D&D 5E Rumor: Hasbro is "prepping" to sell Wizards of the Coast in 2021.

dave2008 · Jan 22, 2018

Corpsetaker said:
I didn't write this piece so I guess your lack of, well I don't have to spell it out for you, knows no bounds.

Yet you posted the fake news.

77IM · Jan 22, 2018

So, I haven't even watched the original video, because one guy's speculation does not constitute a "rumor." I'm more than capable of doing my own armchair business management. For example:

Charlaquin said:
People do understand that WotC makes Magic: The Gathering, right? One of the biggest cash cows in the games industry? Hazbro would be absolutely insane to give that up for any amount of money.

Not really; remember that the time to sell a business is when it's doing phenomenally well. If Hasbro is going down the tubes financially, selling off one profitable division to get a huge infusion of cash right now may be a sensible move. They could use the cash to buy Mattel and eliminate a lot of competition in mainstream toy sales, and reinvest leftover cash in their other profitable divisions.

Myrdin Potter · Jan 22, 2018

However, they are not going down the tubes financially, they are doing well. The story makes zero sense and is clickbait.

Mistwell · Jan 22, 2018

77IM said:
So, I haven't even watched the original video, because one guy's speculation does not constitute a "rumor." I'm more than capable of doing my own armchair business management. For example:

Not really; remember that the time to sell a business is when it's doing phenomenally well. If Hasbro is going down the tubes financially, selling off one profitable division to get a huge infusion of cash right now may be a sensible move. They could use the cash to buy Mattel and eliminate a lot of competition in mainstream toy sales, and reinvest leftover cash in their other profitable divisions.

Uh, psst. Hasbro made an offer to buy Mattel 2 months ago. They have the means already to do that. The only issues are Mattel's valuation, and anti-trust issues. They're not going "down the tubes financially".

5ekyu · Jan 22, 2018

Speculation on something happening three years from now in the gaming industry?

Hilarious.

77IM · Jan 22, 2018

Mistwell said:
Uh, psst. Hasbro made an offer to buy Mattel 2 months ago. They have the means already to do that. The only issues are Mattel's valuation, and anti-trust issues. They're not going "down the tubes financially".

Oh, I don't disagree. I was just disputing the notion that a company would never, ever sell the "cash cow" that makes M:tG; there are scenarios where it would make a lot of sense to sell it.

I agree with what someone mentioned up-thread: Hasbro's in acquisition mode right now, not spinning things off. Sorry if I implied otherwise!

Jer · Jan 22, 2018

Mistwell said:
Well even though the rumor is baloney, it might be fun to speculate about who could afford it, and might want to.

My #1 guess would be Asmodée Éditions.

Lots of good reasons for Asmodee wanting to acquire Wizards snipped

That is almost certainly a company that wants to get their hands of Magic The Gathering.

And this shows what the serious flaw in the "Hasbro to sell Wizards" rumor is - there is no way that Hasbro is going to sell it to a competitor who is actually positioned to be able to buy it. Asmodee has really started to push into mainstream retail stores - places where Hasbro has traditionally dominated all of the shelves. Owning WoTC (or, really, MtG to be honest) would help them potentially leverage more shelf space at big box retailers like Wal*Mart and Target for more of their games. They would have to offer Hasbro far more than WoTC is bringing in in revenue to make it worthwhile for Hasbro to sell it to them and give them that leverage - Hasbro would be better off shutting down the entire company and sticking the games they make into a vault never to be seen again than to sell it to Asmodee.

Hasbro can't afford to sell Magic to any competitor with the cash to buy it. Add that to the fact that Hasbro more and more sees itself as a "licensing company" rather than a toy and game company, and they are loathe to give up any of the brands that they control. Like Disney - even if it doesn't make money now, you can always stick it in a vault and break it out after a decade of letting it lie fallow and hope for nostalgia sales.

Phototoxin · Jan 22, 2018

Can we start proper rumours? Like how [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION] is not a human, but a robot powered by an undead hamster in a little wheel where his spleen should be?

jgsugden · Jan 22, 2018

Phototoxin said:
Can we start proper rumours? Like how [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION] is not a human, but a robot powered by an undead hamster in a little wheel where his spleen should be?

Please don't joke about this stuff. It is a serious medical condition when it does happen, and if it were to happen to Morrus, he might be tempted to eliminate any of us that know his secret. So obviously fake news.

Harzel · Jan 23, 2018

Zardnaar said:
If someone wanted to wave a large enough amount of dosh around everything is for sale generally with the exception perhaps of national treasures (Mona Lisa, US constitution etc).

I really want to make a political joke here, but I will content myself with insinuation.