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WotC ICv2 Has A Theory That WotC Will Be Sold


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Phion

Phion

Explorer
Might be for the best. With mtg at least Hasbro seems to really want to push sales to unfeasible targets which could be damaging MTG long term.
 

Phion

Phion

Explorer
As for D&D sometimes less is more and I would argue that there is enough content (outside of campaign books) to satisfy most peoples needs. We are entering a point of saturation in subclasses, although more feats could be welcome if done right (thinking of the recent chef feat)
 


Charlaquin

Charlaquin

Goblin Queen
Interesting take. If Hazbro were to sell WotC, the prospect of a new edition would seem much more likely - the new owners would surely want to put their mark on the game. That could be a good thing - there’s a definite vibe lately that 5e is starting to feel played out. But as a World of Darkness fan I am very gunshy about such sales. They only ever seemed to harm White Wolf Onyx Path White Wolf again, but it’s different people this time.
 

Oofta

Oofta

Title? I don't need no stinkin' title.
Interesting theory, I would think that it kind of depends on other revenue. If (and that's a big if) D&D becomes lucrative enough from a marketing and entertainment perspective then it's less likely. On the other hand, I can only imagine that the pandemic hasn't been great for MtG sales.

As far as "needing" 6E I guess I'll just disagree and hope that DndBeyond continues to support 5E for the foreseeable future because it's made me quite lazy.
 


monsmord

monsmord

Explorer
I've been lamenting the apparent but bizarre inability for anyone to produce commercially viable D&D cinema/TV content. With the fantasy genre enjoying more mainstream media success, now would seem the best time. Hasbro has the resources and track record of film-ifying their IP; a buyer might not.

Then again, I wonder how much of D&D's development has been guided by non-gaming, non-WotC Hasbro execs, and whether a sale might shake some things loose.

Then again again, I want everything all the time...

 




Charlaquin

Charlaquin

Goblin Queen
Oofta said:
I can only imagine that the pandemic hasn't been great for MtG sales.
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Of paper products, probably, but they were on the decline before the pandemic. Certain reprint policies and practices have made paper magic pretty much financially inaccessible except for extremely casual play. On the other hand, digital magic has been going very strong ever since the launch of MTG Arena, and I can only imagine that’s been doing even better since the pandemic.
 

Phion

Phion

Explorer
monsmord said:
I've been lamenting the apparent but bizarre inability for anyone to produce commercially viable D&D cinema/TV content. With the fantasy genre enjoying more mainstream media success, now would seem the best time. Hasbro has the resources and track record of film-ifying their IP; a buyer might not.

Then again, I wonder how much of D&D's development has been guided by non-gaming, non-WotC Hasbro execs, and whether a sale might shake some things loose.

Then again again, I want everything all the time...

Click to expand...

Issue may be that d&d lends so much from other fantasy settings that a movie would just be generic. Also d&d's strength is its weakness, everyone is the hero in their story; sounds awful but a lot of the time I get bored listening to peoples d&d stories in real world conversations, I don't doubt for a second that for the group at the time (and if I were in on it) it would be great but as a conversation its hard to attach yourself to anything being said (even with the knowledge of how d&d is played).
 

Voadam

Voadam

Legend
I agree with the author that who a buyer could or would be is a big open question without an obvious answer. A private equity firm seeking to strip mine D&D could end up very poorly for the tabletop end of things.
 

monsmord

monsmord

Explorer
Phion said:
Issue may be that d&d lends so much from other fantasy settings that a movie would just be generic. Also d&d's strength is its weakness, everyone is the hero in their story; sounds awful but a lot of the time I get bored listening to peoples d&d stories in real world conversations, I don't doubt for a second that for the group at the time (and if I were in on it) it would be great but as a conversation its hard to attach yourself to anything being said (even with the knowledge of how d&d is played).
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That genericism is certainly a contributing factor; D&D is a system, not a story. And I think you're right, that folks developing screenplays are probably telling the most darling little tales from their game tables, which, you know, may not even be appealing to much of the core fanbase. Vis, the first movie.

I'm not a fan of the FR or MtG settings. But these at least have a presence and fans way from rulebooks. To have how many video games and a perennially popular CCG and novels, and not be able to mine them for decent stories a wider audience will appreciate? Oof. I do see that turning toys into shows/movies would be easier than adapting a rulebook, but... Come on, man.
 


Dimitri Mazieres

Dimitri Mazieres

Explorer
I really doubt Hasbro would sell WotC. The IPs under WotC's belt are too big to let go, and I think that the D&D brand has consistently grown in the public eye since 5e's launch in 2014. Unless some company even bigger than Hasbro comes along with a ridiculous amount of money, that is...
 


Phion

Phion

Explorer
monsmord said:
That genericism is certainly a contributing factor; D&D is a system, not a story. And I think you're right, that folks developing screenplays are probably telling the most darling little tales from their game tables, which, you know, may not even be appealing to much of the core fanbase. Vis, the first movie.

I'm not a fan of the FR or MtG settings. But these at least have a presence and fans way from rulebooks. To have how many video games and a perennially popular CCG and novels, and not be able to mine them for decent stories a wider audience will appreciate? Oof. I do see that turning toys into shows/movies would be easier than adapting a rulebook, but... Come on, man.
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I do agree with you it should be possible; for some reason d&d seems to do well when the movie/ show focuses on the players not the actual story i.e. IT crowd, stranger things and the big bang theory (although I am reluctant to include some of these because they are a poor example of what a game session actually looks like).

There was also a fan made film that focused on d&d on Youtube which was a good watch. I have forgot the name of it for some reason.....think it was called the gamers?
 

MNblockhead

MNblockhead

A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
Phion said:
I do agree with you it should be possible; for some reason d&d seems to do well when the movie/ show focuses on the players not the actual story i.e. IT crowd, stranger things and the big bang theory (although I am reluctant to include some of these because they are a poor example of what a game session actually looks like).

There was also a fan made film that focused on d&d on Youtube which was a good watch. I have forgot the name of it for some reason.....think it was called the gamers?
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Gamers, also Journey Quest. Both by Zombie Orpheus Entertainment (ZOE). Journey Quest is available on Amazon. Not sure about Gamers. Both are a lot of fun.
 

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