D&D 5E Perfect example of the kind of interaction that I wish Wizards had with it's community.

[neobolts]

Where are you getting that from, and why are you saying it like it's a confirmed fact?

It's from the Escapist interview series with Ryan Dancey and others from 2011 (penned by current WotC Communications Manager Greg Tito).

"Hasbro restructured itself internally to focus on its most successful brands," said Dancey. "Brands that did $50-$100 million a year in revenue were considered 'core,' and smaller brands were going to be marginalized. Marginalized businesses get downsized in headcount. They may also be mothballed, or sold."

As they launched and continue to build up 5e, D&D seems to be under the gun with the under $50M downsizing and a plan to create a $50M+ brand using the D&D license to its full potential across multiple mediums (mobile games, board games, miniatures, MMO, console games, novels, TPRG).

Links to the full interview series here: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?315699-The-Escapist-on-D-amp-D-Past-Present-and-Future

 

[Iosue]

Indeed. The immediate response to Dancey's info was, "Oh noes! D&D is going to be mothballed!" No one seemed to connect the dots with the $50 million target and the incessant D&D layoffs. Now they've got a much leaner team (I don't buy that it's a "skeleton crew"), and they've moved from a splat heavy strategy to a wider brand licensing one. That's more of a viable option now than in 2005-2007 because since then they got the digital rights back from Atari, and have a good chance of getting the movie rights back.

My post has its share of speculation, but it's essentially the situation as I see it. Naturally, I do think it has more support than the suggestions that because they are cutting back on splat that "5e is a last kick of the RPG can" before they "shutter it."

 

[Mistwell]

It's from the Escapist interview series with Ryan Dancey and others from 2011 (penned by current WotC Communications Manager Greg Tito).



As they launched and continue to build up 5e, D&D seems to be under the gun with the under $50M downsizing and a plan to create a $50M+ brand using the D&D license to its full potential across multiple mediums (mobile games, board games, miniatures, MMO, console games, novels, TPRG).

Links to the full interview series here: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?315699-The-Escapist-on-D-amp-D-Past-Present-and-Future

Ah, that's what I thought, you were using outdated stuff and claiming it's still current.

He is referring to years prior to that, and says later it was entirely scrapped and they were rescued by the books of WOTC being combined. And then literally every person above him at Hasbro involved with that is no longer there, and most of the people at WOTC at the time are gone as well. It's about as past tense as you can get - the whole thing is gone as a concept and there is zero evidence it's still in effect.

But, we all went down this debate 5 years ago. Even the argument is old at this point. I didn't think anyone was still kicking it around.

 

[DEFCON 1]

My post has its share of speculation, but it's essentially the situation as I see it. Naturally, I do think it has more support than the suggestions that because they are cutting back on splat that "5e is a last kick of the RPG can" before they "shutter it."

Yup... from everything I've read from people here on the boards... it seems they all have their own personal concept of what "business" has to be, and what is required by someone to "stay in business". Thus... since they think Dungeons & Dragons is a game that involves the publishing of books... in order to stay in business, WotC has to publish books. And apparently they all have different ideas as to how many books one has to publish in order to stay in business. And it doesn't matter how many times WotC states that their business model is fine and can be sustained with only now publishing possibly one or two books a year... because that doesn't jive with their own ideas of what is required... the "game is in trouble" or is "going to be shuttered".

People just seem unable to comprehend a different business model than the one they have in their head (which coincidentally often tends to be the business model Paizo uses). Despite there being no evidence that the model they are thinking of is in fact the correct one for WotC.

 

[neobolts]

Ah, that's what I thought, you were using outdated stuff and claiming it's still current.

He is referring to years prior to that, and says later it was entirely scrapped and they were rescued by the books of WOTC being combined. And then literally every person above him at Hasbro involved with that is no longer there, and most of the people at WOTC at the time are gone as well. It's about as past tense as you can get - the whole thing is gone as a concept and there is zero evidence it's still in effect.

But, we all went down this debate 5 years ago. Even the argument is old at this point. I didn't think anyone was still kicking it around.

Personally, I find that Dancey does a good job of taking the industry's pulse. I also have a soft spot for him as a driving force behind the OGL. The 2011 interview has Dancey talking about big suprises for D&D in the works. My take is that he was looped in on the D&D Next initiative. Hasbro is a big company looking at the long term. The $50M+ target for D&D sounds reasonable and I see no reason for Hasbro to have changed that target. It's all speculative, by I think it shows that Dancey was correctly looking forward to the current model for D&D, a leaner team due to how 4e played out as well as a plan for maximizing the brand's exposure. I'd love to hear his take on how the last 4 years have or haven't meshed with his expectations for D&D as a brand and for the industry as a whole.

 

[Staffan]

Yup... from everything I've read from people here on the boards... it seems they all have their own personal concept of what "business" has to be, and what is required by someone to "stay in business". Thus... since they think Dungeons & Dragons is a game that involves the publishing of books... in order to stay in business, WotC has to publish books. And apparently they all have different ideas as to how many books one has to publish in order to stay in business. And it doesn't matter how many times WotC states that their business model is fine and can be sustained with only now publishing possibly one or two books a year... because that doesn't jive with their own ideas of what is required... the "game is in trouble" or is "going to be shuttered".

I would argue that a D&D that only releases one or two TRPG products per year and focuses on board games and licensing is in trouble, even if it's a business model that makes lots of money for Hasbro. It's still bad for the game. I don't give two hoots about the success of Wizards as a company (or as a division of Hasbro), except insofar as it affects the game.

I realize that that means my priorities and Hasbro's, and probably Wizards', don't align, and that's OK. It's just one more sad fact of life.

 

[DEFCON 1]

I would argue that a D&D that only releases one or two TRPG products per year and focuses on board games and licensing is in trouble, even if it's a business model that makes lots of money for Hasbro. It's still bad for the game. I don't give two hoots about the success of Wizards as a company (or as a division of Hasbro), except insofar as it affects the game.

I realize that that means my priorities and Hasbro's, and probably Wizards', don't align, and that's OK. It's just one more sad fact of life.

Yep. It's too bad, isn't it? That you can't always get what you want? Someone should write a song about that...

 

[Staffan]

Yep. It's too bad, isn't it? That you can't always get what you want? Someone should write a song about that...

Yeah, I know. It sucks to be me.
[video=youtube;-6ALzUGZsOQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6ALzUGZsOQ[/video]

 

[Parmandur]

Personally, I find that Dancey does a good job of taking the industry's pulse. I also have a soft spot for him as a driving force behind the OGL. The 2011 interview has Dancey talking about big suprises for D&D in the works. My take is that he was looped in on the D&D Next initiative. Hasbro is a big company looking at the long term. The $50M+ target for D&D sounds reasonable and I see no reason for Hasbro to have changed that target. It's all speculative, by I think it shows that Dancey was correctly looking forward to the current model for D&D, a leaner team due to how 4e played out as well as a plan for maximizing the brand's exposure. I'd love to hear his take on how the last 4 years have or haven't meshed with his expectations for D&D as a brand and for the industry as a whole.

Pretty sure it has been established that the entire separating of brands from divisions, that Dancey was talking about, has completely changed. Hasbro goes by division again, so D&D is lumped in with Magic as far as corporate is concerned.

 

[Iosue]

Pretty sure it has been established that the entire separating of brands from divisions, that Dancey was talking about, has completely changed. Hasbro goes by division again, so D&D is lumped in with Magic as far as corporate is concerned.

Where was that established? It's certainly possible, but I've seen nothing to suggest that. The Hasbro investor reports make mention of growth and decline in specific brands, and while Magic is mentioned, Wizards of the Coast is not.