D&D 5E The Printers Can't Handle WotC's One D&D Print Runs!

One of the reasons why the three new core rulebooks next year will not be released together is because D&D is such a juggernaut that the printers can't actually handle the size of the print runs!

Jeremy Crawford told Polygon "Our print runs are pretty darn big and printers are telling us you can’t give us these three books at the same time.” And Chris Perkins added that "The print runs we’re talking about are massive. That’s been not only true of the core books, but also Tasha’s Cauldron. It’s what we call a high-end problem."

 

[Micah Sweet]

Yes. Inflation is affecting all industries. The printing industry has been under pressure for years due to closures and the pandemic (there’s no shortage of stories about that). There’s ample reason to believe the inflation reason. What reason do you have to doubt it, other than your intense dislike of WOTC? What reason is there that they’d be exempt from the pressures affecting practically every other company right now?

Because they are doing very, very well financially selling the products that they are planning to price up. They don't need to raise prices to keep making money. Many smaller companies with slimmer profit margins certainly do, and I'm not disputing that.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I wasn't lodging a formal complaint, I was just saying I think it is fair for people to express their view about prices being too high. I mean if people can use this thread to defend the new prices, surely people can also weigh in against the new prices here too. I am sure we all understand anyone who wants to communicate their dissatisfaction directly with a company ought to contact them through their website contact page. I see this more as a discussion about these issues more broadly among fans and publishers.

I know that this has already been covered, but I think people forget. So, let's recap, using DMGs but starting from the LBBs with the final number the 2023 price adjusted for inflation-

LBBs $10 (1974) - $64.24

1e DMG $15 (1979) - $65.76

2e DMG $18 (1989) - $49.26

2e DMG $20 (1995 Black Cover) - $39.65

3e DMG $30 (2000) - $52.90

3.5e DMG $30 (2003) - $49.22

4e DMG $35 (2008) - $49.26

4e Essentials DM Kit $40 (2010) - $54.98

5e DMG $50 (2014) - $63.68

As you can see, in 2023 prices, we've almost always been looking at a band between $50-$60. It makes sense, if you're planning on holding prices for a while, to price it at or above $60.

IMO.

 

[Umbran]

I wasn't lodging a formal complaint, I was just saying I think it is fair for people to express their view about prices being too high.

I'm sorry, but you invoked your status as an indie publisher, and ended with, "And I think it is very fair for fans to tell us when they think prices are too high." In context, the "us" is "publishers".

In the context of this thread, the implication is then that the complaints about prices are complaints to the publisher.

Which they actually are not. If we are talking about comfort, I, as someone who has to dole out the red text, am not comfortable with the idea that complaining about prices here is in any way communicating with the publisher. In that past, that stance has led people to some toxic behaviors.

So, I disabuse the notion when I see it.

I mean if people can use this thread to defend the new prices, surely people can also weigh in against the new prices here too.

Civil discussion of the price change is fine. I was merely addressing the idea that this somehow constitutes making a point to the publisher, which again, it is not.

I am sure we all understand anyone who wants to communicate their dissatisfaction directly with a company ought to contact them through their website contact page

History has shown me, very clearly (with attendant foul language and name calling) that, generally speaking, we do not all understand this.

 

[codo]

Not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that right now there is no indication that WotC is suffering financially, due to printing costs or any other reason. In fact I would say they're doing very, very well in that department. Which makes me question using printing costs going up (as true as that is) as an excuse to raise prices.

Why are so many people here so sanguine about this? Is WotC's stuff so good that you wish they would charge you more for it?

Why should WotC wait until they start losing money before they raise their prices? Already based on inflation WotC is making around 10 dollars less per book. $50 today is around $40 when 5e was first released.

I am sanguine about the price raise because it is no more than the price raise on literally any other product I buy. The price increase is actually lower than inflation. Sure it sucks, I don't want to pay more, but I am not going to hold WotC to a higher standard than literally any other company.

I really like 5e, and am excited for when 1D&D comes out. I actually want WotC to earn a profit so they can keep publishing more D&D books. You obviously don't care if they run the company into the ground, selling books at a loss like TSR did, but I do.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

When costs are increasing faster than readership while the core audience of your main product calls you liars for accurately describing the printer shortage?

No one called them liers on the printer shortage, just not buying they can't absorb the inflation and still increase profits because they already proved they can.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Yes, which is why they have been able to set an artificially low price for so long. Jason Buhlmsn of Paizo has said on Twitter this week thst he feels the books should be going for $100 USD.

For the increasingly poor quality you get from WotC? Wow its like he's trying to kill the hobby entirely

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Yes, which is why they have been able to set an artificially low price for so long. Jason Buhlmsn of Paizo has said on Twitter this week thst he feels the books should be going for $100 USD.

And he has nothing at all to gain from WotC pricing D&D out of business, leaving pathfinder dominate?

Seriously I can't take that tweet seriously,may as well have said a billion dollars.

 

[Velderan]

And he has nothing at all to gain from WotC pricing D&D out of business, leaving pathfinder dominate?

Seriously I can't take that tweet seriously,may as well have said a billion dollars.

Except he's talking about Paizo books too..

 

[Velderan]

To put some context on what Jason Bulmahn actually said, he said $60 is fair for a 192 page book but in his opinion the 400 page books should be $100 but he doubts people would pay it.

Tweet is here.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

No one called them liers on the printer shortage, just not buying they can't absorb the inflation and still increase profits because they already proved they can.

I asked you before a series of questions, but let's try again.

Please feel free to tell the class exactly how much profit is directly attributable to book sales for D&D. If it helps, I can provide you Hasbro's most recent quarterly results!

https://investor.hasbro.com/news-releases/news-release-details/hasbro-reports-first-quarter-2023-financial-results

Again- we all understand how financial reporting works and how things are broken down. If you have a source for your claims and knowledge, please let me know. AFAICT, there is no specific break down as to the profitability of D&D's book sales, nor is there any breakdown as to the costs involved. But I love to learn!