WotC D&D Historian Ben Riggs says the OGL fiasco was Chris Cocks idea.

[Nikosandros]

I mean, they won't stop doing that, either, I am sure. They are a game company, full stop...but since their primary activity now is making video games, a video game executive makes sense.

No doubt. I was just discussing my perception (and I guess that I'm not alone in that). I have zero interest in second-guessing Hasbro and WotC hires...

 

[Parmandur]

No doubt. I was just discussing my perception (and I guess that I'm not alone in that). I have zero interest in second-guessing Hasbro and WotC hires...

But...but...

Traaaaaaadittiiiion...Tradition!!!!1

 

[Parmandur]

When you're that married to an idea, rather than changing your mind to fit facts, that's not so much "sticking to your guns" as it is plain old intransigence.

Wise words, no doubt.

 

[Distracted DM]

I mean, they won't stop doing that, either, I am sure. They are a game company, full stop...but since their primary activity now is making video games, a video game executive makes sense.

I probably missed it up above somewhere, there's a lot to the thread now
What suggests their primary activity is now video games? Do we have numbers etc on employees and resources? Not being facetious I just want the info so I have context!

 

[Parmandur]

I probably missed it up above somewhere, there's a lot to the thread now
What suggests their primary activity is now video games? Do we have numbers etc on employees and resources? Not being facetious I just want the info so I have context!

Yes, WotC consists of a number ifStudios: one makes Magic, one makes D&D...the others make video games, and they have a lot of employees since they started building up that business in the past half decade or so.

• Archetype Entertainment in Austin, TX (making Exodus, a AAA sci-fi RPG led by a Bioware veteran leader)
• Atomic Aecade in Raleigh, NC umakong a AAA G. I. Joe video game)
• D&D (D&D stuff)
• Digital (not reallt clear on their wevsite, but I think Beyond and such)
• Invoke Studios in Montreal, Quebec (Dark Alliance recently, unknown video game now that is by rumor a aAA D&D game)
• "Studio X" in Renton, Washington (Magic: the Gathering)
• Magic: Arena (they do Magic: Arena)
• Skeleton Key in Austin, TX (unannounced video games)
• Find Your Fun (mobile games)

Avalon Hill used to be a WotC studio, but moved over to Hasbro's board game division a few years ago.

Those AAA projects are not done yet, but they have hired hundreds of people to work on them over the past decade. Who knows if any will be any good: ut they are putting a lot of resourcsinto time into it.

 

[TiQuinn]

I probably missed it up above somewhere, there's a lot to the thread now
What suggests their primary activity is now video games? Do we have numbers etc on employees and resources? Not being facetious I just want the info so I have context!

It’s difficult to say for certain because anything official in the terms of financial reports is about Hasbro as a whole versus just WotC, so it’s mainly educated guesses based on statements that have been made by Cocks and others, success in third party studios, and planned products like the VTT.

For example, it’s not a surprise that more employees are working digital games - they simply require more people to create those end products.

 

[mamba]

In-house video game development is already moat of what WotC does now: they have five dedicated video game studios thst do nothing else.

yes, but they have not released anything yet, so in terms of revenue they are still working towards a bigger share coming from software / games

My comment was not about whether they are predominantly a software company, I already agreed with that, it was about the future revenue mix

 

[mamba]

I can't argue with your logic. I'll confess though that psychologically, WotC feels to me as a card and RPG company. Undoubtedly, as the videogames come out, my perspective will shift

that is because they are in a transition, most of the investments go towards software, but since much of it is in development still, this is not true for the revenue yet

 

[mamba]

Not really, no. You do realize that misinterpreting data can make your guesses less accurate, right?

then show where it is misinterpreted, as usual you have absolutely nothing, you just make pointless generic statements

This is your entire MO, reject what is presented on no basis whatsoever except for a hypothetical that you in no way show even applies

 

[Parmandur]

It’s difficult to say for certain because anything official in the terms of financial reports is about Hasbro as a whole versus just WotC, so it’s mainly educated guesses based on statements that have been made by Cocks and others, success in third party studios, and planned products like the VTT.

For example, it’s not a surprise that more employees are working digital games - they simply require more people to create those end products.

Hard to know for certain. This is the credits for who works in the D&D Studio from Infonote Staircase (which is already outdated, but it reflects who was there when this went to print), 28 people:

According to LinkedIn, it seems that Archetype has ~112 employees, Atomic Arcade has ~44, Invoke has ~141, and Skeleton Key has ~37 (also all aggressively hiring).