The ineptitude of the WotC/Hasbro marketing machine

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Um. FR teaches us that when black women (drow) take control of a society, chaos and evil ensue.

The issue is not sexism in the game-world, it's sexism in our world. It is sexist to make a game world where the only place where black women are in power is chaotic evil. Not to mention that a greater diety (lolth) is evil, black and a woman.

Where is the Good black woman greater diety?

Thing is, its a long estabolished thing in Western culture that White represents Good and Purity, while Black is Evil and Corruption. Does this apply to the races? No. No one, unless you're an albino, is WHITE. No one, unless you've been severly burned, is BLACK. They're simply terms used that have an effect of making the user feel greater than the group being mentioned. This isn't the place for this kind of discussion, because it borders far too close to politics.

Besides...what about Red Wizards? What about the Zhentarim? Etc etc etc...it IS called reaching, because you're pulling at ideas that aren't even there in the first place.

 

[Greatwyrm]

Um, my pockets seem to have gathered a fair amount of lint since I last checked. Do you take GPs?

As long as they're not those South African Krugerrands.

 

[CarlZog]

Anyone wondering why Hasbro doesn't mass market D&D, or wishing they would, probably doesn't remember the wretched results that accompanied TSR's attempt to do so in the early '80s.

There WAS a Saturday morning cartoon, and action figures, and a LOT of really bad kiddie books, and all kinds of other associated trash, including a D&D board game aimed squarely at the Candyland crowd.

The hobby is far better off peacefully existing on the sidelines than being subject to mass marketing decisions made by people struggling over the future of Mr. Potatohead.

CZ

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

Thing is, its a long estabolished thing in Western culture that White represents Good and Purity, while Black is Evil and Corruption. Does this apply to the races? No. No one, unless you're an albino, is WHITE. No one, unless you've been severly burned, is BLACK. They're simply terms used that have an effect of making the user feel greater than the group being mentioned. This isn't the place for this kind of discussion, because it borders far too close to politics.

My point is not whether or not I think it's racist, it's whether or not a CEO would bet truckloads of money on whether or not the consumers think it's racist.

My point is that CEO's are inherently conservative. My point is that Hasbro would most likely not bet the farm on an FR movie or cartoon. That is all.

I am not going to debate "Western culture" and "race" or anything else. You are right. That is politics.

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

As long as they're not those South African Krugerrands.

I just wired 1,000,000 GPs through Paypal to your DM. Screw the "Character Wealth by Level" table.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

My point is not whether or not I think it's racist, it's whether or not a CEO would bet truckloads of money on whether or not the consumers think it's racist.

My point is that CEO's are inherently conservative. My point is that Hasbro would most likely not bet the farm on an FR movie or cartoon.

While I don't ever expect an FR movie, it has nothing to do with the possible racial implications. Why? Because Lord of the Rings is doing just fine and you can look at that in so many ways. Not only LotR, but a lot of these comic book movies too. The screaming about racism isn't really as bad these days as it once was.

 

[KenM]

2) Why FR will not have a movie or cartoon series:

One of the main "bad guys" are a bunch of black people with pointy ears in an evil matriarchal society who worship an evil black woman/spider and her evil black women priests. The main "good guy" is a black man with pointy ears who goes to live with the "good" white people.

In the process we have offended both black people and feminists. Sounds like a winning business proposition doesn't it?

There are so many other story lines in the FR, you would not even have to have drow.

 

[The Blue Elf]

And most of those are the same religious groups that are against Pokemon or Harry Potter. Both of those were(are) very strong and doing just fine in a "mainstream" situation. I think it would do RPGs well to get into that "mainstream"...I mean, video games have made it, and so has music...and some people will just declare anything they don't like evil.

I agree, you make a good point ,even by the fact about Video Games they did release D&D Scorge of Worlds DVD interactive Movie game the other day it seems entertaining, and fun.