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<blockquote data-quote="ZSutherland" data-source="post: 3114909" data-attributes="member: 7638"><p>Without doubt, the smart entrepreneur can make something of this if they go through with it.&nbsp; TBH, I'm not really all that fussed because I don't make much use of WotC's website, and I buy very few of their books (haven't bought one since ECS released).&nbsp; My major concern is the reduced visibility factor.&nbsp; One of the best moves WotC made was to employ a marketing strategy that made D&amp;D highly visible, no longer relegated to tiny gaming shops and the back shelf in hobby shops.&nbsp; It brought new consumers into the market who eventually went to 3rd party publishers for material and made it easier for all of us to find games and gamers.&nbsp; We all win that way.&nbsp; A large part of that strategy was to put gaming products that would sell in visible locations, like B&amp;N, and let word-of-mouth do its work.&nbsp; Antecdotal though it may be, the RPG section of large bookstores in my area has been decreasing slowly but steadily for the last year or so.&nbsp; Reduced sales will just further limit product visibility, which is bad for a hobby already sitting in fierce competition for consumer leisure time.</p></blockquote><p></p>

[QUOTE="ZSutherland, post: 3114909, member: 7638"] Without doubt, the smart entrepreneur can make something of this if they go through with it. TBH, I'm not really all that fussed because I don't make much use of WotC's website, and I buy very few of their books (haven't bought one since ECS released). My major concern is the reduced visibility factor. One of the best moves WotC made was to employ a marketing strategy that made D&D highly visible, no longer relegated to tiny gaming shops and the back shelf in hobby shops. It brought new consumers into the market who eventually went to 3rd party publishers for material and made it easier for all of us to find games and gamers. We all win that way. A large part of that strategy was to put gaming products that would sell in visible locations, like B&N, and let word-of-mouth do its work. Antecdotal though it may be, the RPG section of large bookstores in my area has been decreasing slowly but steadily for the last year or so. Reduced sales will just further limit product visibility, which is bad for a hobby already sitting in fierce competition for consumer leisure time. [/QUOTE]

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