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#RPGaDay2018 - Day 3: What gives a game 'Staying Power'?

I honestly don't know what this means. Staying Power means... what, the ability of a particular system to stay in the modern marketplace? Or the ability of a particular tabletop group to keep things rolling on a given storyline/group of characters?

I guess what I'm saying is, I don't know. I mean, tabletop gaming / roleplaying games as a genre aren't really old enough to have anything really fade out; there are still folks who loudly and proudly play 1e Dungeons & Dragons, and I wouldn't be surprised to find out that there are folks who would like to bring back Chainmail or some shit like that. I think Dungeons and Dragons holds onto the marketspace by being both well-funded and willing to reinvent itself on a regular basis. I think that Paizo holds up in second place by being "D&D, only moreso". And anyone else is kinda making money by accident (I think Evil Hat and Lumpley are committed to being businesses, don't get me wrong, I just think that the actual marketspace is still in "hobby" territory so their success is effectively incidental).

Ask me again in 50 years, when we have a long enough timeline to make decisions about 'staying power'.

As for specific tabletop games keeping going, I figure it's a random mix of alchemical reactions between players, plus the availability of free time for the affected folks.

I dunno. Maybe I'm cynical.

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