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Is WOTC headed for a TSR-ending? :/
- Thread starter Silverblade The Ench
- Start date
WotC has probably learned its lessons over the editions.
1E/2E (A)D&D TSR era
1 - Don't bother publishing too many modules.
2 - Don't bother publishing too many settings.
3E/3.5E D&D WotC era
3 - Don't give away the house so easily.
4 - Don't let somebody else flood the market with tons of crunch heavy splatbooks (ie. Mongoose, Fantasy Flight, etc ...).
5 - Don't bother publishing too many setting specific splatbooks and modules.
The GSL solved problem 3.
Whether planned or by happenstance, the dominance of the DDI character builder has definitively solved problem 4.
Whatever new unforeseen problems that will come up during the 4E era, remains to be seen. Though I suspect Hasbro may just clamp down and significantly reduce excesses at the D&D division of WotC, before things have a chance to really fall apart financially like what happened at TSR during the mid-1990's. (This could also include Hasbro closing down the 4E D&D rpg line).
1E/2E (A)D&D TSR era
1 - Don't bother publishing too many modules.
2 - Don't bother publishing too many settings.
3E/3.5E D&D WotC era
3 - Don't give away the house so easily.
4 - Don't let somebody else flood the market with tons of crunch heavy splatbooks (ie. Mongoose, Fantasy Flight, etc ...).
5 - Don't bother publishing too many setting specific splatbooks and modules.
The GSL solved problem 3.
Whether planned or by happenstance, the dominance of the DDI character builder has definitively solved problem 4.
Whatever new unforeseen problems that will come up during the 4E era, remains to be seen. Though I suspect Hasbro may just clamp down and significantly reduce excesses at the D&D division of WotC, before things have a chance to really fall apart financially like what happened at TSR during the mid-1990's. (This could also include Hasbro closing down the 4E D&D rpg line).
As a former Hasbro stockholder, I think it should be known that Hasbro does NOT look at specific lines for its companies.
I'm not sure where this idea came from originally, but Hasbro has ALWAYS been known as more of a hands-off company with regard its subsidaries.
Most of Hasbro subsidaries have more or less a stable constant revenue stream during the year.
For example, Hasbro owns Parker Brothers (producers of Sorry! and Monopoly among others) and the have never expected PB to increase sales aggressively year in and year out as people seem to think they expect WOTC.
Hasbro tends to realize that games come in waves and one year you might have a dip and another it might go up but they don't panic (well, that mattel toy recall with the tainted plastic made a couple of white pants brown admittedly)
Remember, it was only a few years ago that both Transformers and GI Joe were pretty much all but forgotten.
The only time Hasbro will look at a subsidary is if it is in the red. It doesn't care HOW a subsidary is run, but as long as its profitable.
WOTC's own president is the one who determines ultimately whether or not DnD survives and that is based on whether or not the line can support itself.
Hasbro (and the WOTC president itself) will most assuredly NOT allow for one side of the company to prop up another side like was done during the TSR years of even with regard to West end games (the WEG book side being used to support the shoe side of the company? seriously, what the hell were they thinking)
I'm not sure where this idea came from originally, but Hasbro has ALWAYS been known as more of a hands-off company with regard its subsidaries.
Most of Hasbro subsidaries have more or less a stable constant revenue stream during the year.
For example, Hasbro owns Parker Brothers (producers of Sorry! and Monopoly among others) and the have never expected PB to increase sales aggressively year in and year out as people seem to think they expect WOTC.
Hasbro tends to realize that games come in waves and one year you might have a dip and another it might go up but they don't panic (well, that mattel toy recall with the tainted plastic made a couple of white pants brown admittedly)
Remember, it was only a few years ago that both Transformers and GI Joe were pretty much all but forgotten.
The only time Hasbro will look at a subsidary is if it is in the red. It doesn't care HOW a subsidary is run, but as long as its profitable.
WOTC's own president is the one who determines ultimately whether or not DnD survives and that is based on whether or not the line can support itself.
Hasbro (and the WOTC president itself) will most assuredly NOT allow for one side of the company to prop up another side like was done during the TSR years of even with regard to West end games (the WEG book side being used to support the shoe side of the company? seriously, what the hell were they thinking)
Has Hasbro ever canned any subsidiary presidents, for being in the red too long?
Does the Hasbro CFO office have direct access to all financial data, itemized according to particular product lines? Or is it only the bean counters of a particular subsidiary, that only have direct access to such financial data itemized by particular product lines?
Not that I know of...But then again, I dont know of any Hasbro subsidary that STAYS in the red for long...Hasbro will cut product lines and will let people go but they won't go for years on end losing money. Usually, from what I remember when I actually got to talk with Hasbro exec during their public stockholder meetings (this was all before Hasbro bought WOTC), they can TELL months ahead which subsidary/line is in trouble. They don't get caught off-guard (again, must factor out the toy plastic recall that was Mattel but actually blew back on to Hasbro)
IIRC, each subsidary has its own "bean counter" who report to the subsidary president and said president deals with it. However, the Hasbro numero #1 of course could get access to it, but it woul be simpler just to ask the subsidary president.
Echohawk
Shirokinukatsukami fan
Those books make great presents for kids. They are probably great gateway products for generating broader interest in D&D too.
El Mahdi
Muad'Dib of the Anauroch
The sad part is when I read that, my first thought was that we'd never see PHB6, and therefore we'd be missing a power source or 2.
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