Dimension 20: A Monumental Moment for Actual Play Shows
Imagine this: a group of improv comedians pretending to be wizards, selling out Madison Square Garden. It may sound absurd, but that’s exactly what’s happening with Dropout’s Dungeons & Dragons actual play show, Dimension 20. Just hours after ticket sales opened to the general public, the show is on the verge of selling out a 19,000-seat venue. As one Redditor astutely pointed out, “When I was playing D&D in the early eighties, I would have never believed that there was a future where people would watch live D&D at Madison Square Garden. It’s incomprehensible to me.”
Ticketmaster Frustrations: From Taylor Swift to Dimension 20
However, this monumental moment for the actual play genre is accompanied by a frustration that fans of sports, music, and now D&D share: Ticketmaster. Just like the Taylor Swift-Ticketmaster scandal, where the company’s failures fueled anti-monopolist sentiments, Dimension 20 fans are also feeling the sting of Ticketmaster’s practices. In Taylor Swift’s case, demand overwhelmed Ticketmaster’s system, causing it to crash. For Dimension 20, the issue lies with Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing. As more people try to buy tickets, the prices increase. Within hours of the ticket release, upper bowl tickets were already priced at $800.
Ticketmaster: The Unexpected Scalper
Fans were understandably outraged by the exorbitant prices. One Redditor exclaimed, “I know it’s not dropout setting the price but wow is that a LOT of cash.” But here’s the irony — thanks to dynamic pricing, Ticketmaster itself becomes the scalper. This revelation adds to fans’ frustration, especially since the show’s content is overtly anti-capitalist.
The Rise of Actual Play Shows and Creator Economy
Despite these pricing issues, the demand for Dimension 20 is a promising sign for the actual play genre and the creator economy as a whole. Shows like Dimension 20 and Critical Role, which recently sold out the 12,500-seat Wembley arena, represent the changing tides in the entertainment industry. A decade ago, the idea of online creators hosting pop star-sized productions would have been unthinkable. However, today, the lines between internet personalities and “real” celebrities are blurrier than ever.
The Evolution of Dropout: From CollegeHumor to Actual Play Success
The story behind Dropout, the production company behind Dimension 20, perfectly exemplifies this changing landscape. When comedy site CollegeHumor closed down, Sam Reich, one of the company’s executives, acquired it and transformed it into Dropout. Since then, Dropout has produced various comedy shows, including Dimension 20. Similar to Saturday Night Live in its prime, Dropout’s cast members are as captivating as the shows themselves. If you find Lou Wilson funny on Dimension 20, you’ll likely enjoy his episodes of Game Changer and more. The success of Dropout has even led four of Dimension 20’s cast members to start their own creator-owned actual play podcast called Worlds Beyond Number, which now boasts over 30,000 paid subscribers on Patreon.
Irrelevance of Silicon Valley Hype: Creators Take Center Stage
This milestone for Dimension 20 serves as a reminder that the relationship between Silicon Valley and the creator economy hype cycle is irrelevant to the actual careers of creators. While venture funding for creator companies may have declined from its peak, creators themselves have proven that they can achieve incredible success. Selling out Madison Square Garden is just one example of their rising influence and impact.