D&D's popularity in 2019

[ad_hoc]

note there is a typo - Age 40-45 is supposed to be 40+

https://images-geeknative-com.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/22170517/DD-2019-figures-infographic-1920w-scaled.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&ssl=1

[Monster Manuel]

Nice piece of promotional copy. No real news, or new information, but feels good to see that WotC can pat themselves on the back about some ongoing success. Speaking as someone who played through the Satanic Panic days of the eighties, it's good for the hobby to see positive promotional messages going out showing that it's successful.

I just hope the Corporate Bosses don't see stuff like this and think the growth will continue forever. Eventually, we hit a saturation point, and ideally things level out to a sustainable equilibrium. I worry about the company seeing a drop in sales after continual growth and panicking, when really, that's just the normal life cycle of a product like this. I'm less worried because WotC is owned by Hasbro, actually. Hasbro has a history of keeping long-running properties going in the market...it's not like there's a growing player base for Clue or Monopoly at this point so on some level, I think, they get it.

What's new in this edition of D&D that we didn't have in other editions is the live-play, online, Twitch factor. Before, they could really only gauge success by how many books were being bought, and once you reached a point where everyone had all the books they needed, things took a nosedive on paper, while the game was still really strong in the community..people were PLAYING, just not BUYING. Now, we have real visibility in how much people are playing, as opposed to just how much they're buying. I think that changes the equation in meaningful ways.

BUT...the famous fans! What about Wil Wheaton? Matt Lillard? Where's Joe Manganiello? Man, Joe's PC even made a personal appearance as an NPC in Avernus, he doesn't even get a call out?

I know, I know...but it's the internet. Forum posts don't count unless SOMEONE is outraged by SOMETHING...

[Imbalance]

This popularity trend will likely continue through the pandemic, even if sales do not.

[MarkVIIIMarc]

WOTC.....they bailed on a WWII naval miniature game Shapeways and 3D printer filament sales ppl are still making money off of so take nothing for granted.

5e is a great blend of a few things. I think with clarifications and expanded settingz they may have a product for all the 2020's.

To expand I think they need a straight up licensed movie. Netflix can crank similar stories out by the dozen with passable effects. Heck, forgive them for spamming one cuss word REPEATEDLY and Bright could have been a modern D&D movie.

[NorthernPhoenix]

It's always great to see the game doing so well as compared to previously, but from this in particular i was especially glad to see such a high percentage of young or "younger" people playing. Sometimes i feel those voices are underrepresented on forums like this one.

[SpawnOfMorbo]

What's pretty sad is that WotC had a lot of stuff planned for 4e that never got released, partially due to the techniology not being quite there and HASBRO not seeing them for what they were.

I really hope to see some of the 4e stuff come back.

A character generator that's something you would see in a videogame and a full on 3d dungeon creator would be amazing.

There are things like this out there but an actual first party designed features made with love would be awesome.

When I first played Raid Shadow Legends I thought it looked a lot like what if 4e got turned into a videogame... Sadly RSL is a piece of trash game that takes an ok idea and places some amazing looking art work (people will forgive a lot of sins if something LOOKS the part).

[elyktsorb]

I feel like this is cause 4e kind of sucked? I thought it kind of sucked when I started playing dnd, to the point of where I eventually found out about 3.5 and went to play that.

[firelistener]

Cool graphic! I'm really happy 5e is as popular as it is. Game stores still have the same vibe they've always had, as far as I have experienced, so I get the impression that online sales and advertising has been the biggest factor here. I hope D&D continues grow as a more socially accepted hobby lol. I can't say I really enjoyed people assuming it was a satanic ritual or "too nerdy" for them to feel comfortable trying it out.

[SpawnOfMorbo]

I feel like this is cause 4e kind of sucked? I thought it kind of sucked when I started playing dnd, to the point of where I eventually found out about 3.5 and went to play that.

4e sold really well, until Essentials came out, and public play really got up and running and helped expand the brand a lot.

The hate for 4e is just really loud by people who "was betrayed" by WotC.

I still remember having trouble finding 4e books around the time PHB 2 came out.

[Sam113097]

That “6 years of continuous growth” mentioned in the chart seems to coincide with the release of 5e. That has to imply that they were really trending downward at the end of 4e’s lifespan (which of course is the popular perception, but it’s interesting to see a concrete statement from WoTC that backs that up)

[ad_hoc]

That “6 years of continuous growth” mentioned in the chart seems to coincide with the release of 5e. That has to imply that they were really trending downward at the end of 4e’s lifespan (which of course is the popular perception, but it’s interesting to see a concrete statement from WoTC that backs that up)

Before 5e was released Pathfinder was the #1 selling RPG.

That's how small 4e was.