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Top 5 Roleplaying Games – Summer 2011
|
||
|
|
Title
|
Publisher
|
|
1
|
Pathfinder
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Paizo Publishing
|
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2
|
Dungeons & Dragons
|
Wizards of the Coast
|
|
3
|
Dark Heresy/Rogue Trader/Deathwatch
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Fantasy Flight Games
|
|
4
|
Dragon Age
|
Green Ronin Publishing
|
|
5
|
Shadowrun
|
Catalyst Game Labs
|
This follows on the heels of identical results from the previous quarter:
|
Top 5 Roleplaying Games – Q2 2011
| ||
|
|
Title
|
Publisher
|
|
1
|
Pathfinder
|
Paizo Publishing
|
|
2
|
Dungeons & Dragons
|
Wizards of the Coast
|
|
3
|
Dark Heresy/Rogue Trader/Deathwatch
|
Fantasy Flight Games
|
|
4
|
Dragon Age
|
Green Ronin Publishing
|
|
5
|
Shadowrun
|
Catalyst Game Labs
|
I think there are probably plenty of questions regarding the way the data is gathered and what is and isn't being taken into account. I'm not buying products for either, though, so whatever.
ReplyDeleteI think there are probably plenty of questions regarding the way the data is gathered and what is and isn't being taken into account.
ReplyDeleteTrue. But every publicly available metric (game store sales, Amazon sales ranks, industry rumors, etc.) I've seen supports this conclusion. I haven't seen any information lately suggesting the D&D is on top.
I'm not buying this stuff either, but I think it's somewhere between sad and interesting to see the brand name whither under competition from what is essentially a retroclone.
Aos said...
ReplyDeleteWell I think DDI, which has a shit-ton of subscribers is the invisible elephant in the room. I am skeptical of any count that leaves it out, and, of course, they all do, because Wizards isn't talking about those numbers.
What will be more interesting, from my POV, anyway, will be to see what happens with the release of PF 2e* and/or D&D 5e. Hopefully, they come out at roughly the same time and, as a result, the internet explodes.
*I think this is inevitable, but even if it never happens it will be fascinating to see how Paizo avoids such a thing. Anyway, as time goes on, I see less and less difference between Paizo and Wizards- especially when one takes into account how Paizo ran their "playtest" of PF.
I was involved in a 'Pathfinder' game a while back, and, although I enjoyed the company of my fellow players in that game, I found the game books too complicated. I don't think I was incapable of understanding the Pathfinder books; I just didn't want to read or buy the book. I was also unwilling to buy a 'Pathfinder' book simply because I didn't think I would ever use it again, so I used a 3.5e book and had to bother my fellow players with questions when there was a difference in the rules. Life threw me some curve balls and I dropped out of the game because of time constraints.
ReplyDeleteAt this point I am only really interested in iterations of old school D&D and D.I.Y. stuff. Wizard's apparent problems are interesting, but perhaps not surprising. I wonder if younger players probably aren't interested in pencil & paper games because it might be a fad that past. The older players I know, even those that loved 3e and 3.5, felt suckered by the switch to 4e.
Paizo has their own subscription service as well.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like Pathfinder is becoming the most visible RPG in the retail market. By putting most of their eggs into DDI, WotC may be screwing themselves!
" I wonder if younger players probably aren't interested in pencil & paper games because it might be a fad that past."
ReplyDeleteJudging from attendance at my twice-monthly Birmingham Gaming Meet-up, there's still plenty of younger people interesting in RPG's.
A quick and dirty attendance break-down: About 1/3 in the late teen to early 20's range, 1/3 in the mid 20's to early 30's and 1/3 in the mid-thirties and up age group.
20 - 25 people total. The guy who organizes the event is in his thirties, which probably skews the attendance a little towards that demographic.
I said:" I wonder if younger players probably aren't interested in pencil & paper games because it might be a fad that past."
ReplyDeleteJames responded, "Judging from attendance at my twice-monthly Birmingham Gaming Meet-up, there's still plenty of younger people interesting in RPG's."
Good to hear. I've gotten so much fun out of D&D over the years, I'm glad to hear that others are doing the same. Share the love, James!
I wouldn't suggest that what I'm seeing in my neck of the woods is necessarily anything more than suggestive :), but I do think all this talk of "RPG's are dead and Young People just want to play WoW," is at least a little overstated.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel like I'm watching a guy yelling "Toyotas are outselling Hondas! Take that, Honda!" and I ask him what he drives and it always turns out to be a Yugo.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel like I'm watching a guy yelling "Toyotas are outselling Hondas! Take that, Honda!" and I ask him what he drives and it always turns out to be a Yugo.
ReplyDeleteHaha! Actually it's more like yelling "R.A. Salvatore is outselling J.K. Rowling" while reading Tolkien.
It's interesting to note that Pazio made the biggest gains after the new edition was announced. My guess is that once 5th comes out Pazio will drop back again.
ReplyDeleteThe buy in price point ($50.00) is just too high to maintain consistently high sales when competing against an active system that offers products of equal or greater production quality with a lower price point ($40.00).