Revolutions are Always Verbose: Effecting Change in the TTRPG Industry

[dragoner]

....interestingly enough, companies (such as Hasbro) are able to leverage the existing model that the rest of the industry uses to exact excess profits from D&D.

In other words, and I am quite sure you know this- Hasbro, despite having an incredibly profitable and successful brand both in and of itself and as a source for IP, continues to use the same model that the rest of the industry does, with a high reliance on free-lance artists and writers.

Which would be like Disney saying, "Hey, we know that these MCU movies make a lot of money, but people make TikTok for fun, why not just not pay our people? The Mouse needs to EAT!"

This also dovetails back into the unionizing idea, because the actual cost is on the corporations which employ the highest earners, as part of their compensation.

I guess this is part of the reason my friends call me a Bolshevik with a Business Degree.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

...
What's notably absent from this list is mention of a formal employment agreement. i.e. You can establish an employee/employer relationship without entering into a formal agreement.

Well, of course. But not for the reason you think. The oldest scam in the book- get the employee to sign a contract saying, "I am not an employee." They got wise to that a long long time ago. But that's pretty far afield from the topic, and RPGs, and I don't want the thread closed.

 

[MGibster]

You guys are talking about unionizing what is basically a cottage industry.

I agree with the esteemed Doctor Umbran here. The vast majority of role playing games are produced by companies that are small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. Look how excited we get over $1,000,000 Kickstarters for RPGs. We're not talking about a robust industry like automobile manufacturing, Hollywood motion pictures, or even restaurant employees. We're talking about very small companies with very limited staff. You can't judge the industry as a whole by looking at WotC any more than you can measure the success of all musicians by the standards Beyoncé sets.

 

[dragoner]

Well, of course. But not for the reason you think. The oldest scam in the book- get the employee to sign a contract saying, "I am not an employee." They got wise to that a long long time ago. But that's pretty far afield from the topic, and RPGs, and I don't want the thread closed.

It is also things like these are why people are so anti-union, is that the unions long ago fought against bad employment practices, and are responsible for the good ones. Fair compensation is one thing, another is being treated like a human being is also good.

 

[Umbran]

....interestingly enough, companies (such as Hasbro)

I am not saying Hasbro/WotC is some paragon. But on the other hand, before we lambast Hasbro, we really ought to document that it is, in fact, acting badly. Anyone know what WotC pays per word/hour for their contractors? Can anyone here quote me that number from a reliable source? How about their payscale for full time employees? Anyone here actually have that information?

Furthermore, I think the only company who might be pulling in dollars such that they could consider using another model is Hasbro. The bulk of the creative folks working in the industry are working for tiny employers, or themselves.

If you want to compare RPGs to movies... outside of WotC, the RPG space is much more like local access stations than Hollywood.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

It is also things like these are why people are so anti-union, is that the unions long ago fought against bad employment practices, and are responsible for the good ones. Fair compensation is one thing, another is being treated like a human being is also good.

Well, that's the thing- people take for granted the things that they have, and don't really think about other people. The ethos of "I got mine" is unfortunately common. Something something Rawls Veil of Ignorance.

But one of my all-time favorite scams is when high-end jobs have the "unpaid intern" barrier to entry. Here's how it works- in order to get X Job, which has a high salary and amazing benefits, you have to be an unpaid intern for a period of time in an expensive city.

So ... what does that do? That's right! It completely excludes a large number of people from ever getting the high paid job- people who might be qualified, but can't afford to have an unpaid internship in an expensive city. So in effect, these high-paying jobs are "reserved" for the children of the already-wealthy and connected. But on the surface, it's just an example of the meritocracy at work ... because you're showing how much you want the "real job" by hustling at the unpaid job.

Ugh. Same as it ever was.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I am not saying Hasbro/WotC is some paragon. But on the other hand, before we lambast Hasbro, we really ought to document that it is, in fact, acting badly. Anyone know what WotC pays per word/hour for their contractors? Can anyone here quote me that number from a reliable source?

Look at the OP. You read the OP, right? I linked to someone you might know at a website you might be familiar with ... maybe?

If you want more recent figures, I suggest asking him.

 

[MGibster]

Well, of course. But not for the reason you think. The oldest scam in the book- get the employee to sign a contract saying, "I am not an employee." They got wise to that a long long time ago. But that's pretty far afield from the topic, and RPGs, and I don't want the thread closed.

We sometimes speak about the RPG "industry" but many of us are just customers with no real knowledge of the ins and outs of running a game company. And I include myself here as I am not involved in the production, sale, or marketing of role playing games in any way, shape, or form. But I do have a pretty decent grasp on employment laws in the United States. And if we're going to discuss the use of contractors by companies such as WotC and others as part of our desire to see working conditions improve, I think it's important that we understand the difference between an employee and a contractor according to the United States Department of Labor. (Apologies to our friends across the pond. Obviously it doesn't matter what our DoL thinks so far as your employment laws are concerned.) I run into a lot of people who don't understand the differences, including some of my managers who should know better.

 

[dragoner]

Well, that's the thing- people take for granted the things that they have, and don't really think about other people. The ethos of "I got mine" is unfortunately common. Something something Rawls Veil of Ignorance.

But one of my all-time favorite scams is when high-end jobs have the "unpaid intern" barrier to entry. Here's how it works- in order to get X Job, which has a high salary and amazing benefits, you have to be an unpaid intern for a period of time in an expensive city.

So ... what does that do? That's right! It completely excludes a large number of people from ever getting the high paid job- people who might be qualified, but can't afford to have an unpaid internship in an expensive city. So in effect, these high-paying jobs are "reserved" for the children of the already-wealthy and connected. But on the surface, it's just an example of the meritocracy at work ... because you're showing how much you want the "real job" by hustling at the unpaid job.

Ugh. Same as it ever was.

Sure, you are 100% correct; those are the abuses that can be stopped too. Also, when I got my degree, going through the course work, there was a strong anti-union vibe, they definitely do not look at workers organizing as a positive. So it is not surprising that it is looked at as "popular feeling" or "anti-meritocratic". Of course things change, and where things were once meritocratic, are not anymore precisely for reasons you state, such as the ability to work for free, and often on top of having an expensive education.

Except baseline, a union can help with diversity in the RPG industry, something we have all heard about, and seen a lot for desired change. So beyond fair compensation, and preventing bad practices, organizing can also help with promoting the change we want to see in the RPG industry as a whole.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

We sometimes speak about the RPG "industry" but many of us are just customers with no real knowledge of the ins and outs of running a game company. And I include myself here as I am not involved in the production, sale, or marketing of role playing games in any way, shape, or form. But I do have a pretty decent grasp on employment laws in the United States. And if we're going to discuss the use of contractors by companies such as WotC and others as part of our desire to see working conditions improve, I think it's important that we understand the difference between an employee and a contractor according to the United States Department of Labor. (Apologies to our friends across the pond. Obviously it doesn't matter what our DoL thinks so far as your employment laws are concerned.) I run into a lot of people who don't understand the differences, including some of my managers who should know better.

Well, again without going into the weeds too much, it's pretty simple.

There's a complex multi-factor test. But that really doesn't matter (because it's a balancing test, yada yada yada). The primary purpose of this test is whether you are serving your own interests, or the principal's. That's why the older language uses "master/servant".

Anyway, that why the quintessential example of a "real" independent contractor is a plumber. A person who uses their own skills and knowledge, has their own tools, sets their own hours, and works for multiple people as they see fit. But because it so advantageous for companies to treat people as ICs, most of them try to misclassify employees either on purpose or because it's easier and less costly.

Something something that's the gig economy.