Pretty poorly from what I can see - not even a DnD lunchbox to be found.
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D&D 5E Brand Vs RPG
- Thread starter Zardnaar
- Start date
Pretty poorly from what I can see - not even a DnD lunchbox to be found.
pming
Legend
Hiya!
Me? Hmm...I'd put it somewhere around 2 or 3 out of 10. In short...yuk!
For me and my entire group (6 players, plus me, so 7 of us), it's because they are doing this whole "brand" thing that we find ourselves not buying anything from WotC. We are simply not interested in anything else other than RPG stuff...and RPG stuff that is 5e based, and NOT FR BASED. We don't like FR (not since the old 1e Grey Box...and even then it was second fiddle to just about any other of their campaign settings); so if "Forgotten Realms" is slapped on the description, we'll give it a pass (so far, 100% of the time). Drizz't, Wulfgar, Elminster? Again...pass. Not interested.
D&D as a Brand? No...that was not what made 5e successful. The "rulings not rules" and "create it yourself", and the "loosy-goosy", "simplified math", "bounded accuracy" stuff? THAT is what made 5e successful. So...WotC is now pretty much ignoring ALL of that in favor of what the "crack team of young go-getter advertising and marketing majors fresh out of college" are telling them (or at least that's what it seems like). When 5e came out, it felt like it was a game designed by role-players, for role-players. Creativity was key, and it was hard-coded into the actual game system so nobody could misinterpret (hehe...ahem...) . Now it feels like the designers are just mouthpieces for BBHME (Big Brother Hasbro Marketing Execs). I don't think they have much of any say in how 5e 'should' be handled... kinda reminds me of the scene from Dragonslayer; where Gailen (and his master) slay the wyrm, then the king strides out from his hiding spot, sticks a sword into it, and everyone yells "Hail! King Dragon Slayer!" (IIRC; or was that some other fantasy dragon-slaying type movie?).
EDIT: Snip..snip...snip... sorry, I don't want to complain that much!
^_^
Paul L. Ming
Me? Hmm...I'd put it somewhere around 2 or 3 out of 10. In short...yuk!
For me and my entire group (6 players, plus me, so 7 of us), it's because they are doing this whole "brand" thing that we find ourselves not buying anything from WotC. We are simply not interested in anything else other than RPG stuff...and RPG stuff that is 5e based, and NOT FR BASED. We don't like FR (not since the old 1e Grey Box...and even then it was second fiddle to just about any other of their campaign settings); so if "Forgotten Realms" is slapped on the description, we'll give it a pass (so far, 100% of the time). Drizz't, Wulfgar, Elminster? Again...pass. Not interested.
D&D as a Brand? No...that was not what made 5e successful. The "rulings not rules" and "create it yourself", and the "loosy-goosy", "simplified math", "bounded accuracy" stuff? THAT is what made 5e successful. So...WotC is now pretty much ignoring ALL of that in favor of what the "crack team of young go-getter advertising and marketing majors fresh out of college" are telling them (or at least that's what it seems like). When 5e came out, it felt like it was a game designed by role-players, for role-players. Creativity was key, and it was hard-coded into the actual game system so nobody could misinterpret (hehe...ahem...) . Now it feels like the designers are just mouthpieces for BBHME (Big Brother Hasbro Marketing Execs). I don't think they have much of any say in how 5e 'should' be handled... kinda reminds me of the scene from Dragonslayer; where Gailen (and his master) slay the wyrm, then the king strides out from his hiding spot, sticks a sword into it, and everyone yells "Hail! King Dragon Slayer!" (IIRC; or was that some other fantasy dragon-slaying type movie?).
EDIT: Snip..snip...snip... sorry, I don't want to complain that much!
^_^
Paul L. Ming
delericho
Legend
I think it's great. If D&D was just a TTRPG with no wider brand to leverage, Hasbro would have cancelled it long ago, and 5e wouldn't exist. Heck, it's not entirely impossible that they might have cancelled it as soon as they acquired WotC, in which case neither 3e nor the OGL would exist either.
(As for the question of support for the RPG: I've made no secret of the fact that I'd prefer more support and indeed different support than we're getting. But I'm not convinced that's a brand issue - I'm not convinced the D&D team would be doing things much differently even if they had no branding issues to consider.)
Surely that is an area that should be "ignored" or left alone as it is - it stands as it is and any additions to that part of 5E will by definition detract from the simplicity and free-form?
So if WotC are going to do any work it must be elsewhere.
Parmandur
Book-Friend
Well, as far as the game goes, I've bought everything but Out of the Abyss so far, and that is probably a matter of time before it ends up in my library. The game is good, they are releasing the right amount of products at the right rate to get me to buy them, and people are playing the game so that's good?
The brand is not opposed to the game; but the brand has barely begun to see support, as [MENTION=2525]Mistwell[/MENTION] notes. If Game of Thrones action figures can be found in Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy, O think once the movie and a cartoon become things people will be surprised at the Hasbro marketing machines accomplishments.
This inferiority complex assuming that D&D won't become popular seems to really ignore the extent to which pop culture has embraced this sort of thing.
The brand is not opposed to the game; but the brand has barely begun to see support, as [MENTION=2525]Mistwell[/MENTION] notes. If Game of Thrones action figures can be found in Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy, O think once the movie and a cartoon become things people will be surprised at the Hasbro marketing machines accomplishments.
This inferiority complex assuming that D&D won't become popular seems to really ignore the extent to which pop culture has embraced this sort of thing.
A Song of Ice and Fire has great, engaging characters which have action figures made of them. D&D has books of Mary/Marty Sues and backdrops to create your own characters.
The lack of quality characters is the challenge, not the settings so much.
Parmandur
Book-Friend
Well, sure; that's where Warner Bros. comes in, in terms of characters; WotC already put out a catalog of potential monster toys last year. Given a moderately decent movie (Hobbit/Harry Potter quality, hey Warner Bros!), the marketing possibilities are huge, it doesn't even need to be amazing to accomplish brand goals.
Azurewraith
Explorer
DnD has a brand say wut? sorry but i haven't seen any DnD branded products anywhere on the high streets of the UK not one board game, Action figure, plushy no squat never even saw SCL anywhere on the shelves so in that sense i would say the brand is dead in the water Then again its the same with the 5e books all amazon jobs as well they don't exist on shelves anywhere.
Salamandyr
Adventurer
Once upon a time there was a show called Twilight Zone. Twilight Zone was not about a character, or time, or even any particular genre. It was about a mood, a twist. You could tell any story you wanted, about anyone you wanted, in any time you wanted, as long as it had that twist, that little kink at the end.
In the 80's Spielberg did something similar with a show called Amazing Stories (I think that's the name; it's been a while).
In any case, the point is, a Dungeons & Dragons story doesn't need to be about any particular story. It could be the wraparound for a whole series of stories, as unrelated or as related as you want them to be--in any world you wish. Instead of "Dungeons & Dragons is the story for Froko Buggins and his quest to slay the Dark Lord with his Vorpal Sword" let it be a signifier that "in this story there will be evil orcs, wily mages, brash thieves, probably a dragon and almost definitely a dungeon". Dungeons & Dragons media no more needs to follow any single characters journey than Grand Theft Auto has to do anything other than make sure you steal cars.
In the 80's Spielberg did something similar with a show called Amazing Stories (I think that's the name; it's been a while).
In any case, the point is, a Dungeons & Dragons story doesn't need to be about any particular story. It could be the wraparound for a whole series of stories, as unrelated or as related as you want them to be--in any world you wish. Instead of "Dungeons & Dragons is the story for Froko Buggins and his quest to slay the Dark Lord with his Vorpal Sword" let it be a signifier that "in this story there will be evil orcs, wily mages, brash thieves, probably a dragon and almost definitely a dungeon". Dungeons & Dragons media no more needs to follow any single characters journey than Grand Theft Auto has to do anything other than make sure you steal cars.
pming
Legend
Hiya!
I don't think so. take on it (or a higher chance of it). Just keep the RPG stuff to what they said they were going to do... not favor any campaign setting over any other.
Right now, they don't have a "D&D Brand", they have a "Forgotten Realms D&D Brand". I'm curious as to how many things they have put out or have planned that are D&D-oriented...and NOT related to Forgotten Realms as a world or with regards to FR specific characters/names? ... So, is this whole "D&D as a Brand" a thing they are doing, or are they just trying to blow smoke up our keesters by claiming that, when in actuality they really are pushing for a "Forgotten Realms as a Brand" and hoping nobody will notice?
Give me "Blasted Desert" over "The Anuroch Desert" any day of the week. I'll take "evil, secret cabal of spellcasters" over "the Red Wizards" any day of the week. I'll take "defeat the followers of the God of Evil!" over "defeat the followers of Cyric!" any day of the week. etc...etc...etc...
^_^
Paul L. Ming
I don't think so. take on it (or a higher chance of it). Just keep the RPG stuff to what they said they were going to do... not favor any campaign setting over any other.
Right now, they don't have a "D&D Brand", they have a "Forgotten Realms D&D Brand". I'm curious as to how many things they have put out or have planned that are D&D-oriented...and NOT related to Forgotten Realms as a world or with regards to FR specific characters/names? ... So, is this whole "D&D as a Brand" a thing they are doing, or are they just trying to blow smoke up our keesters by claiming that, when in actuality they really are pushing for a "Forgotten Realms as a Brand" and hoping nobody will notice?
Give me "Blasted Desert" over "The Anuroch Desert" any day of the week. I'll take "evil, secret cabal of spellcasters" over "the Red Wizards" any day of the week. I'll take "defeat the followers of the God of Evil!" over "defeat the followers of Cyric!" any day of the week. etc...etc...etc...
^_^
Paul L. Ming
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