7 Years of D&D Stories? And a "Big Reveal" Coming?

When asked what he was working on, WotC's Chris Perkins revealed a couple of juicy tidbits. They're not much, but they're certainly tantalizing. Initially, he said that "Our marketing team has a big reveal in the works", and followed that up separately with "Right now I'm working on the next seven years of D&D stories". What all that might mean is anybody's guess, but it sounds like there are plans for D&D stretching into the foreseeable future! Thanks to Barantor for the scoop!

 

[bmfrosty]

Does the revenue flow the same whether you do you job or not?
If you r work does not happen at all, does it make any difference to the company?

Yes. If it's short term important, then it gets done, but if it's something that can be delayed or deferred then it gets to wait until I'm back *and* I have time.

Every week I have a meeting with my boss and my minion, and we reorganize a spreadsheeted list of projects by priority, and anything below an arbitrary line doesn't get worked on.

I suspect when this unknown employee went on jury duty they took a list of what he had on his plate, and assigned out whatever was deemed important to whomever they could.

The conversion guide must have not been deemed important.

 

[Bugleyman]

I am among those who believe that WotC's execution is poor. In fact, I'd go as far as to say comically so.

Others see things differently.

It seems very, very unlikely that the two sides are going to agree. Besides, it is by the market -- not a message board thread -- that 5E's fate will be decided. Just as 4E's was before it. All we have to do is wait and see.

In the meantime, I'm interested in seeing what this "big reveal" turns out to be...

 

[BryonD]

What future sales are you even expecting? The only products that have been announced are the biannual adventure paths, which are aimed at a completely different customer base. The people who are vocal about Wizards' lack of communication and product are not the target audience for the adventure paths - I suspect that audience is the casual audience who just needs a sourcebook to base the next six months of campaign off of and little else.

Maybe Wizards will put out a FRCS or a Monster Manual II this year, maybe not. Wizards' behavior is not that of a company that is really relying on those products to sell well. At this point the only sales I think they're really concerned about are D&D movie tickets and board game / video game sales.

If you are correct then the conversation becomes largely moot.
That said, I'm not sure that you can make the generalization that people complaining about WotC's poor communication are people who won't buy APs.

If they announce a splat in 2015, will that make you wrong?

If they don't announce a splat and D&D starts falling in 2016 (APs don't sell as well either), will that make you wrong?

The reactions are pretty overblown, in my opinion. People are working themselves up into a tizzy over the release schedule of Dungeons & Dragons, and it's resulting in people slinging insults at and making nasty about the character of the folks over at WotC. I would indeed characterize that as fanboy outrage that's best ignored.

I think the same thing could be said about people sling insults at anyone who dares complain when things go poorly.
Shouldn't you check your own characterizations if it bothers you when others do it?

Stop holding the Harlem Globetrotters to the same standard as the Lakers.

I'm holding someone who wants to sell recreational material to the public to the standards of someone who wants to sell recreational material to the public.

My apologies if you felt like I was calling you names or otherwise insulting you, that wasn't my intent but if that's how it came across I am sorry.

I've got no worries about me.
But if you are using the terms you are using and then turning around and saying you don't mean them for what they are, then that makes it that much worse that you are being critical of others for doing the exact same thing.

That said, people are acting as if D&D is an ongoing subscription or crowdfunded project that isn't delivering to them what was promised. There's been a lot of snarky comments about "can't cancel things that were never announced", but the fact of the matter is: WotC put out some books. People purchased those books. WotC may or may not put out further books, and have no obligation to let us into their internal discussions about the future of the product line.

The level of acrimony over the whole thing is simply not justified.

They are acting like they are customers dealing with someone who is not living up to expectations.

 

[BryonD]

Yes. If it's short term important, then it gets done, but if it's something that can be delayed or deferred then it gets to wait until I'm back *and* I have time.

Every week I have a meeting with my boss and my minion, and we reorganize a spreadsheeted list of projects by priority, and anything below an arbitrary line doesn't get worked on.

I suspect when this unknown employee went on jury duty they took a list of what he had on his plate, and assigned out whatever was deemed important to whomever they could.

The conversion guide must have not been deemed important.

Cool.

You initially said they simply don't happen. I'm glad to see that you have clarified that because this is a big and important difference.

I think it is ok to would-be paying customers to express dissatisfaction when material (even free support material) is promised and is then deemed "not important".

WotC is of course free to do that. But it is silly to condemn people for complaining.

 

[Zaukrie]

Yes, that was clear to me........

 

[bmfrosty]

Cool.

You initially said they simply don't happen. I'm glad to see that you have clarified that because this is a big and important difference.

I think it is ok to would-be paying customers to express dissatisfaction when material (even free support material) is promised and is then deemed "not important".

WotC is of course free to do that. But it is silly to condemn people for complaining.

The priority list is god. All bow down to the priority list.

Sometimes things fall off the priority list altogether. Sometimes things get delayed until the lukewarm death of the universe. So and so would really like us to upgrade the software on such and such a server. They no longer work here. Drop it from the list.

Is this the announcement that everyone is talking about:

http://suvudu.com/2014/07/interview...-5e-to-be-fast-flexible-and-easy-to-play.html

Or was there something more concrete than the D&D boss spouting off during an interview?

 

[Kramodlog]

That's Paizo. A small, independent company made by and run by gamers that love gaming. Their CEO plays the game. Practically everyone in the company plays the game. They're entirely devoted to the game.


WotC is owned by Hasbro now. Hasbro bean counters that don't see the game as anything other than a vehicle for profit decide the budget.

Paizo is unique as a company because they are run by gamers and run efficiently and profitably. Main reason WotC and TSR failed was they had the run by gamers part down, but not the run efficiently and profitably part.

This idea that Paizo is a small compagnie is a bit out dated. They have more people working on their PRG than D&D. I'm pretty sure Paizo exist to make money too.

I'd also defend D&D's designers. I do believe they are gamers and that they love the game they are working on.

 

[BryonD]

The priority list is god. All bow down to the priority list.

Remind me again, please, which side is full of hyperbole on this?

Sometimes things fall off the priority list altogether. Sometimes things get delayed until the lukewarm death of the universe. So and so would really like us to upgrade the software on such and such a server. They no longer work here. Drop it from the list.

And making customers happy is challenging.
How does your position mitigate the need to make customers happy?

 

[Staffan]

One lesson that consistently successful business people learn is you have to go the extra mile to make customers happy.

An extra mile, yes. An extra two miles... maybe. An extra three miles? Probably not. At that point the customer is probably more trouble than they're worth, at least if their complaint isn't really about something your company did wrong.

 

[BryonD]

An extra mile, yes. An extra two miles... maybe. An extra three miles? Probably not. At that point the customer is probably more trouble than they're worth, at least if their complaint isn't really about something your company did wrong.

Noted.

Now if WotC would just go *the original* mile.

Your comment doesn't score as very clever when this issue is that WotC keeps announcing things that they are NOT doing.
They seem to be at around negative two miles right now.



All that aside, the unending theme that the customers are the problem remains an interesting take on marketing.