WotC Hasbro CEO Chris Cox, "I would say that the underlying thesis of our D&D business is all about digital,”

[LordEntrails]

Because historically that's what happens, by and large?

When a company says they're going digital, they always promise to keep non-digital, non-online stuff going, and then, a few years later, that's no longer a priority for them, and they're "cutting back on it", and suddenly it's basically gone. This is a familiar pattern.

With D&D, I don't expect them to entirely cut physical. Rather I expect them to increasingly try to move physical into a purer luxury/lifestyle brand approach. Spelljammer absolutely was a move in that direction. Continuing that format with Planescape suggests they still see it as the way forwards. We'll get the corebooks in 2024, probably with fancy pretty special editions. But in say, 2027, will we see some significant paid products as digital-only? Yeah I think we will.

So historically X almost always happens but you don't expect X to happen with D&D? Err, at least not until sometime in the future?

Well, "we" thought vinyl records were going away, but that didn't happen.

You do know that WotC has already released digital only D&D products right? I think the first one was the Beyond Icespire trilogy.

You do understand that in 100 or 1000 years or so print anything will probably be no more than a niche market provided by 3rd party producers for fetishists right?

No, I really have no point or argument I'm trying to make. Other than is seems strange to me to debate or infer some of what seems to be discussed in this thread.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Fortunately, it was enough of a kerfuffle thst those who realized that Hasbro are one of the main beneficiaries of D&D rules being open won am irreversible victory with the Creative Commons.

I mean, irreversible for 5E's rules though we shall see for 1D&D/6E/whatever we're calling it.

Also for the real 7E or whatever when it comes along? I feel like they're going to try this idiocy again, with like a GSL 3.0 or something. WotC just can't help themselves. They love the violent smack of the rake handle into the cartilage of their nose. Makes them feel alive!

I think what frightens most IP managers with this approach is that it surrenders brand image, to a certain extent.

That's absolutely right - it was notable that their justifications for the OGL 1.1/2.0 just kept endlessly circling back to "But what if A NAZI made an OGL compatible book!?!??!? WHAT THEN?!?!?! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT THEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!".

And of course the answer from D&D players was "Well no-one would buy it, so who cares?".

It took a long time for them to come to terms with that.

 

[Oofta]

From many reports the D&D team has power struggles and politicking.

Though it’s in differing degrees of angst or just good natured depending on reports.

What? People working for a corporation have different ideas on how to do things? Shocking!

 

[darjr]

.Source? I'm not trying to argue as much as interested to see if I've missed something.

Also to me "the D&D team" is the 30-ish people who actually work on D&D, Jeremy Crawford and down (including the art directors). That's why I ask what you mean by that term, because it seems like you're using it to mean "everyone who involved in D&D in any way at all at WotC, including the 3D VTT people".

Second hand sources that have publicly stated it, that I trust, are Teos Abadia and Ben Riggs. Teos in the “it’s not really a big deal” side of the scale and Ben on the “it drives a lot of dysfunction” end of the scale.

There have been employees too, I’ll point to Orions experience.

 

[darjr]

I completely misread the original posters intent. Meaculpa

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Second hand sources that have publicly stated it, that I trust, are Teos Abadia and Ben Riggs. Teos in the “it’s not really a big deal” side of the scale and Ben on the “it drives a lot of dysfunction” end of the scale.

There have been employees too, I’ll point to Orions experience.

I wonder if Ben's information is older? Back in the 3.5/4e era WoTC would regularly fire a bunch of people right before Christmas. I am pretty sure that is a way to promote a lot of disfunction and a nasty workplace environment.

 

[Parmandur]

Second hand sources that have publicly stated it, that I trust, are Teos Abadia and Ben Riggs. Teos in the “it’s not really a big deal” side of the scale and Ben on the “it drives a lot of dysfunction” end of the scale.

There have been employees too, I’ll point to Orions experience.

I think Teos is better plugged into the workings of the current team, here.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Well, "we" thought vinyl records were going away, but that didn't happen.

Yes it did.

They basically went away, then made a very slow and achingly gradual comeback as a result of an unusual cultural trend which originated with the public (and Millennials specifically - Gen Z don't seem as keen), not a corporation.

That's an examples of corporations trying to kill something, and the public not going along with it.

It is a counterexample to what you are saying. It does not support your position. And it took decades!

You do know that WotC has already released digital only D&D products right? I think the first one was the Beyond Icespire trilogy.

The what?

As I said in the post you quoted "significant paid products", not like adventures almost no-one has heard of. When a setting book, or Tasha's style book, or even a book like Glory of the Giants is digital only, that's when we know the end has come for non-luxury physical for sure.

All you're proving here that the heralds of that end are already playing their trumpets. Again you're managing to support my contention, which is impressive given you seem to differ.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Second hand sources that have publicly stated it, that I trust, are Teos Abadia and Ben Riggs. Teos in the “it’s not really a big deal” side of the scale and Ben on the “it drives a lot of dysfunction” end of the scale.

There have been employees too, I’ll point to Orions experience.

Dysfunction and bad experiences aren't really "power struggles" necessarily, but yeah if the argument is that the D&D team at WotC clearly has problems, well absolutely.

 

[LordEntrails]

<snip

It is a counterexample to what you are saying. It does not support your position. And it took decades!

<snip>

All you're proving here that the heralds of that end are already playing their trumpets. Again you're managing to support my contention, which is impressive given you seem to differ.

lol, maybe you missed my statement that I'm not arguing either way. I'm only pointing out that its weird to me that such is even being argued.