WotC Hasbro CEO optimistic about AI in D&D and MTG’s future

[Oofta]

that is not what I was proposing…

What are you proposing? I don't think anyone has a real handle on what to do with AI. In part that's because there's a lot of hype around them. AIs are not really intelligent in the way we think of intelligence and they may well be very limited in scope. The art they create now is either fascinating or terrifying depending on how you look at it, but most of it is crap. LLMs can do school level essays because we've been writing those essays forever.

Some of the brightest minds are having in depth discussions of all this, we certainly aren't going to resolve it here. But WOTC saying they're looking into it is not a surprise and I don't think it's automatically a cause for concern.

 

[Alzrius]

the retailer and the youtuber who got the pack knew each other, I doubt that was an innocent mistake

I'm given to understand that they knew each other because the retailer was the purchaser's FLGS. There's no indication that I'm aware of that the retailer was deliberately trying to undermine the street date, and even if they did, that's between them - the retailer - and WotC. Sending hired goons to the purchaser's house to try and get the cards back via threats and intimidation was completely inappropriate.

the problem wasn’t him having the cards but him posting youtube videos about them when they were not officially available yet. No idea what he could be charged with, if anything, but I am sure WotC can come up with something ‘creative’, just like they did with the OGL

I'm extremely confident he can't be "charged with" anything at all, in terms of criminal penalties. WotC should have known that they had no legitimate recourse for recovering those cards, and doing so anyway made them look incredibly bad, deservedly so.

 

[mamba]

1. Can you prove that (no). Innocent until proven guilty I'd the standard here.

can I prove that they worked together, no, maybe WotC could have if they had enough incentive to and drag the guy to court

Since it got settled we won’t know. As far as I am concerned he was uncooperative and that is why someone was sent over. The whole thing could have been avoided by him, so I am not all that sympathetic to his ‘plight’

2. Even if true not illegal the shop could be sanctioned by distributor.

they certainly could

 

[Zardnaar]

I'm given to understand that they knew each other because the retailer was the purchaser's FLGS. There's no indication that I'm aware of that the retailer was deliberately trying to undermine the street date, and even if they did, that's between them - the retailer - and WotC. Sending hired goons to the purchaser's house to try and get the cards back via threats and intimidation was completely inappropriate.

I'm extremely confident he can't be "charged with" anything at all, in terms of criminal penalties. WotC should have known that they had no legitimate recourse for recovering those cards, and doing so anyway made them look incredibly bad, deservedly so.

No the first time cards have leaked.
He'll in 2001 an entire set was spoiled online.

 

[Zardnaar]

can I prove that they worked together, no, maybe WotC could have if they had enough incentive to and drag the guy to court

Since it got settled we won’t know. As far as I am concerned he was uncooperative and that is why someone was sent over. The whole thing could have been avoided by him, so I am not all that sympathetic to his ‘plight’


they certainly could

Once again the guy owning the cards WotC has no rights here. He didn't do anything wrong or illegal.

At the worst someone in the shop deliberately broke release date. Even if that was true big whoop.

That's an absolute worst case scenario presuming actual guilt vs a mistake. Either way its not on the person receiving the goods.

Pinkerton still an awful look but they should have been sent to the shop in that scenario.

He doesn't have to co operate with wotc he can do whatever he likes with the cards including his youtube channel.

 

[Oofta]

No, they cannot be trusted period, because they are a corporate entity which has demonstrated that they will do whatever they can get away with to make a buck.

But there's not trusting and always assuming the worst. I don't trust corporations, heck I don't trust most businesses of any size.

But I also don't assume they're always out to screw everyone over.

 

[Jer]

the problem wasn’t him having the cards but him posting youtube videos about them when they were not officially available yet. No idea what he could be charged with, if anything, but I am sure WotC can come up with something ‘creative’, just like they did with the OGL

That doesn't matter. He didn't have a contract with WotC, didn't break any agreements, got sent a package of stuff in the mail with his name on it. At that point the cards were his and he could do what he wanted with them.

If they thought the shop and him were colluding on something, the place to send investigators was to the shop that sold him the cards. And even then breaking street date isn't illegal - being in breach of contract means that whatever penalties that are in the agreement between the retailer and WotC come into play.

Sending the Pinkertons after the guy was because they wanted to intimidate him when they had no legal recourse because he was doing nothing illegal, just something they didn't like.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I think we're all just a little jealous that we don't have enough money to send thugs to threaten our enemies to create a chilling effect across an entire community.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

But there's not trusting and always assuming the worst. I don't trust corporations, heck I don't trust most businesses of any size.

But I also don't assume they're always out to screw everyone over.

I don't think that the assumption is that they're out to screw everyone over, necessarily. The concern is, based on their recent track record, that this report is very unlikely to result in all good. Some good? Maybe. But I think it's safe to say, in the quest to use AI to maximize profits, Hasbro is extremely likely to screw some people over.

It doesn't have to be all good or all bad for people to express their concern about the bad stuff. (And it's very natural to not preface your concerns by stating your hopes).

If it pleases you: Sure, I hope that this can result in WotC creating AI for something like, for example, a designated tool that allows you to describe your character and have it spit out a good portrait. (This already exists, really, so it wouldn't be hard to make an "official" one).

While the above is simple and likely to happen, I expect that Cocks will be looking for a way to enshittificate D&D to achieve maximum profits.

 

[mamba]

He doesn't have to co operate with wotc he can do whatever he likes with the cards including his youtube channel.

maybe he does not have to, but then he should not be surprised when WotC does not just go away