WotC Ex D&D Beyond Staffers Criticize Relationship With WotC

Ex D&D Beyond Product Manager Andrew Searls and co-founder Adam Bradford have both publicly denounced a detetoriation in the platform's relationship with Wizards of the Coast.

Searles, who left DDB in December tweeted publicly, seemingly in support of the OGC community, following the recent Open Gaming License news, that "IMHO, D&D is successul because of the entire community not just because of those that legally own it."

The OGL -- Just What's Going On?

D&D fandom is in uproar again about purported upcoming changes to the Open Gaming License, and rumours are flooding social media regarding WotC's intentions to 'de-authorize' the existing Open Gaming License in favour of a new one. What's the OGL? The Open Gaming License is a share-a-like...

www.enworld.org

Speaking of his departure, he said "December 16th of 2022 was my last day at Wizards of the Coast and working on D&D Beyond. This was a change for the better. It is hard to describe the feeling of working your dream job and being crushed by it at the same time. But, it is bittersweet. I will miss the people I have worked with day-in and day-out. Despite what it may seem like at times there are really good people at Wizard of the Coast that are working on D&D and D&D Beyond that love the game and the community. For my next adventure, all I can say now is that I’m more excited than I’ve ever been and I’ve wanted to work with these folks for a LONG time. One thing I know for certain, for the rest of my career, I will use technology to make ALL tabletop roleplaying games easier to play. I love this industry and I love these games."

He later went on to comment on WotC itself -- "Quick story. When DDB was first acquired by WotC, I had a conversation with someone on the WotC side. They told me that DDB was only successful because of the D&D logo and not the work we had put into it for 5 years. It’s a culture of arrogance."

He also revealed that many of WotC's staff are against the current OGL situation. In reponse to a tweet which suggested that, Searles responded "I know must of them and I can tell you everything in this statement is true."

D&D Beyond co-founder Adam Bradford, who now works for the Demiplane online tools suite, responded "This was starkly evident well before the acquisition. In the early days of the partnership, things went about as well as you could imagine, and something truly special was created as a result of that. Some top level leadership changes later, and it all took an abrupt nosedive."

D&D 5E - Hasbro Acquires D&D Beyond For $146M

D&D owner WotC and D&D Beyond have announced that the online tools platform is being acquired by WotC. DDB’s (former) owner was Fandom, which acquired it in 2018, and which also acquired the Cortex Prime TTRPG system recently. Fandom is producing a range of licensed games using the Cortex Prime...

www.enworld.org

D&D Beyond was launched in 2017, and was acquired by WotC in 2022 for $146M. Bradford left DDB in February 2021, along with various other staff including lead writer James Haeck, Community Manager Lauren Urban, and Creative Manager and co-founder Todd Kenrick (who now works for WotC).

D&D General - Adam Bradford, Lauren Urban, Todd Kenrick Leave D&D Beyond

They join lead writer James Haeck, who left a couple of weeks ago. Adam Bradford is the D&D Beyond co-founder, and VP of Tabletop Gaming at its owner, Fandom. Lauren Urban is DDB's Community Manager. Todd Kenrick is the company's Creative Manager. D&D Beyond, launched in 2017, is currently...

www.enworld.org

 

[darjr]

Oh man. This made me laugh and cry at the exact same time

Oh wait until I tell you how management wanted to name all the database tables because of product identity.

 

[Lojaan]

Oh wait until I tell you how management wanted to name all the database tables because of product identity.

Oh god

 

[Bagpuss]

Both of those things needed to be true for it to be a success. Many things which are for D&D are not a success.

Anyone remember the 3rd Ed D&D Tools? Or their VTT that never appeared.

The other digital tools under their subscription serve were actually getting usable by the end but still missing features that were promised at the start, but then they switched system, and didn't support it anymore.

 

[Dungeonosophy]

the “culture of arrogance” resonates with me in regard to how—following a statement by Jeremy C. that there’s only one Canon—in an ENWorld thread years ago, i made a strong case for recognizing multiple “canons”, not only the 5e RPG Studio Canon. (e.g. the novel canon, various video game continuities, and the previous editions’ timelines did happen).

Chris Perkins then made a statement affirming that. which was cool. except there was also a kind of denigratatory tone like, “you fanboys don’t tell us about d&d canon or history. we know it.”

And at the same time, WotC released a “canon quiz” which could’ve been cool, but was just a dumb joke with like four questions. the gesture was like: “now run along and play, fanboys, and quit bothering us D&D bigshots.”

its the little things

 

[Nylanfs]

Anyone remember the 3rd Ed D&D Tools? Or their VTT that never appeared.

The other digital tools under their subscription serve were actually getting usable by the end but still missing features that were promised at the start, but then they switched system, and didn't support it anymore.

I know the people that took the program from the back of the PHB and made eTools from it. They have said that the original program was in NO WAY ready for public release.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I suspect the current capitalism we are suffering is too far to b the free market I was defending. All the big megacorporations are under the umbrella of the investment funds, like JPMorgan, Blackrock and Vanguard.

We need some rivalry in the economy, but we should worry when in the companies the predator culture replaces the true leadership. There is a difference between an agressive strategy and being a toxic boss.

And we are people, not machines. We can't work better if we are too burnt. We have got our limits, and this is not about lazyness vs willpower.

We need the right balance between faith in onself and self-criticism. Both are necessary but also too much both can hurt you.

* Of course, the best people don't want to be on the top, they would rather to enjoy the life with their family and watching their children to grow up.

 

[Umbran]

The shareholder only make money if the company grows.

Well, the shareholders make more money if the company grows. Often substantially more. I know that by comparison dividends are often chump change, but they do exist, in theory.

 

[Umbran]

As an MtG player I have a hard time picturing WotC doing anything well online.

They don't have a great history with software projects, that's for sure.

 

[reelo]

What's so great about growth?

I know that it's what capitalism is all about, but I would think (and I run my business this way) that sustainable reasonable profits should be a perfectly fine business goal.

The desire for growth is often what causes busts. It's often what causes mass layoffs. Essentially you've eventually got to screw someone over - either your customers, your employees, your industry, your society, and/or the entire world, to maintain continuous growth.

IMO it's a foolish goal.

"Perpetual growth" is the definition of cancer. It's unsustainable by definition.

 

[DEFCON 1]

the “culture of arrogance” resonates with me in regard to how—following a statement by Jeremy C. that there’s only one Canon—in an ENWorld thread years ago, i made a strong case for recognizing multiple “canons”, not only the 5e RPG Studio Canon. (e.g. the novel canon, various video game continuities, and the previous editions’ timelines did happen).

Chris Perkins then made a statement affirming that. which was cool. except there was also a kind of denigratatory tone like, “you fanboys don’t tell us about d&d canon or history. we know it.”

And at the same time, WotC released a “canon quiz” which could’ve been cool, but was just a dumb joke with like four questions. the gesture was like: “now run along and play, fanboys, and quit bothering us D&D bigshots.”

its the little things

But of course, let's also not forget the other side of the equation... which are the fans' occasional "culture of entitlement".

I've seen more than enough threads and posts here over the last 20 years to know that the things so-called fanboys and fangirls think they are owed shows us quite often that the customer ISN'T always right. So I personally will not denigrate all the people at Wizards of the Coast completely out of hand because I know full well that the "little guys" on the other side of the equation aren't always on the side of angels in these events either.

Both sides can be real jerks when they are only thinking of themselves and their own preferences and happiness. So it's very hard for me to feel for either of them 100% either way.