WotC D&D Gets A New Division At Hasbro

Hasbro is reorganizing and giving tabletop gaming -- Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: the Gathering -- a higher priority.

According to the Wall Street Journal, WotC's revenue last year was $816 million (a 24% increase on 2019). Brian Goldner, Hasbro's Chief Executive, says WotC is predicted to double revenue from 2019 to 2023.

Hasbro is dividing into three 'units' -- Consumer Products (toys, classic board games); Entertainment (film, TV, licensing); and Wizards & Digital (WotC plus digital licensing).

Hasbro bought WotC in 1999 for about $325M.

WSJ News Exclusive | Dungeons & Dragons Gets a Bigger Role at Hasbro

Toy maker Hasbro is reorganizing to capitalize on a pandemic-fueled boom in old-school tabletop games, creating a separate division around the publisher of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering.

www.wsj.com

 

[Ath-kethin]

This is really good news for D&D (which I am really happy about), but I think there's very little evidence that the rising tide really raises all ships. That growth in D&D leads to overall growth in the rest of the hobby.

Maybe. But since D&D has always been the "gateway drug" of TTRPGs, I expect that in the long run greater success for D&D leads to greater success for others.

Now, I have no actual numbers to back up that theory. But a whole host of smaller press companies came about in the wake of the 3e bubble, and while many/most didn't survive, that's true of any business ever. I expect/fervently hope we will see similar results following this 5e wave.

 

[Campbell]

I think it's hard to remember given the heights they have reached, but the characters that put Marvel Studios on the map were some of Marvel's least popular characters. Captain America, Iron Man, Ant Man, Guardians of the Galaxy et al were memes. When Disney bought Marvel there had been some success, but nothing like its current dominant role in Hollywood.

 

[Oofta]

One wonders if the growth will be sustainable post-Covid. That is, when people can go back to bars, concerts and sporting events, are they still going to play D&D, buy books, sub DNDBeyond, etc?

Yet another prediction of imminent doom?

I think it will drop off, but I think it's also introduced a lot of people to the hobby that otherwise would not have been involved. It's inevitable that growth will slow at some point - you can't sustain double digit growth forever - I'm just not sure it will shrink.

Then again, I've lost my crystal ball so who knows. Maybe you should make a blog post or you-tube video with speculation so I could reply to your speculation and start a rumor about a rumor that D&D is on the precipice of going bankrupt.

 

[embee]

Then there was a raft of the YouTube rumorati

View attachment 133312

edit: ha! And the 2018 just goes to show it’s a cycle.

Professor DM's video was ridiculous. It was right after a solid earnings call by Hasbro that specifically mentioned the success of D&D. Really hammered home that he's an English teacher, not a financial analyst.

 

[embee]

Yet another prediction of imminent doom?

I think it will drop off, but I think it's also introduced a lot of people to the hobby that otherwise would not have been involved. It's inevitable that growth will slow at some point - you can't sustain double digit growth forever - I'm just not sure it will shrink.

Then again, I've lost my crystal ball so who knows. Maybe you should make a blog post or you-tube video with speculation so I could reply to your speculation and start a rumor about a rumor that D&D is on the precipice of going bankrupt.

D&D will go bankrupt in 2024 after WOTC fails to cash in on the massive earthquakes that will be triggered after the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts when the Rapture occurs because of the first contact with aliens from Proxima Centauri when the Moon Landing hoax is revealed after proof that the Earth is flat is stolen during the upcoming raid on Area 51.

 

[Oofta]

D&D will go bankrupt in 2024 after WOTC fails to cash in on the massive earthquakes that will be triggered after the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts when the Rapture occurs because of the first contact with aliens from Proxima Centauri when the Moon Landing hoax is revealed after proof that the Earth is flat is stolen during the upcoming raid on Area 51.

You have about as much justification for that prediction as most of the other predictions I've seen around here.

 

[Reynard]

Yet another prediction of imminent doom?

I think it will drop off, but I think it's also introduced a lot of people to the hobby that otherwise would not have been involved. It's inevitable that growth will slow at some point - you can't sustain double digit growth forever - I'm just not sure it will shrink.

Then again, I've lost my crystal ball so who knows. Maybe you should make a blog post or you-tube video with speculation so I could reply to your speculation and start a rumor about a rumor that D&D is on the precipice of going bankrupt.

When did I predict anything? I asked a question.

 

[embee]

So basically a close variant of citogenesis.

Sometimes, I get bored and mess with Wikipedia. Like that time I changed Martin Bashir's Wikipedia page to claim that Deep Space 9's Dr. Julian Bashir is his direct descendant.

 

[NotAYakk]

BuT HaSbRo Is GoiNG tO SeLL WoTc.

One should think this ought to put those silly rumors to rest.

Don't be silly. Separating a business unit makes it easier to sell.

 

[Aldarc]

This is really good news for D&D (which I am really happy about), but I think there's very little evidence that the rising tide really raises all ships. That growth in D&D leads to overall growth in the rest of the hobby.

You mean you don't believe in the evidence of trickle-down economics for the hobby?