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.

 

[Big Jay]

I think Hasbro is referring to this four quadrant model.

https://www.somametrics.com/four-quadrants/

 

[Umbran]

Yeah, I'll happily bet against that not happening. Would agree for you and I to both put money into escrow on this bet.

Mod Note:
No. Don't go there.
You are attempting to "win" a discussion on the internet. That's not a great way to have good discussion on the internet. So, please stop. Accept that you two disagree, and move on, without trying to force the issue, please and thanks.

 

[Umbran]

I think Hasbro is referring to this four quadrant model.

https://www.somametrics.com/four-quadrants/

I'm pretty sure not. The four quadrants for this purpose are TTRPG, TV/Movie, Videogame, and Merch, as noted by others upthread, IIRC.

Despite the angst here, I think the "undermonetized" comment really applies to how little is being done with media, computer games, and merch.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I'm pretty sure not. The four quadrants for this purpose are TTRPG, TV/Movie, Videogame, and Merch, as noted by others upthread, IIRC.

Despite the angst here, I think the "undermonetized" comment really applies to how little is being done with media, computer games, and merch.

I think that the 4 quadrant model mentioned by @Jason Criscuolo can be mapped to the categories above.

 

[Umbran]

I think that the 4 quadrant model mentioned by @Jason Criscuolo can be mapped to the categories above.

With a sufficiently large hammer, maybe.

But, like, you can do new customer acquisition in the TTRPG, in Videogames, in Media. or in Merch.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

With a sufficiently large hammer, maybe.

It is corporate speak, buzzword bingo is important.

But, like, you can do new customer acquisition in the TTRPG, in Videogames, in Media. or in Merch.

yes, technically

Though, I believe that as publisher/producer the last 3 are new markets.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The VTTs could be a buble. One-D&D should allow other type of modes, for example the classic fantasy wargame, or a skirmish PvP. Other idea is the mode "computer-DM" where the players are the heroes in a quest created previously by other, and the DM is the computer AI.

The marketing strategy has to be realistic. If you want the brand to be known and popular, then don't kill the goose of golden eggs. Don't ask too much. The players also have to pay bills and taxes.

* If they are going to launch to the market LEGO D&D... why not D&D Playmobil also?

Series Franchise - TV Tropes

A collection of distinct series which are often considered as a collective unit under a blanket title. They often, but not always, share a common continuity; even when they do not, they are more closely bound than Spinoffs. While characters may …

tvtropes.org

Media franchise - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[tetrasodium]

The VTTs could be a buble. One-D&D should allow other type of modes, for example the classic fantasy wargame, or a skirmish PvP. Other idea is the mode "computer-DM" where the players are the heroes in a quest created previously by other, and the DM is the computer AI.

The marketing strategy has to be realistic. If you want the brand to be known and popular, then don't kill the goose of golden eggs. Don't ask too much. The players also have to pay bills and taxes.

* If they are going to launch to the market LEGO D&D... why not D&D Playmobil also?

Series Franchise - TV Tropes

A collection of distinct series which are often considered as a collective unit under a blanket title. They often, but not always, share a common continuity; even when they do not, they are more closely bound than Spinoffs. While characters may …

tvtropes.org

Media franchise - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Online VTT play across the internet might wane, but I doubt it will ever fade without the development of something like those startrek teleporter commuter station doorways that sometimes show up. In person VTTs

Spoiler: like this

Checking that map, that room is 20x50. Touchpoints show me where PC minis are so I can move the FoW clearing token under them but we've mostly switched over to just using the digital tokens & just using touch to indicate locations like "I move here" since then.

If all of those printed terrain battlemats & physical terrain bits have managed to stay around for so many years then physical in person "hybrid" VTT use should too. The biggest hurdle for it is the current lack of off the shelf tabletop tv+touch overlay sensor. Making a tvbox like that one is not hard if you have some tools* like a saw & drill along with bit of knowhow or willingness to cross your fingers but it can be a high bar for some.


*I even used shelving brackets as corner pieces for ease & stability!

 

[Zardnaar]

American here, and the public charter school my kids go to basically have uniforms (because it is public, they can't make you buy from any specific company, but have very specific dress code rules that have the same result, just choice of vendor). I'm a bit sceptical that it does much to eliminate jealousy, bullying, or feelings of inadequacy. Kids are going to know who comes from wealthier families. It isn't like the school can dictate where families vacation, what cars the parents drive, what families spend on birthdays, etc. Mostly, it makes enforcing any kind of dress code much easier for the school. (Most) parents like it because it makes clothing your kids much easier (and cheaper--you don't have to be poor to appreciate not spending a lot of money on children's clothing).

But I find this weird to use as an analogy for TTRPGs. Perhaps a specific group of friends might institute a rule so nobody has to feel pressured to spend a lot just to join the game. But arguing for banning certain types of luxury gaming supplies in the name of egalitarianism is misguided. Real world societies that have pushed that have attempted to enforce that level of egalitarianism would like have banned the entire hobby as a privileged luxury.

Just pointing out that these luxury items do have an impact on others.

The school system here was a larger cultural thing and generally Americans are more obsessed with money. Bit different here.

That's had fliw on effects on society for example. These items also raise expectations as there's videos on YouTube so it has flow on effects.

Personally I don't care to much if you buy all that stuff but I don't think the impact is 0 on others.

 

[Belen]

Always assuming the worst is getting old.

Not really. This is what a lot of folks feared when they took over DDB. They will micro transaction it as much as possible.

They have also, effectively, cut out Amazon and other discounters as well as the FLGS as you can now buy the books at full price with an extra fee to get the digital version. It just makes sense to buy the books direct.