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.

 

[Redwizard007]

Maybe D&D needs some more family-friendly adventurers. D:

Like this charming young lady? I believe there is a factory in China making life size dolls already. Not sure exactly what they are for though...

 

[darjr]

I've been thinking about this, and it has a serious problem in that while the game is super well known, the characters aren't. At all. Some of the monsters have crept into popular consciousness, but there's no one with anything approaching the name recognition of even a pre-MCU Captain America, let alone Spiderman. This, of course, being a function of a game where the main characters are invented by the players in each campaign.

The most well known D&D characters today are probably Vecna, because Stranger Things and the members of Vox Machina, because of that show. And neither product is explicitly D&D (talking about the Vox Machina TV show, not the actual play series).

I think Minsc has name recognition due to the latest comic run. But probably not anywhere like Vecna. Some of those comic book characters though were from much longer ago when entertainment of the type was pretty slim.

I mean 1940 for Cap and 1962 for Spiderman.

 

[Incenjucar]

D&D could really use some new iconics who have appeal closer to something like Overwatch. Maybe also a Teen Titans/Last Airbender-esque group of younger adventurers, too.

 

[BadEye]

I didn't watch or hear the fireside chat, but I will certainly say this thread has been an interesting read.

I almost want to apologize to D&D fans out there since several of the words, concepts, and themes we are seeing emerge in recent months were markers of a vision I pushed pretty hard to see happen several years ago. The key thing for me is the ends can work as long as the means also work, and the "soul" of something we create matters.

D&D Beyond

• Low attrition

I also haven't seen anyone mention this note, and I understand that the word "low" is pretty subjective, but it is public knowledge that I can count on a few fingers how many DDB employees still remain on staff from the year prior to the acquisition compared to the many hands that would be needed to count the number of people who have left or been laid off. I know this because I am still in contact with many of those individuals and I have even hired several of them.

That 350 number seems absurd to me, but if it is actually the case, then it would have to be a pretty different team at the helm. (To be clear, I'm not necessarily providing any commentary on whether that is a bad thing or not, since the only thing I can actually speak to is the "soul" that we poured into the conception of that digital toolset originally.)

As a true fan of this game that has really changed my life, I hope that the soul is evident in whatever happens in the days ahead. The D&D team has a number of very talented and wonderful people, and I hope what they do shines through any of the business / monetization lenses that are put in place.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I've been thinking about this, and it has a serious problem in that while the game is super well known, the characters aren't. At all. Some of the monsters have crept into popular consciousness, but there's no one with anything approaching the name recognition of even a pre-MCU Captain America, let alone Spiderman. This, of course, being a function of a game where the main characters are invented by the players in each campaign.

The most well known D&D characters today are probably Vecna, because Stranger Things and the members of Vox Machina, because of that show. And neither product is explicitly D&D (talking about the Vox Machina TV show, not the actual play series).

I've had a lot of trouble explaining this to multiple people over the years. DnD isn't a singular setting with a singular group of characters, it's lots of different settings with some characters common to them all and others that never mingle.

Some poor kid is going to see the DnD movie, get super excited by it, join a DnD game, and be sad that the adventure (or the world it's set in) doesn't have Chris Pine the Bard in it.

Everything LOTR is set in the world of LOTR. Same with the Witcher, Marvel, DC, and Harry Potter.

The closest DnD has to "The World of DnD" is Forgotten Realms and yet the game goes out of its way to NOT make FR the default.

It's very confusing to an outsider.

 

[darjr]

I didn't watch or hear the fireside chat, but I will certainly say this thread has been an interesting read.

I almost want to apologize to D&D fans out there since several of the words, concepts, and themes we are seeing emerge in recent months were markers of a vision I pushed pretty hard to see happen several years ago. The key thing for me is the ends can work as long as the means also work, and the "soul" of something we create matters.

I also haven't seen anyone mention this note, and I understand that the word "low" is pretty subjective, but it is public knowledge that I can count on a few fingers how many DDB employees still remain on staff from the year prior to the acquisition compared to the many hands that would be needed to count the number of people who have left or been laid off. I know this because I am still in contact with many of those individuals and I have even hired several of them.

That 350 number seems absurd to me, but if it is actually the case, then it would have to be a pretty different team at the helm. (To be clear, I'm not necessarily providing any commentary on whether that is a bad thing or not, since the only thing I can actually speak to is the "soul" that we poured into the conception of that digital toolset originally.)

As a true fan of this game that has really changed my life, I hope that the soul is evident in whatever happens in the days ahead. The D&D team has a number of very talented and wonderful people, and I hope what they do shines through any of the business / monetization lenses that are put in place.

Thank you for stopping by.

And thanks for the input.

One thing for sure I would have loved is the third party support that Demiplane now has and is growing.

I also don't think you need to apologize. Digital tools and software are part of our future and there are definitely bad ways to move forward but also workable and even useful and desirable ones.

 

[Scribe]

D&D could really use some new iconics who have appeal closer to something like Overwatch. Maybe also a Teen Titans/Last Airbender-esque group of younger adventurers, too.

Wizards screwed up in not continuing their novel lines.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

My suggestion is D&D-Beyond should allow some space for fan-fiction and fan-art. The webcomics has got a potential to promote the brand.

The VTT should allow some tool to produce machinimas by the own players.

Machinima - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Hasbro's strategy has bet for licencing and collabs. We shouldn't be surprised with potential crossovers.

One of the future steps is to find the right power balance for no-fantasy setting (sci-fi or superheroes, for example).

D&D is relatively child-friendly, at least when the right adults are the DMs, but it is not too childish. This means D&D products can be bought by collectors, or as gifts for children. Some little children are interested into "games for older boys".

* Hasbro should watch if the future Fortnite Creative Mode 2.0. is going to allow some dungeon-crawler option. Maybe the Fortnite Creative Mode 2.0. could become the most used VTT.

* My opinion is Forgotten Realms is the most popular setting thanks the videogames Baldur's Gate and Newerwinters, but lots of D&D have been forgotten. And today the videogame industry demands too much for an AAA or a online multiplayer.

* Collabs in D&D-Beyond? For example a D&D version of the cartoon "Pirates of the dark Waters".

* Ravenloft could be adapted into action-live movies, maybe set in domains with XX-XXI century technology, and known lore shouldn't be necessary for the potential audience.

* Birthright setting is right for a strategy videogame style Warhammer: Total War. Dark Sun is perfect for a survival vieogame style "Conan Exiles".

* We don't know if Hasbro is too commited by the parnertship with Paramount to allow D&D produced by other companies.

* My suspects are 2023 is going to be a year with a lot of troubles and changes within Hollywood and the entertaiment industry. This means Hasbro could have to rethink plans about partnership.

* Maybe now it is the best time for a Warcraft TTRPG but this time being published by WotCs. Blizzard Activions is not in the in the right conditions to demand too much.

* It is not difficult to imagine Hasbro dreaming with WotC publishing Star Wars RPG again, even when now the licence is owned by other. Now Star Wars is not a brand with a good health, and maybe a new Star Wars d20 would
be the necessary step. Fandom should be allowed to create their own vision of SW.

When the licence with Mophidious ended, Hasbro could be very interested into WotC publishing Star Trek d20, but here the totally compability couldn't be total. Other thing is a Spelljammer mash-up version of Star Trek (and if there are some doubts, you can blame Q and his tests or jokes).

* I advice the videogames with microtransitions should allow to can play off-line games.

My theory is the future of online videogames is a "plataform" with different titles, and "compatible bought cosmetic elements". For example if you buy the pack "Dark Sun" for Fornite, also you will can use those skins or furnitures for you housing, in another videogame. Then you haven't to worry about spending DLCs because if sometime the server of certain game are closed, then you will enjoy the option to use them in off-line games or in another title.

 

[Smackpixi]

The future is gonna be good. Don’t Panic. All they said is way more D&D than you’re used to. Try to enjoy. Be not afraid, they like their fans.

 

[Incenjucar]

Wizards screwed up in not continuing their novel lines.

I wasn't aware they had done so. Might be a good idea for them to do one-off licenses then. Let authors throw spaghetti at the wall for them until something sticks, while making sure they're seperated from any of the setting material so they can't break any lore.