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.

 

[Oofta]

Will OneVTT effect you and your table? No.

Will the OneVTT ecosystem have an effect on the wider 'official' WotC D&D culture of play?

That is obvious.

The only thing left to debate is what kind of effect it will have. Granted, until we see the implementation it is mostly speculation.

But, the speculative concerns have very real foundations given how many people have seen microtransactions effect other gaming media.

To say it is 'all much ado about nothing' is putting your head-in-the-sand up to your waist.

Then explain how it could hurt the game. The only 2 options I see are
1) The player could buy some upgrade that affects the game directly. An extra set of spell slots, a magic item ... I'm not sure what.
2) The player could buy some cool cosmetic stuff for their PC.

For #1, does anyone really believe that? But let's say they buy Super Elf (because why not have yet another version of elf). How would WOTC stop DMs from simply saying "no"? Report me because I'm being a big meanie DM? I don't see that happening, but even if it did so what? DMs have all sorts of restrictions on games now, I don't see this as any different. If someone really wants to play their SE, sorry bud. Find another DM.

For #2, why would anyone care? Some people come to the table with fancy dice and a professionally painted mini. It's bling that doesn't affect the game in any appreciable way. If someone has an avatar that is clearly against the theme of the game, that's still something that can happen right now. The DM talks with the player and it gets fixed or the player finds a different game. If I'm pitching a Ravenloft campaign and you bring Sunshine Bunny attitude to the game, I'd probably wonder why you were in that particular game. It's no different than what we have today.

If someone buys something they can't use, that's too bad. Hopefully next game it will make sense.

The person making the final decision on what's allowed in an MMO is the company that owns the MMO. In D&D the person that makes the final decision is the DM. There's no comparison.

Explain to me like I'm a 4th grader if I'm missing something other than "MMOs suck when they do it". Something concrete that is not just handled by the DM and the group at a table by table basis.

 

[Jaeger]

The person making the final decision on what's allowed in an MMO is the company that owns the MMO. In D&D the person that makes the final decision is the DM. There's no comparison.

One VTT is not an MMO.

But WotC will be the one that makes the final decision on what's allowed in the OneVTT ecosystem.

why would anyone care?

Explain to me like I'm a 4th grader if I'm missing something other than "MMOs suck when they do it".

If the negative effects of microtransactions on the wider play culture in other gaming media that people have repeatedly brought up in this thread have not registered, then explaining it like you're a fourth grader will not convince you of anything.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Lathered with corporate-speak, but she's not hard to understand.

That could mean subscriptions. Any Micro Transactions will probably stay around the level D&D beyond currently has. Different dice, backgrounds and other cosmetics.

When the VTT is released, I imagine books you buy in Beyond will unlock stuff for it. Along with some generic tile sets and pre made dungeons being for sale.

 

[darjr]

One VTT is not an MMO.

But WotC will be the one that makes the final decision on what's allowed in the OneVTT ecosystem.





If the negative effects of microtransactions on the wider play culture in other gaming media that people have repeatedly brought up in this thread have not registered, then explaining it like you're a fourth grader will not convince you of anything.

If they were paying attention... is that what you meant?

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[Hussar]

Couple of thoughts.

If I’m nodding along to everything @Oofta is writing then I’ve somehow crossed over to some weird Twilight Zone world. . But here I am.

Twenty years of VTT’s and every one of them has micro transactions. Go to the Fantasy Grounds Forge if you want to see what WotC will be doing very soon.

And every VTT does it.

I would however like to thank a number of posters for giving me lots of laugh out loud moments in this thread. You guys are comedy gold.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

One VTT is not an MMO.

But WotC will be the one that makes the final decision on what's allowed in the OneVTT ecosystem.





If the negative effects of microtransactions on the wider play culture in other gaming media that people have repeatedly brought up in this thread have not registered, then explaining it like you're a fourth grader will not convince you of anything.

The thing is most of what I can imagine actually coming is no different than players and DMs buying minis and terrain for an in person game. Are you against that?

 

[Oofta]

One VTT is not an MMO.

But WotC will be the one that makes the final decision on what's allowed in the OneVTT ecosystem.





If the negative effects of microtransactions on the wider play culture in other gaming media that people have repeatedly brought up in this thread have not registered, then explaining it like you're a fourth grader will not convince you of anything.

The DM will still make the final decision of what happens in their game and what is allowed or not. The only "wider play culture" that really matters is the 5-7 people sitting at the table. Even if the table is virtual.

How is WOTC going to tell individual groups what they can and cannot do.

You have yet to explain why anything would be different than someone spending money on fancy dice or a cool mini they bring to the table.

 

[Jaeger]

If they were paying attention... is that what you meant?

I rate this a 4 out of10 on the attempted 'gotcha' scale.

Nice try at a smear by association with the link, but as my actual quote does not contain any of the pet phrases, you ultimately fell short at your attempt to put words in my mouth.

Do better.

If people continue to see the whole thing as one big nothingburger after several exchanges; I see no point in persisting to convince them otherwise.

We'll see how this all plays out in two years...

 

[darjr]

I rate this a 4 out of10 on the attempted 'gotcha' scale.

Nice try at a smear by association with the link, but as my actual quote does not contain any of the pet phrases, you ultimately fell short at your attempt to put words in my mouth.

Do better.

If people continue to see the whole thing as one big nothingburger after several exchanges; I see no point in persisting to convince them otherwise.

We'll see how this all plays out in two years...

I classify this as number 6. and maybe 22.

 

[darjr]

IF wotc goes this route and you want to walk away from DNDBeyond the foundry path looks promising.