's (And globalization) that list has now been tapered down to one: Shareholders.

So if Market Research shows that WotC can make more money by making D&D into a random minis game with a collectible card component...then that's what you are getting, and whatyou think they "owe" you can pretty much hang.

On the flipside of things, I am more than comfortable "voting with my wallet". but I doubt they care.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

I don't think that they owe us anything. However it is in their best interests to keep their customers happy so that they keep buying their products and keep their business profitable. How they do that is a whole other arguement that I won't touch on here.

Olaf the Stout

 

[DerHauptman]

They are in a business to make money, got it! They have a responsibility to their shareholders and such to make as much of it as they can, got it!

We have a business relationship with them - we owe them nothing either. We can and should not give them our money when not satisfied.

What is happening is the same thing that is happening throughout the consumer markets in the United States.

The corporations are not delivering decent goods and services because we keep buying them as is. Why should they up their overhead with research and focus their products to meet our needs when we (I'm guilty) will buy almost anything that hits the street. How many times have you recently accepted poor products and services because it was too inconvenient to do otherwise. I have, did it tonight at Target.

The reason they don't care is because we (the consumers) have given them an out - hey they are in business to make money they owe us nothing right?

Sometimes I feel like a total gorgnard but man our world is going to hell in a handbasket.

 

[pawsplay]

People in a business relationship do owe each other.