WotC Brand New D&D Video Game from WotC's New Acquisition Tuque Games

Tuque Games has announced it's working on a brand new D&/D video game. "We're developing a brand-new game based in the widely celebrated, enduring, and immensely popular Dungeons & Dragons universe. This yet to be announced title is steepled in classic D&D lore. We aspire to push this game to new heights for the genre. It’s an honour and a privilege to begin a new chapter for Dungeons & Dragons video games."

Not only that, but the company has been purchased by WotC! The press release went out earlier today:

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RENTON, Wash., Oct. 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS), today announced that it has acquired Tuque Games, a digital game development studio based in Montreal. Tuque is led by veterans of the game industry with experience working for leading publishers. Tuque will continue the development of games for Wizards of the Coast's best-known brands, beginning with Dungeons & Dragons.

"At Wizards, we're continuing our commitment to creating new ways to bring our fan favorite brands to life," said Chris Cocks, President, Wizards of the Coast. "Our unique approach of connecting fans around the tabletop as well as through our expanding portfolio of digital games is redefining what it means to be a games company."

Founded in 2012 by Jeff Hattem, Tuque Games released their first title, Livelock, to critical acclaim in 2016. Now with over 55 full-time employees, Tuque will focus on the development of digital games based on the popular Dungeons & Dragons franchise.

"Tuque is thrilled to have the opportunity to be part of the Wizards of the Coast team," said Jeff Hattem, Founder, Tuque Games. "By working more closely together, we can accelerate our joint vision and bring to life new games, characters and worlds in Wizards of the Coast's roster of franchises."

"In Tuque, we believe we have found a unique partner that pairs the nimbleness of an indie studio with the veteran leadership and scale required to deliver complex AAA games for our largest franchises," said David Schwartz, VP of Digital Publishing, Wizards of the Coast. "We are excited to bring Jeff and the Tuque team to the Wizards of the Coast family, which we believe will allow us to continue to meet the needs of our fans while enabling us to scale our digital games development capabilities even faster."

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It seems there's a bit of a D&D video game renaissance going on. Baldur's Gate 3 is coming, as is Solasta: Crown of the Magister.

 

[Myzzrym]

But we can, that's the issue I think. Here's my armchair expert analysis p), I follow the game industry for about two decades now, twelve as a game "journalist".

Oh I'm not saying we can't have our doubts, but I prefer to judge the game based on... well, the game rather than the company behind it. Considering we don't have any visuals / information about it I just think it better to wait.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I am thinking, and it seems the future of the videogame industry are the mobile, because everyone use them, and you don't need a powerful hardware.

I have read now the cards from Magic: the Gathering have got a code, and then you can use them in the videogame Magic Arena. I wonder about the future of micro-transitions as merchandising. Let's imagine Hasbro is going to sell the action figures of the heroes of Dragonlance, or a pack of miniatures. This toy has got as added a code, or a "coin" with NFC technology, something like Nintendo amiibo figures. Then as "gift" you have the "skins" of the characters of Dragonlance, and these can used in different titles, maybe a ARPG, in a RTS, or even a monster-taming+farm simulation, something like Castleville Legends. But also if you buy the toy and the "skin" also you get as gift a PDF as TTRPG sourcebook. For example you buy the figure of the shadow assassin or the lurker (hybrid psionic+rogue) and then you get the PDF of this as base class, ready to be downloaded to your PC or tablet. You buy the figure of the dragon-spider (a monster from Dragonlance) and you have the stats of the monster for all the editions, and even as monster class, and "pieces" to be used in a "monster editor/creator" like in the videogame "Spore".

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Should Tuque ever decide to create a D&D-themed MMORPG it wouldn't be any worse than what's already out there.

It has always been kind of astonishing that most successful MMOs are inspired, directly or indirectly, by D&D*, but D&D itself has never been able to get a decent MMO going. DDO was surprisingly close to 3E's rules, but was terrible game, in part as a result (staying close to the rules doesn't work for an MMO), and in part because of bizarre decisions like setting it in Xen'Drik (I love Xen'Drik but man what). The new NWN was basically "Generic Cryptic MMO" (it's pretty much the same thing as STO's in-person sections) with an loose and unexciting 4E-inspired set of powers on top.

I think if you wanted a D&D MMO to work now, you'd have to concentrate on the "D&D experience" first and foremost, not the rules, and avoiding generic MMO conventions. Make it so tools, skills, and so on can actually be used. This would be a huge investment, though - probably $100m+, and not something I could see WotC getting into.

And D&D's brand isn't yet big enough that it another publisher would find it worth investing part/all of the $100m+ to make "The D&D MMO". I do think that could, eventually happen, with the way D&D continues to grow in popularity and general awareness, and to be a sort of "cool thing". But probably not for 5+ years, at a minimum. I wouldn't be surprised to see some VR MMO in 2029 or something which was "The D&D MMO".

* = The biggest two now being WoW, which has both direct D&D - and Warhammer - inspiration, and indirect via the direct inspiration on EverQuest, and FFXIV, which also has heavy indirect inspiration because the early FF games were directly inspired by D&D.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I have played Neverwinter Online and Champions Online, by Cryptic Studio, and I stopped when I reached the top level. It was fun but it was not too different when I played Diablo II or Sacred. A RPG is about creating stories. For dungeon-crawling my loved Hero Quest (board game) was enough.

Do remember warhammer has failed some times, but Warhammer Total War and Vermintide are being successful now. Warhammer online was closed time ago. I tried it, but it was once, and also I tried Warcraft but I didn't enjoy. After playing Champions Online when I tried D&D online I didn't feel comfortable with the keyboard to point targets. I didn't like the gameplay for the first quests, practically the tutorial.

I played heroes of Neverwinter, and after exploring some dungeons I felt it was too much repetitive. I didn't mind the next dungeons had got new monsters or treasures.

I tried Neverwinters Nights by Bioware in a cyber-café when I was at university, and the PC was resting time after time when he was too hurt or spent all spells. I think that was the reason the at-will and encounter powers were added in the 4th Ed.

Today videogames have to be fun, not only for gamers, but also for watchers of youtube streamers.

* I am thinking about a videogame set in Red Steel/Savage Coast with PvP among different playable factions, someone would tribesmen from the jungle, and others could use magitek and firearms. How get the right balance of power between factions with different technological levels.

* If Hasbro buys a videogame studio, could it also buy any 3rd party publisher to add its IPs?

 

[Zardnaar]

Tuque games was probably cheap. At best you're going to get something like Pillars of Eternity.

A cheap AAA titles is 60+ million. That was Witcher 3 made in Poland.

Open world HD graphics that's 100 million to 200 million+.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

A cheap AAA titles is 60+ million. That was Witcher 3 made in Poland.

Open world HD graphics that's 100 million to 200 million+.

That's including marketing costs. The dev cost of Witcher 3 was closer to $30-40m according to CDPR. A big CoD game like the current MW will have a total bill of $200m+ but probably only $40-60m is going on dev. It's very hard to spend over $60m on anything short of a ultra-budget AAA+ (yes AAA+ is a thing) gigantic epic of a game like GTA V or an MMO (MMOs and quasi-MMOs routinely cost $100m+). Most AAAs hover around $40m dev cost.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

This will probably be some kind of D&D branded action game, not a real CRPG.

 

[Mercador]

Tuque games was probably cheap. At best you're going to get something like Pillars of Eternity.

If it turns out as good as PoE, I'll be on the first row of buyers. But I don't think it will since Larian is already working on a BG3 that should (?) be a cRPG. I'm expecting a aRPG from Tuque or a BG3 gacha mobile spinoff.

 

[Zardnaar]

If it turns out as good as PoE, I'll be on the first row of buyers. But I don't think it will since Larian is already working on a BG3 that should (?) be a cRPG. I'm expecting a aRPG from Tuque or a BG3 gacha mobile spinoff.

I'm fine with PoE as well, but you're not going to get a big HD open world game.