Brings to mind a question I almost posted:

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Post originally by KC at 2001-04-06 18:00:30
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With the thousands of RPGs out there, how has the average time devoted to any single game dropped? With all these new supplements and books coming out endlessly, I see "the hobby" becoming more like stamp-collecting or patent-collecting than like gaming. I mean, every year at least one new game comes out. So someone in the hobby for twenty years must have loads and loads of games? Who plays all these games? It's like asking who watches all the channels on tv. I gave up trying to collect, or even keep current with, new releases long ago. To me it breeds schizophrenia, like trying to tape and watch every channel. I suspect the attention span and brand loyalty among the average gamer has significantly shrunk. Any ideas?

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Post originally by Sandy Antunes at 2001-04-08 14:59:32
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Hi,

I'd say, in any given year, at least a half dozen new games come out-- and that's just considering "come out and get a booth at GenCon and Origins", i.e. neglecting the small-small press.

I don't think gamer attention spans have dropped. I do think gamers end up making a choice: either pick a favorite system or two and buy deep into it (every relevant supplement, etc). Or, buy the core rules for several new games each year and mine them for material for your own game, which may or may not neglect those rules.

Using your TV analogy, that means either watching the entire WB Spring lineup, or watching 'whatever each night at 8pm, whichever show that night you like best regardless of channel'. Deep or sampling.

In both cases, what is being sold is Setting and Atmosphere, rather than Rules and Adventures. Which reinforces the idea that rpgs are more Intellectual Property than they are Instruction Manuals (the 70s view) or Stories (the 90s view).

So if gamers are often just buying books to read them and assimilate them into existing campaigns or game groups, you can buy a whole lot of product because you're not using it all directly, it's all contributing to your existing ongoing gaming. Buy doesn't necessarily equal "Play", but does mean "Inspire".

Cheers,
Sandy
sandy@rpg.net

[RPGnet Columns]

Post originally by KC at 2001-04-08 17:31:45
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So there are more existing settings and rulebooks not being fully used now than at any previous time in the hobby. Practically then there is no "gaming industry" per se, there is mostly only a "supplement industry."