WotC Hasbro Gaming Down 17% But D&D Remains 'Bright Spot'

ICv2 reports on Hasbro's latest quarterly report, noting that "Wizards of the Coast’s Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons were two bright spots in Hasbro’s Q3, an otherwise tough quarter with sales and earnings both hit by actual and threatened tariffs on goods from China".

Other notes from ICv2:

• Hasbro Gaming, which does not include franchise brands Monopoly and Magic: The Gathering, was down 17%
• Total gaming sales, including Magic and Monopoly, were roughly flat, a big change from the 26% growth in Q2
• WotC has close to a dozen [digital] games in development for delivery over the next five to six years
• Hasbro believes that WotC sales can be doubled over the next five years, “…as we’ve accomplished over the past five years.”

 

[Urriak Uruk]

No idea what that has to do with anything?

I'm not saying it's true but generally a company that is doing poorly with one good product is looking at every way they can to monetize anything they can. Could be good for us though as it means they will be more willing to take risks.

Tell that to Disney and their love of monetizing anything Star Wars or Marvel. Literally the least risk-taking and most monetizing company in entertainment (and incredibly successful for it).

 

[darjr]

There is a big difference between the OGL, which mostly relies on purchasing the PHB, and building some system that makes it easier to play completely different systems like Cuthulhu.

Tell that to Paizo.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Tell that to Paizo.

The company success has not been as good since 5e's release and people moved on from the controversial 4e.

 

[FrogReaver]

Tell that to Disney and their love of monetizing anything Star Wars or Marvel. Literally the least risk-taking and most monetizing company in entertainment (and incredibly successful for it).

D&D is not Star Wars or marvel.

 

[Parmandur]

D&D is not Star Wars or marvel.

Neither were Star Wars or Marvel.

 

[FrogReaver]

Neither were Star Wars or Marvel.

Star Wars has always been Star Wars.

Marvel hasn't but it's take off isn't really surprising IMO.

 

[Parmandur]

Star Wars has always been Star Wars.

Marvel hasn't but it's take off isn't really surprising IMO.

Tell that last part to approximately anyone in Hollywood pre-2008.

Try telling that first part to the executives at Fox who had to fight over Star Wars in development.

It would be easy to say afterwards if D&D became a transmedia juggernaut that it's success "wasn't really surprising," bit that would be as untrue as saying that for Star Wars or Marvel.

 

[FrogReaver]

Tell that last part to approximately anyone in Hollywood pre-2008.

Try telling that first part to the executives at Fox who had to fight over Star Wars in development.

It would be easy to say afterwards if D&D became a transmedia juggernaut that it's success "wasn't really surprising," bit that would be as untrue as saying that for Star Wars or Marvel.

It would be a welcome surprise but you wouldn't really hear claims that D&D becoming as big as star wars at the movies wasn't surprising. That would be incredibly surprising for everyone.

The issue with D&D as a movie is that there's no quintessential D&D story. What's great about playing D&D is that it allows us to play in quasi-generic fantasy setting with personalized protagonists that we each individually enjoy. There's simply no predefined story that can be told that we all are going to be super enthusiastic about seeing on the big screen. That's not to say we wouldn't go see it but chances are it would feel like a generic fantasy movie with the D&D name attached (like most of the previous attempts)

That said, the kind of narrative freedom D&D provides is excellently suited to the video game space - especially if it's deemed acceptable to drop the table top mechanics.

 

[Parmandur]

It would be a welcome surprise but you wouldn't really hear claims that D&D becoming as big as star wars at the movies wasn't surprising. That would be incredibly surprising for everyone.

The issue with D&D as a movie is that there's no quintessential D&D story. What's great about playing D&D is that it allows us to play in quasi-generic fantasy setting with personalized protagonists that we each individually enjoy. There's simply no predefined story that can be told that we all are going to be super enthusiastic about seeing on the big screen. That's not to say we wouldn't go see it but chances are it would feel like a generic fantasy movie with the D&D name attached (like most of the previous attempts)

That said, the kind of narrative freedom D&D provides is excellently suited to the video game space - especially if it's deemed acceptable to drop the table top mechanics.

I'm not saying they'll pull it off, but it is a possibility...and Marvel pulling it off seemed unlikely until very recently. The previous attempts were not serious, the way that Paramont seems to be now. Never say never.

 

[darjr]

A D&D cinematic universe would be very cool. Several stories could be told.