WotC Hasbro Gaming Down 17% But D&D Remains 'Bright Spot'

ICv2 reports on Hasbro's latest quarterly report, noting that "Wizards of the Coast’s Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons were two bright spots in Hasbro’s Q3, an otherwise tough quarter with sales and earnings both hit by actual and threatened tariffs on goods from China".

Other notes from ICv2:

• Hasbro Gaming, which does not include franchise brands Monopoly and Magic: The Gathering, was down 17%
• Total gaming sales, including Magic and Monopoly, were roughly flat, a big change from the 26% growth in Q2
• WotC has close to a dozen [digital] games in development for delivery over the next five to six years
• Hasbro believes that WotC sales can be doubled over the next five years, “…as we’ve accomplished over the past five years.”

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

The future is in the digital market, the videogames and the streaming service platforms. Don't put all eggs in one basket.

Hasbro needs its own super-famous franchise. Dragonlance could be this but an adaptation in the big or little screen could cause some accidental retcon, at least in little details. We are used to reboot in the movies, but in the RPGs the things are different.

Other option could be to create a kid-friendly new D&D world where magic helps to avoid violence or with a "shonen" style like Exo-squad, to be also a children-teen cartoon and toys.

My suggestion is to recover Gamma World but adding as "easter eggs" some things of "Hasbroverse" as cybertronian aliens, doctor X, Cobra-la cult or post-apocalypse road-warrior version of M.A.S.K vehicles. And I also I advice to use the concept of chronomancers and time spheres to allowing uchronies or parallel universes with some changes in the background, for example Dragonlance without the 5th Age.

 

[Zardnaar]

Its funny people keep mentioning the movie. It won't be coming out anytime soon.

Still waiting on a good video game lol.

It's not D&D's fault more the way movies are made. Same with games.

Tldr version both cost to much unless it's low budget. Not to many companies will drop big money on IP they don't own these days.

 

[gyor]

Cryptic Studios

crypticstudios.com

The MtG MMO is action.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Since they're pinning a lot of hopes on these, I think we're very likely to see most of them. But it's entirely likely that half or more of these are mobile titles, and not Baldur's Gate IV or what have you.

I think that's the only way 10-11 games in dev actually making it to release is plausible. If even 2 of them are AAA games I'll be genuinely surprised.

 

[gyor]

I'm hoping one is Enhanced Neverwinter Night's 2 with it's expansion with N Android Port.

I think that's the only way 10-11 games in dev actually making it to release is plausible. If even 2 of them are AAA games I'll be genuinely surprised.

Well we know BG3 is coming and within 5 years you could get BG4, in fact I think it's very likely.

There was fierce competition for the BG3 rights, so I can see WotC seeing if there is interest in other sequels such as Pool of Radiance 3, Dragonlance Sequel, Planescape Torment: 2, like maybe as consolation prize they offer Obsidian PT:2 with 5e rules and Inexile PoR 3 as a consolation Prize. Or even access to an unexplored in CRPG form regions like the Old Empires Region, Kara Tur, Maztica, Turmish, Halruaa, Shining South, (only Al Qadim/Zakhara and Faerun continents have gotten video games).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Obsidian have shown an aversion to the D&D ruleset - even PST plays fast and loose with 2e rules.

Pool of Radiance and the Dragonlance games would need a modern remake before sequels. They may have been good in their time but they are unplayable now.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Well we know BG3 is coming and within 5 years you could get BG4, in fact I think it's very likely.

There was fierce competition for the BG3 rights, so I can see WotC seeing if there is interest in other sequels such as Pool of Radiance 3, Dragonlance Sequel, Planescape Torment: 2, like maybe as consolation prize they offer Obsidian PT:2 with 5e rules and Inexile PoR 3 as a consolation Prize. Or even access to an unexplored in CRPG form regions like the Old Empires Region, Kara Tur, Maztica, Turmish, Halruaa, Shining South, (only Al Qadim/Zakhara and Faerun continents have gotten video games).

I do expect BG4 though can it be one of these 11? It can't actually be in dev yet given Larian are still pretty early days on BG3.

I don't think other sequels will attract similar interest though. However D&D is ascendant as a brand right now, and I presume we will see some people wanting to cash in. What we have to hope is that BG3 and D&D Beyond mean that WotC has got smart about digital licensing, which they were not in the pre-5E and early 5E era. The worry is that maybe they just got lucky.

I suspect an Eberron game from someone like Obsidian might be a smart move.

 

[gyor]

I do expect BG4 though can it be one of these 11? It can't actually be in dev yet given Larian are still pretty early days on BG3.

I don't think other sequels will attract similar interest though. However D&D is ascendant as a brand right now, and I presume we will see some people wanting to cash in. What we have to hope is that BG3 and D&D Beyond mean that WotC has got smart about digital licensing, which they were not in the pre-5E and early 5E era. The worry is that maybe they just got lucky.

I suspect an Eberron game from someone like Obsidian might be a smart move.

Five year span starting in a 2020, with BG3 releasing in 2020 would leave like 4 years to develop BG4, more then enough time.

And yeah I can see someone doing a CRPG of Eberron. Maybe Darksun, Ravenloft, Dragonlance, and Planescape as well. Heck a D&D 5e version of an MtG setting like Ravnica isn't outside the possibilities for a CRPG.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Videogames can be a good way to "test" new ideas.

Maybe WotC needs a new TTRPG set in the modern age, where players can use firearms, bombs and RPGs (Rocket-Propelled-Grenade), but the PCs can be also ninjas, cyborgs, robots, vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts... fighting against creepy creatures, something like.... Fortnite: Saving the World d20!

We have to remember Power Rangers isn't the once brand from Saban but also other franchises or IP. These could be in the future "Hasbroverse" or at least like "easter eggs" or "guest artists" in other titles (for example a D&D version of "Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog" as April's fool to test the reaction by the public) . If the remake of "my little pony" was a total success (and the last season has ended), why not to try with others? Why not a crossover Transformers/VR troopers?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Five year span starting in a 2020, with BG3 releasing in 2020 would leave like 4 years to develop BG4, more then enough time.

And yeah I can see someone doing a CRPG of Eberron. Maybe Darksun, Ravenloft, Dragonlance, and Planescape as well. Heck a D&D 5e version of an MtG setting like Ravnica isn't outside the possibilities for a CRPG.

I agree that there is time but they said "in development" and that means either they are including entirely theoretical games on which absolutely no real work has been done as "in development" or not including BG4. If the former I think that we shouldn't expect more than 2-3 games of any kind, including mobile, out of this, because that's pretty pie in the sky.

I think there's pretty much zero possibility of WotC allowing a major AAA game to use a setting not currently possible to cross-market, but yeah I wouldn't be surprised by mobile games in Greyhawk or Dark Sun, perhaps even helping to test the waters for a 5E version. Revisiting the Blood War for a TCG or similar might also work. Also I suspect either Dark Sun, Planescape or Spelljammer will be back within the next two years so they may well have games planned to link in with that.