Osgood
Adventurer
I may be a bad person to weigh in on this because I have no idea who Matt Colville is, but I think his take is wrong. Even assuming WotC's plan is to to attempt to move the game to a subscription-based and/or microtransaction space (which seems likely), I don't know that it will be as bad as he envisions.
Whatever Hasbro and WotC might think (hope), that VTT is really just offering another way to play--just as right now some play on VTTs, some use minis and terrain, others use battle mats and tokens, and others stick with theater of the mind. Some have their preference, others are limited by financial or other constraints (we played on a VTT though the pandemic, and came to despise it--never going back unless its a matter of life and death). Players may argue which is the "best" method, but all are valid. Some will embrace their VTT, others will not. It's hard to say how many will fall in to each camp, but I know it won't be 100%, and I doubt it will be a majority, but I suppose that will depend on the final product, its features, it's price, and what people think of WotC at the time.
As for the notion that young people will automatically be driven to a digital, video game type experience, I'm pretty skeptical of that because of how those young people have been introduced to the game. Every player under 30 that I know started out watching Critical Role or some other Actual Play show. That means their understanding of D&D is a bunch of people sitting around a table playing D&D, more or less in the traditional way--not a twitch video game stream. Will it appeal to some? Of course. But assuming it will appeal to everyone either unnecessarily fatalistic (if you are a member of the community) or optimistic (if you are on the Hasbro board or directors).
Whatever Hasbro and WotC might think (hope), that VTT is really just offering another way to play--just as right now some play on VTTs, some use minis and terrain, others use battle mats and tokens, and others stick with theater of the mind. Some have their preference, others are limited by financial or other constraints (we played on a VTT though the pandemic, and came to despise it--never going back unless its a matter of life and death). Players may argue which is the "best" method, but all are valid. Some will embrace their VTT, others will not. It's hard to say how many will fall in to each camp, but I know it won't be 100%, and I doubt it will be a majority, but I suppose that will depend on the final product, its features, it's price, and what people think of WotC at the time.
As for the notion that young people will automatically be driven to a digital, video game type experience, I'm pretty skeptical of that because of how those young people have been introduced to the game. Every player under 30 that I know started out watching Critical Role or some other Actual Play show. That means their understanding of D&D is a bunch of people sitting around a table playing D&D, more or less in the traditional way--not a twitch video game stream. Will it appeal to some? Of course. But assuming it will appeal to everyone either unnecessarily fatalistic (if you are a member of the community) or optimistic (if you are on the Hasbro board or directors).
