Why are modules no longer popular

[johnsemlak]

Why are modules no longer popular?

I've seen many references to WotC deciding not to publish modules new because there's no money in them.

It's strange because my fondest memories of D&D products, other than core rulebooks, are of classic modules.

Do DMs prefer to use homebrew adventures more than earlier, or were modules always a low selling-item even in the early days?

 

[Vaxalon]

I think there's a glut in the market right now.

There are lots of them free online, there are more of them from various third-party publishers, and many people haven't finished off the first ones that WotC published.

 

[Mark]

When modules could appeal to one tenth the market (in times when tenth level was roughly the top end of the game) you could expect that any people who didn't build their own worlds would only look toward your product one tenth of the time (out of necessity). With the expansion to 20th level and beyond, it is only possible to capture a diminished segment of the market with any single module. Given the breadth of companies who now produce material, you divide the pie even smaller. It's also true that with all of the variants in the rules and how a campaign may progress, as groups go higher in levels they become more diverse and are less likely to find that any single module is a good fit for that particular game, even decreasing the possibility of a sale further. That's all I got. Anyone else...?

I think there's a glut in the market right now.

There are lots of them free online, there are more of them from various third-party publishers, and many people haven't finished off the first ones that WotC published.

There is no glut. Find me a list of 15th level modules and tell me how many people bought the DMG. No glut, sorry.

 

[Darius101]

I miss calling them modules, I miss the numbering system of the old modules...ect..

I would almost bet that WOTC comes out with Adventures so infrequently that it is not cost effective for them to be published anymore. Not to mention with all the great other companies willing to put out modules why should they?

WOTC publishes the rules and then farms out the support products.

Many DM's that I know do use both Homebrew and store bought adventures. There is nothing like those classics they were fun.

Darius

 

[Destil]

For me, it's hard for nearly any module to compete dollat for dollar with a subscription to Dungeon and an internet connection.

 

[Fenes 2]

I have to say that I have developed such a customized playstyle for my campaign that I doubt any bought module, especially a dungeoncrawling standard hack & slash module, would be of any use to me. Some of the free adventures on the WotC site can be adapted quite well, but buying a big module just to spend a lot of time adapting it to my playstyle, campaign world and party would not be cost-effective.

The office and affairs of love might fit my playstyle from what I hear, but I would probably perfer to play in that adventure.

 

[diaglo]

in ye old days. it was a bait.

those who could make it to the Conventions got to playtest them.

those that didn't had to wait for them to be released to the mass market.

there was a certain feel to the old modules.

they were shrinkwrapped.

they had cool art.

and they were written for and by those interested in the one true game.

it hasn't been the same since 1985

 

[DungeonKeeperUK]

I've seen many references to WotC deciding not to publish modules new because there's no money in them.

I don't think there is any money in them for WoTC they have much higher overheads and costs than with the 3rd Party Publishers out there, but as I just said there are many fine adventures out there by 3rd parties

 

[Psion]

Why are modules no longer popular?

I've seen many references to WotC deciding not to publish modules new because there's no money in them.

This is not a new state of affairs. I heard comments from a wanna-be game designer friend of mine in the 80s that when he approached various publishers about adventures, he got back that there was not money in them then.

That Wizards didn't intend to publish many adventures was not a mystery. In fact, they are the precise sort of material that they intended to "outsource" via the d20 STL.

 

[DaveMage]

I think it's unfortunate that the return on modules isn't as high.

I'm glad that Necromancer Games doesn't follow suit. They *are* putting out modules, and some very good ones. Granted, the Kuntz modules weren't as up to par as their other efforts (and, of course, the series didn't finish), but I've enjoyed reading through their products and playing them as well.

I hope Necromancer continues to follow their current format and produces modules consistently.