D&D General Todd Kenreck Let Go from WotC

[Burnside]

These people exiting Wizards of the Coast mean nothing to Dungeons & Dragons. We've seen the same thing happen time and time again (especially after new core book releases)... and if D&D is still as popular and is played as often as it is right now even after layoffs following 2E, 3E, 4E, 5E, etc... these layoffs and exits will not result in anything different. It will still be a popular game... 'Dungeons & Dragons' will still be the genericized name non-gamer people use in place of 'roleplaying game' (just as 'Q-Tip' and 'Dumpster' are used for cotton swabs and waste containers)... and new people will step in to try D&D out in the future at the same time older players might step out to try other games.

There's really nothing to see here.

It doesn't mean D&D is in danger of dying or going away or the sky is falling or anything. It will remain a popular game.

However, two of the three architects of the most successful and popular version of D&D in the game's history - guys who have overseen the actual game during its meteoric rise over the past decade - going to work for a competitor does not mean "nothing" in terms of industry news. It's a big deal.

 

[BruceWright]

because WotC won’t tell you that it is AI, I also expect that AI is only some baseline a designer then refines rather than going straight into the product, because only WotC’s AI can be trained on 50 years of D&D data

If WOTCs AI is such that there is no way to tell it from the AI from a chatbot, they've already lost in the marketplace.

 

[mamba]

If WOTCs AI is such that there is no way to tell it from the AI from a chatbot, they've already lost in the marketplace.

that is not the point I was making, it was that with a little refining it is indistinguishable from their current products

 

[MonsterEnvy]

You guys do know the only person who was actually laid off of the four people who left was not involved in the actual writing or designing of books. Coming to the conclusion that this means they will start using AI has no basis.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

A videogame is being made.

The other videogames that were being made and were canceled are still canceled. Those artists, designers, programmers, and developers are not getting paid because their project was canceled.

And Wizards has put out a notice they are getting more CRPGs made.

 

[BruceWright]

that is not the point I was making, it was that with a little refining it is indistinguishable from their current products

I don't agree with that. I find it very easy to differentiate their work from the AI-generated "D&D-like" content I've seen from chatbots.
Unless you're asserting that you don't care for the work they're publishing, and this is just a dig at work you don't like.

 

[bedir than]

You guys do know the only person who was actually laid off of the four people who left was not involved in the actual writing or designing of books. Coming to the conclusion that this means they will start using AI has no basis.

As someone who does marketing for a living, I like the amount of influence people here think a single marketer has on product

 

[Sacrosanct]

As someone who does marketing for a living, I like the amount of influence people here think a single marketer has on product

"You'll like the way you look. I guarantee it."

(You're a fellow PNW, so I hope you get that reference

 

[Desdichado]

Not to be that guy, but does anyone know what exactly Todd Kenrick did other than that interview series of YouTube videos? What exactly was his role with D&D, and what exactly did he do?

 

[Sacrosanct]

Not to be that guy, but does anyone know what exactly Todd Kenrick did other than that interview series of YouTube videos? What exactly was his role with D&D, and what exactly did he do?

He did all the set up work at conventions for panels.