Critical Role To Critical Role or not...That is the question

[LuisCarlos17f]

I haven't watched a complete movie or teleserie episode in years, and I don't like watching without subtitles because my level of oral English isn't too good. I have never watched a actual-play show in my first language.

I should say one opinion about anything I haven't watched by I suppose the popularity of 5th Ed. is a combo de different causes. Not only Stranger Things and videogames as Baldur's Gate and Newerwinter Nights, the Peter Jackon's Lord of the Rings cinematographic trilogy, the MMO World of Warcraft and the SRD when you can see the rules freely. Maybe a group within the fandom started to search something different after the current saturation of videogame market.

 

[Hex08]

I am neutral towards Critical Role. I really dislike watching it but that's because watching other people play a game is not something I enjoy (2 exceptions: how to videos when I am learning a new game and Wil Wheaton's Tabletop) not because I think the show is inherently bad. The episodes are really long, there is a lot of other stuff I would rather spend my time watching but I get that not everyone is going to feel the same way.

As far as its influence on the popularity of D&D - That's something I have always been skeptical of. I see all over the interwebs where people talk about how Critical Role has been a huge boon to D&D but it all appears to be anecdotes and no real evidence. My understanding is that D&D has had a slow, if inconsistent, rise in popularity since it's introduction. Originally D&D was a fringe hobby that most people were unaware of. Then the Satanic Panic hit and caused sales to jump (because the game was more in the public eye) in the late 1980s - early 1990's. The game has been, generally, on the rise ever since. Maybe I am wrong but I have a hard time believing that people who are not into the hobby are dedicating the hours necessary to watch Critical Role. I think it's rise in popularity is, generally, more inline with the overall rise in geek culture. I could be wrong but once again I would need actual evidence to buy into the whole Critical Role thing being an important part of the popularity of D&D.

Also, way too many options in the poll, I almost didn't even select one.

 

[Professor Murder]

So according to the yearly census info that WotC takes on DnD, the current majority of DnD gamers is 30 and under. I am curious if this is reflective of those who engage on this forum, or is it made up of a lot of old men yelling at clouds.

I have been watching the 3rd campaign, mostly as background noise for me. I appreciate what CR has done to bring people into the hobby. I think that CR without 5e wouldn't be the same cultural phenomena. 5e being so approachable for new players means that views can be converted into players. So It's symbiotic after a sense.

Would 5e be as successful without CR? No. But not just CR. Without liveplay acting as a onramp free advertising for 5e and TTRPGs overall, how would new people with no previous exposure have been brought in. But I still feel 5e would have seen great success without CR. I think liveplay was something that would have broken through without CR specifically. CR is simply the most successful example of an extremely successful method of showcasing this hobby. But equally as important is the release of the best ruleset of DnD ever. I honestly feel that both issues play off each other and help explain 5e's success.

 

[Parmandur]

So according to the yearly census info that WotC takes on DnD, the current majority of DnD gamers is 30 and under. I am curious if this is reflective of those who engage on this forum, or is it made up of a lot of old men yelling at clouds.

I have been watching the 3rd campaign, mostly as background noise for me. I appreciate what CR has done to bring people into the hobby. I think that CR without 5e wouldn't be the same cultural phenomena. 5e being so approachable for new players means that views can be converted into players. So It's symbiotic after a sense.

Would 5e be as successful without CR? No. But not just CR. Without liveplay acting as a onramp free advertising for 5e and TTRPGs overall, how would new people with no previous exposure have been brought in. But I still feel 5e would have seen great success without CR. I think liveplay was something that would have broken through without CR specifically. CR is simply the most successful example of an extremely successful method of showcasing this hobby. But equally as important is the release of the best ruleset of DnD ever. I honestly feel that both issues play off each other and help explain 5e's success.

All part of a virtuous cycle.

 

[DND_Reborn]

This is why I never finished watching the Sopranos. If you have time to watch all 6 seasons, then you have time to join organized crime!

If that is WHY you are watching them, then yeah.

 

[steeldragons]

You understand people that are going to see and take this survey are people that are interested enough in fantasy RPGs, 5e specifically, to be on this forum to see it in the first place, I trust.

Such people are likely to have, at least, heard of Critical Role -if never watched it (like myself)- and ingrained enough in online gamer culture to have seen the advertising and trailers for the new streaming animated series (which I have watched and LOVE!), even if they've never watched it (which I can not imagine and highly recommend if anyone here has not seen it!).

Point is....this poll's result are going to be extraordinarily skewed by people who think CR is a normal popular "everywhere" thing. Among people in the general population, even those who may know "about" D&D even if they know nothing about different editions or the current game, it isn't. Not by a long shot.

Best case is that, in the last month, maybe you'd have a few more people who recognize the name because of the new cartoon. But who is likely to be watching a not-so-kid-friendly animated fantasy series? There ya go...people that are likely to be on this forum anyway.

 

[billd91]

I think its unfortunate that CR brought a lot of toxic people to DnD, if you follow the dramas that evolved in their fandom.

Well, that matches the toxic drama about changes in game directions/marketing as well as canon debates, edition changes, inter company/designer rivalries, and so much else that was already entrenched in the community since the 1970s.

 

[Lyxen]

Well, that matches the toxic drama about changes in game directions/marketing as well as canon debates, edition changes, inter company/designer rivalries, and so much else that was already entrenched in the community since the 1970s.

Indeed, this has nothing to do with CR in itself, it's a fandom problem...

 

[fba827]

I am neutral on CR but that is a ME thing as I can’t watch/listen to others play d&d, any group/system/etc but have nothing against them if others do. People having fun, that’s all there is to it.

But I certainly appreciate that it has brought consumer attention to the hobby, particularly from a younger crowd that uses all the social media stuff by which businesses do a lot of metrics, thus bringing more internal-industry attention as well

 

[Umbran]

Oh, Heavens, the Critical Role fanbase is a small fraction of the people playing 5E. It has certainly helped 5E, but it is not the main reason by a country mile.

The estimates I can find are that Critical Role gets one to one and a half million people watching every episode. While I know not all of them will be playing D&D, it may be that the number of folks who watch CR are a significant fraction (in that space between majority and "small fraction") of the people who play right now.