If Hasbro Pulls the Plug....

[Frostmarrow]

In Sweden we've had this happen but for different reasons. The big name Drakar och Demoner fell to the wayside. They had tried to create revenue through a DDI of sorts but it didn't float. The brand name seemed to be dragged down along with the rights holders. It turns out the setting of an older version of Drakar och Demoner belonged to the author of that setting and he got into cooperation with a small game studio. They are now working on an RPG for the old setting. The brand name Drakar och Demoner is nowhere to be seen but we will still game in the world. It's like if Greenwood hooked up with Mongoose and made a no name game to suit The Realms.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Too hard to store in the freezer.

Other hats might still work. A tam, perhaps (though it would be funnier made of ham), or maybe a visor.

A bacon yarmulke would be flat out wrong, though.

Wrong?! Wrong?!I'll show you wrong!

Now that's wrong!

The Auld Grump, apropos of nothing, really... other than wrong!

 

[S'mon]

By my guesstimates D&D looks to be more like $12 million than $50 million, unless you count the book (novel) sales.

 

[S'mon]

BTW they need to continue to publish a 'D&D' RPG at least every 5 years in order to keep the trade mark rights safe, at least in UK & EU TM law. Given that 'D&D' is often used generically to mean 'RPG', it would be very dangerous to Hasbro's IP portfolio to stop publishing an actual RPG that is 'D&D'.

 

[Argyle King]

I'd continue playing the other games I play. On that front, D&D going under might help me. While I am aware books never go bad or spoil, I know plenty of gamers who have a thing about playing games which aren't supported anymore.

As for the hobby? I believe the health of the hobby would be perfectly fine after an initial bump in the road. The industry might take a big hit, but the hobby would be fine. After an adjustment period, I think other games would grow to fill the void.

 

[S'mon]

What will folks do if Hasbro pulls the plug on D&D?

I expect there would be fewer new players coming in to the London D&D Meetup where I play. Play of 4e D&D would tend to decline over time, with more play of other editions of D&D, and other games. Pathfinder would likely become the new 800 lb gorilla in terms of sales, though not in terms of public name recognition.

Personally, I would continue to play D&D, I like 4e a lot and I have a huge amount of 4e material, so I could keep playing for many many years if I wished. If I had trouble recruiting/retaining players for 4e D&D I'd probably go to running a Pathfinder game, initially Beginner Box E5, maybe E10 later. But that would be years from now. BTW I suspect that if they released a 5th edition of D&D within the next 3-4 years my reaction would be very similar to if D&D died - I'd keep playing 4e, then go on to something else.

 

[DaveMage]

Wrong?! Wrong?!I'll show you wrong!

Now that's wrong!

The Auld Grump, apropos of nothing, really... other than wrong!

(I must spread it around, etc...)

Mmmm..tasty nativity.

 

[IronWolf]

Also it would mean fewer people get into the hobby simply becuase D&d is the Gateway RPG.

All it means is that their will be a new gateway RPG... who knows maybe some video game property, comic book, or anime might end up being the new gateway into the hobby.

Yeah, I think a new gateway RPG would rise up. Paizo is already positioning Pathfinder pretty well in this regard. They have the Beginner Box now which is full of awesome for getting someone brand new to RPGs into the game with a much lower hurdle than picking up the core rulebook. Excellent start there.

They have an organized play system already in place and quite active.

They have a fiction line in Pathfinder Tales that has had reports of some of its titles being placed on the endcaps of bookshelves at some major book resellers. Fiction can often be a gateway in and of itself into the world of RPGs and Paizo is getting this niche covered.

We'll see if the Pathfinder MMO materializes, but if it does there is a possibly entry point for MMO players to transition to table top RPGs via an entry point of the Pathfinder MMO.

And then there is simply exposure in pop cult media type locales. Penny Arcade has mentioned Pathfinder for a couple of strips, a comic book mentioned Pathfinder in the past 6 months or so and Pathfinder RPG things keep getting mentioned on the CNN blog that focuses on these "geek" hobbies. So they are starting to get some media that way as well.

Is Pathfinder replacing D&D as a brand name today? No. But they certainly are positioned well to increase their role as a gateway product from several angles.

 

[MoxieFu]

Too hard to store in the freezer.

Other hats might still work. A tam, perhaps (though it would be funnier made of ham), or maybe a visor.

A bacon yarmulke would be flat out wrong, though.

A fez.

Definitely a fez!

Fezzes are cool.

 

[MoxieFu]

Wrong?! Wrong?!I'll show you wrong!

Now that's wrong!

The Auld Grump, apropos of nothing, really... other than wrong!

BLASPHEMY! VIENNA SAUSAGES?



Are those chow mein noodles?