WotC ICv2 Has A Theory That WotC Will Be Sold

[Zardnaar]

5e PHB on Amazon is ranked 103 overall in all books....6 years after it’s released. 5e is still selling well, I can’t see them selling if it’s contribution margin to profits is strong.

We don't know how much money it makes.

We have rough estimates of the entire size of the rpg market.

Even if you have WotC a huge % of it that's just the revenue not profit.

Long story short it's unlikely they're making massive bank off book sales.

It's probably not enough to fund a low budget movie put it that way. Which feeds back into why we won't see a good movie anytime soon.

 

[PsyzhranV2]

I feel like a TV series would be better off for a story in a D&D setting, probably animated. Also, a lot of people are fearing that a D&D story might be too generic fantasy; I think they can get around this by playing up the more idiosyncratic elements of the setting they choose, bringing the weird to the forefront.

Also, personal preference, but if they ever make such a series, they should go full anime style with it. Thinking along the lines of Demon Slayer, Re; Zero, Tower of God, action stuff like that. If they want something more cerebral, maybe take a look at Vinland Saga, or (going outside the genre) Land of the Lustrous, or even any of the Gundam series. Or just go full parody and make something like Gintama or One Punch Man.

Yes, I'm a weeb. What about it?

 

[LordEntrails]

If it wasn't ICv2 I would have written it off as click bait. Still seems unlikely and very speculative. After all, Hasbro earning calls have mentioned Wizards/D&D/MTG almost every quarter that I can think of. Doesn't sound like a brand you are unhappy with.

Besides, the whole, Hasbro does board games and doesn't know how to do anything else is... not very good business these days. Lost of companies can own companies that do totally different things. If they know how to manage them (i.e. stay our of the details and provide teh big picture etc).

 

[Eltab]

Being sold to an investment firm would be bad for WotC and hence D&D. I formerly worked at two manufacturing companies that were bought by investment firms, and after the deal closed there was never any money to reinvest in the physical plant (or the staff) because of the first-priority financial burden placed on the subordinate company by the new owners.

Therefore I am glad to hear that this story is gossip / rumor.

 

[Argyle King]

Gonzo out of nowhere theory with no basis on anything: Amazon buys D&D and takes advantage of being publisher & distributor, while also having a streaming service for shows based upon the IP.

Slightly more plausible (but still longshot) theory: Disney... they seem to buy a lot of stuff.

 

[Zardnaar]

Gonzo out of nowhere theory with no basis on anything: Amazon buys D&D and takes advantage of being publisher & distributor, while also having a streaming service for shows based upon the IP.

Slightly more plausible (but still longshot) theory: Disney... they seem to buy a lot of stuff.

Disney won't be buying much of anything short term.

Video game developer or maybe Netflix or something like that would be on my shirt list if they ever sell.

 

[GreyLord]

What examples are there of Hasbro selling entire companies previously along with brands instead of shelving it for awhile before bringing it back?

With how MtG has been doing over the past few years I find it HIGHLY unlikely that someone at Hasbro is angling for a quick sale (I could be wrong, but I simply find it unlikely), especially with the effects on the bottom line MtG has had. The article talks about the boardgames, but the boardgame division of Hasbro, or at least the Monopoly portion, has been outdone by MtG if I recall.

D&D doesn't really enter into the conversation, it's more on MtG which the conversation should focus. Right now I can see some trouble with MtG (the pandemic has made it so it isn't sold in stores physically as much, and the tournament scene isn't able to proceed as it has in the past), but I also expect that there are some very smart people in Hasbro that have been keeping tabs on this. The thing is, I expect AFTER the pandemic ends...(and we all hope it does with the vaccine being distributed) that it will go back to selling really well.

The electronic offerings in MtG cannot be ignored either.

That said, if the vaccine is not a success and the pandemic continues...it COULD signal changes in how things work at Hasbro and there may be some explorations on options to take if that occurs. In that instance, I could see NOT JUST WotC, but several other divisions being shopped (some that may surprise people even, longstanding properties that cannot sell well if there are not physical areas for them to be promoted). The group that has bought out Asmodee and taken control of a LARGE portion of the gaming market probably has ideas of some rather large offers for the WotC portion of Hasbro, and if a sale went through, I could see them reasonably offering enough to make it worthwhile.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I doubt this is something that will happen (soon) for two reasons;

1. WotC makes a ton of money.

2. There doesn't seem to be a company who is striving to buy WotC.

Essentially, although I think the premise of the article makes sense (that Hasbro never really wanted to manage MTG or D&D), it doesn't make sense they would let it go. Both products, MTG and D&D, are profitable, and largely remain profitable without Hasbro meddling in their affairs. Why would you want to sell under such conditions? You have a nice revenue stream that requires little supervision; seems like a big win to me.

The only thing that would outweigh number 1 is if you had another company knocking on your door, hungry for WotC and with an offer too good to refuse. But there doesn't seem to be one. WotC by itself is already bigger than essentially any TTRPG company out there, so the only buyer that makes sense would be a broader toy company like Hasbro; but they would have the same issues with managing it that Hasbro does, so it wouldn't make much sense.

The only company I can think of that would make sense is something truly multi-media, that is interested more in the brands of D&D and MTG than in the games themselves. So something like Amazon (which is already connecting tendrils through Critical Role's animated series) or something truly huge like Disney. They would largely be interested to pump out TV series, movies, and associated merchandise.

Could it happen? Sure. But I highly doubt it the new owner would be any company that the folks here would be happy with.

 

[Maxperson]

Ugh: D&D&D. Sure, I'd get my movies and stuff, but at what cost? AT WHAT COST?!

The Magic Kingdom setting! With its evil mouse overlord. Muahahahaha!

 

[MGibster]

I dont think theyll get to the feature film stage at any time soon, or even ever, because the sheer volume of WH40K background etc that would need to be explained for a mass audience to comprehend a feature film would make the whole thing a very awkward infodump, but they can (and are) certainly creating more niche content for existing fans of the setting.

I don't believe you need to have a very awkward info dump to get the audience to understand what's going on. The key is the create a tight script and only provide the necessary exposition to effectively tell the story. Let's pretend like they're going to make a movie featuring an inquisitor and his retinue investing a Genestealer Cult in the hive city Necromunda. What do we need to know?

• What an inquisitor is.
• Who the Genestealers are and why they're a threat.
• What's a hive city?

By all means pull a Star Wars and mention things to make it seem as though the universe is a much, much bigger place. Maybe the inquisitor's retinue tangles with some Escher gangers while looking for a witness. Perhaps they speak with a medicus from the Adeptus Sororitas who speaks of patients with peculiar mutations. I think the most important thing is to just focus on a good narrative, characterization, and plot pacing. Just make a good story and don't worry about introducing everything.