WotC “Atomic Arcade”— WotC’s New Digital Platform?

WotC has applied for a trademark for “Atomic Arcade”. The application was made late last month, and covers:

• Downloadable electronic games to be used in connection with computers, console gaming devices, and wireless devices
• Fantasy role playing games, board games, trading card games, and collectible toy figures
• Entertainment services, namely, providing online computer games and interactive multiplayer online computer games via a global network

Earlier in the year, rumours spread regarding WotC’s plans for its own virtual tabletop platform (VTT) following a survey in which they gauged opinions and allegedly showed off graphically rich 3D screenshots.

“TSDR” is the application’s status which reads:

LIVE/APPLICATION/Awaiting Examination
The trademark application has been accepted by the Office (has met the minimum filing requirements) and has not yet been assigned to an examiner.

Status:
New application will be assigned to an examining attorney approximately 6 months after filing date.

 

[Mallus]

Who are you talking to?

Himself?

 

[Vince_Snetterton]

yup that is the one. The chart near the bottom is crystal clear. D&D is a fraction of a fraction in the Hasbro empire. Does the W&D division have the highest profit margin, no doubt. But overall D&D is a chunk inside that.

 

[J.Quondam]

I am new to this site. Are we allowed to post 3rd party links? I can link the very page I got that from on the Hasbro site.

Yes, I've seen & made lots of links to other sites with no problem at all.

 

[darjr]

I may be wrong but this table is probably the most relevant.

But please note my hatred for traditional D&D gamers may be clouding my good judgment.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

This sound like a streaming service, but for videogames, but also other products as PDFs of TTRPGs, interactive comics, webomics (gamebooks like Endless Quest serie?) and maybe a limited version of streaming service (but nothing to be rival for Netflix, Disney+ or DiscoveryFamily).

Is it a bad idea? Not, but it needs the right work by the right people, and time and money. Who would pay for it? Parents who want family-friendly titles to enjoy with their children. Or adults who miss the retro/vintage videogames.

 

[Osgood]

If they are planning their own digital tool in the vein of DDB, I really hope they just acquire or license the existing tool rather from starting over from scratch. It would be a lot less effort on WotC's part, less risk of customer backlash, and mergers and acquisitions is the way all the cool kids do business these days anyway.

Re-purchasing content sucks, but with the anniversary edition on the way, I think that's kinda baked into the cake. For me the real issue is that it's taken Beyond a while to get to become a useful tool (and it still has a lot to do IMO). I have no interest in losing that to watch them flail around on a new character builder for a couple of years, never really getting around to any DM tools.

PS. I've never seen any Critical Role, so I can't speak to it specifically, but how did this thread get derailed so fast?!

 

[Umbran]

Nope, you are not even close.

My numbers were 2020, yours are 2021. Mine were for the year, yours are for one quarter.

Consumer Division Q3 profit = 210.4 million. W&D profit = 159.4 milion, and that includes Magic items.

The Consumer division made that 210.4 million out of 1,282.7 million in revenue - Hasbro got to keep about 16% of what it took in.

W&D made its 159.4 million out of only 360.2 million revenue - Hasbro got to keep 44% of what it took in.

In this sense, W&D is about 2.75 times better than Consumer in making money for Hasbro.

 

[Vince_Snetterton]

It is indeed a good subset of the overall chart. You have cut out the revenue section, which shows that the W&D revenue is only 18% of Hasbro's total revenues. But W&D profits are 43% of Hasbro's profits. That being said, D&D is a chunk of that W&D profit. Now imagine how much profit DBB, Roll20, or any other affiliates contribute to that W&D profit. We are into fractions of fractions of fractions. I doubt Hasbro has given much thought to DBB and Roll20 when it comes to launching a digital distribution system. Centralizing digital releases, like new D&D books, might make sense, instead of licensing others. And as I said, if Hasbro wants to incorporate a VTT inside that digital rollout, it makes even more sense to crush the competition by tying Hasbro's digital offerings to that new VTT.

 

[darjr]

My numbers were 2020, yours are 2021. Mine were for the year, yours are for one quarter.



The Consumer division made that 210.4 million out of 1,282.7 million in revenue - Hasbro got to keep about 16% of what it took in.

W&D made its 159.4 million out of only 360.2 million revenue - Hasbro got to keep 44% of what it took in.

In this sense, W&D is about 2.75 times better than Consumer in making money for Hasbro.

Look also at the 9month ending numbers

 

[darjr]

@Vince_Snetterton considering the cheapness of licensing vs creating things my bet is a large part of the cheap profit WotC made IS in fact licensing to DDB and role20 and also the Magic licensors

Edit to add I dint mean to use the word cheap badly