What is wrong (and right) in the RPG Industry?

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

I have my own thoughts on the subject, and I'd like to hear from many of you.

We're constantly hearing, about every 3-6 months, that something new has spelled the end for the RPG industry. Be it lowered distribution/retailer openings, or 3rd party PDF publishers stalking Wizards employees with axes while wearing spraypainted Shatner masks, or even new video games loaded with insidious viruses that will burn all your gaming books.

But what is wrong in the RPG industry that makes people feel this way? I can think of things that are wrong right now, so I'll address a few.

• WotC advancing the OGC pool. Lately? Bupkus. Not even updating the SRD or including newer stuff, or even making stuff OGC and NOT integrating it into the SRD.
• The constant complaining. I'm sick to death of hearing that [insert latest thing] will kill the RPG industry. You know what, come tell me when we start finding RPG designer machinegunned to death in brothels, then I'll believe it.
• The lack of support for thier own products. WotC is the biggest culprit in this. Quick, name all the d20 Modern Urban Arcana support products! Name the last 4 d20 Future modules that WotC put out! What's the current d20 Modern default setting?
• This "crippled content" crap that has become so popular. Either make it OGC or design your own system. I understand the arguements back and forth, but I still feel crippled content is cheap and mean spirited.
• The "All OGC work everywhere should be free!" attitude that is sweeping through a lot of gaming circles. THIS is what led to crippled OGC. And telling someone who has put a few months into something that you deserve it for free is just downright stupid. Try going up to a work crew building a house and telling them that you aren't going to pay them, since the lumber, nails, paint, wiring, plumbing, land were all supplied by someone else.

That's a short list, but for the most part, I believe that is the biggest problems in the industry right now.

Now, feel free to swing a bat at me over this, but I'd like to hear what you think is going right/wrong in the industry.

 

[BryonD]

:icks up bat::

::blinks::

Well crap, say something I disagree with first......

 

[Mark CMG]

What is wrong (and right) in the RPG Industry?

Too many chefs?

 

[BryonD]

Too many chefs?

To many kitchens?

 

[Mark CMG]

To many kitchens?

Not enough protein?

 

[BryonD]

I can't say what I thought.
But trust me, its probably true.

 

[Mark CMG]

I can't say what I thought.
But trust me, its probably true.

And I'm going to have to cook up a steak now. Thanks for nothing, BD!

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

I have my own thoughts on the subject, and I'd like to hear from many of you.


[*]The lack of support for thier own products. WotC is the biggest culprit in this. Quick, name all the d20 Modern Urban Arcana support products! Name the last 4 d20 Future modules that WotC put out! What's the current d20 Modern default setting?

It could be that Urban Arcana kind of ... SUCKS!

Sorry, but that's just the way I feel about it. The only thing Urban Arcana needs are adventures, but Modern adventures are a very splintered market.

Maybe WotC could launch a D20 Modern setting search

I think the splintering of the RPG market, in general, is a big problem. If you look at the various complaints that crop up, you'll often find a minority complaining about something, such as too many PrCs or too many magical abilities being added to non-magical concepts like rangers and detective PrCs. Since they're shouted down by the majority, and not listened to by WotC or many major game publishers, they don't buy anything.

When a company does pander to the minority, sometimes it works out quite well for them. Just take a look at Iron Heroes.

Maybe supplements get targeted the wrong way, too. I'm not sure I'm the best judge of how they should be targeted, as I'm biased. ^^ I'm wondering what kind of support people look for. Maybe there should be a poll - one for people who mainly GM, and one for people who mainly play.

 

[Psion]

I'll take your list, Ralts, and add:

• The distribution chain. Savagely inefficient. I think it needs to die before the FLGS does. If it can be done.
• Hasbro. Yeah, you've heard this line of smack talk, but recent events have convinced me that having D&D in their care is not good.

 

[Mouseferatu]

All right, I'm going to sing a song you've heard from me before.

The single biggest, most severe, numero uno problem facing RPGs--as an entity and as a market--is the complete lack of any true* effort at capturing a new generation of market base.

* (Yes, there have been some attempts, and some have even bee heartfelt. They're insufficient.)

Getting new gamers to drift over from CRPGs and MMORPGs isn't enough. Players inviting their brothers-in-law to game isn't enough. Even gamers teaching their kids to play isn't enough.

For RPGs to remain viable, they must be marketed--intelligently and aggressively--to kids.

There needs to be a D&D cartoon on Saturday mornings, sandwhiched in between Yu-Gi-Oh and One Piece. It needs to be exciting, it needs to be appealing, and it needs to have a sufficiency of product tie-in that kids want to go buy these things.

There needs to be a line of D&D toys. Not just miniatures, though those are certainly applicable, but action figures, play sets, and computer games. (Console and PC, as well as online.)

There needs to be an introductory level version of D&D. Not just a doorway basic set, but a simple and easy to play game that people can pick up when they're 8 and keep playing when they're 19. Yes, I know TSR/WotC was worried about competing with themselves by having two versions of the same game, but I believe--in this instance--the rewards are worth the risk.

To put it bluntly, RPGs need to be made back into a kid's fad.

And it's never going to happen. Never. Because of everyone involved in the industry, only Hasbro has the resources to make it happen, and for them, it's not worth the cost. They already have successful lines; there's no sense in spending the money in an attempt to turn a niche hobby into a new one.