Everything has a price to somebody. A property not valuable to WotC might be valuable to a smaller company.
WotC Hasbro selling D&D IP?
O-Castitatis-Lilium
Explorer
I don't know if I believe this. Even if Hasbro is having financial issues, why would they sell one of their most popular brads at the moment. It got a huge uptick in interest from Stranger Things, I don't see why they would sell that. Barbie right now is getting a massive uptick in interest right now because of the movie; could you see them seeing that now too? I just don't know if this is actually a thing that's happening. Now I could see contracts being sough for things like games, books, toys, other merchandise, but I don't see them actually selling the franchise as a whole.
BlackSeed_Vash
Explorer
While it's true Hasbro is hurting for cash, D&D and MtG would be the last two IPs they sell off.
Feeroper
Explorer
I thought I was going crazy when I saw all these videos popping up on YouTube about Hasbro selling D&D! I watched a couple and just couldn't buy it, wondering if I was the only one who was doubtful. Thankfully I see from this thread I am not so crazy after all!
The YouTube algorithm really does reward the negative content - I wonder if we will see a Dungeons and Discourse video pop up about this in the next day or so?
I do like Roll for Combat when they are just talking games, but quite a bit of the content they put out is way too focused (and seemingly gleeful?) on the potential downfall and failings of WotC/Hasbro & D&D. Sometimes I just need to have a break away from YouTube and social media and the negativity that it generates.
The YouTube algorithm really does reward the negative content - I wonder if we will see a Dungeons and Discourse video pop up about this in the next day or so?
I do like Roll for Combat when they are just talking games, but quite a bit of the content they put out is way too focused (and seemingly gleeful?) on the potential downfall and failings of WotC/Hasbro & D&D. Sometimes I just need to have a break away from YouTube and social media and the negativity that it generates.
Henadic Theologian
Legend
I don't see this as negative content, D&D has done worse then Tencent for potential owners and if its just a video game Master License then that could see some good D&D video games come out of that.
MGibster
Legend
I don't see it happening either. But if they thought D&D had reached its peak and had nowhere else to go but down, maybe? I don't think D&D will be as popular 5 years from now, but if WotC plays their cards right and manages to get enough players into their walled garden then it could be more profitable even if its less popular.
O-Castitatis-Lilium
Explorer
The same thing was said back in the 70's when it came out, it won't be as popular as it is now, meaning the 70's, and a lot of people didn't see it being as successful as the tabletop war games going on at the time. It got popular and took off. I believe they have said that about every edition that has come out to some degree.
I agree, that if Wizards can get more people to play it would boost sales for sure, but as it is, right now it's one of their more profitable franchises. What might make them more money on DnD is if they made more quality merchandise and possibly expanded on the brand some. I mean they kind of are doing that, but I mean revisit some of the old locations like Al-Qadim, Kara-Tur, and Maztica. Granted, some of the themes in those were based on very basic knowledge of the regions and cultures they represent, but they have the chance to go over it and really flesh it out. They could even create new places for other cultures and regions and really flesh out the massive map.
Mark Craddock
Explorer
At the moment, Hasbro is licensing many of their toy brands to numerous other toymakers. Additionally, the acquired eOne as a studio to make their own films and then sold it just as DnD & Transformers Rise of Beasts released. I think the bugbear for them with DnD is two-fold: 1) DMs who are 20% of the DnD audience spend 80% of the DnD money and 2) DnD players have responded poorly to the OGL debacle and used their wallets to show their dissatisfaction. Magic players haven't done that and its much easier to sell Secret Lairs direct to consumer and I think the logistics of shipping out those core books is much, much harder and I'm sure the numbers projected (based on the fact Hasbro seemed to think the quarantine numbers were the new normal not just a spike because people had more money and more time) aren't lining up. I don't think Additionally, Foundry has come out as WotC's partner for 5E after we were told WotC would make its own VTT. Hasbro's CEO projected a doubling of profits by 2025 and DnD players let them know that they wouldn't just buy whatever was made and wouldn't tolerate their insane plans for the OGL. IMO, that is why Hasbro fired so many people who supported the OGL internally from the only division that was generating a profit. Magic is just much easier to make money on. Further, Hasbro's previous CEO, who integrated all of these services passed away and Charlie Cox has been scuttling all of those plans since he took over in the Fall of 2022.
Mark Craddock
Explorer
What we have to remember is that its not just about profit its about exponential profit every quarter and the is hard to do with DnD. 4E didn't fail it simply didn't succeed to their projections as they thought they could somehow experience the same profit from it as Magic. They don't understand what this product is and don't care about long term growth. Hasbro laid off 10% of its workforce this year. They thought that pandemic sales were the new normal and promised their shareholders an insane goal and now they are looking for anyway to shed expenses. Their direct to consumer toy site isn't living up to projections and their toys are sitting on big box shelves and showing up by the truckload at discount stores because they so severely overproduced them. WotC is their only profitable division and its easy to make the case that Magic requires half the resources for at least double the profit.
