As my potable of awakening was brewing this morning I read
that Wizards of the Coast announced Basic Dungeons & Dragons would be free.
Two years ago when 5th edition was first
announced I postulated that there needed to be a large free component of the
game. MMOs were already doing it with subscription free launches and retrofits
to lure players in. Let’s face it the market is saturated with games of all
types and RPGs are not exempt from that dilemma. What better way to entice new
gamers and grognards alike then with free rules?
Also consider this was a massively play tested iteration of
the game spanning thousands of players. It would have been a hard sell to not
give anything back after all that enthusiasm. Like it or not the new generation
of players are not visiting brick and mortar bookstores. This PDF will find its
way quickly onto smart devices and eBooks.
Try before you buy has been working as a sales technique for
years. But wait…try and keep it? That works even better. If this helps get more
gamers around the table with dice then I’m all for it. What a great way to
celebrate the 40th anniversary of the game this summer!
