Ryan Dancy live stream about WotCs surprising change.

[Jer]

At 9:43 in the video he says

Cynically, I think Dancey understands the TTRPG market too well to know what the folks at Wizards now will or will not see as necessary to go forward. He can't put himself into the mindset of a group of people who really don't understand this niche market that they've found themselves at the top of.

 

[Scribe]

Ryan Dancy said that when he took over the D&D business things were dire, the business was not well. Then the licensing folks called and said they got a check for Baldur’s Gate.

$8 million!!

The gap between BG 1/2, NWN Series, and today, is dire. So much money that could have been made, was not made.

 

[bedir than]

The gap between BG 1/2, NWN Series, and today, is dire. So much money that could have been made, was not made.

Look on the bright side, filling that gap with Pathfinder Online didn't work

 

[Scribe]

Look on the bright side, filling that gap with Pathfinder Online didn't work

Never looked at it, but I'll say Wrath of the Righteous, is simply amazing.

 

[ValamirCleaver]

The gap between BG 1/2, NWN Series, and today, is dire. So much money that could have been made, was not made.

That does make one wonder. If Hasbro hadn't sold their software division in 2000 & licensed out the D&D software rights out from under Wizards to Infogrames causing Peter Adkison to leave the company in 2001 how might have things developed differently for D&D since then? Would have Wizards been able to produce a digital offering that would have been able to stem or even counteract the losses from TTRPGs to MMOs in the later half of the Aughts (the Noughties)? Would Wizard taken the routes they did with the later part of 3.xe & the whole of 4e?

 

[SoonRaccoon]

I don't think WotC will sign on to the ORC. I expect them to try to not do anything stupid, try to put this episode as far in the rear view mirror as possible, and then pretend like it never happened. Putting the SRD out under CC-BY seems to have stopped the bleeding in terms of bad press. WotC will bank on the ubiquity of the D&D brand, and pick up people entering the hobby for the first time, because D&D is the only game most people know exists.

 

[wingsandsword]

That does make one wonder. If Hasbro hadn't sold their software division in 2000 & licensed out the D&D software rights out from under Wizards to Infogrames causing Peter Adkison to leave the company in 2001 how might have things developed differently for D&D since then? Would have Wizards been able to produce a digital offering that would have been able to stem or even counteract the losses from TTRPGs to MMOs in the later half of the Aughts (the Noughties)? Would Wizard taken the routes they did with the later part of 3.xe & the whole of 4e?

Well, without Peter Adkison leaving WotC, I doubt Gen Con would have developed the way it did over the last two decades, that's for sure.

 

[darjr]

I don't think WotC will sign on to the ORC. I expect them to try to not do anything stupid, try to put this episode as far in the rear view mirror as possible, and then pretend like it never happened. Putting the SRD out under CC-BY seems to have stopped the bleeding in terms of bad press. WotC will bank on the ubiquity of the D&D brand, and pick up people entering the hobby for the first time, because D&D is the only game most people know exists.

They are soliciting YouTubers for an interview with Kyle Brjnks.

Putting it behind them they are not.

 

[Haplo781]

They are soliciting YouTubers for an interview with Kyle Brjnks.

Putting it behind them they are not.

Literally a "how can we make sure our bread's buttered on the right side" here.

 

[Iosue]

They are soliciting YouTubers for an interview with Kyle Brjnks.

Putting it behind them they are not.

It's crazy. Per Bob World Builder, they're allowing up to an hour long interviews, with no WotC approval over questions or release of the video required. All they want is to see the list of questions in advance so Kyle can prepare.

I don't know who Kyle Brinks is, but he must have balls of steel to be doing this. As someone on the outside, I'm intrigued and glad they are doing it, but if I were a publicist, I'd be grabbing Kyle by the ankles saying, "No, Kyle, don't do it! Don't throw your life away!"

 

[darjr]

It's crazy. Per Bob World Builder, they're allowing up to an hour long interviews, with no WotC approval over questions or release of the video required. All they want is to see the list of questions in advance so Kyle can prepare.

I don't know who Kyle Brinks is, but he must have balls of steel to be doing this. As someone on the outside, I'm intrigued and glad they are doing it, but if I was a publicist, I'd be grabbing Kyle by the ankles saying, "No, Kyle, don't do it! Don't throw your life away!"

From all accounts Kyle Brinks is a good bean.

And yes contains quite a lot of steel.

 

[Haplo781]

From all accounts Kyle Brinks is a good bean.

And yes contains quite a lot of steel.

One of the top questions on Bob World Builder's page is about adding older editions to the CC licence BTW. So good chance it comes up.

And both "we have no plans for that" and "Kyle declined the question" would look really bad.

 

[Umbran]

It looks like Ginny Di, with that huge viewership, is also on the "interview Kyle Brinks" list.

 

[Haplo781]

It looks like Ginny Di, with that huge viewership, is also on the "interview Kyle Brinks" list.

Nice! Do we know if this will be a series of individual interviews or one big round robin?

 

[Umbran]

Nice! Do we know if this will be a series of individual interviews or one big round robin?

I read it most likely as individual interviews, but the statement was not specific.

 

[Parmandur]

They are soliciting YouTubers for an interview with Kyle Brjnks.

Putting it behind them they are not.

Boy, what a way to introduce himself to the D&D world at large...

I am really looking forward to those interviews.

 

[bedir than]

I don't know who Kyle Brinks is

The executive producer of D&D the ttrpg. He was the one Winninger was training to replace him for nearly a year.

 

[Iosue]

The executive producer of D&D the ttrpg. He was the one Winninger was training to replace him for nearly a year.

Yeah, actually, I know that. But I don't know anything about him beyond that. Except that he has tremendous balls of steel, apparently.

 

[Saracenus]

Nice! Do we know if this will be a series of individual interviews or one big round robin?

Bob the builder showed the letter he received, and the offer was thus,

We wanted to reach out to you, one of the many pillars of our community, with an opportunity to have some of your questions and concerns answered directly. Out team wanted to know if you would be interested in sitting down (virtually) with the D&D Team's Executive Producer Kyle Brink to ask the questions that are close to your and the communities' hearts.

If you are interested in participating, please let us know so our team can assist in scheduling and answering any logistical questions. Please note that this interview will be able to be recorded and shared at your discretion. This is not a closed room interview; it is a conversation that we want to be as public or private as you desire.

The past few weeks have hurt many people, but more than anything, it has disproportionately hurt all of you: the creators and lifelong fans of Dungeons & Dragons. This hard work to be done by our team; that work starts now.

Here is the link. I have set the video to start at 4:30, the section that he talks about the letter:

 

[Saracenus]

It is not clear to me from Bob's letter whether it can be only recorded then shared or whether someone could live stream it. You would have to ask the various YouTubers the details on that.