You're the Head of WOTC. Now What?

[Raven Crowking]

Revise the Wotc forums - they´re getting better but are still badly organized.

Actually, that's one thing I forgot.

Message boards are not WotC's "core business". I'd partner with EN World to take over the functionality of the message boards (same Rules), and perhaps someone like Google for the virtual tabletop.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

On second thought knowing that I'm not qualified and wouldn't last long I'd set up a ncie golden parachet for when they canned me.

This

Seriously thought, not enough is known to make any valid statements on this. By many accounts D&D is small part of WoTC's activities.

 

[Stormonu]

I'd probably bankrupt the company, but if they gave me the reigns...

1) Release all products for PDF download again and "current" books for e-readers (and work backwards in time for older book availability in eReaders) . Hire a 3rd party to clean up some of the old PDFs (some of them are fairly bad scans, and the redos could be released as actual print products for #3).

2) Work out a program where future books come with a code, CD or other method of getting the PDF for little or no cost. Dungeon and Dragon could be ordered as POD (Print on Demand) magazines.

3) Announce the "Classics" line - reprints of the core 3 books for AD&D 1E, 2E & 3E, plus the D&D Cyclopedia; keep them in physical print for a short time, then make them available as POD for fans down the road. Also put the base sets for Alternity, d20 Modern, Star Frontiers, Top Secret and Boot Hill back into print or as POD books.

4) Produce a new, core set of D&D that will NOT be expanded - whether it uses the current edition or a new edition. The idea would be this book line is in print "forever" and shake of the dependency of making money through splatbooks and add-ons or creating new game editions.

Likely this line would be
- an Introductory set, covering a portion of levels 1-3 (or 1-5)
- a Base Rulebook containing all the basic rules or play
- a Monster Book (and separately available cards, maybe card only packs)
- an Equipment Book (Mundane & Magic items, and separately available cards)
- Adventure/Campaign creation book
- "handbooks" for each PC race
- a card set of powers for each class, with a pamphlet with the class base abilities.
- Likely to have a short list of campaign worlds and/or adventures (probably one adventure path, possibly per campaign world).

Yes, this is very GWy, but with the breadth of options the game has introduced over the years, it would probably be the best way to ration out information into affordable chunks. Open the GSL or embrace the OGL to get 3rd party publishers who want to fill the "100,000 books" for the system.

5) Fix the quality issues of the minis line or scrap it - IMO it's been going downhill since after War of the Dragon Queen. Also, try to bring the DDM rules back to life so the game can be played either as a stand-alone game or as part of D&D. Consider creating some D&D boardgames using the miniatures (like the Ravenloft game they're apparently considering).

6) Embrace and push the technological envelope. Have a fully functional Character Builder, Monster Builder, Adventure Builder and the like that can also support house rules. Finish and market the Virtual Tabletop and look for other ways to help gamers through technology. (Granted, some of that is already here, but I don't think it's anywhere near how good it could be).

7) Get a decent CRPG and MMO out to tout the line. Be innovative, instead of trying to ride the coattails of other electronic games or being hogtied to the tabletop version of the game. (It should feel D&D, even if it can't follow the exact mechanics. The D&D arcade video games were good tries IMO, DDO was not).

8) Push to get a decent, live-action movie version of Dragonlance out - with a commitment to do all three of the original books on the silver screen.

 

[hewligan]

Okay, so this baby is now mine, my own personal play-thing, so here is what I would do (in reality I would be much more 'business like' but that isn't so fun in the 'what-if' imagineering):

1) Work on building a friendly dialogue with our customers - after all, they have the potential to be our best sales-people

2) Reach out to Paizo, either to bring them back in-house, or to try and bring them on-board as official adventure provider for whatever edition of DnD

3) Stick with 4e (I dislike it myself, but moving so soon would be corporate suicide)

4) Slowly move away from the tactical-combat emphasis - that is best done in computer games, so why compete in the one area that is best handled by a computer. Instead, refocus on "role" playing

5) Create a new line called: DnD Legacy. Use this line to introduce rules-light (so suitable for any edition) campaign settings, etc. for things like Planescape, SpellJammer, Greyhawk. Perhaps this DnD Legacy line is what Paizo could be drafted in to help support with adventures.

6) Listen a little better

7) Buy donuts for my staff, tell them to enjoy themselves, and absolutely promise that in 2010 there will be no Christmas lay-offs, guaranteed.


If I am allowed a number 8), it would be to rename myself "KING OF THE WIZARDS (of the Coast)" - my wife would be very impressed.

 

[ggroy]

2) Reach out to Paizo, either to bring them back in-house, or to try and bring them on-board as official adventure provider for whatever edition of DnD

Why not just buy out Paizo entirely?

 

[Arashi Ravenblade]

I would keep what their doing, but one thing I would do is take the older editions of D&D and allow companies to bid for them. WOTC still owns them, but these companies can take and make officially liscenced D&D stuff from past editions, even expanding concepts that (Like Incarnum from 3.5) didnt make it into the OGL.
This way those companies these give a cut to WOTC for selling a old D&D game. I wouldnt consider it competing with yourself, since if your not playing and buying the current edition you must be playing something older or something else. WOTC can now profit from those people who still play older edtions and not buying their stuff anyway.

 

[crash_beedo]

For the most part, I like 4E and the direction of the 'modern incarnation'. The starter sets are too limited (crippleware, I saw them called) and not true red boxes, so that needs to change. The idea of genre settings is interesting. Leveraging the D&D IP for board games seems fairly innovative - looking forward to the board game.

But I agree with either re-opening up the old PDFs for purchase, or even better, creating an in-print "vintage" versions. Half my gaming is using Moldvay B/X, Labyrinth Lord, and soon to be the Labyrinth Lord 1st edition companion... WOTC should just capitalize on the OSR by releasing a vintage edition (or just paying Goblinoid Games some money to mass-distribute LL as vintage D&D!) But that's just me...

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Laugh evilly, make pictures of myself looking angry while holding a lot of money, light cigars with incredibly rare MtG cards, and then troll the forums as they've never been trolled before.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

1) Continue to publish 4e as is and plan (not design!) 5e.

2) Get some serious customer data: age spread, age of entry to the hobby, modes of playing (p&p groups, con men, playing online, only reading and/or collecting), buying habits.

3) Try to calculate expectation values: mean time of playing till leaving the hobby, spending mode (once only, peaked, continuous), valuable product segments.

4) Plan for different publishing models: classic book publishing, book publishing plus electronic services, electronic services plus a bit of book publishing.

5) Examine probability of completely different future technical solutions being available and somewhat wide spread in the next decade: VR, augmented reality, 3D printing, ...

6) Analyse these data to construct several different business models for 5e.

7) Decide for one of these models and start drafting a viral marketing campaign aimed at the future audience, completely neglecting the existing customer base.

8) Make plans for the marketing the new publishing model to the existing DDI customer base.

9) Draft the speech for the upcoming "CEO of the Year" ceremony.

10) Re-publish all products at least 30 years old in huge, senior-friendly font and/or audio books.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

On second thought knowing that I'm not qualified and wouldn't last long I'd set up a ncie golden parachet for when they canned me.

good answer... but now on to how I would get fired...


1) I would push to have someone like fantasy grounds make a game table for DDI,
2) hire several new guys to help push new DDI stuff (adventure tools and the like)
3) convince hasbro to let me make 'genre settings' from othe rproperties they own... 4e GI JOE, 4e Transformers, ect...ect...ect..
4) buy piazo, cancle pathfinder, then make them the sub group enchage of 4e adventures
5) start working on 5e
a) go through every book starting with phb I and have everyone write "If I knew then what I know now" changes
b) ask here and at other key sites what people would want to see changed...
6) announce phb4 for 4e, and a few more products, tell people my honnest view on the next edtion (most likely 2013 or 14...with 2015 ont he outside chance)
7) try to get my hands on BTH marvel and DC comics rights to make rpgs... then make compatble systems for both as new genre settings...