WotC Hasbro Bets Big on D&D

During today's 'Hasbro Fireside Chat', Hasbro's Chris Cocks, chief executive officer, and Cynthia Williams, president of Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming mentioned D&D, and about betting big on its name. This was in addition to the Magic: The Gathering discussion they held on the same call.

The following are rough notes on what they said.

D&D Beyond

• Leaning heavily on D&D Beyond
• 13 million registered users
• Give them more ways to express their fandom
• Hired 350 people last year
• Low attrition

What’s next for D&D

• Never been more popular
• Brand under-monetized
• Excited about D&D Beyond possibilities
• Empower accessibility and development of the user base.
• Data driven insight
• Window into how players are playing
• Companion app on their phone
• Start future monetization starting with D&D Beyond
• DMs are 20% of the audience but lions share of purchases
• Digital game recurrent spending for post sale revenue.
• Speed of digital can expand, yearly book model to include current digital style models.
• Reach highly engaged multigenerational fans.
• Dungeons and Dragons has recognition, 10 out of 10
• Cultural phenomenon right now.
• DND strategy is a broad four quadrant strategy
• Like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings or Marvel
• New books and accessories, licensed game stuff, and D&D Beyond
• Huge hopes for D&D

What is success for the D&D Movie

• First big light up oppourtunity for 4th quadrant
• Significant marketing
• They think it’ll have significant box office
• It has second most viewed trailer at Paramount, only eclipsed by Transformers
• Will be licensed video games, some on movies
• Then follow up other media, TV, other movies, etc.
• Bullish on D&D.

 

[tetrasodium]

What’s next for D&D

• DMs are 20% of the audience but lions share of purchases

That one is really interesting to see admitted, makes me look forward to seeing how the upcoming books adapt to reflect unmet DM needs

 

[darjr]

"Under-monitized" can mean anything from "we're going to charge you micro-transactions" to "we're not selling enough swag." Given how much swag they're pushing regarding the movie (my Amazon wishlist is full of it, hint hint, holiday shoppers), I think it's too soon to assume the worst.

Always assuming the worst is getting old.

 

[Charlaquin]

Four-quadrant is a very specific, very common movie industry term. It's not a toy industry or general marketing thing.

Most movies don't appeal to all four quadrants equally, even if members of all four quadrants do see every movie. Master & Commander doesn't appeal to those under 25, according to a viral Twitter spat a few years ago, for instance.

Four-quadrant seems to refer to a lot of things. I wouldn’t assume that the specific movie marketing term is the relevant one to a games company.

 

[Charlaquin]

That one is really interesting to see admitted, makes me look forward to seeing how the upcoming books adapt to reflect unmet DM needs

I expect it means they’re going to try to sell more books to players.

EDIT: Well, more products to players, but that will probably include books as well as branded merch.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I am a registered user of DDB and I use it weekly to run my Foundry VTT games. I also subscribe so that all of my players have access to mybooks I purchased on DDB. My players DO NOT own WotC 5e hardcovers. While I do own about half the ones I have on DDB -- I have not used a dead tree product to play or run 5e at any time. I am digital only and prefer it that way.

That doesn;t make one of us right and one of us wrong. It does mean, however, that your perspective on the importance of this digital product to WotC's long-term success is probably too low.

I'm just commenting that "13 million accounts" doesn't really mean anything. What's the ratio of "actual users" vs "has an account"?

 

[darjr]

That one is really interesting to see admitted, makes me look forward to seeing how the upcoming books adapt to reflect unmet DM needs

Do you mean unmet player needs?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Four-quadrant seems to refer to a lot of things. I wouldn’t assume that the specific movie marketing term is the relevant one to a games company.

You wouldn't assume they're using an incredibly common movie industry term when talking about a major motion picture?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm just commenting that "13 million accounts" doesn't really mean anything. What's the ratio of "actual users" vs "has an account"?

Probably a number they don't see much value in making public.

 

[Umbran]

"Under-monitized" can mean anything from "we're going to charge you micro-transactions" to "we're not selling enough swag."

Yeah, the swag sector seems drastically underutilized.

 

[tetrasodium]

Do you mean unmet player needs?

I'm still cautiously optimistic but you & @Charlaquin are probably right in that we can expect two more races and three extra pages of feats instead