D&D General Hasbro enters gambling deal using Dungeons & Dragons intellectual property

[Michael Linke]

Games Global unveils exciting partnership with Hasbro

Games Global has partnered with leading toy and game company Hasbro and its Wizards of the Coast division. The first release from the collaboration, schedule

globalgamblingnews.com

I am pretty sure this is aimed at exploiting teens (the fresh and exciting new demographic.) Teens and gambling mix like nitro and glycerin (lots of damages.)

Surely there's no chance it would appeal to boomers who remembered D&D fondly back in the 1970s.

 

[Belen]

Sure, today. At the time I was stunned at the whiners who somehow didnt realize how good it was, when the alternative was a single orc for $3-4 from reaper or GW.

I have a couple 27 gallon totes filled with prepaints from those halcyon days that have met my gaming needs for 20 years now!

I was a WOTC community rep so I got cases for free as long as I demo'd at game stores to earn points.

I use these storage racks for mine: Really Useful Boxes

If you get the scrapbook drawers hobby tray, then they are near perfect. They are also very useful for lego piece storage.

 

[CleverNickName]

There weren't a whole lot of details in that announcement. From what I can tell, they are going to slap the name "Dungeons & Dragons" on a slot machine. I've seen slot machines in the Las Vegas Airport with all kinds of brand names and logos on them (I remember seeing a Monopoly-themed one, and a 'Superbowl' one, maybe a Terminator themed one too?), so I get the feeling that companies will slap all kinds of names and logos onto slot machines if it'll get people to feed it coins.

But people would still have to go to casinos to play them. It's not like they're going to be allowed to install this new slot machine in a public school or shopping mall just because it's got a D&D logo on it. (shrug) Doesn't seem like much of a story to me.

 

[tomBitonti]

This doesn’t seem to be about slot machines. Can we set that aside?

This seems to be about using D&D as a theme for online gambling.

I see this as hugely problematic. This creates an association of D&D with gambling. This entices a young population into gambling.

The association itself could lead to bans in schools and community centers, and could put age limits on gaming stores.

(On the other hand, collectible card games are a step up from gambling. Maybe this is water under the bridge.)

TomB

 

[SteveC]

This seems to be an example of how different products will always find some people who get upset about it. I am in places with slot machines once in a blue moon. If I was there and saw a D&D slot machine, would I play it? Sure, on a lark.

Am I really excited about this and going to go somewhere because they had the slots no? But as far as the pinball game goes, that's something else. But then I play pinball already, and I'm sure that would be fun.

D&D has been branded on every product imaginable. I have some old D&D notebooks, and had a D&D lunchbox as a kid. It's just branding, and life will move on.

 

[Zardnaar]

MtG is loot boxes really. Not surprised.

 

[Shardstone]

When Wotc gave away the D&D IP to the OGL people they gave away a lot of money. New management moved in and said...hey....how about we make some money with the IP we own? This is that.

Let me know where it says I can use D&D IP in my OGL and CC content.

 

[MGibster]

D&D has been branded on every product imaginable. I have some old D&D notebooks, and had a D&D lunchbox as a kid. It's just branding, and life will move on.

Strictly speaking, I don't think the problem is with D&D branding, it's with WotC's choice to affiliate the flagship TTRPG with an industry whose existence is predicated on exploiting other people. D&D notebooks and pencils? In the 1980s they even had D&D licensed crochet or cross stitching kits. I've got no beef with that kind of licensing for as the prophetess Enya told us way back in 1988, "Sell away, sell away, sell away." This is no different than WotC allowing the D&D brand to be used to sell tobacco. And since it doesn't have any concern about what their brand is used to sell, maybe we'll see that next.

Introducing Elminster's Choice from Philip Morris International. More Clerics smoke Elminster's choice than any other cigarette! Crafted by gnomes in the Undermountain Lair of Halaster Blackcloak deep beneath the mystical city of Waterdeep, the smooth, mild flavor of Elminster's Choice will leave you with less throat scratch. Come to where the flavor is at.

 

[SteveC]

This is no different than WotC allowing the D&D brand to be used to sell tobacco. And since it doesn't have any concern about what their brand is used to sell, maybe we'll see that next.

I guess the ship has sailed away a long time ago on that. I don't gamble, but I regularly get ads for betting apps or websites on those times when I can't use adblock. I don't have interest there, but I'm also an adult. And isn't D&D already associated with some kind of booze?

I think it's all in the vices you think are acceptable. For me, I'll let other people choose their pleasure, and WotC is free to go where they can make money. I don't think of them as a particularly ethical company, but that happened for me long before gambling. Seems to be a logical extension. This didn't make me want their product more, but it also didn't hurt anything. I think this is definitely a case of "to each their own."

 

[Umbran]

This doesn’t seem to be about slot machines. Can we set that aside?

It looks to be about online slot machines:

(from Neon Valley Studios homepage)
"...Evoking the buzz and glamour of the Vegas strip, the energy and raw beauty of the Mojave Desert, and the bright lights and sounds of Fremont Street, we are determined to take our inspiration and passion from the gaming capital of the world to develop highly entertaining, story-driven online slots. "