D&D 5E D&D Beyond Self-Censorship: Pride Month Digital Dice Blocked In Some Countries

[Ondath]

I'm curious. Are there workarounds like there are for say streaming services?

I was able to open the claiming page with a VPN, but logging in to my account through the VPN felt too much of a hassle so I didn't try claiming them that way. Either way, I'm more concerned about the principle of the thing rather than some virtual dice.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

@Ondath

You have nothing but my sincere hope that this gets resolved. And, of course, that things continue to improve on the ground.

Given you are there, I believe you are correct. I do think that there has been accounts of restrictions regarding this type of thing, which I remembered hearing about so I googled-

Turkey slaps 18+ rating on rainbow, LGBTQ products

Products with the rainbow colours or references to LGBT must now be sold with an 18+ rating on e-commerce sites, the trade ministry said.

english.alaraby.co.uk

It indicates that there was a move to make rainbow-themed products (such as the dice) restricted to 18+. That might be the type of thing that influenced the decision-making process at Hasbro.

 

[Professor Murder]

I was able to open the claiming page with a VPN, but logging in to my account through the VPN felt too much of a hassle so I didn't try claiming them that way. Either way, I'm more concerned about the principle of the thing rather than some virtual dice.

Totally legit. However, a real victory is better than a moral victory. Better to use a VPN to access what one is entitled to AND to pressure Hasbro to have some of the conviction that they are cosplaying as.

 

[Ondath]

@Ondath

You have nothing but my sincere hope that this gets resolved. And, of course, that things continue to improve on the ground.

Given you are there, I believe you are correct. I do think that there has been accounts of restrictions regarding this type of thing, which I remembered hearing about so I googled-

Turkey slaps 18+ rating on rainbow, LGBTQ products

Products with the rainbow colours or references to LGBT must now be sold with an 18+ rating on e-commerce sites, the trade ministry said.

english.alaraby.co.uk

It indicates that there was a move to make rainbow-themed products (such as the dice) restricted to 18+. That might be the type of thing that influenced the decision-making process at Hasbro.

True, this was a new change that got introduced. But given that these dice are given away for free, and that other game companies like Riot don't need to put a +18 warning on their pride colour festival themed add-ons, I'm sure a workaround would be possible. Also, I hardly doubt WotC would be in the government's sights, as they're not really known beyond the small TTRPG scene. But factors like these probably shaped their decisions, in that you're right.

 

[Yora]

Doesn't surprise me. Pride month is a marketing scheme.
If you care about something enough to promote it, you care about it all the time. Not just during marketing events.

And yeah, WotC doing nothing but virtue signaling really is exactly what everyone who has been following their company culture history to any degree has to be expecting of them.

 

[billd91]

True, this was a new change that got introduced. But given that these dice are given away for free, and that other game companies like Riot don't need to put a +18 warning on their pride colour festival themed add-ons, I'm sure a workaround would be possible. Also, I hardly doubt WotC would be in the government's sights, as they're not really known beyond the small TTRPG scene. But factors like these probably shaped their decisions, in that you're right.

Free plus the 18+ requirement may be the reason. They might be worried that free Pride dice, available to everyone, might trigger the regulators to mandate an adult age warning for the whole site. And they probably think, with good reason, that’s worse than not allowing the free Pride dice.

 

[bedir than]

Doesn't surprise me. Pride month is a marketing scheme.
If you care about something enough to promote it, you care about it all the time. Not just during marketing events.

And yeah, WotC doing nothing but virtue signaling really is exactly what everyone who has been following their company culture history to any degree has to be expecting of them.

Wizards promotes LGBTQ+ issues year round, to include Crawford going to conventions that address oppressed sexualities, selling shirts, donations, etc

 

[Shiroiken]

Once again all these corporate pride geastures prove hollow, fake geastures. Its all PR. Same with every other movement they pretend to care about.

These PR campaigns compare the cost of the action to the potential increased sales. Given all of this is typically decided by committee, the odds of it being sincere for any given company is very, very low.

 

[darjr]

Wizards promotes LGBTQ+ issues year round, to include Crawford going to conventions that address oppressed sexualities, selling shirts, donations, etc

This. I know folks there and pride isn’t just a PR move.

There are parts of THIS country USA were it can be dangerous to show pride, I live in one of them, and public displays are very important.

 

[bedir than]

These PR campaigns compare the cost of the action to the potential increased sales. Given all of this is typically decided by committee, the odds of it being sincere for any given company is very, very low.

Crawford has appeared on non gaming channels to talk about his sexuality and acceptance.

Minimizing the lived reality of Wizards employees is bizarre