WotC Hasbro CEO Chris Cox, "I would say that the underlying thesis of our D&D business is all about digital,”

[darjr]

Hasbro really just needs to sit on the IP until the technology catches up and they can attach their IP to whatever AI-powered online RPG service looks the most promising. I think that's where a lot of the digital money is going to be for them. The physical space is an income stream, and will remain so, I think. But the franchise is going to become a lot more valuable if AI-powered RPG services take off. And I think they will.

Now where they can tank their company and up being forced to sell the franchise (or get gobbled up by someone else who wants it) is if they get impatient and/or incompetent in their attempt to create their own digital tabletop systems. Such projects can destroy much bigger companies as the capital expenditure they can soak up is massive.

I see the latter as the main risk - bad decision making and failed projects leading to panicked decisions, IP sell-offs and/or corporate take-overs, some of which may end up impacting the current player-base negatively. Ironically, I think digital success will be the biggest guarantor of continued and healthy physical presence.

In many ways for many people it has caught up. Larian studios just released it.

For my eldest he’s super excited for it and his friends are already collaborating on gaming together.

The table top game isn’t for him.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Hasbro really just needs to sit on the IP until the technology catches up and they can attach their IP to whatever AI-powered online RPG service looks the most promising. I think that's where a lot of the digital money is going to be for them. The physical space is an income stream, and will remain so, I think. But the franchise is going to become a lot more valuable if AI-powered RPG services take off. And I think they will.

Now where they can tank their company and up being forced to sell the franchise (or get gobbled up by someone else who wants it) is if they get impatient and/or incompetent in their attempt to create their own digital tabletop systems. Such projects can destroy much bigger companies as the capital expenditure they can soak up is massive.

I see the latter as the main risk - bad decision making and failed projects leading to panicked decisions, IP sell-offs and/or corporate take-overs, some of which may end up impacting the current player-base negatively. Ironically, I think digital success will be the biggest guarantor of continued and healthy physical presence.

I think they need to build up software management experience before that. Bad and or overly ambitious software can loose a ton of money. they have an experienced team at D&DBeyond and some experience from Magic. I think they are going the right way about it.

 

[darjr]

As far as books not used in play. It has to be the majority of books sold. I play a lot a lot, and I have a large collection of books myself that have never seen play.

But I guess that’s my point too. If it’s a bad thing that books don’t get play, maybe it isn’t as bad if they are also going to active players and/or being actively read?

I do wish folks get to play as much as they want too.

Edit to add: I also dint think getting books and not playing is a terrible thing either. Especially if folks are happy about it. I know at least o e person that does that.

 

[Golroc]

I think they need to build up software management experience before that. Bad and or overly ambitious software can loose a ton of money. they have an experienced team at D&DBeyond and some experience from Magic. I think they are going the right way about it.

I am skeptical they have the organization, culture and people to build an organization capable of running their own service. I think the best bet for them is to attach their license to a service developed and maintained by a different company. But I do think it makes sense for them to build up experience as you mention and their own services (in a cautious way). The point I was trying to make (similar to one of your points) is that the software space is a very risky one for them to start investing heavily and aggressively in. Perhaps a hybrid model could work where they have some digital competences in-house, but going fully digital on their own? I think the risk of wrecking the company are bigger than the chance of success if they bet everything on in-house digital RPG services.

 

[Incenjucar]

A book read is useful even if you never use the rules themselves, but you can reach a saturation point after which additional books are redundant unless there's something really novel in there. I have close to 140 D&D game books and boxed sets, plus many issues of Dragon, so there are diminishing returns on new books unless WotC actually gets creative.

 

[nevin]

I don't have figures available, but it's a truism in the RPG industry that most books sold never actually get used at the table.

I don't think you can understand WotC's strategy, sales figures, and public perception of their products without understanding this fact. They're not in the business of selling you something that's fun to play, they're in the business of selling the fantasy of something fun to play.

well one of those is repeatable without burning your customer base and one isn't ......

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I am skeptical they have the organization, culture and people to build an organization capable of running their own service. I think the best bet for them is to attach their license to a service developed and maintained by a different company. But I do think it makes sense for them to build up experience as you mention and their own services (in a cautious way). The point I was trying to make (similar to one of your points) is that the software space is a very risky one for them to start investing heavily and aggressively in. Perhaps a hybrid model could work where they have some digital competences in-house, but going fully digital on their own? I think the risk of wrecking the company are bigger than the chance of success if they bet everything on in-house digital RPG services.

They are gonna, that is pretty much a done deal. They have a CEO that should have relevant experience and she is reporting to another CEO with relevant experience.
The die is cast, fate will bring what it brings.

Edit:
It also occurs to me that out sourcing the issue is not always the answer. They can screw the pooch also. Plus in my opinion outsourcing leaves the risk that the management supervising the outsourcers never have the experience on what is being done and are very vulnerable to a lot of BS.

 

[Golroc]

They are gonna, that is pretty much a done deal. They have a CEO that should have relevant experience and she is reporting to another CEO with relevant experience.
The die is cast, fate will bring what it brings.

Edit:
It also occurs to me that out sourcing the issue is not always the answer. They can screw the pooch also. Plus in my opinion outsourcing leaves the risk that the management supervising the outsourcers never have the experience on what is being done and are very vulnerable to a lot of BS.

Oh, agree that outsourcing the work isn't ideal either. I would think the best solution is to simply not to go into that line of business - but to pick from among the winners of what is bound to be a very ruthless struggle to deliver this kind of service. And bringing along the D&D license will make it quite easy to negotiate extremely good terms, as that kind of license is what can mean the difference if several services are poised to come out ahead. I think that will be the end result either way. But perhaps it's not bad that they cut their teeth in the meantime. I just don't think they have the organization for it. A CEO isn't really involved in the organization of software development, but they can of course bring in senior management with the experience due to their connections and experience. My personal experience is that such organizational transformations are extremely difficult to pull off - and that creatives (who dominate WOTC at the moment) are not very good at ceding control to tech-oriented types. I hope it goes well for them if they go heavy on the in-house stuff, but truly hope they will stick mostly to licensing and reaping the safe money from that. BG3 shows the appeal of that kind of deal. Low risk and high payoff.

 

[Zardnaar]

A book read is useful even if you never use the rules themselves, but you can reach a saturation point after which additional books are redundant unless there's something really novel in there. I have close to 140 D&D game books and boxed sets, plus many issues of Dragon, so there are diminishing returns on new books unless WotC actually gets creative.

Thus us why I've stopped buying books except my number is up around 450 items actual books probably 200-250.

Alot barely used (single feat maybe) or completely unused.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I wonder about this. Who is the majority buying those books and not using them.

A large portion of the ENWorld community, for starters.