Mark Santillo, Creative Director of Active Imagineering, saw ICv2’s coverage of the recent GAMA Trade Show (see “Mixed Signals at GTS”) and disagrees with commentary in the article:

While I agree with many of the observations you've made in this article, I strongly disagree with one editorial conclusion: "but for the industry to do well, Magic and D&D need to be successful."

This is by no means a foregone conclusion.  Other products may arise to challenge or even surpass these current industry leaders.  As a professional marketing consultant, I have advised particularly role-playing publishers that they have the first opportunity since the release of D&D 3rd Edition to capture significant market share, if they are willing to take the bull by the horns and make a bid for this business.  CCG products like Chaotic which include an Internet play component (at no additional charge) may also catch fire and take some of the steam out of Magic.  Many store owners I spoke with at GTS with have had greater success promoting board games and stand-alone card games, and there was clearly greater interest in these product categories.

It is also clear that the Organized Play programs for many established brands are leaving retailers cold; prize support has dried up, while at the same time the publishers continue to emphasize competitive "tournament-style" play over casual fun play. It seems that WizKids has finally recognized this and may be changing its overall marketing strategy to suit.  Until we get away from the supremacy of tournament play for collectible games that requires continuous, never-ending investment in the next new set, I doubt we will see much growth in the overall collectible games market.  I predict that while the WoW Minis game may pull in a few new customers who play the online game, most of the players will be cannibalized from other prepainted minis games.  The fully errata'd rules for Magic: The Gathering are probably the size of a typical volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica.  That can't be any fun for new players.  HeroClix started out with a relatively simple set of rules and has gone the same route.  Most people play games to have fun, not to become immersed in the minutia of arcane timing rules.  Finally, the change to 4th Edition D&D has left WotC's core constituency, the RPGA, in disarray.  Maybe 4th Edition will be a better game, maybe not, but there are thousands of players with bookshelves full of 3.0/3.5 materials that are loath to replace them.

The industry as a whole needs to worry less about holding on to its current players through manipulative marketing schemes like new editions  and instead focus on reaching out to new customers by making their games fun and accessible, by providing solid retail and convention support, and by keeping prices reasonable.  They should be focused on expanding the business of gaming for everyone.  With the price of gas and the cost of an evening at the movies going up, up, up, games are a better value than ever.  What is the industry doing as a whole to convince the American public that face-to-face game play is not only an acceptable social activity, but is, in fact, a superior choice?

The opinions expressed in this Talk Back article are solely those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff of ICv2.com.