The ineptitude of the WotC/Hasbro marketing machine

[ConcreteBuddha]

1) IMHO, the reason why Hasbro does not acknowledge WotC and DnD in the mainstream is because they wish to keep the Brand Name "Hasbro" equivalent with "Company that you can Buy Traditional Products from to give your Children for Their Birthday. Guaranteed to not Ruin your children or Convert them over to the Dark Side. No Fads Here! Guaranteed!"

It wasn't that long ago when "Dungeons and Dragons" had a horrible Brand Name. The old white men at Hasbro remember that. No way are they going to leave open the possibility of tarnishing "Hasbro". They don't want some crazy nut holding signs saying "Down with Hasbro, Satan's slave!"

They'd rather put all of the potential heat on "WotC" and Dungeons and Dragons".



2) Why FR will not have a movie or cartoon series:

One of the main "bad guys" are a bunch of black people with pointy ears in an evil matriarchal society who worship an evil black woman/spider and her evil black women priests. The main "good guy" is a black man with pointy ears who goes to live with the "good" white people.

In the process we have offended both black people and feminists. Sounds like a winning business proposition doesn't it?

 

[Greatwyrm]

While I mostly agree with you in point 1, ConcreteBuddha, was it really necessary to inject racism into both your arguments?

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

While I mostly agree with you in point 1, ConcreteBuddha, was it really necessary to inject racism into both your arguments?

1) I bet you a million dollars that the people who own Hasbro are old white men, but since I can't prove that, I'll retract my statement concerning them.

2) The point of the second argument was to show that drow can be seen in a very negative light. So, yes, bringing up the point that FR drow could be construed as both racist and sexist is necessary.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

2) The point of the second argument was to show that drow can be seen in a very negative light. So, yes, bringing up the point that FR drow could be construed as both racist and sexist is necessary.

Funny...but isn't it possible the 'sexist' thing would actually be against Men? Since, well...the Men are pretty much worthless to Drow. But really, if you look at things with that kind of eye, you can narrow nearly ANYTHING down to ideas of 'racism', 'sexism', etc etc etc, even if they're WRONG. Its called, reaching.

And on an interesting note about Hasbro's 'ineptitude' to market...there are rumors of GI Joe d20 for d20 Modern flying around.....

 

[The Blue Elf]

The Mainstreamism of RPG being excepted by a Grand Market would still cause an issue with some religions groups who think that D&D is evil.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

The Mainstreamism of RPG being excepted by a Grand Market would still cause an issue with some religions groups who think that D&D is evil.

And most of those are the same religious groups that are against Pokemon or Harry Potter. Both of those were(are) very strong and doing just fine in a "mainstream" situation. I think it would do RPGs well to get into that "mainstream"...I mean, video games have made it, and so has music...and some people will just declare anything they don't like evil.

 

[Ricochet]

1) European Hasbro just released a new Dungeons and Dragons board game. We need something similar in the States. You don't need the D&D adventure game, you need a tactical Hero Quest style board game that can be mass marketed through toy and hobby stores everywhere and especially through the existing chain of WotC stores.

Where would one find information about this? I have searched the web, and the Hasbro UK site, and found absolutely nothing about this... Please link me up ;-)

 

[Greatwyrm]

1) I bet you a million dollars that the people who own Hasbro are old white men, but since I can't prove that, I'll retract my statement concerning them.

Bet accepted.

Since a corporation is "owned" by the total of the shareholders. I would certainly wager $1,000,000 that at least one shareholder of Hasbro is not old, white, or male. In fact, if you have any money invested in a mutual fund or IRA, you may well own a chunk of Hasbro yourself.

Now, assuming you meant "people who run" and not "people who own", I'm afraid you're mistaken again. On Hasbro's investor relations website, I noticed at least two women on the Board of Directors. No photos are available and the races of the board members are not given (not that I think there's a reason they should be).

Send me a private message and I'll let you know where you can send the money. I'd prefer a certified check.

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

Funny...but isn't it possible the 'sexist' thing would actually be against Men? Since, well...the Men are pretty much worthless to Drow.

Um. FR teaches us that when black women (drow) take control of a society, chaos and evil ensue.

The issue is not sexism in the game-world, it's sexism in our world. It is sexist to make a game world where the only place where black women are in power is chaotic evil. Not to mention that a greater diety (lolth) is evil, black and a woman.

Where is the Good black woman greater diety?

But really, if you look at things with that kind of eye, you can narrow nearly ANYTHING down to ideas of 'racism', 'sexism', etc etc etc, even if they're WRONG. Its called, reaching.

Reaching?

Can you imagine the Drizzt movie? Casting thousands of black women to play the evil empire, and having one black guy escape to the good white guys? Right.

You think a CEO is going to risk millions of dollars on this movie, not to mention the reputation of the brand name "Hasbro" and his personal reputation? Is a Board of Directors going to approve this project?

It was bad enough that in LotR, all orcs are darkish-red, Mordor's Southrons are dark-skinned, and the good peoples of middle earth are white men. Sheesh.

And most of those are the same religious groups that are against Pokemon or Harry Potter. Both of those were(are) very strong and doing just fine in a "mainstream" situation.

And both of these are hidden in the WotC label. Just in case. The winds of change are fickle. People with power do not bet, they own the casino.

I think it would do RPGs well to get into that "mainstream"...I mean, video games have made it, and so has music...and some people will just declare anything they don't like evil.

Video games and music companies still have parent corporations. You don't see Westinghouse touting Snoop CDs, do you?

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

Bet accepted.

Since a corporation is "owned" by the total of the shareholders. I would certainly wager $1,000,000 that at least one shareholder of Hasbro is not old, white, or male. In fact, if you have any money invested in a mutual fund or IRA, you may well own a chunk of Hasbro yourself.

Now, assuming you meant "people who run" and not "people who own", I'm afraid you're mistaken again. On Hasbro's investor relations website, I noticed at least two women on the Board of Directors. No photos are available and the races of the board members are not given (not that I think there's a reason they should be).

Send me a private message and I'll let you know where you can send the money. I'd prefer a certified check.

Um, my pockets seem to have gathered a fair amount of lint since I last checked. Do you take GPs?