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.

 

[darjr]

Maybe 1 or 2 could work on the encounter builder so that it's no longer in beta?

Yes, well.

 

[Scribe]

World of Warcraft has had microtransactions for years, with a similar reaction from fans when they were first introduced.

And it absolutely negatively impacted the game.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I bet Ms. Williams would be gritting her teeth right now if she knew how many D&D themed graphic tees, I've bought my family - and none of it licensed D&D stuff.

Yeah, I have a whole half-draw of D&D t-shirts that I wear when I play or DM (yes, I have specific DM shirts), all of them from GenCon, Etsy or places like RedBubble. (None of it uses WotC IP, for the record.)

Now, I think WotC ought to be able to recapture some of this market for themselves and, given that they contract with artists already, I would love to hear that they're adding an extra rider to contracts letting artists sell the rights (for an additional fee!) to make that art available for licensing. (Looking at D&D artists' websites, a lot of them haven't gotten a lot of licensing done on their own.)

 

[Scribe]

@Zardnaar
Are you two assuming that most DMs are older folks? Seems like a stretch.

Older than the average 'new' player? Yeah I'll make that assumption.

 

[Alzrius]

They've stated elsewhere that they have no intent of going online only with content.

Which I for one am glad for.

On a completely unrelated note, where can I get a physical copy of the new Dragonlance Monster Compendium?

 

[darjr]

Older than the average 'new' player? Yeah I'll make that assumption.

Average? So 25?

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Maybe 1 or 2 could work on the encounter builder so that it's no longer in beta?

Or have the basic ability to have campaign info other than a single "DM's note section".

D&D Beyond is good as a character manager but utter garbage for running a game.

 

[darjr]

Which I for one am glad for.

On a completely unrelated note, where can I get a physical copy of the new Dragonlance Monster Compendium?

They’ve given away digital only things for decades now. This seems overly cute.

But, point taken.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

We do know, because that’s the most profitable route for them to take, and profit is their primary motivation.

And yet, all of those corporations for whom profit is also their primary motivation don't do it.

This isn't an absolute.

You apparently have gotten burned by a few bad videogame companies, and that sucks, but not everyone goes overboard.

 

[overgeeked]

And it absolutely negatively impacted the game.