D&D General Embracer Group buys Asmodee, Darkhorse, and Perfect World

[LordEntrails]

I don't think they would be interested in turning their video game IPs into RPGs. Not enough money to be had. But rather to turn the RPG IPs into video games.

 

[Remathilis]

Didn't Asmodee also buy Curse/DnDBeyond? If so, they have an eclectic mix of licenses and I can't help but feel that with no rhyme or reason, they are looking more to wring profit and sell assets rather than build brands.

 

[overgeeked]

Didn't Asmodee also buy Curse/DnDBeyond? If so, they have an eclectic mix of licenses and I can't help but feel that with no rhyme or reason, they are looking more to wring profit and sell assets rather than build brands.

D&D Beyond is owned by Fandom. I didn’t see any news about that. Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. But it would be a topic here when/if it did.

 

[Stormonu]

The own the Dust Tactics IP as far as i remember. There was never an RPG to the best of my knowledge, but it had a bit of a niche for a while there, WWII-era dieselpunk with mecha and cthulhiana. It's not an A+ media property by even the longest stretch of the imagination, but if they want to hive off an IP to make a quick mobile game or something, then WWII-adjacent stuff is always a safe option.

I'm afraid your information is vastly out of date. Paulo Parente owns Dust, FFG was only the printer/distributor for a bit. He took his ball and after several skips through other companies started his own company Dust Studios for the game - which just recently went under. There is a RPG for the game (I think it came out earlier this year).

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I knew about Asmodee about Embracer, and about Dark-Horse ready to be sold, but Embracer buying the three companies is a true surprise. And I am reading not only other companies, but they want to acquire more in the next year.

D&D is in the crest of the wave, I mean it is one of the most popular now, but we can't say the same about the rest of the TTRPG industry. But this has got IPs with a great potential value to become a cash-cow of multimedia franchise.

You know sometimes I like to speculate crazy theories about merger and acquisitions but here this time we could say it is not totally impossible they talked with Hasbro, and/or Paradox Entertaiment, the owner of White Wolf/Onyx Path.

At least we can agree Hasbro/WotC will have to talk with Embracer sooner or later for matters about videogames adaptatations, or adaptations from videogames franchises, for example Champions Online, the MMORPG of superheroes that has survive others of the same genre.

 

[Remathilis]

D&D Beyond is owned by Fandom. I didn’t see any news about that. Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. But it would be a topic here when/if it did.

I might be misremembering. Thanks.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

I don't think they would be interested in turning their video game IPs into RPGs. Not enough money to be had. But rather to turn the RPG IPs into video games.

Tell that to the folks who are publishing a Dark Souls TTRPG.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

And the TTRPG publishers can work like "laboratory of ideas", cheaper than videogames titles, and easier to test when a new IP can become enough popular to become a multimedia franchise. And the live-play streaming shows need lowder budget than other productions, and a good opportunity for young actors to promote themself.

And we can forget the potential of the computer-role-playing-games. Today some players/gamers want to create their own worlds and stories, and then they are interested for titles with titles to create their own quests and even campaings, something like CORE (by Manticore Games Inc), Roblox, Playstation-Dreams, Little Big Planet.. etc.

Other reason is the TTRPG published to be bought not for true players but collector fandom who loves certain franchises, or at least to speculate because they are almost limited editions.

 

[Weiley31]

Dark Horse Comics had the best Aliens/Predator and Star Wars comics.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Dark Horse had got good titles. I bought some comics of Star Wars, a couple of the first Aliens and the first complete miniserie Predator. They suffered a lot when Disney acquired Lucasfilm and later Fox, losing valious licences. I have read something about Dark Horse will publish Star Wars again, and it has some Disney's licenced titles too.

About Renegade Game Studios with World of Darkness and the Hasbro franchises I guess the big companies have noticed the big companies had noticed they need to hire outsourcers to produce titles of their cash-cow IPs within a special section of the market. Producer good aren't enough, but to hire the right workers (artists) is very necessary.

I have listened Robert Kickman wants Transformers and G.I.Joe comics to be published by Skybound (IDW lost the licence). If this happens, and they show some really good ideas, this could alter the lore of the TTRPG by Renegade Studios (for example adding a new faction, or retconing the origin of the Cobra group, or some characters).

* Could Dark Horse to publish comics of "Champions Online"?

* The last titles by Gearbox(Borderlands) showed clear winks for D&D.

* Embracer Group wants to buy more videogame studios in the next 12 months.