WOTC Demographic?
- Thread starter Sigurd
- Start date
The Shaman
First Post
Greg K said:
Same here.
MerricB said:
I have picked up this box as a Christmas present for my little cousin: he's 12 years old, as many years ago his mother bought be Space Crusade as a Christmas present which got me into GW games and from it D&D, so it felt only fair. :>
Very interested to hear it uses a set order. Most games, of course, do have a "my turn, your turn" system, and the idea of "the order will change every combat, of which there can be several a game" is perhaps a little odd for some total newbies, yes. Apart from RPGs, most of the board/party/card/whatever games I play I can think of usually have a "clockwise round the table" or similar pre-set order.
got to go from the chart for 2004 GenCon
While the chart is not correct with WoTC, it does show who goes to GenCon, I would think Wizards would be trying to hit the group before the 25 year olds as their target.
While the chart is not correct with WoTC, it does show who goes to GenCon, I would think Wizards would be trying to hit the group before the 25 year olds as their target.
Last edited:
GrumpyOldMan
First Post
Doomed Battalions said:Hi-
The age group in my campaign range's from 40 to 19 and we get along. The old guy is the DM.
Scott
A Forty year old is NOT an old guy!
Hairfoot
First Post
This is always flamebait, but I'm sticking to my guns: D20 D&D is about getting Magic players to think beyond number stacking and buy more (and more expensive) material. WotC are wizards, after all, and their magic formula is creating the kind of stat-mechanic games which human beings are wired to adore. And a good thing it is, too.
MTG is just bridge with a fantasy twist and great artwork. The basic appeal is no different to the thrill of holding a royal flush, or picking up an ace of spades in a round of blackjack.
It's market funnelling: young player is drawn to fantasy> drawn to MTG artwork> enjoys the representation of the art through statistics> gets hooked on an enjoyable card game> grows accustomed to stat-based gaming> picks up D&D to expand fantasy concepts beyond simple stacks of expendable troops.
Voila! Another teenage D&D player enters the market.
Us grognards? Well, we've been playing this game for 20 years (or longer), grown used to the concepts and source material, and many appreciate the tidy combat rules which tie in with the miniature wargames we've played as an adjunct to D&D for so long.
Regarding Sigurd's comment on distractions, remember that number-versus-number games are very compulsive. MTG and D&D use the same strategic and "power-up" concepts as video games but remove the strait-jacket of software design. Also, once people learn to enjoy fantasy games (be they card games or RPGs) they're usually willing to spend a lot of time on them. Resiling from other activities to concentrate on thought-intensive games is what makes us geeks in the first place.
Of course, that doesn't answer the demographic question at all. I went to post a short response and a rant came out instead. Happens to us all, sometimes.
MTG is just bridge with a fantasy twist and great artwork. The basic appeal is no different to the thrill of holding a royal flush, or picking up an ace of spades in a round of blackjack.
It's market funnelling: young player is drawn to fantasy> drawn to MTG artwork> enjoys the representation of the art through statistics> gets hooked on an enjoyable card game> grows accustomed to stat-based gaming> picks up D&D to expand fantasy concepts beyond simple stacks of expendable troops.
Voila! Another teenage D&D player enters the market.
Us grognards? Well, we've been playing this game for 20 years (or longer), grown used to the concepts and source material, and many appreciate the tidy combat rules which tie in with the miniature wargames we've played as an adjunct to D&D for so long.
Regarding Sigurd's comment on distractions, remember that number-versus-number games are very compulsive. MTG and D&D use the same strategic and "power-up" concepts as video games but remove the strait-jacket of software design. Also, once people learn to enjoy fantasy games (be they card games or RPGs) they're usually willing to spend a lot of time on them. Resiling from other activities to concentrate on thought-intensive games is what makes us geeks in the first place.
Of course, that doesn't answer the demographic question at all. I went to post a short response and a rant came out instead. Happens to us all, sometimes.
I'm not quite sure how true that is. First thing is I am not sure what the numbers on MTG sales are, but they certainly have shrunk from its heyday, moreover there is a lot more competion out there to chose from.
My wife has a young cousin who is now 13 years old. This 13 year old boy has all the hallmarks of a prototypical geek: smart, plays video games, reads fantasy, plays collectible card games etc.
I know he played some MTG, due to his reaction to once seeing some of my original Legend set cards, (very similiar to my reaction to original Arabian Knight Set back in the day), though the game he and his friends played most was the Decipher Lord of the Ring Card Game.
My wife bought him a PHB, and we even included him in one of our D&D sessions with our friends, (he played a druid). The game
just didnt stick with him. Now I am sure a one time exposure is not enough to make a habit for anyone, but simply put there are a lot more games out there that can appeal to young people and are
easier to pick up.
Collectible card games in some way I think can actually be a barrier to entry for RPGs, because they can easily, and frankly more easily fullfill the need for complex games, then RPGs can, and they are more clearcut in terms of competion.
My wife has a young cousin who is now 13 years old. This 13 year old boy has all the hallmarks of a prototypical geek: smart, plays video games, reads fantasy, plays collectible card games etc.
I know he played some MTG, due to his reaction to once seeing some of my original Legend set cards, (very similiar to my reaction to original Arabian Knight Set back in the day), though the game he and his friends played most was the Decipher Lord of the Ring Card Game.
My wife bought him a PHB, and we even included him in one of our D&D sessions with our friends, (he played a druid). The game
just didnt stick with him. Now I am sure a one time exposure is not enough to make a habit for anyone, but simply put there are a lot more games out there that can appeal to young people and are
easier to pick up.
Collectible card games in some way I think can actually be a barrier to entry for RPGs, because they can easily, and frankly more easily fullfill the need for complex games, then RPGs can, and they are more clearcut in terms of competion.
nothing to see here
First Post
Sigurd said:
Not surprisingly, WOTC keeps it's market research close to the chest. I've advised the same to every client I've ever worked for. With that said, it would be a worthwhile project to survey where WOTC spends it's marketing dollars. Nothing tips a company's hand regarding it's target demo-and-psychographics that where it allocates its resources.
