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.

 

[TheSword]

It doesn't, it discourages cancelling so you don't lose the "free" benefits you've accrued while you're a paying subscriber. Does it suck for the customer that cancels? Sure, but companies are looking for that steady reliable subscription income as they flat out said in the fireside chat.

If it’s a subscription model where you get everything when you subscribe then it doesn’t discourage staying with the system when you’re not actively using it, because you get everything or you get nothing. By accruing permanent content during your subscription you might stay while you’re on hiatus because it’s still worth it (as was the case with Syrinscape)

A subscription model that relies on gimmicks to keep a person doesn’t work for me.

 

[Zardnaar]

Prefer subscription over microtransactions.

I'll tolerate microtransactions in some games but the game has to be good all by itself eg GTAV.

Generally don't play online games due to addictive nature of them.

 

[Velderan]

If it’s a subscription model where you get everything when you subscribe then it doesn’t discourage staying with the system when you’re not actively using it, because you get everything or you get nothing. By accruing permanent content during your subscription you might stay while you’re on hiatus because it’s still worth it (as was the case with Syrinscape)

A subscription model that relies on gimmicks to keep a person doesn’t work for me.

It might not work for you, but they're literally already doing it with the current DDB subscription model and it's not hard to figure out why: you lose all the bells and whistles you've gained over a multi-year subscription that gets harder and hard to let lapse for even a month if you lose everything you've built up. If I let my DDB subscription expire, I lose the dice sets and whatever else they've given me. Personally I couldn't care less about that stuff, but if I was heavily invested in a 3D VTT would I want to figure out what items were sub bonuses and what items came with books I've bought? Nope, so I'd keep my subscription going to avoid the risk of losing something I actually care about, same as my PlayStation network sub that I haven't used the online service in ages but do occasionally play a random game that might have been a PS Plus freebie. Again, I'm not arguing it doesn't suck for the consumer. I'm arguing big companies do things like that to make it harder to want to cancel. They want that regular annual subscription money.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Prefer subscription over microtransactions.

I'll tolerate microtransactions in some games but the game has to be good all by itself eg GTAV.

Generally don't play online games due to addictive nature of them.

And don't drink coffee

I think, gaming needs the same discipline as everything. Set yourself a set amount of money you want to spend each month and don't go over it.
Compare it to your other expenses.

Don't just press buttons here and there.

Think about what you want to give the designers and spend it with thought.
Easier said than done, but possible.

 

[GDGD]

I thought this was interesting.

It's not news - I think they announced this a few months back. But I was reading this and thinking of the assorted suppositions that DDBVTT will be a closed system. The fact that WOTC, through DMs Guild, which is sort of OGL+ with increased access to product identity, is allowing a partnership with a 3rd-party VTT suggests to me that the concerns about them transitioning to an exclusive, proprietary platform aren't well founded. Granted, lots could change in the next year and a half or so, but to me this is indicative of the direction, and it's a good direction.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

In my opinion; The repeated referencing of the single "under monetized" quote is a red herring - distracting from what the real discussion should be about.

The real talking point is when she goes on to say the following* after referencing the buyout of D&DBeyond:

Miss Williams At 34:08 in: Hasbro, Inc. Webinar


Then put it in the context of the upcoming OneVTT, and the two recent hires that are in charge of all things digital and D&D: Winnager's replacement, Kyle Brink's whole working life is essentially digital gaming. Tim Fields, WotC's Senior Vice President and General Manager of Digital Gaming. Is of a similar background. With an emphasis on mobile games.

So taken as a whole, when Miss Williams says that taking D&D (The RPG itself) digital will help them to:

"...unlock the type of recurrent spending you see in digital games, where more than 70% of revenue in digital games comes post-sale."...

"...The speed of digital means that we are able to expand from what is essentially a yearly book publishing model, to a reoccurring spending environment, ..."

What exactly do people think that she is referring to?

*Credit where credit is due; Her corporate-speak game is absolutely on point.

Subscriptions.

 

[Hussar]

Is there any real doubt that this will be a subscription service? The only question I really have is what comes with the subscription. That it will be a subscription is pretty obvious.

I just wish people would stop with the whole "micro-transaction" stuff. This ISN'T a video game. VTT's are a service - same as you Zoom subscription or your Microsoft 365. There is no game here. None at all. This is a totally different animal. Yup, you'll have small priced items - individual tokens, maps, dice packs, that sort of thing. Exactly like you have right now. But the whole notion of "loot boxes" or MMO comparisons is just not applicable at all.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Is there any real doubt that this will be a subscription service? The only question I really have is what comes with the subscription. That it will be a subscription is pretty obvious.

Already posted my prediction earlier. Books you own in beyond being added to the tabletop, and some original tile sets and Pre made content for sale.

 

[Hussar]

Already posted my prediction earlier. Books you own in beyond being added to the tabletop, and some original tile sets and Pre made content for sale.

Yup, I would agree with that.

 

[Velderan]

Is there any real doubt that this will be a subscription service? The only question I really have is what comes with the subscription. That it will be a subscription is pretty obvious.

I just wish people would stop with the whole "micro-transaction" stuff. This ISN'T a video game. VTT's are a service - same as you Zoom subscription or your Microsoft 365. There is no game here. None at all. This is a totally different animal. Yup, you'll have small priced items - individual tokens, maps, dice packs, that sort of thing. Exactly like you have right now. But the whole notion of "loot boxes" or MMO comparisons is just not applicable at all.

Agree, I think the only question on the subscription is will it be a new, higher priced tier than the current DDB master tier or will they bundle the 3D VTT into the existing service?