WotC Hasbro Bets Big on D&D

During today's 'Hasbro Fireside Chat', Hasbro's Chris Cocks, chief executive officer, and Cynthia Williams, president of Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming mentioned D&D, and about betting big on its name. This was in addition to the Magic: The Gathering discussion they held on the same call.

The following are rough notes on what they said.

D&D Beyond

• Leaning heavily on D&D Beyond
• 13 million registered users
• Give them more ways to express their fandom
• Hired 350 people last year
• Low attrition

What’s next for D&D

• Never been more popular
• Brand under-monetized
• Excited about D&D Beyond possibilities
• Empower accessibility and development of the user base.
• Data driven insight
• Window into how players are playing
• Companion app on their phone
• Start future monetization starting with D&D Beyond
• DMs are 20% of the audience but lions share of purchases
• Digital game recurrent spending for post sale revenue.
• Speed of digital can expand, yearly book model to include current digital style models.
• Reach highly engaged multigenerational fans.
• Dungeons and Dragons has recognition, 10 out of 10
• Cultural phenomenon right now.
• DND strategy is a broad four quadrant strategy
• Like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings or Marvel
• New books and accessories, licensed game stuff, and D&D Beyond
• Huge hopes for D&D

What is success for the D&D Movie

• First big light up oppourtunity for 4th quadrant
• Significant marketing
• They think it’ll have significant box office
• It has second most viewed trailer at Paramount, only eclipsed by Transformers
• Will be licensed video games, some on movies
• Then follow up other media, TV, other movies, etc.
• Bullish on D&D.

 

[Zardnaar]

I have been playing some games with loot boxes and currently play a game that in 2 days gets rid of them.

1. I'd rather have loot boxes and battle passes, and pay a few bucks for a game instead of watching ads, as long as there are fair offers.

2. I hate the mentality of thinking, that everything needs to be free. I think you should spend a few bucks on games you like to appreciate the efford of the creators to present a good game. If the free to play mentality was not that present, loot boxes and microtransactions would be unnecessary.

3. I am still baffled, that there are offers in the game which are clearly so heavily overpriced, that elementary school math would be enough to avoid them. Easily. Without efford.

4. I think pay to progress is not that bad. Some people have more money than time and some have more time than money. And some people just come a bit late to the party and can speed progression up a bit. The question is, if we need progression at all? Obviously most of us love a game where progression is everything, so it seems to sell better than a game without progression.
Again: as long as you don't need too much money (5 to 25 dollars) to have fun in a game, I call it fair game.

I would rather pay a subscription. Any game with loot based mechanics or pay to win I just don't play.

I don't expect to play for free but prefer a one off cost or flat rate. I have Xbox gold or whatever it's called but that's 200 odd games and all of the Microsoft games.

That's fantastic value $100 a year or whatever.

Also bought Assassin's Creed Origins and the Greek one ultimate editions. Did spend a bit extra for some items but I can't complain about the games feeling incomplete.

I'm not panicking myself but it's more if a "hmmnn here we go?".

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I would rather pay a subscription. Any game with loot based mechanics or pay to win I just don't play.

I don't expect to play for free but prefer a one off cost or flat rate. I have Xbox gold or whatever it's called but that's 200 odd games and all of the Microsoft games.

That's fantastic value $100 a year or whatever.

Also bought Assassin's Creed Origins and the Greek one ultimate editions. Did spend a bit extra for some items but I can't complain about the games feeling incomplete.

I'm not panicking myself but it's more if a "hmmnn here we go?".

The question is, what you define as pay to win. All cosmetics? Fine. (Dota2)
A game where you don't conpete with other players or only compete with players who have spend the same amount of money? Also fine. (Diablo Immortal)
Adding heroes in a game, where the base heroes are nearly 100% balanced with the other heroes and all heroes can be unlocked without money? Also fine. (Brawlstars)

 

[Scribe]

I simply don't see corporate greed run amok at WOTC, at least not on the D&D side of the house. It sounds like they made some stupid decisions for MtG. At the same time there's no indication of unfair business practices or malicious business behaviors of any kind. Wanting to make a profit does not necessarily lead to the dark side. They aren't a nonprofit, but neither are they charging exorbitant prices for must have items.

Those 'stupid decisions' are done at the behest of Hasbro. The owner of Wizards.

Disregard my opinion, its all good, but I look at Magic, then Wizards, then Hasbros, and yes, I see rampant corporate greed.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Those 'stupid decisions' are done at the behest of Hasbro. The owner of Wizards.

Disregard my opinion, its all good, but I look at Magic, then Wizards, then Hasbros, and yes, I see rampant corporate greed.

Would you have liked to see DnD die in 1999?
Aren't you happy that the money we spent on MTG cards has helped our hobby to survive?
Have you missed, that in 2008, D&D was on life support and nearly died again. Just saved by a few invested designers?

 

[Oofta]

Those 'stupid decisions' are done at the behest of Hasbro. The owner of Wizards.

Disregard my opinion, its all good, but I look at Magic, then Wizards, then Hasbros, and yes, I see rampant corporate greed.

MtG is a totally different business model, it's comparing apples to oranges. Seems to me it's likely they were just running out of new product ideas for MtG and goofed badly. It happens, a product is popular (and profitable) for a long time and then there's just not much more room to grow. Mistakes get made. Maybe that will happen to the D&D side of the house someday, I just don't see it in the immediate future.

I also don't see how it has anything to do with the D&D side of the house, it's different management. D&D's growth opportunities are completely different from MtG as they explained in the video. They hope to branch out into merchandise and entertainment industries, I don't expect huge changes to the core products.

But go ahead and assume the worst.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Feels like they are hanging their hats on the D&D movie.

But I'm sorry to say - it looks ok for a genre movie. But not super great.
Not sure if it's going to do Marvel movie box office. I guess we'll see in March.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Feels like they are hanging their hats on the D&D movie.

But I'm sorry to say - it looks ok for a genre movie. But not super great.
Not sure if it's going to do Marvel movie box office. I guess we'll see in March.

I guess we'll see. I have shown the trailer to non D&D people (even non RPGlers) and the response was overwhelmingly positive.

 

[Scribe]

Would you have liked to see DnD die in 1999?
Aren't you happy that the money we spent on MTG cards has helped our hobby to survive?
Have you missed, that in 2008, D&D was on life support and nearly died again. Just saved by a few invested designers?

As I said. Nobody is saying "Wizards cannot turn a profit."

If you want to convince me that their actions are necessary to turn a profit, well...I HIGHLY doubt you have the receipts for that.

 

[Blue]

ENworlds a bubble and not even remotely representative of the rest of the D&D players.

If you're posting here by default you're more or less a hard core player.

Sure. I was just responding to a piece of the poster was trying to use as evidence. Still had to address the poster's point.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

As I said. Nobody is saying "Wizards cannot turn a profit."

If you want to convince me that their actions are necessary to turn a profit, well...I HIGHLY doubt you have the receipts for that.

And I did not claim that.
I said, that I like what they spend our money on.