It's really difficult to see this as a "You won - and so did we" scenario.
The major brand (D&D 5e) market share is dropping like a rock while to the brand in second place (PF2e) are skyrocketing. All of this was accomplished through WOTC issuing two documents - OGL 1.1 and 1.2 - and being completely tone deaf in it's follow up to releasing those two documents. Meanwhile, Paizo has only issued a few short statements that resonate strongly and positively with the customer base.
WOTC over the past month has basically just handed over a huge portion of the market share to Paizo. I'm sure smaller publishers have also benefitted proportionately.
I can't think of anything comparable in the history of Capitalism where the market leader so completely destroyed it's lead and drove customers to it's leading minority competitor, and all that the competitor had to do was make more of it's product.
Paizo Customers,
Thank you for the kind words these last few days, and for the overwhelming support of our product and our OPENGAMING sale. It has been a critical hit!
We were inundated with many weeks' worth of orders. We have brought in additional hands to help with shipping, and are working overtime to send you your new print products as quickly as possible. We apologize for longer than normal ship times as we work through the queue.
Additionally, we have run through what was an 8-month supply of our Pathfinder Core Rulebook in the last 2 weeks, and demand on our Beginner Boxes is surging too. We have already ordered another print run of the hardcover Core Rulebook, which will arrive in mid-April.
In the interim, we have some supply of the Pocket Edition still available. Happily, Pathfinder exists in many forms. We will post links below.
I can't think of anything comparable in the history of Capitalism where the market leader so completely destroyed it's lead and drove customers to it's leading minority competitor, and all that the competitor had to do was make more of it's product.
You must have missed “New Coke.” 😁 There are numerous other examples, particularly in manufacturing (cars, planes).
But your larger point still stands about the self-inflicted wound. WotC screwed up. The next real test will be in May/June after Paizo’s stocks are replenished. And then again next year when 1D&D drops. That’s when we’ll see if this was a protest-driven blip, or if it’s got legs.
The 1990 Coke debacle is a major one, but from what I'm reading Pepsi only gained 3% market share from it. I'm not an expert, though so I could be wrong. At the same time Pepsi lost distribution in Wendy's and Burger King. Then Coke completely recovered and even gained market share in 1992.
I predict much greater loss of market share by WOTC over the next 3 years. I expect several smaller publishers to gain 3% each, and Paizo considerably more.
I mean, unless WOTC just suddenly changes it's corporate culture immediately and suddenly starts to listen to its customer base instead of constant gaslighting.
I just purchased the PDFs on Pathfinder, linked my Pathfinder and Demiplane accounts, and then purchased the books at a discounted price on Demiplane, to get that D&D beyond experience while avoiding Hasbro.
Incredible - a company that wants to work with a 3PP to offer a discount if you already own the book. Novel concept, isn't WotC?
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It's really difficult to see this as a "You won - and so did we" scenario.
The major brand (D&D 5e) market share is dropping like a rock while to the brand in second place (PF2e) are skyrocketing. All of this was accomplished through WOTC issuing two documents - OGL 1.1 and 1.2 - and being completely tone deaf in it's follow up to releasing those two documents. Meanwhile, Paizo has only issued a few short statements that resonate strongly and positively with the customer base.
WOTC over the past month has basically just handed over a huge portion of the market share to Paizo. I'm sure smaller publishers have also benefitted proportionately.
I can't think of anything comparable in the history of Capitalism where the market leader so completely destroyed it's lead and drove customers to it's leading minority competitor, and all that the competitor had to do was make more of it's product.
You must have missed “New Coke.” 😁 There are numerous other examples, particularly in manufacturing (cars, planes).
But your larger point still stands about the self-inflicted wound. WotC screwed up.
The next real test will be in May/June after Paizo’s stocks are replenished. And then again next year when 1D&D drops. That’s when we’ll see if this was a protest-driven blip, or if it’s got legs.
The 1990 Coke debacle is a major one, but from what I'm reading Pepsi only gained 3% market share from it. I'm not an expert, though so I could be wrong. At the same time Pepsi lost distribution in Wendy's and Burger King. Then Coke completely recovered and even gained market share in 1992.
I predict much greater loss of market share by WOTC over the next 3 years. I expect several smaller publishers to gain 3% each, and Paizo considerably more.
I mean, unless WOTC just suddenly changes it's corporate culture immediately and suddenly starts to listen to its customer base instead of constant gaslighting.
Not just in the US, here in the UK there don't seem to be Pathfinder Rulebooks or Starter sets available anywhere.
I just purchased the PDFs on Pathfinder, linked my Pathfinder and Demiplane accounts, and then purchased the books at a discounted price on Demiplane, to get that D&D beyond experience while avoiding Hasbro.
Incredible - a company that wants to work with a 3PP to offer a discount if you already own the book. Novel concept, isn't WotC?