WotC Hasbro CEO optimistic about AI in D&D and MTG’s future

[overgeeked]

Not a great sign of things to come.

At least we know one avenue they’ll try to use to increase revenues.

Hasbro CEO optimistic about AI in DnD and MTG’s future

Future Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering content could come from Artificial Intelligence, if the bets of Hasbro’s CEO are right.

www.wargamer.com

Original interview:

How Hasbro’s Chris Cocks is steering the toy company into games | The DeanBeat

Chris Cocks is the gamer who took over a big toy company. He was named the CEO of Hasbro in 2022, even though he isn't a Hasbro lifer.

venturebeat.com

 

[Scribe]

Honestly, feed all the cards of MTG into an AI, and I am sure it could start to design sets.

/slowclap

 

[Charlaquin]

Really interesting insight from this is how he’s been working to shift Wizards from a “marketing-lead” model to a “product-lead” model, by “putting product-leaders in charge and giving them permission to break rules.” Sounds like a lot of corporate double-speak that ultimately translates to ignoring what the marketing team knows about the established audience’s desires in favor of selling more products at all costs. Which explains a lot of the godawful decisions WotC has suddenly been making, and gives context to the idea of factions with competing interests behind the scenes.

 

[Charlaquin]

Honestly, feed all the cards of MTG into an AI, and I am sure it could start to design sets.

/slowclap

That does seem to be what Doctor Cocks is implying here

 

[Scribe]

“putting product-leaders in charge and giving them permission to break rules.”

Is that an actual quote?

I know I've gone into this before, on this site, but the Companion cards were the literal breaking point for me, as I know, in the darkest most spiteful corner of my soul, that Maro 100% knew what he was doing when he allowed those to go to print.

Quite literally breaking the game, and the event horizon for me.

Ah yes.

Cocks: How we run games? A lot of ways. Some subtle and some bigger. I go back to what I did when I started at Wizards of the Coast back in 2016.
...
...
We totally flipped that and went back to a classic studio model. Put the product leaders in charge. Then we resourced them up. Hey, here’s the insights you need to understand your gamers. Here’s permission to break some rules, do some new things, shake things up. That did wonderfully at Wizards.

Ikoria - April 17, 2020

Whats the lead time on a set?

Vision Design, Set Design, and Play Design | MAGIC: THE GATHERING

Mark explains a (somewhat) recent change R&D made to the structure behind how they design sets.

magic.wizards.com

BfZ - September 26, 2015

Yeah, I'd say this is roughly lining up. You heard it from the horses mouth, he ruined Magic.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

They couldn't skip saying or doing something controversial for the 50th anniversary?

 

[Scribe]

They couldn't skip saying or doing something controversial for the 50th anniversary?

One must carry on with traditions, especially around an anniversary!

 

[overgeeked]

They couldn't skip saying or doing something controversial for the 50th anniversary?

It's only March. Don't worry, they'll one-up themselves before too long.

 

[darjr]

Ugh

 

[cbwjm]

Cool, it'll be interesting to see what comes from it though it sounds a long way off before they actually release something.