D&D to become entirely online?

[GVDammerung]

This isn't a conspiracy theory, but a legit question.

An acquaintance claims to be a freelance game designer and discuss things frequently with several WotC staff members. He claims that there's a move within WotC to transition D&D completely to subscription based play, because the online M:tG is doing better than the card version and that WotC is losing money on printed materials, so they plan to shift D&D's business model to follow Magic's. He cites the "The future of gaming is online" statements to be foreshadowing this, and that all of 4E, DDI and the GSL is designed to slowly move everything online.

I've never heard such a thing, but this guy claims that he's "in" with several WotC staffers, and that he's a Hasbro shareholder (he's always complaining about how bad D&D is doing). I figure if this IS true, than surely some people here would know given this site's reputation. I don't believe him, because he's the only person I've seen who has said this stuff.

While plans can obviously change due to circumstances and over time, I believe a move to a totally online version of D&D to be highly likely and that 4e's online components are a calculated step in this direction. If 5e in 2013 is not completely online, I think it will be moreso. I can't see 6e being other than completely online. I don't think its a question of "if" but a question of "when." Tabletop roleplaying has been a niche, is a niche and will be a niche; the money is online, not on the tabletop. As a business, Wotc will go after the money. I think it is that simple. Its not a conspiracy; its a business plan.

 

[Scribble]

While plans can obviously change due to circumstances and over time, I believe a move to a totally online version of D&D to be highly likely and that 4e's online components are a calculated step in this direction. If 5e in 2013 is not completely online, I think it will be moreso. I can't see 6e being other than completely online. I don't think its a question of "if" but a question of "when." Tabletop roleplaying has been a niche, is a niche and will be a niche; the money is online, not on the tabletop. As a business, Wotc will go after the money. I think it is that simple. Its not a conspiracy; its a business plan.

It's only a business plan if it makes money.

If more people buy/want the product in a digital format, then it will be published in a digital format. If more people seem to want the product in a non digital format, it will continue to be made in a non digital format.

The real push is simply to grow their customer base.

Video games, and MMOs have an advantage over D&D. They're easy to start up and play. Grab a controller, hit a few buttons and you're up and running.

Have a few moments before going to work? You can play an MMO or a video game. You can't do that with D&D. You need to get people together all in one location for a number of hours.

So enter the virtual tabletop and less cumbersome rules. Now you have at least a fighting chance to get people to play more often.

 

[Darrin Drader]

The only problem is that, while you may personally dislike most of the decisions that you allude to, almost all of them proved to be good business decisions (with the possible exception of discontinuing Dungeon and Dragon mags in print). Let's run down that list:

Most of these things that looked like good business decisions at the time turned out to be anything but. Outsourcing periodicals allowed the magazine to live up until the point where they decided that they wanted them back and instantly created their biggest competitor. Not only did canceling it end their continued presence on the magazine shelf, but it also created a great deal of ill-will towards them. A good number of the former Dragon/Dungeon readers are now looking to Pathfinder. That was a brilliantly executed long-term business strategy there.

Laying off game designers led to the creation of numerous competing companies, most of them quite successful compared to the ones that were not spawned by ex-WotC employees.

Discontinuing Greyhawk may or may not have hurt them, though it never made sense to me to use it as the default setting for 3E and then simply abandon it.

I don't hate WotC, I just think that the business decisions they've been making with D&D have been very shortsighted and very much prompted by Hasbro meddling.If I don't like anybody, it's Hasbro.

 

[Scribble]

Most of these things that looked like good business decisions at the time turned out to be anything but. Outsourcing periodicals allowed the magazine to live up until the point where they decided that they wanted them back and instantly created their biggest competitor. Not only did canceling it end their continued presence on the magazine shelf, but it also created a great deal of ill-will towards them. A good number of the former Dragon/Dungeon readers are now looking to Pathfinder. That was a brilliantly executed long-term business strategy there.

here's the thing though... A lot of business plans look silly and full of fault if you on;y look at their short term success.

Yeah, they probably realized from the start that turning the mags all digital will anger some people. But in the end, enough would be happy with the switch (I am) and it would help them draw in a new crowd. (something that seemed to be not happening currently.)

In addition, taking control of the magazine allows them to once again fully use its potential, as opposed to just making some licensing cash off of somethign they didn't know how to utilize before.

So really only time will tell if the switch was a good one or not. Ask the same question in two or three years.

 

[Umbran]

IWhat's not to like?

Computer mediated interpersonal interaction replacing real-world interaction, that's what.

 

[Darrin Drader]

here's the thing though... A lot of business plans look silly and full of fault if you on;y look at their short term success.

Yeah, they probably realized from the start that turning the mags all digital will anger some people. But in the end, enough would be happy with the switch (I am) and it would help them draw in a new crowd. (something that seemed to be not happening currently.)

In addition, taking control of the magazine allows them to once again fully use its potential, as opposed to just making some licensing cash off of somethign they didn't know how to utilize before.

So really only time will tell if the switch was a good one or not. Ask the same question in two or three years.

So if this was a good business decision, then was it a mistake to create Paizo in the first place? Ultimately the creation of a competitor is a bad business move, especially if that competitor gets off to a head start through your own endorsement. Regardless, I like where Paizo is going as a company and I'd call it one of Hasbro's best blunders.

 

[pogminky]

Computer mediated interpersonal interaction replacing real-world interaction, that's what.

This. I want to hear real voices, see real body language, feel real bodies and possibly even smell real people.

 

[Scribble]

So if this was a good business decision, then was it a mistake to create Paizo in the first place? Ultimately the creation of a competitor is a bad business move, especially if that competitor gets off to a head start through your own endorsement. Regardless, I like where Paizo is going as a company and I'd call it one of Hasbro's best blunders.

Yeah, I definitely think WoTC feels Paizo was a mistake. I don't think they knew the effect of giving someone a foot in the market (the mags) plus giving them a thing like the OGL.

I'm happy about the mistake... Paizo put out some awesome products. Not sure yet what I feel about pathfinder though.

 

[xechnao]

Computer mediated interpersonal interaction replacing real-world interaction, that's what.

There will be other games made better for this. D&D will not be one of them. That's not a problem. I am not married to D&D or something

 

[Scribble]

Computer mediated interpersonal interaction replacing real-world interaction, that's what.

That's happening everywhere... Computers give us an ability to more easily comunicate and "get together" but in a way that actually isolates us. Funny that huh?