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.

 

[Scribe]

And yours was?

Yes.

To state it as PLAINLY as possible.

1. Hasbro, makes staggering profits. The infographic (screenshot) people seemingly cannot understand makes it pretty obvious.
2. MtG has been 'monetized' to the point of them selling what are essentially proxy (fake) cards, at over $1000 USD for 4 packs of cards. "Monetization" they want to bring to D&D.
3. Hasbro, owner of Wizards, supplier of MtG and D&D, now wants to "Monetize" and extract MORE profit.

Nobody is saying they cannot make a profit. I am saying they simply desire more, and yes, its rampant corporate greed.

 

[darjr]

Yes.

To state it as PLAINLY as possible.

1. Hasbro, makes staggering profits. The infographic (screenshot) people seemingly cannot understand makes it pretty obvious.
2. MtG has been 'monetized' to the point of them selling what are essentially proxy (fake) cards, at over $1000 USD for 4 packs of cards. "Monetization" they want to bring to D&D.
3. Hasbro, owner of Wizards, supplier of MtG and D&D, now wants to "Monetize" and extract MORE profit.

Nobody is saying they cannot make a profit. I am saying they simply desire more, and yes, its rampant corporate greed.

1. Yes, they sell cardboard, which you buy yes? It has very high profit margins. Don't buy it if you don't like it. I don't, not a single magic card, ever. They have A LOT of customers.

2. This is over the top hyperbole. You expect us to follow along and you say this?

3. The monetize bit was about D&D and yes, they have many things they could do to make "stagering" more money without being over the top cartoonish evil, like make good movies and tv based on it. Sell decent cool toys that people want. That is all entirely reasonable.

Yes, you are saying they can't make a profit, your point one makes it kinda clear you don't think they should. At least it seems like that to me.

 

[Zardnaar]

1. Yes, they sell cardboard, which you buy yes? It has very high profit margins. Don't buy it if you don't like it. I don't, not a single magic card, ever. They have A LOT of customers.

2. This is over the top hyperbole. You expect us to follow along and you say this?

3. The monetize bit was about D&D and yes, they have many things they could do to make "stagering" more money without being over the top cartoonish evil, like make good movies and tv based on it. Sell decent cool toys that people want. That is all entirely reasonable.

Yes, you are saying they can't make a profit, your point one makes it kinda clear you don't think they should. At least it seems like that to me.

They have chosen the don't like don't buy in MtG.

Hence why they did this chat in the first place using the same language.

Don't like it don't buy. OK we won't buy. And they essentially said full steam ahead.

 

[darjr]

They have chosen the don't like don't buy in MtG.

Hence why they did this chat in the first place using the same language.

Don't like it don't buy. OK we won't buy. And they essentially said full steam ahead.

You mean WotC chose?

I do think they did this chat to try and explain what they are trying to do. Or meant to do. There was a bit in there about them making mistakes and figuring out how to correct.

I didn't pay close attention to the magic bits, cause I'm not interested. Also this thread isn't about the magic parts. But I realize it is a part of the whole conversation.

I do wish this thread would lead back to the D&D part of the chat instead.

 

[Mistwell]

They have chosen the don't like don't buy in MtG.

Hence why they did this chat in the first place using the same language.

Don't like it don't buy. OK we won't buy. And they essentially said full steam ahead.

Well yeah, if they come out with like oversized stuffy pink mind flayers which my daughter is into but you're not into, yes don't buy it. I think all they're saying is there is a bunch of stuff more people will be interested in buying they're not making right now and they should make it.

And if it's correct as they said during this that D&D has more name recognition than MtG but is making much less money than MtG, they're likely correct. They should be making those oversized pink mind flayers my daughter will want for Christmas. They're a ton of stuff they should be making that people will like and buy. I don't see that as similar to what they're doing with MtG though - they say outright it should be a different strategy because of the broader appeal. It's not a collectible market like MtG for D&D, it's a brand market for D&D. Brand markets use a different broader strategy - which is what they say they want to do.

Get me my owlbear king sized sheets! Get me my D&D TV Show! I want a githyanki shaped knife holder for my kitchen! Bring on the cool stuff! You don't have to buy it.

 

[darjr]

Uh... imagine a beholder pillow chair.

WotC!

 

[darjr]

Uh... imagine a beholder pillow chair.

WotC!

Wait!! Wait!

It was right in front of me!

A GIANT hamster plushie! As big as a throw pillow char!

 

[Mistwell]

Wait!! Wait!

It was right in front of me!

A GIANT hamster plushie! As big as a throw pillow char!

How is there not an official line of D&D monster Halloween costumes already?

 

[Incenjucar]

There are a few options for mimic treasure chests, too. Just a full-head mask, or a crazy full-body costume, maybe with your arms making up the tendrils inside the jaws.

 

[J.Quondam]

Uh... imagine a beholder pillow chair.

WotC!

OMG YASSS!!!
Except that my displacer beast cat would rip off all those dangly eyes within a week.