You are in charge of WOTC.......

[KenM]

How would you run it, what would you do to get more players into the games you make, and keep the players you have so they stay playing your games/ buying your product?

The thing I would do is make sure that 3.5 is the latest version of DnD for at least 8 years, from now. 3 years between 3.0 and 3.5 is too soon. Having a whole bunch of fans go out and spend money on a new set of core rules so soon would distance them. IMO it would have done more harm then good for the company.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I posted this one in a poll thread - last on the the page and it was probably never seen...

You want more people to play. SHOW them how.

It is excedingly difficult to *successfully* start your own gaming group and learn the game teachng it to others.... cold.

But that is exactly what must be done in order for the game to grow and expand.

Here's my marketing 4000 tip (advanced) for WotC. Remember all those free CDs with the character software they gave us back in the 3.0 PHB?

They should bundle a disk again with the PHB and DMG. Except this time - make it a DVD which demonstrates with live participants how the game is played.

With cool maps - cool miniatures and reasonably attractive every day people. The production costs might be as much as 500k+ for something like this. Glittzy without being over the top. Professionally written, narrated, acted and and produced.

Expensive - yes. But it would be worth its weight in gold.

Get those things out and bundle them with basic sets. Get em out with a FREE download coupon for a Basic Set rulebook .pdf. Get em into Toys R Us at Xmas time. Make the bloody thing an annoying AOL coaster. Get it out to people who aren't gamers.

Insist on Atari bundling the disc with the next CRPG and Console title they sell. There are a LOT of CRPG players and Demonstone console types who don't play D&D and never have. But they are open to the concept. That's why they have that computer game in their hands. USE THAT CHANNEL.

Just get it out there and get them into kids' hands. Do it right and you can kick back and giggle. You only have to have a very low success rate in order for these things to be long term profitible and you are in the black. Anything more is gravy. And when you hook in a new gaming group - you hook in a customer that can pay dividends for years.

Better still - you didn't just get one new customer. You got a reasonably good shot at getting *5* new customers.

People don't need D&D for dummies. They need a live action DVD movie that shows ppl how to play. With a big wooden spoon and the temperature just right. Make it fun - show em how - and you can sell a helluva lot more 3E you already paid to develop and write instead of forking out a ton of dough more on 4E. Selling inventory is cheaper than developing new product - Every.Single.Time.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Yeah, remember the "Scourge of Worlds" DVD. You could do a sequel to that -- and cut back and forth between the "live" action and the game being played around a battlemat, with the rules being demonstrated. It might pull of combining showing the rules, how to play, and the concept of role-playing all at the same time, while being more interesting than a bunch of geeks sitting around a table talking in funny voices.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Step 1.

Begin the process of 4E immediately.

Take at least 5 more years to build it.
Have a software package to support it ready, free (as in beer), at launch.
Make it roughly compatible with 3.5, but fix the BIG issues, like spellcaster multiclassing and such.
Produce a conversion guide that makes all 3.5 supplements roughly updated.
Release an SRD again, but have it approved at launch, and release a stripped down version for discussion at least 6 months before launch.

Step 2.

Produce a REAL "Basic D&D Game" with character creation, races, classes, etc., just removing some rules options. Make the characters in this game 100% compatible in a 4E game. Include the DVD.

Step 3.

Continue exploring repeat business addons like the minatures.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Y'know, if I was running WotC, I'd give the rights to Greyhawk back to Gygax. WotC isn't doing much with them, and it'd be a helluva nice gesture. I'd also assure him, in writing, that he could write a game and use terms like Dungeon Master without fear of a lawsuit, so he didn't have to bend over backwards in renaming game terms to avoid litigation.

That's what I'd do.

 

[Skrit]

My main problem is with Prices. I'd either lower them or make less books. Too many times I have shelled out money for a book (since 1985) only to have that book replaced or made useless by other books that come out. Granted they didn't change rules much in 2ed but did make a few versions of the DMG and PHB, however there was little difference.

I got to agree with Steel Wind that an ACTUAL PLAY dvd would help more then most imagine..

Less Splat books. I'm usually the GM in my games and my players always come to me with "I want to use the complete book of squirrels in our campaign, it makes my Squirrel ninja character so much better". Then I either one have to buy the book, or two read his copy and figure how all the rule mesh with the core rules, and what ones contridict each other, not to mention if I throw some rules out will they be game breaking..

Stick with only a few Official worlds WOTC seems to be doing a good job at this.. 2nd ED D&D suffered from haveing way too many worlds and some of them were near the same..

Have something similar to the GamesWorkshop outrider program. Have discounts for the people in the program. Have them Show up at every comic show, pokemon day at LGS, heck I doubt you could do it but get them at llibraries if you could. Just get the name out to younger people 12 to 16 and show them not only the wierd kids play it...

 

[clark411]

Hmm.. I'd give Greyhawk much more lovin'. Like Hardcover lovin'. Ohh yeah..

 

[Darrin Drader]

If I was in charge of WotC, I'd promptly find a new line of work. Those poor guys just can't win.

 

[William Ronald]

If I was in charge of WotC, I'd promptly find a new line of work. Those poor guys just can't win.

This is because they have to realize it is impossible to please everyone and have to figure out how to please the majority of its customers. There is also divisions among the fan base, so not everyone will love every product. So, I imagine that this is a job that requires a lot of patience, good judgement, and a thick skin. Also, I think that one of the biggest challenges would be trying to understand the market and how gamers are using the products.

So far, I see several good ideas. Charwomen Gene, I think that a slow build up to a new edition would work. Steel_Wind, I like your ideas as well. (Possibly, the DVD could be supplemented or replaced with a web site.)

However, I think that one thing that WotC can do is to have people go out to the various bookstores and hobby shops and run some demonstrations. I know something llike this was done last year with the 30th Anniversary and there will be an event in November 5th, Worldwide D&D Gameday

The RPGA might be a vehicle to help play some games in different shops. There are RPGA groups in most major cities, so possibly they can help run some demos. Also, I think there are enough people here at EN World, the WotC boards, and the like, who would be willing to volunteer. Possibly, some of the local groups could arrange semi-regular demos at different places -- with some support from WotC.

 

[possum]

-The Greyhawk Campaign Setting

-Reprint and/or revise the following books:

Power of the Jedi Sourcebook
Starships of the Galaxy
Dark Side Sourcebook
The rest of the SWd20 line
Temple of Elemental Evil and Return
Tomb of Horrors and Return

-More Star Wars d20, and not the minis!