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Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut





People have stated for a long time that the ability to find a game is one of the reasons that niche games are niche. Without a local community, niche games struggle to grow. The pandemic changed many things. For many gamers, the hobby became more important. Others began to play online. Some got more into the lore.A All three of these activities can be pursued without a local community. Thus, one might think that the pandemic was a golden age for niche gaming. However, it seems that may not have been the case. Marxlives posted on page 10 of the health of privateer press thread about the popularity of various YouTube and fan created content. His numbers seem to indicate that it has been rough for indy games. This begs to question is the ability to find a game really as important a factor as it has typically made out to be?
   
Made in pl
Longtime Dakkanaut




I don't think the youtube ratios suggest "it has been rough", i think it reflects how small wargaming is as a hobby. (on a tangent, I for example don't watch any "hobby" content on youtube, I find it either pointless or sycophantic). Even the GW vids are smol numbers.



This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/05/18 10:01:14


 
   
Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut




UK

For many people the ability and the potential to play the game is part of the hobby for them. Even if they aren't active in a playing group today, one driving aspect is getting to take their models that they've built and painted; and put them on a table to play with.

It's part of the experience for many and it lets them add a social aspect to what can otherwise be a very single-person hobby.


I would estimate that smaller and bigger firms have seen a good year in terms of sales in terms of how many current and returning customers have invested into them. What would be more interesting is to know the uptake of new people, which is where I'd expect numbers to be down on anything that isn't GW (because GW has so many marketing options that don't just rely on highstreet stores). Smaller games that rely heavily on word of mouth and local game groups and stores to help sell their product are likely going to have had a poor year recruiting new people. However they've likely had a good year in terms of overall sales provided that they've online distribution and marketing setup.


That said the longer people go without games the more I'd expect this surge of sales to steadily dwindle. Getting out to play is part of the fun, for some its all the fun; for others its a bonus.


A Blog in Miniature

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Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

I have a feeling games with solo options or the ability to be played via Zoom (such as To The Strongest thanks to its "grid" system) did just fine in the Pandemic.

Games without these options probably suffered a bit more.

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Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





Cronch wrote:
I don't think the youtube ratios suggest "it has been rough", i think it reflects how small wargaming is as a hobby. (on a tangent, I for example don't watch any "hobby" content on youtube, I find it either pointless or sycophantic). Even the GW vids are smol numbers.





It takes a lot of work to make good content. Just look at the difference between the top stuff on YouTube and the "raw" footage you find on Twitch. As much as people like to pretend its the same as videogames, its just not for a variety of reasons not the least of which is that the audience isn't nearly as big as people think. People think GW is on par with EA and the like because they see "hundreds" at a tournament. The internet is very good at making everything seem huge and professional, but the industry is absolutely full of companies that are a dozen or so people churning out their craft by hand out of the love of it with no real expectation of it making a profit. I was starkly reminded of this when I ordered a set of figures and noticed that my order number was just over 1000. Personally, its one of the things that I like about the hobby. It's way more driven by personal artistic vision than any real profit. It connects with real people in a way that video games left behind years ago.
   
Made in us
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MN (Currently in WY)

 LunarSol wrote:
Personally, its one of the things that I like about the hobby. It's way more driven by personal artistic vision than any real profit. It connects with real people in a way that video games left behind years ago.


Which is why I never want wargaming to go mainstream!

I honestly do not understand why people want it to go mainstream, because that is when it becomes even more corporatized and sanitized (generally speaking).

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Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut




UK

I think the lack of shows has probably had a significant effect on some small companies who make a significant chunk of their revenue at them

and if they're living from new release to new release covid (and Brexit) related shipping issues both of their own stuff and the raw materials needed to make it, delays and places like casters and printers closing due to covid

and even more customers sitting at home with free time waiting for the post to arrive so being more likely to complain about late deliveries (which will be later than normal because of covid post)

will also have been an issue

 
   
Made in ca
Veteran Wolf Guard Squad Leader






I've abandoned smaller games due to the pandemic, even ones I really love, as the local community evaporated.

Wolfspear's 2k
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Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut





Interesting responses. For some of you, having a local community is crucial. Others mentioned conventions, and online communities/play. There is also the subject of solo play.

I know I certainly spent time and money on paper rpgs and did not always have a play group. People may also be into mini games in the same way. Theory crafting, playing solo, hobbling, nerding on the lore. Much of this can be done even if you cannot find local players.

I am not totally convinced that local scene is as critical to the hobby as it is portrayed.
   
Made in gb
Malicious Mandrake




"This begs to question is the ability to find a game really as important a factor as it has typically made out to be?"

For me, very much so. I have bought perhaps 6 figures because I want to build, paint and display them. I have bought hundreds to play with. I have enjoyed assembling and painting my backlog, but I'm doing them to play, not to paint. I've played 4 games since the pandemic began (all with my wife). I miss my regular opponent, and the pickup games I used to play. I have minimal to zero interest in the other options you mention: I want to PLAY!
   
Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut




UK

Lets also consider that its not just playing but the ability to be part of a community that's important.


Even if you just paint for yourself, most people enjoy being able to share their hobby/interest with others. Be they the "public" or others of a like mind and interest. Displaying your models in your house on a shelf is great, but if the only people that see it at yourself and one or two work mates and your family then it can sap some enthusiasm.

Sure you can get a camera and share them online and get some great interactions and community support. Indeed the potential for that is huge. However its not quite the same social interaction as in person. Indeed online can feel very impersonal at times, especially when your views end up being "nice painting" comments and the "like" button results no longer interest you.

Gaming and being part of a community and even just hobbying in a gaming room and such. These can all be part of the social interaction. A good few stores that support wargames often have display cabinets where locals can show off their painting and converting outside of games.

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3D Printing, hobbying and model fun! 
   
Made in gb
Executing Exarch





 spaceelf wrote:


I am not totally convinced that local scene is as critical to the hobby as it is portrayed.


I think that rather depends on the local situation (and how 'local' you define local)

My corner of the Shire has been without a gaming store for getting on for 15 years, yes we have a GW but thats not niche

The cat herders in chief of the local gaming club are more or less are veterans of the long gone store and was started to keep gaming alive 'locally', we have a couple of most excellent gaming places about an hour away but bad roads and even worse public transport limit their availability

And obvious being the rabid GW haters* we are we tend towards smaller niche games

The Event has messed with that but fingers crossed once normal becomes normal again play will resume

* you make a few mean comments about 7th and the local GW faithful wont let it go...

"AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED." 
   
Made in no
Longtime Dakkanaut






One should not judge this hobby on youtube and twitch streams.
Our hobby is ultra niche. Face it, we are basicly exacly like 5 y/o playing with green army men.

Heck, even display modelers is hyper niche.
Model train stage makers, RC models and slot cars has more "rep" then we have and that says alot.

Take my country, this hobby is so obscure that it operates only inside cloused facebook groups, and in membership only basement locations. Any attempt at displaying the hobby publicly gets shot down whitin 2 years.

As to why less vids and stream: well obviously the anti socialisation steps from the pandemic, aka avoid other humans at all costs.
These games we are collecting, are not ment to be played solo.

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Made in gb
Decrepit Dakkanaut




UK

 FrozenDwarf wrote:
Any attempt at displaying the hobby publicly gets shot down whitin 2 years.



I -- wait what? Do you mean shut down as in the stores just fail to work or shot down as in people force them to close?

A Blog in Miniature

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Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut




Maryland

 FrozenDwarf wrote:

These games we are collecting, are not ment to be played solo.


I'd disagree. If anything, the pandemic has shown that more games should have solo play rules.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/05/19 13:56:19


   
Made in us
Battlefield Tourist




MN (Currently in WY)

 infinite_array wrote:
 FrozenDwarf wrote:

These games we are collecting, are not ment to be played solo.


I'd disagree. If anything, the pandemic has shown that more games should have solo play rules.


So much this..... solo play was a competitive advantage over the last 18 months.

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Legendary Master of the Chapter





SoCal

Wargamers on YouTube seem to have only one speed, mostly. I can’t think of anything more tedious than watching gaming content on YouTube, especially battle reports. The only gaming channels that I enjoy are Arvandus and Obscurities in Miniature; one summarizes the background for obscure games and the other displays miniatures and conversions made with new or obscure kits, and both tend to put out short videos.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2021/05/19 16:57:03


   
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut





There are other sources than YouTube vids. There are searches of blogs, vlogs, discord’s, etc. google trends all sorts of stuff. It is certainly not a perfect view, or unbiased. But it does provide some insight.

I do think some people get into to younger. Prior to playing in stores, or groups of friends. Just by themselves

Solo play rules are great. They can be difficult to write.
   
Made in ca
Decrepit Dakkanaut





 Easy E wrote:
So much this..... solo play was a competitive advantage over the last 18 months.

Agreed, and that might continue. Even before the Pandemic it was almost mandatory that boardgames have a solo-play mode, if not also a co-op mode.
   
 
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