New D&D cartoons?!? Purple pawn reports on Hasbro.

[Stormonu]

I've heard that if you just listen to it it's OK.

I think a cartoon is a no brainer. I wonder why there hasn't been one in so long. Though I must admit it will probably not appeal to me. But my little cousins?.....

My own kids love the one from the '80s, I can't stand to sit down and watch it - it makes me squirm how "wrong" they got things.

I think it will be difficult to do properly so that both kids and adults can enjoy it (and I think in this day and age it will do far better if they surreptitiously aim it at a level adults can tolerate it). There has to be, at some level, a way for the audience to resonate with the characters on the screen. And with most D&D parties tending to be "hired killers", you're off to a bad start. I think their best bet is a "zero to hero" protagonist to follow - and they're likely to still have to cut down on the violence.

 

[DMZ2112]

http://www.purplepawn.com/2013/09/mid-year-update-on-hasbros-game-business/

The interesting bit for me was during the bit about D&D KRE-O

I've been paying a lot of attention to Kre-O lately because of the D&D line, and it seems to me that animation is strongly tied to all of Hasbro's Kre-O brands. The website has many videos and flash games associated with the toys. But here's the catch -- it's all computer-animated "stop-motion" Kreon stuff. I'm less inclined to think 'dramatic Saturday morning cartoon' here, and more inclined to think 'comedic YouTube shorts.'

I haven't had the opportunity to watch this interview yet, but if they do not specify "traditional animation" I would not assume that is what they mean.

Considering that the KRE-O poster child seems to be Driz'zt, I'm pretty sure the eighties' kids are not on WotC's radar right now.

I don't know who's on WotC's radar right now, because no one is buying a toy that Hasbro isn't selling! We're halfway into February and still no D&D Kre-O. I'm a little nervous they won't see the light of day -- not because of the D&D brand, but because of the Kre-O brand. None of the major retailers, Amazon included, have a large number of Kre-O products available for sale, and Target's Kre-O site is totally devoid of product. Disappointing.

I...

We had a game like that growing up. It involved a massive plastic prosthetic thumb. As I recall we rarely actually played the game, but the thumb was comedy gold, and often on proud display on someone's opposable digit.

It's a sad day when I'm far more interested in MLP than an announcement of a D&D cartoon.

...Yes. Yes it is. ...I can't even sugar coat that with a joke.

 

[Mistwell]

I've been paying a lot of attention to Kre-O lately because of the D&D line, and it seems to me that animation is strongly tied to all of Hasbro's Kre-O brands. The website has many videos and flash games associated with the toys. But here's the catch -- it's all computer-animated "stop-motion" Kreon stuff. I'm less inclined to think 'dramatic Saturday morning cartoon' here, and more inclined to think 'comedic YouTube shorts.'

I haven't had the opportunity to watch this interview yet, but if they do not specify "traditional animation" I would not assume that is what they mean.



I don't know who's on WotC's radar right now, because no one is buying a toy that Hasbro isn't selling! We're halfway into February and still no D&D Kre-O. I'm a little nervous they won't see the light of day -- not because of the D&D brand, but because of the Kre-O brand. None of the major retailers, Amazon included, have a large number of Kre-O products available for sale, and Target's Kre-O site is totally devoid of product. Disappointing.



We had a game like that growing up. It involved a massive plastic prosthetic thumb. As I recall we rarely actually played the game, but the thumb was comedy gold, and often on proud display on someone's opposable digit.



...Yes. Yes it is. ...I can't even sugar coat that with a joke.

I know this is going to sound weird, but the US is currently experiencing a toy shortage. Due to fears about consumer reluctance, many stores ordered fewer toys, and toy shipments to the U.S. in the past six months are down notably from the prior year. The stores covered Christmas fine, but it left them with very low inventories for the first quarter of 2014.

My daughter loves a toy called Squinkies, and suddenly we cannot find them at any local places, also due to the toy shortage.

 

[DMZ2112]

I know this is going to sound weird, but the US is currently experiencing a toy shortage.

That doesn't sound weird to me at all. We are all very familiar with the impact of digital entertainment on our make-believe universe of choice -- why would it be any different for entertainment options with even less interactivity?

 

[GX.Sigma]

The quote referred to a "series of animated shorts." A series of animated shorts is not a TV show. A series of animated shorts is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UqFPujRZWo

 

[DMZ2112]

I don't know who's on WotC's radar right now, because no one is buying a toy that Hasbro isn't selling! We're halfway into February and still no D&D Kre-O.

I stand corrected -- someone named "Ishamp" is price-gouging two D&D Kre-O products on Amazon as of today. So with luck, they are shipping and will hit shelves soon.

 

[Agamon]

I...

Sounds like a less controversial, fantasy-themed version of Cash'n'Guns, which certainly has an adult theme, but isn't much of an adult game.

 

[Nellisir]

Sounds like a less controversial, fantasy-themed version of Cash'n'Guns, which certainly has an adult theme, but isn't much of an adult game.

I just can't decide if I want this game, or it's the forerunner of the Apocalypse.

Both, I guess.