D&D 5E Where We've Been and Where We Might Be Going (or, What I Think WotC Is Doing)

[Urriak Uruk]

I'm almost certain that the "revisited setting" that Ray Winninger mentioned for 2023 is going to be the continent of Marquet.

Yeah it's definitely in the running for that spot, as it would be a couple years into Campaign 3 at that point. It would sell like hotcakes (yes, more than a FR book or Greyhawk book).

 

[Urriak Uruk]

This cover on Polyhedron is dope af.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I'm almost certain that the "revisited setting" that Ray Winninger mentioned for 2023 is going to be the continent of Marquet.

I think Matquet will be out in 2022.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Yeah it's definitely in the running for that spot, as it would be a couple years into Campaign 3 at that point. It would sell like hotcakes (yes, more than a FR book or Greyhawk book).

Yeah no it wouldn't, people over state the power of CR brand. FR books have tens of millions of dollars in revenue generated per month, CR has 9 million from twitch over 3 years, I think Drizzt novels along do more in sales then that alone.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Yeah no it wouldn't, people over state the power of CR brand. FR books have tens of millions of dollars in revenue generated per month, CR has 9 million from twitch over 3 years, I think Drizzt novels along do more in sales then that alone.

I can't remember where the data was, but Wildemount was apparently so successful that it rivaled sales of the core rule books... I think there was even belief that people were buying it with no intention to actually play D&D but were just CR fans who wanted more stuff to read. No other non-core D&D book has come close.

Truth is, CR is far more popular than FR is today. FR has obviously had a very long shelf-life, but CR is the most popular streaming show on Twitch, and the 6th most successful Kickstarter of all-time.

I'm sure a lot of FR books have been sold over the years... but I'm extremely doubtful a single FR book has gotten close to a million sales. I mean, Catch-22 has only 10 million copies sold, and it's mandatory reading in most US schools!

List of best-selling books - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Henadic Theologian]

I can't remember where the data was, but Wildemount was apparently so successful that it rivaled sales of the core rule books... I think there was even belief that people were buying it with no intention to actually play D&D but were just CR fans who wanted more stuff to read. No other non-core D&D book has come close.

Truth is, CR is far more popular than FR is today. FR has obviously had a very long shelf-life, but CR is the most popular streaming show on Twitch, and the 6th most successful Kickstarter of all-time.

I'm sure a lot of FR books have been sold over the years... but I'm extremely doubtful a single FR book has gotten close to a million sales. I mean, Catch-22 has only 10 million copies sold, and it's mandatory reading in most US schools!

List of best-selling books - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Drizzt has sold over 30 million copies as of 2019. Ed Greenwood well over 3 million copies, other popular authors at least a million copies and don't forget most of the adventures have been for FR.

Leaving Money on the Table: Why is There No New D&D Fiction Being Published?

When new players get pulled into D&D what is the first setting they run into? FR.

FR has a $100,000,000 dollar movie to make and FR TV shows in the works.

And FR novels like my paper back copy of Brimstone Angels is worth $100 now.

FR got the first MtG sets, the big video games like BG3, so no Exandia is not more popular, the whole world isn't hugely into social media so focusing on social media misrepresents things. And WotC straight up said their most popular setting is the Forgotten Realms, not Exandia, the Forgotten Realms.

And I finally found out the villains responsible for killing the novel line, it was Hasbro! The geniuses who killed the novel line right before both D&D and MtG exploded in popularity. There timing was perfectly awful.

What they should do is start with limited edition reprint of books like the Brimstone that they already own with a special cover. Basically market the novel line like they do the MtG line and D&D alt covers. Say 10,000 copies of Brimstone Angels reprint, new leather bound cover, limit numbered books, premium price collector edition, with the promise of a regular version at a more affordable cost to be released a month afterward.

I'm Canadian so I've never heard of catch 22 book, they've heard the phrase catch 22.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Drizzt has sold over 30 million copies as of 2019. Ed Greenwood well over 3 million copies, other popular authors at least a million copies and don't forget most of the adventures have been for FR.

Leaving Money on the Table: Why is There No New D&D Fiction Being Published?

When new players get pulled into D&D what is the first setting they run into? FR.

FR has a $100,000,000 dollar movie to make and FR TV shows in the works.

And FR novels like my paper back copy of Brimstone Angels is worth $100 now.

FR got the first MtG sets, the big video games like BG3, so no Exandia is not more popular, the whole world isn't hugely into social media so focusing on social media misrepresents things. And WotC straight up said their most popular setting is the Forgotten Realms, not Exandia, the Forgotten Realms.

And I finally found out the villains responsible for killing the novel line, it was Hasbro! The geniuses who killed the novel line right before both D&D and MtG exploded in popularity.

Well firstly, I can't find any evidence beyond this blogpost (witch looks completely unsourced) that Salvatore has sold 30 million copies of Drizzt. The closest I can find is that he's sold 15 million copies of all his books (not just Drizzt) in the US. That other wikipedia article I linked does not have the Drizzt series there, though it does have Dragonlance (20 million sales).

Second, even if Salvatore really has sold 30 million Drizzt books, I think everyone here will admit his first Drizzt books have performed better than his most recent ones. I can't even find if Way of the Drow made the NY Times besteller list (which Salvatore has hit a few times).

Third, the blog post you cite admits that beyond Dragonlance and Drizzt, D&D novels have not come close to millions-sold-level of success.

I'll admit we don't have a ton of data on what is actually more popular, Exandria or FR... but the last survey data showed FR was roughly the same level of popularity as Dark Sun and Ravenloft, at least in terms of D&D gaming.

I'll absolutely admit FR has historically been a very popular setting, with its long novel line and product releases. But today? I think Wildemount's sales are pretty indicative that CR may be giving it a good run.

But hey, once the movie comes out, maybe everyone will love it and FR will reign as king of D&D. Or maybe the movie will be a total bust. I wouldn't say a movie (to TV show) that hasn't yet released is indicative of much yet. Though FR, out of all the settings WotC owns, is the best setting for D&D to adapt to film as it reflects all of the traditional tropes of the game, while being popular.

I actually hope the film doesn't bust by the way, I want to see a good D&D film. Or TV show!

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Well firstly, I can't find any evidence beyond this blogpost (witch looks completely unsourced) that Salvatore has sold 30 million copies of Drizzt. The closest I can find is that he's sold 15 million copies of all his books (not just Drizzt) in the US. That other wikipedia article I linked does not have the Drizzt series there, though it does have Dragonlance (20 million sales).

Second, even if Salvatore really has sold 30 million Drizzt books, I think everyone here will admit his first Drizzt books have performed better than his most recent ones. I can't even find if Way of the Drow made the NY Times besteller list (which Salvatore has hit a few times).

Third, the blog post you cite admits that beyond Dragonlance and Drizzt, D&D novels have not come close to millions-sold-level of success.

I'll admit we don't have a ton of data on what is actually more popular, Exandria or FR... but the last survey data showed FR was roughly the same level of popularity as Dark Sun and Ravenloft, at least in terms of D&D gaming.

I'll absolutely admit FR has historically been a very popular setting, with its long novel line and product releases. But today? I think Wildemount's sales are pretty indicative that CR may be giving it a good run.

But hey, once the movie comes out, maybe everyone will love it and FR will reign as king of D&D. Or maybe the movie will be a total bust. I wouldn't say a movie (to TV show) that hasn't yet released is indicative of much yet. Though FR, out of all the settings WotC owns, is the best setting for D&D to adapt to film as it reflects all of the traditional tropes of the game, while being popular.

I actually hope the film doesn't bust by the way, I want to see a good D&D film. Or TV show!

No it points Greenwood, Cunningham, Kemp, Evans, and some others as having hit a million+ novels (and even a novel hitting 10,000 to 100,000 is very profitable if published internally).

And that survey report contradicted itself, one of the T1 settings was vastly more popular then the others mentioned later. "Of the top five settings, four require significant new material to function and the fifth is by far our most popular world"

 

[Umbran]

Well firstly, I can't find any evidence beyond this blogpost (witch looks completely unsourced) that Salvatore has sold 30 million copies of Drizzt. The closest I can find is that he's sold 15 million copies of all his books (not just Drizzt) in the US. That other wikipedia article I linked does not have the Drizzt series there, though it does have Dragonlance (20 million sales).

I expect that comes from the biography on Salvatore's website:

"His books regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists and have sold more than 30,000,000 copies."
From (N.Y. Times Bestselling Author R. A. Salvatore - Biography)

 

[teitan]

Hmmm...

Yep I was wrong.