Buying D&D

[mmadsen]

Years ago, Wizards of the Coast bought TSR (or just D&D from TSR?), and then Hasbro bought Wizards of the Coast (and got D&D along with it). Do we know much more than that? Do we know how much the rights to D&D might cost now versus then? How much revenue D&D brings in?

 

[DaveMage]

Years ago, Wizards of the Coast bought TSR (or just D&D from TSR?), and then Hasbro bought Wizards of the Coast (and got D&D along with it). Do we know much more than that? Do we know how much the rights to D&D might cost now versus then? How much revenue D&D brings in?

I believe the last price tag I heard (to buy it now) was estimated at $30 million.

 

[kenobi65]

Years ago, Wizards of the Coast bought TSR (or just D&D from TSR?)

Just to clarify...I believe that WotC bought the entirety of TSR, although, from a value standpoint, that largely consisted of D&D.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

What? You mean warehouses full of Dragon Dice had no real value?

 

[philreed]

What? You mean warehouses full of Dragon Dice had no real value?

There were probably enough dice to build a home. It would have made a neat home.

 

[Mycanid]

There were probably enough dice to build a home. It would have made a neat home.

Although certainly an unworthy year-round weather home where I live. Freezing in the winter and roasting in the summer.

 

[mmadsen]

Just to clarify...I believe that WotC bought the entirety of TSR, although, from a value standpoint, that largely consisted of D&D.

Do we know how much WotC paid at the time?

 

[Mark Hope]

There were probably enough dice to build a home. It would have made a neat home.

Totally. There would have been no shortage of attractive needlepoint designs to decorate the rooms...

 

[mmadsen]

I believe the last price tag I heard (to buy it now) was estimated at $30 million.

Does anyone know what kind of revenues WotC is bringing in (and what their free cash flows are) to justify that?

By way of comparison, SJ Games brought in $2.4 million last year -- and may or may not make any profit:

Our 2006 gross was a bit less than $2.4 million, about the same as 2005. At this writing, the books are not closed, so we may make a small profit or a small loss depending on accounting decisions, but it was a good year, with excellent cash flow. Our fiscal health is good. 2007 is shaping up as a strong and profitable year; more on this below.​

 

[Andor]

The bulk of WotCs revenue for years was MtG and Pokemon. D&D is a drop in the bucket compared to those $$. Pokemon is why Hasbro bought WotC in the first place. I think they paid about $1100 per share for WotC though I have no idea how many shares existed. WotC bought TSR not because they expected to make a mint on it, but because they loved D&D and didn't want to see it die. That said they have done extremely well with D&D 3.X by the standards of the RPG industry, but the RPG industry is tiny by the standards of most buisinesses.