WotC Hasbro gains big time from D&D, Magic, Monopoly, and Baldur's Gate 3

[Parmandur]

Was it? I think it was driven by "Baldur's Gate" hype -- that is, being a long awaited sequel to a beloved game.

So once it came to streaming, it set the world on fire?

It did actually post huge numbers in Video on Demand and Streaming (two different thigns) in addition to home video.

 

[Scribe]

Let me put it another way: if D&D and the Forgotten Realm were the main drivers, Honor Among Thieves would have done significantly better than it did.

Maybe HaT was too soft/safe?

 

[Reynard]

Maybe HaT was too soft/safe?

I can't say why it didn't do well. I thought it was great, certainly as good as any middling MCU movie.

 

[Parmandur]

I can't say why it didn't do well. I thought it was great, certainly as good as any middling MCU movie.

Iffy advertising, people are still leary of theaters in March/April.

 

[OB1]

Rather than a direct sequel or dlc, I could see them possibly converting something like Rime of the Frostmaiden, Curse of Strahd, or perhaps even something set in Exandria with Crit Role involved. They've got the engine pretty well tuned to take on all kids of D&D content at this point.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

We know Newerwinter Nights and Baldur's Gate have been sold very good, but we can't say the same about other D&D videogames. Today multiplayer online videogames are a too risky bet. I advice off-line videogames. Today a collab with a videogame by other company is a faster and safer option.

Hasbro is more focused into D&D as multimedia franchise. The TTRPG is only one of the income sources.

A comic publisher could be one of the future acquisitions.

With the right writters Ravenloft could be sold as gothic horror or supernatural romance novels.

Larian, and other studios, wanted the licence because this would help very much to earn prestige if the product was sucessful. I guess other studios coud get a D&D licence, but not in FR but in other setting.

* Hasbro should make children started to be interested into D&D monsters, but as a cheap hobby. Parents don't want to spend too much.

* A DLC could work as a spiritual sequel of Planescape.

Maybe a videogame studio could get the licence of Dark Sun, but Hasbro would clean the hands about any possible controversy.

 

[Burnside]

Maybe HaT was too soft/safe?

I think there is something to this personally.

The two D&D-adjacent properties that have had massive mainstream breakthrough success in the 5E era are Critical Role and Baldur's Gate 3. Neither tried to play it safe or please everyone - they went hard for a teens and up audience that is comfortable with a high PG-13/light R-rated level of profanity, sex, and violence.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I wouldn't sell to Microsoft, either.

Money is money is you are on the Market. it is not as if any of the big publishers have a good reputation. Is MS better or worse than EA?

 

[Reynard]

I can't imagine a world I which Larian getting purchased would result in better games.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I can't imagine a world I which Larian getting purchased would result in better games.

Not sure that, that claim was being made, just that there would be more D&D games if Hasbro bought out Larian. For myself Hasbro would do better to licence Larian's tech for their own studios.
My reasoning being, that anyone buying out Larian might have an issue hanging on to the talent.