WoTC lack of presence in free rpg day will never not be wildly shocking to me. Every year there nothing but crickets. Of all the days of the year to trumpet your product and engage with fans, what's better than free RPG day?
Eh. IMO, it'll give all the less-known games more attention.
It's not like anybody showing up to Free RPG Day doesn't know about D&D, and they make the basic rules freely available. They probably don't think it's worth it.
I expect D&D has nothing to gain by participating in such an event. D&D is not just the largest game in the TTRPG, it is the genera defining game. If you know about the game type and are seeking to play TTRPGs, you know about D&D already. It is so big, a Google trends comparison of “Dungeons and Dragons” to “TTRPG” shows D&D, an individual installment within the genera, drastically outperforming the genera itself. That is a level of domination over an industry very few entities get - perhaps “google” vs “search engine” or “iPhone” vs “Smartphone” (at least before it developed major competitors).
Doing a quick search, Free RPG Day has very little coverage - there’s some news articles on some game specific news sites, but that is about it. Okay advertising to those already invested in the genera, but not super likely to reach individuals outside of those who already know about D&D.
“Free D&D content” changes the game. It certainly pushes knowledge of Free RPG Day to anyone who has their Google news and other algorithms set to pick up D&D, but not TTRPGs generally. That would mean D&D is driving up knowledge of an event they benefits their competitors as well. ”Free D&D” could even be enough to push the news outside of smaller gaming news sites, further widening information about an advertising trick that also benefits competition.
Finally, every day is already Free D&D day - between the basic rules and significant number of free adventures available on D&D beyond, you can play D&D for free 24/7. They do not need a special day to try and entice customers - they are so ubiquitous they can do that every day of the year.
All told, I do not see any upside to Wizards partaking - all it does is change the event from a bunch of small players trying to find an audience while in D&D’s shadow to “come here for D&D, pick up our competitors while you’re at it.”
They just barely released the Borderlands Quest: Goblin Trouble a week or two ago for free. The most baffling thing I can think of here is how impossible to please some D&D players can be.
Can’t see what they really gain from taking part considering half the stuff offered by other companies is 5e adventures. They can sit back and let other people advertise their product for them
On the one hand, WotC is very profit oriented. Whatever they do... they're looking at what it puts in their pocket (either immediately or in the long run, like with the Basic Rules). I'm really not surprised that they're not offering free stuff - I don't think it would turn a substantial net profit. People already know about them, so it would be purely a gesture of good will.
On the other, it's hardly like the others are throwing valuable things at you either. One year I got the CRB for Vaesen from Free League which was awesome, but most of the time... let's just say I wasn't too put out when I realised that I'd missed it this year. For example, Modiphius' contribution was the same this year as last year...a bunch of Quickstarts. What are Quickstarts? They're Modiphius' version of the Basic Rules, enough rules to create a couple of characters, enough rules to be able to play at least a basic game and act as a taster for the game. They're also free 365 days of the year. Not exactly jaw dropping in generosity.
Which is fine...but it's hardly like everyone is throwing high value products at us for free. Does it suprise me that WotC doesn't participate? No. On the other hand, it's not like everyone is oozing generosity either, so I don't think it singles WotC as some kind of bad guy either.
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Can’t see what they really gain from taking part considering half the stuff offered by other companies is 5e adventures. They can sit back and let other people advertise their product for them
Yeah, Kobold Press, Obojima, Ghostfire Gaming, and Hitpoint Press aren't exactly driving players away from 5E.
I will point out that Free RPG Day was originally created to help small independent RPGs and the FLGS. You can go on Amazon and buy D&D without effort, but going to a small local store and buying something that has a single author with no monetary backing is much different, and far less likely to occur. I would be upset if WotC started trying to wedge their way into it. I have a huge collection of RPGs of varying sizes, I am entirely supportive of the industry writ large.
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I will point out that Free RPG Day was originally created to help small independent RPGs and the FLGS.
Emphasis is mine. Even prior to my employment here while I was working in a game store, Wizards not having a bigger presence on Free RPG Day was something that made sense to me without knowing the day's origin. As many other folks have said, D&D is synonymous with "tabletop roleplaying game" for many people who aren't immersed in the hobby and I love that people who love and participate in the hobby have a chance to change that mindset, and for third-party creators to come to the forefront.
At the FLGS event I participated in over the weekend, I ran the only D&D table out of nearly ten events, and I was fully prepared to be the outlier there. It was awesome to see other systems being represented.
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WoTC lack of presence in free rpg day will never not be wildly shocking to me. Every year there nothing but crickets. Of all the days of the year to trumpet your product and engage with fans, what's better than free RPG day?
And yet, every year. Silence. It baffles my mind.
Eh. IMO, it'll give all the less-known games more attention.
It's not like anybody showing up to Free RPG Day doesn't know about D&D, and they make the basic rules freely available. They probably don't think it's worth it.
I expect D&D has nothing to gain by participating in such an event. D&D is not just the largest game in the TTRPG, it is the genera defining game. If you know about the game type and are seeking to play TTRPGs, you know about D&D already. It is so big, a Google trends comparison of “Dungeons and Dragons” to “TTRPG” shows D&D, an individual installment within the genera, drastically outperforming the genera itself. That is a level of domination over an industry very few entities get - perhaps “google” vs “search engine” or “iPhone” vs “Smartphone” (at least before it developed major competitors).
Doing a quick search, Free RPG Day has very little coverage - there’s some news articles on some game specific news sites, but that is about it. Okay advertising to those already invested in the genera, but not super likely to reach individuals outside of those who already know about D&D.
“Free D&D content” changes the game. It certainly pushes knowledge of Free RPG Day to anyone who has their Google news and other algorithms set to pick up D&D, but not TTRPGs generally. That would mean D&D is driving up knowledge of an event they benefits their competitors as well. ”Free D&D” could even be enough to push the news outside of smaller gaming news sites, further widening information about an advertising trick that also benefits competition.
Finally, every day is already Free D&D day - between the basic rules and significant number of free adventures available on D&D beyond, you can play D&D for free 24/7. They do not need a special day to try and entice customers - they are so ubiquitous they can do that every day of the year.
All told, I do not see any upside to Wizards partaking - all it does is change the event from a bunch of small players trying to find an audience while in D&D’s shadow to “come here for D&D, pick up our competitors while you’re at it.”
They just barely released the Borderlands Quest: Goblin Trouble a week or two ago for free. The most baffling thing I can think of here is how impossible to please some D&D players can be.
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Can’t see what they really gain from taking part considering half the stuff offered by other companies is 5e adventures. They can sit back and let other people advertise their product for them
D&D is Free 365 days of the year. Many games can't claim the same thing.
On the one hand, WotC is very profit oriented. Whatever they do... they're looking at what it puts in their pocket (either immediately or in the long run, like with the Basic Rules). I'm really not surprised that they're not offering free stuff - I don't think it would turn a substantial net profit. People already know about them, so it would be purely a gesture of good will.
On the other, it's hardly like the others are throwing valuable things at you either. One year I got the CRB for Vaesen from Free League which was awesome, but most of the time... let's just say I wasn't too put out when I realised that I'd missed it this year. For example, Modiphius' contribution was the same this year as last year...a bunch of Quickstarts. What are Quickstarts? They're Modiphius' version of the Basic Rules, enough rules to create a couple of characters, enough rules to be able to play at least a basic game and act as a taster for the game. They're also free 365 days of the year. Not exactly jaw dropping in generosity.
Which is fine...but it's hardly like everyone is throwing high value products at us for free. Does it suprise me that WotC doesn't participate? No. On the other hand, it's not like everyone is oozing generosity either, so I don't think it singles WotC as some kind of bad guy either.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Yeah, Kobold Press, Obojima, Ghostfire Gaming, and Hitpoint Press aren't exactly driving players away from 5E.
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ModeratorI will point out that Free RPG Day was originally created to help small independent RPGs and the FLGS. You can go on Amazon and buy D&D without effort, but going to a small local store and buying something that has a single author with no monetary backing is much different, and far less likely to occur. I would be upset if WotC started trying to wedge their way into it. I have a huge collection of RPGs of varying sizes, I am entirely supportive of the industry writ large.
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D&D StaffEmphasis is mine. Even prior to my employment here while I was working in a game store, Wizards not having a bigger presence on Free RPG Day was something that made sense to me without knowing the day's origin. As many other folks have said, D&D is synonymous with "tabletop roleplaying game" for many people who aren't immersed in the hobby and I love that people who love and participate in the hobby have a chance to change that mindset, and for third-party creators to come to the forefront.
At the FLGS event I participated in over the weekend, I ran the only D&D table out of nearly ten events, and I was fully prepared to be the outlier there. It was awesome to see other systems being represented.
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