New medieval roleplaying game to hit market and need opinion

[Deadboy]

The thing is, when someone finally does take WotC down, it's probably not going to be one of us indie people. It's going to be another company, who has the size, advertising and most of all, cash to go toe to toe with the beast, and even then, it won't be easy. It's possible -- TSR went down, only to be replaced by WotC.

As independent game designers, our tact has to be different. We need to concentrate on carving our own niche and being innovative, because we don't have the resources necessary to oppose an entire corporation. You really need to design your game predicated on the desire to make a good game and desire to give people something different then they've seen before, rather than trying to topple anyone else. Concentrate on what YOU are doing, rather than worrying about how successful someone else is.

[sirogit]

I really don't think its a big deal that WOTC has alot of money behind it, I think its because D&D is just out there. At all times it had more groups playing it than any other game. Those groups are the primary introducatory point for other players.

D&D has some merits as a system. But I think most people who criticitize systems can agree its pretty crappy.

No one is saying that you can't make a popular medeival game. They're just saying that none of your features are innovative as you claim. Why would someone want to play this versus Riddle of Steel or Runequest or GURPS Fantasy?

[Eamon]

...because it is D&D.  It is the McDonalds/Oracle/Microsoft of the game industry merely because of name branding.

Go to any gaming convention.  The majority of the players will be playing D&D.  Sure, I like to make fun of their intelligence, but that only goes so far.  This last weekend I met a philosophy professor and a telecommunications lawyer who were surprised that I played anything but D&D.  So D&D, regardless of who owns it or the underlying game system remains the top of the heap.

Wait... it gets better...

Kids may not know the name of D&D, but thanks to various video games they know all the terminology.  Hit points, armor class, and more.  Go ahead, ask that 9 year old what hit points are...