ADDITIONS/ERRATA:
-I say this in the video, but one TL;DW is that the present era of TTRPGs isn't comparable to the 1990s, but is much closer to what happened in the wake of WOTC releasing D&D 4th Edition.
-Lisa Stevens of Paizo retired and is no longer CEO, though she still co-owns the company
-The dominance of D&D 5e has also stifled diversity in another way: TTRPGs that already arguably had a captive audience, like the Dark Souls TTRPG, became 5e variants instead of using new and/or more-fitting mechanics.
-Whether or not the new D&D edition meets Hasbro's aggressive profit goals, the popularity of "D&D" is still growing. "D&D" in quotes because that also means TTRPGs for people. Baldur's Gate 3 is a huge success and is furthering the already-increasing interest in TTRPGs. And if Hasbro doesn't clamp down on third-party publishers, there will be a large D&D market that indies can produce for.
LINKS:
Ben Riggs: "The Golden Age of TTRPGs is Dead":
https://www.facebook.com/ben.riggs.writes/posts/10168399913785285
Dave Thaumavore: "A brief history of the legendary dumpster fire called TSR | RPG book recap"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1aBG2O8zW4
Dungeons & Discourse: "Insane Allegations Against Matt Mercer & Matt Colville"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpmtEpgQhuY
"The Rise and Fall of a Middle-School D&D/Pathfinder Program (The Rules Lawyer)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkTdo-6UpRc
0:00 Intro
1:44 The article
4:20 What's a golden age?
7:19 The OGL died?
11:51 Fracturing the hobby?
15:01 The TTRPG Boom
20:33 A New Golden Age
22:37 Closing statement
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