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]

D&D beyond has at least 350 employees

... what?

WotC hired 350 people last year.

No idea how many are for DnDBeyond. Could be zero of them or all of them.

 

[Micah Sweet]

No, it wasn't. His tone is pretty clear in that video. He obviously is certain that Tactical and Virtual D&D is inferior in practically every way to Theatre of the Mind and In-Person D&D.

I remember watching the video and thinking that he reminded me of D&D-equivalent of a Fox News host. Which isn't a good thing, in case I have to clarify.

I certainly prefer Theater of the Mind and In-Person D&D, but people like different things.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The most shocking thing in the presentation for sure.

What are they doing? They certainly haven't designated any of them as a spokesperson.

 

[Reynard]

I don't know anything about software development. Is 350 a lot?

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I certainly prefer Theater of the Mind and In-Person D&D, but people like different things.

I do too. But he was saying in that Theater of the Mind and In-Person D&D are inherently superior to other ways of playing.

 

[Scribe]

I don't know anything about software development. Is 350 a lot?

I think that probably encompasses art, software design, actual coders, managers, the whole works?

Its a big add, in a year.

 

[Charlaquin]

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.

I mean, I personally haven’t been burned, except in the sense that I like video games and I don’t like how recurrent user spending models have warped video game design in the last couple decades. I’m not sure what corporations you’re referring to who have adopted recurrent user spending models and not been distorted by it, but it may simply be a matter of not having had enough time. Gotta turn the heat up slowly or the frog will jump out of the water.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

This video sucks.

 

[Oofta]

For now.

They also aren't coming to your house and extorting you for everything your worth at gunpoint. For now.

 

[Incenjucar]

You can generally assume that most videos with an inflammatory title are not worth your time. Let click bait rot unclicked.