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

 

[dave2008]

Wow! They bought WotC for $325 million in 1999 and not is revenue is $816 million per year. I guess that was a good investment!

PS - I know revenue =/= profit, but I'm guess that investment has paid for itself many times over by now.

 

[Scott Christian]

Although I'm disappointed in Paizo with their PF2e debacle

What debacle? I don't keep up, so genuinely curious. I bought the second edition, and although haven't played it yet, I thought is was well done.

 

[dave2008]

What debacle? I don't keep up, so genuinely curious. I bought the second edition, and although haven't played it yet, I thought is was well done.

Some people don't like it - so they think it is a debacle. Same with any new edition that makes significant changes really.

 

[Scott Christian]

he real question is what will go back to pre-pandemic and what will adopt post-pandemic as the new normal.

There's potentially a massive economic shift coming due to shifts in the retail experience during the lockdown. It is unknown whether big box stores may just wind up as fulfillment centers as people grow used to curbside pickup. This radically changes the commercial real estate landscape, especially as shopping malls, which were overbuilt in the 90s and early 00s, continue to fail.

Tons of news on this without a doubt. Retail is slowly becoming more of a niche, and may, in the end, just cater to higher end. That said, you never know. One big cultural shift and it might just revert back.

For a large chunk of the workplace, Zoom is the new normal. To the point that there is the beginnings of migration from cities to suburbs and exurbs as people realize that they can earn a New York City salary and live in Iowa. The NYT Real Estate section has documented this, while financial publications such as WSJ, Bloomberg, and Forbes, have written articles warning of the perils of trying to deduct one's new home office (don't do it!)

They say this, and it is true. But there are large investment firms that are stocking up on city real estate, specifically because they believe in five years it's going to skyrocket. And Zoom is the new normal until the company decides it isn't. There is no long term research on its effects on productivity, creativity, or cost difference. I imagine once vetted research (not the business guy that says I wrote a book) starts to originate, we may see CEOs begin a new paradigm or revert back to the old standard. What we see now, like some companies abandoning plans for their new headquarters, are knee-jerk reactions. The long term trend will come when they see profits and cost-analysis.

Many people have invested in the conversion to a Zoom office. So the question for D&D becomes how many will abandon VTT for in-person, how many will stick with VTT, and how many will go hybrid.

But this is about D&D, and that is a great question. Although, I would add, how many will drop D&D as a hobby to the list. I know a person that started the hobby due to the pandemic. I find it unlikely she will continue once the world goes back to normal. But that is two in a sea of millions, so who knows?

 

[darjr]

Some think because it isn’t outselling D&D it’s a debacle. Which would mean every RPG is a failure and a debacle. I think we both know different.

 

[Scott Christian]

There is no doubt some people will have fallen in love with D&D and will continue to play. Similarly there will surely be some drop off. I am actually more interested in how the pandemic has changed D&D -- how, where and why it is played. For most of D&D's history it has been an obsessive sort of hobby and I feel like there's a casualness to it now (I do not mean that as any sort of pejorative) it hasn't had mostly. Most of us (meaning GenX nerds) grew up playing like the Stranger Things kids: for hours and hours in the dark of the basement. I used to LOVE marathon sessions ans still miss them. I don't feel like that is a common way to play for the Millenial players and others that have recently discovered the hobby.

I actually think the casualness came from YouTube and TV, more so than the pandemic. But what is considered casual might just be a different style of play; shorter time frames, meshing of genres, etc. But I do understand what you are implying; the casual would have a very difficult time truly caring about whether their character lives or dies versus being entertained. (If I am reading that correctly. If not, please explain.)

 

[Stormonu]

All I know is I’ve seen more D&D and magic releases than I have seen of Star Wars toys. Tells me a lot right there.

 

[Scott Christian]

Some people don't like it - so they think it is a debacle. Same with any new edition that makes significant changes really.

Some think because it isn’t outselling D&D it’s a debacle. Which would mean every RPG is a failure and a debacle. I think we both know different.

Ah, thanks. I read the book and thought they did a pretty good job with it. But I love a good rule book, so what do I know? Thanks.

 

[see]

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?

It's true that 2020 was the best year ever for D&D sales . . . but that was after 2019 was the best year ever, which was after 2018 was the best year ever. Since only in-2020 sales could possibly have been affected by the pandemic, it's accordingly rather difficult to tell whether the pandemic helped, hurt, or had no effect on D&D sales growth.

 

[Scott Christian]

It's true that 2020 was the best year ever for D&D sales . . . but that was after 2019 was the best year ever, which was after 2018 was the best year ever. Since only in-2020 sales could possibly have been affected by the pandemic, it's accordingly rather difficult to tell whether the pandemic helped, hurt, or had no effect on D&D sales growth.

Great point. Having a bunch of celebs talk about how much they love it doesn't hurt the game either.