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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sanguinemetaldawn" data-source="post: 2575278" data-attributes="member: 23390">I can see where you are coming from, but I am not so sure.If a solid publisher has a proven track record at sufficient consistent income levels, and if they can convince a bank that they can run the biggest name in the industry/genre at a consistent profit, it could happen.  But yeah, unlikely, as I said.They have re-acquired all electronic entertainment rights to the MTG property from Infogrames/Atari, which Infogrames bought back in 2000 (on a 15 year contract?)  Not sure, but it was a long contract.  Same with their other properties.I think the reason they went after the rights to Magic is related to one thing: Magic Online.  My impression is that M:TG O has effectively usurped traditional M:TG in terms of profitability and so forth.  My only evidence is anecdotal, but it makes sense on a lot of levels.Re-acquiring those rights would be the first step in expanding the success of Magic Online to other electronic arenas.  How about a Magic Online game for the Xbox360, that Timmy could buy virtual cards for and play against his friend Johnny during summer vacation?Or better yet, the equivalent for Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh. And also...not necessarily along the card buying model.  An alternate model:...the Madden franchise.  Madden sports games are a license to print money.  Yeah you tweak the graphics a little.  Yeah you alter the stats a little and a few players retire.  Give me a break.  Its the same damn game as the year before, and people buy it all over again.Now instead of player updates, how about card updates.  Every year there are New Cards!  New Strategies!  Blah Blah Blah!I think Hasbro will separate the CCG aspects of WotC from the RPG aspects, and sell or cut the RPG component.The mindset of publicly held corporations end up the same: consistent profit revenue is king.  The Board answers to stockholders, and stockholders want one thing: Show Me The Money!  Thats why they put their money in, in the first place.  And Hasbro bought Wizards because of Pokemon.  Period.  Anyone who thinks otherwise is just kidding themselves.If the electronic aspect of D&D is making them no money (which it can't since Infogrames holds the rights forever), all thats left is the PnP and other merchandising side including: minis.  I presently nuture the suspicion that minis are the only real hope that the current Hasbro/ WotC/D&D paradigm will hold.  And there is a finite lifespan on that too.My probable model is this:Everything will continue quietly as it has for some indefinite period of time.  My guess: 6 -15 months. We'll keep seeing these asinine 4E threads pop-up during this time.  Then BAM! everything will change overnight.  The tipping point will be when the RPG division has had 2 or 3 consecutive break even or money losing quarters, and they take one big loss on something.Thats when Hasbro corporate will decide to cut it loose, and sell the thing off.  First they shut it down, so their expenses drop to zero, and then they sell the property, take that profit to pad the botton line that quarter, and don't look back. <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/laugh.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing    :lol:" data-shortname=":lol:" /> true enough, but thanks.Another thing to keep in mind is that all of this necessarily can only be speculation.  Until we get access to Hasbro's internal accounting or conference minutes (HAHAHAHAHA! AhhHAHAHAHA! sure!) all we have to go on are these external indications.  Stronger (contrary) evidence would certainly alter this picture.One reason I am wary of WotC's proclamations about D&D is the announcement a while back about "D&D has never been doing better."  It had a "he doth protest too much" feeling to it (at least to me).  A feeling that he was trying to justify his existence.Also, what makes anyone think Hasbro is gonna tell WotC the truth?  If you were going to liquidate an entire division, would you jauntily inform them of it?  Actually, one good indicator of this would be the way Hasbro handled this before.  Anyone know how much notice Monte, SKReyn, Valterra and so on got?I wouldn't be surprised if they were informed on the day of their termination.  I'd really be interested in knowing how this was handled.  I also wonder if they are under a contractual obligation to not to discuss their termination, which would also be a definite red flag.</blockquote>

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