Conspiracy Theory: What is going on in D&D land?

[Conservative Cow]

I'm with Doc on this. If WoTC and D&D Tanked and disappeared tomorrow, the OGL is out there and so is the SRD. All potentional WoTC 3E buyers would be forced to buy 3rd party products ( Which the past has proven ) is just as good and even better then the stuff put out by WoTC.

D20 has been cemented in and isn't going anywhere for a long long time.

 

[Gizzard]

> I think we are being hoodwinked by the RPG sales
> are exceeding expectations party line and that we
> are to believe that D&D is doing well.

You dont think D&D is doing well saleswise? If Seans post is to be taken at face value, sales are doing just fine - even "unsuccessful" products like Lords of Rumness are selling greatly better than "successful" products were just 2-3 years ago.

The problem, as I see it, is the definition of "unsuccessful". WotC has already said they want to publish only high-margin titles and leave the low-margin products to the small d20 publishers.

So, theres bound to be some friction between Hasbro execs (who probably consider all of D&D to be low margin compared to Star Wars toys, etc) and WotC regulars who are much more grounded in the RPG industry. I think over the next year this conflict will play out, with the Hasbro execs inevitably winning out.

Theres no need for a conspiracy theory here. Its pretty clear what Hasbro wants and the only thing they are concealing is proprietary business information, like how much the margin is on a successful product.

OTOH, I do think that their strategy is extremely shortsighted.

 

[The Sigil]

In a related conspiracy theory...

I don't know that I believe this myself, but I think it is really interesting that the "big names" in D&D since the sale to WotC (esp. Ryan Dancey) made a concerted effort to put the game "out of reach" of Hasbro's execs - by making D&D "open source."

As has been re-iterated here, there is enough material out there to allow d20 publishers to continue to produce stuff - and if Hasbro were to drop D&D right now, we'd still have more than enough to game with.

Does anyone else think that maybe, just maybe, Dancey et al foresaw that if "big business" ever got ahold of D&D, they would be dissatisfied with the margins - and so in order to save their beloved game, they created a masterful strategy to keep it forever out of reach of being ruined by "big business?"

I can't either. But it is a nice side effect... and just large enough of a side effect to make one wonder...

--The Sigil

 

[Aaron2]

While the OGL may be great for players, its better for Hasbro. Hasbro can, essentially, do nothing and 3rd party support will keep up the sales of the PHB for years to come.

D&D is a license, just like GIjOE. Its not neccessary for D&D game books to make money for the D&D license to be successful. Novels, movies, TV shows, family boardgames all have better profit margins than RPGs. Hasbro can keep the D&D license intact while farming out all the dirty, not-so-profitable RPG work to contractors (as in the case of the game world "contest" which is simply a request for submissions). Even the sale of the retail group and magazines makes sense. I wouldn't be suprised if Hasbro ended up with four or less permanent RPG employees.

Think about it, with the ELH released, there isn't all that much left to do for D&D 3e. New books will continue to have smaller and smaller audiences. A fourth edition would require too much investment so they'll milk 3e for eight years to come.
I think D&D is "safe" for the forseeable future.

Aaron

 

[Agback]

Petronius Arbiter (210 B.C.) [/B]

Never heard of him!


Agback

 

[CRG]

Well, speaking as someone who works for a giant corporation,

Heh. I'd almost lay money down that you and I work for the same company there....

 

[Wolfspider]

Hmmm....My friend who runs a gaming store says WotC is hurting for money. The promotional literature he is receiving has changed from slick full-color brochures to hastily-made cheap photocopies just recently. He has some inside knowledge of them too, which leads me to believe that The Toy Company is gouging all the money out of WotC...

Hope thats not true, but thought it was worth a mention...

Ahhh, yet another friend who works in a gaming store who knows what goes on in the WotC boardroom. I REALLY need to start a gaming store so I can know the lowdown...

 

[CWD]

Never heard of him!

Agback

This is what I found. I note that the dates don't match up. I suspect the date in the quote is wrong. The quote also implies that maybe he was in the military, while this historical snippet implies quite the opposite.

That's what I get for looking up quotes and bios on the internet instead of being motivated and going for a book...

Gaius Petronius (~27-66 A.D.), the author of the Satyricon, was the emperor Nero's advisor in matters of luxury and extravagance (his unofficial title was arbiter elegantiae). As befitted his office, he slept days and partied nights. He was a lover of style, manners, and literature, and his personality was characterized by freedom, a lack of self-consciousness, a loose tongue, and an attitude. A rival's jealousy turned Nero agains Petronius, and he was forced to commit suicide. However, before his death, he lampooned Nero in his will and sent the emperor a copy.

 

[Oracular Vision]

Ahhh, yet another friend who works in a gaming store who knows what goes on in the WotC boardroom. I REALLY need to start a gaming store so I can know the lowdown...

Guess you weren't around when we previsously heard from game stores that WotC was downsizing (and it came to pass) and that there were big changes in store, such as cancellation of Chainmail...but I guess you are the smart one, doubting those with a clue...

 

[jester47]

If D&D is in danger I can only suggest one thing- That the employees and anyone else at WotC that cares start on the follow course of action:

1. network, create the DDLF (Dungeons & Dragons Liberation Front) as a message board. Everyone that is concerned about D&D meet there.

2. Gather former names. Get the big names thinking together. All the really good d20 people. Names off the top of my head:

AV
SKR
Monte Cook
Ryan Dancy
Chris Pramas
Bruce Cordell
Skip
Jon Tweet
Clark Peterson
Erik Mona
Dragon People
maybe Gygax if he wants.

pretty much everyone that had a hand in the brief golden age from the last 2 years of 2nd ed to the day when SKR "retired."

3. Lay low, and network network network. Those not at WotC make a company on paper ready to go. Get lots of money lined up.

4. People at WotC Finish the SRD.

5. When the stars are right send the message for gamers stop buying WotC stuff. At the same time all people that still care about D&D give notice your name will be recorded on the register of who to hire.

6. When the spice production stops all eyes will turn to Arak... I mean when WotC no longer gets any money from D&D, they will sell, then the company created and prepared earlier can sweep in and buy D&D, hire all the good people responsible for making D&D great and usherin a new golden age...

But I would only suggest that if and only if D&D is truely in danger, which I doubt it is. The more the SRD gets done the more secure it gets. If monsters and spells get added to the SRD, it is over, D&D is safe.

Aaron.