What similarity does Taylor Swift share with a group of improv comedians acting as wizards? They both can fill Madison Square Garden with fans (… and also, their fans now dislike Ticketmaster).
Dropout’s show, Dimension 20, where they play Dungeons & Dragons live, is quickly approaching a sold-out show at a 19,000-seat venue just hours after tickets were made available to the public. To those unfamiliar with it, the idea of attending a large sports arena to watch people play D&D may seem strange. One Redditor shared, “This blows my mind. When I was playing D&D in the early eighties, I would have never believed that there would come a time when people would watch live D&D at Madison Square Garden. It’s incomprehensible to me.”
It is indeed peculiar but entertaining. However, amidst this significant moment for the actual play genre, the success is overshadowed by a common frustration shared among sports, music, and now D&D enthusiasts: Ticketmaster. As Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan remarked during the Taylor Swift-Ticketmaster controversy, the company’s shortcomings “led to more Gen Zers becoming anti-monopolists overnight than anything [she] could have done.”
During Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, fans were upset due to the high demand overwhelming Ticketmaster’s system. For Dimension 20, the issue lies with Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing, which increases ticket prices as demand rises. Approximately an hour after the Madison Square Garden tickets went on sale, the few remaining upper bowl tickets were priced at $800. Three hours later, these tickets were around $330, still significantly inflated.
“Went onto the presale, tickets were $500+ for the worst ones, we assumed they were scalpers and that the actual sale today would have normal priced tickets… $2000 for the lower bowl!? I know it’s not dropout setting the price but wow, that is a LOT of cash,” a Redditor mentioned. As one commenter pointed out, thanks to dynamic pricing, Ticketmaster itself is essentially acting as the scalper. Naturally, Dimension 20 fans are frustrated, especially given that the show’s content is openly anti-capitalist.
Despite the pricing issues, the demand for the show is a positive sign for both actual play programs and the creator economy in general.
Programs like Dimension 20 and Critical Role, which recently sold out a show at the 12,500-seat Wembley arena, represent a new era. A decade ago, such large-scale productions for online creators were unimaginable. In 2013, it was a significant event – covered by The New York Times – when YouTubers John and Hank Green performed and sold out Carnegie Hall, with a capacity of around 3,000. Today, the line between internet personalities and traditional celebrities is becoming increasingly blurred.
Even the backstory of Dropout, the company behind Dimension 20, reflects these shifting trends. When the comedy website CollegeHumor shut down, one of its executives, Sam Reich, took over the company, which has since transformed into Dropout. Dropout now produces various comedy shows, including Dimension 20, that capture the magic that more traditional programs like Saturday Night Live sometimes miss. Similar to SNL during its prime, Dropout’s cast members are as engaging as the shows themselves – if you find Lou Wilson humorous on Dimension 20, you’ll likely enjoy his appearances on Game Changer, and so forth. The Dropout platform thrives on its own success. Additionally, four of Dimension 20’s cast members launched the creator-owned actual play podcast Worlds Beyond Number last year, which now has over 30,000 paying subscribers on Patreon, supporting the project with $5 monthly pledges.
This achievement for Dimension 20 further proves that the relationship between Silicon Valley and the creator economy hype cycle is irrelevant to creators’ actual careers. Although venture funding for creator companies has decreased from its peak, the ability of creators to sell out Madison Square Garden speaks volumes.
