Sunday, January 23, 2011

D&D and Pathfinder Sales

I crunched some numbers comparing last years sales of D&D and Pathfinder. We're somewhat unique in that our store has very strong sales of both lines, with vibrant organized play and a full line of each brand. Just take into account that we're just one store and not indicative of all stores. Here's what we discovered based on 2010 sales:



Some key points:
  • Pathfinder and D&D rulebook sales are not that different, except that Pathfinder does it with a handful of titles, while D&D does it with many. About 60-65% of each lines sales are rulebooks.
  • Individual adventures are weak sellers for both brands, while Pathfinder has pioneered the "adventure path" model, which accelerates sales and folds in supplemental materials. If you included supplements and adventures in the same category for D&D, there wouldn't be that much of a sales difference between the two brands.
  • Efficiency seems to be what stands out for Paizo. Fewer, better accessory books accelerate sales. Adventures and supplements, normally slow sellers individually, sell well when combined in adventure paths. Flip mats and tile packs are strongly supported by Paizo, with strong resulting sales, while WOTC intentionally phases out their tile sets. 
Feel free to draw your own conclusions or dispute mine. D&D is still about two thirds of our "D&D-ish" sales, compared to one-third for Pathfinder, but the numbers are narrowing.

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