What do you want to ask WotC?

[Cthulhudrew]

* I don't want to buy a subscription to the digital initiative, so will I be able to know what appears in each months's content, and will I be able to buy access to just one "issue"?
* If I can buy access to one "issue," can I take that a step further and buy only content that I am interested in?

Bumping this one so that it doesn't get overlooked, and because these are the same questions I am most concerned with. 1) Will individual issues be available for purchase, or only entire subscriptions, and 2) will there be some way of previewing material so that I can determine ahead of time exactly what I'm paying for? One of the greatest advantages of print magazines is that I can flip through it on the newsstand before I decide to buy, and that is of paramount interest to me.

[EDIT- Michael and I seem to be on the exact same wavelength, here, so another reiterated question from him with a clarification of my own concerns to follow:

Will the DI cover only the core D&D rules and campaign settings, or will it also extend to D20Modern?

Also, will there be any attention given to out of print campaign settings for which there are already dedicated messageboards on your website (such as Mystara, Spelljammer, Dark Sun, etc.)?

 

[bolen]

Taking content online allows for the possibility of interactivity. Will there be an interactive element to the new version of the magazines? For example, if an adventure is intended for levels 4-7, can we instead change the levels to 7-9 and the adventure will automatically tailor the encounters to be set to the new challenge levels?

That is a great idea

 

[Truth Seeker]

Question

1.Will you release the further collection of the (both) magazines on Disk Format. As you did with issue #1 to #250. Currently out.

2. As stated in Erik Mona's Open Letter on the change. It was stated that relations are still in the good graces. Will this permit further specials to be printed down the road (Dragon Annual, etc, etc.)

3.Judging from the amount of work, that goes into making a magazine, a monthly one at that. Within all the departments, does the company have means to spend the (correct) resources, to maintain the quality and the excellent standard, now seen in current issues.

4.Now...this one is very important. What avenue will be created, for future freelance writers, artists, who have graced the pages for the last 3 decades. Whose articles have shaped and given spurs of expanded imaginations to old and young gamers and storytellers across the world. And artists adding the visual cue.

5.And finally, on what grounds, lead to this decision to do this?​

 

[Hairfoot]

I don't mind sacrificing some sacred cows for the good of the game, but I'd like to know how this decision relates to the state of the RPG industry and D&D in particular.

It often seems that tabletop gaming is being slowly executed by MMORPGs, so I'd like to know if this is an informed, strategic decision to enhance the popularity and accessability of the game, or a desperate cost-cutting measure.

 

[(contact)]

Thanks for taking this on, Morris.

 

[ashockney]

Morrus,

As always, many thanks to you. This whole thing kind of reminds me when TSR went belly up, except there's a HUGE community and we have each other this time.

Questions:

1. Dungeons and Dragons is a brand. A brand is a brand because it holds value. Dragon's recent circulation has been estimated at approximately 50,000 copies/month, with a cover price of $7.99. What plans could you have that would add greater value to your brand than approximately $400,000/month in revenue?

2. How will the Dungeons and Dragons brand team capitalize on this brand to compete in an entertainment market with World of Warcraft and Everquest seemingly significantly outgaining them in terms of market share, revenue, capitalization, and brand loyalty?

3. How will you leverage the unique components of the Dungeons and Dragons brand to continue to bring MORE gaming in a MORE ENJOYABLE FORMAT to an aging and more time-constrained marketplace?

4. What technologies specifically does the Wizards team hope to leverage to push the envelope of how and when we can enjoy the Dungeons and Dragons brand?

5. How will the Dungeons and Dragons brand team use the d20 and OGL markets to continue to make Dungeons and Dragons a community-supported and constantly evolving play experience? How will these relate to the new technologies identified above?

Ok, spill it! Is this the beginning of the end for third edition at last!?!?!?!?!?!
Long live FOURTH EDITION!!!!!! (insert evil maniacal laughter here)

 

[Jemal]

1. Dungeons and Dragons is a brand. A brand is a brand because it holds value. Dragon's recent circulation has been estimated at approximately 50,000 copies/month, with a cover price of $7.99. What plans could you have that would add greater value to your brand than approximately $400,000/month in revenue?

Now this may be 100% wrong, but as I understand it, that 400,000/month is not WOTC, it's Paizo's(at least part of it), so even if Wizards make a single dollar over cost, they're pulling in revenue. Plus, don't forget that the 400K/month is BEFORE cost... Wages, paper, ink, shipping, etc, etc. I've no idea what goes into a magazine, but I do know that it costs a fair amount of money, and I'd be willing to bet it costs more than a website.

 

[Darrin Drader]

Now this may be 100% wrong, but as I understand it, that 400,000/month is not WOTC, it's Paizo's(at least part of it), so even if Wizards make a single dollar over cost, they're pulling in revenue. Plus, don't forget that the 400K/month is BEFORE cost... Wages, paper, ink, shipping, etc, etc. I've no idea what goes into a magazine, but I do know that it costs a fair amount of money, and I'd be willing to bet it costs more than a website.

This might be true. What is also true is that the only amount of profit WotC needs to see in order to make this worthwhile for them is an increase over the amount they were receiving in licensing fees. Or, they might just increase website content and publish stuff under the Dragon or Dungeon banner, make it available for free, and write the expense all off as marketing.

Marketing only works if it's getting to all the people you want to reach. WotC was probably the largest advertiser in either magazine. If circulation levels aren't up to their expectations, it might make more sense to spend the advertising dollars on the development of content, and then distributing the material generated for free. It is possible that doing it in this way could increase their overall advertising penetration. I'm pretty sure that with the scale of what they're doing, the largest expenses in the magazines are in the printing and distribution, not the production.

Yes, I do realize that only a percentage of gamers are active online, so the question becomes whether the magazine buyer segment or the online segment is larger.

 

[Thurbane]

* Will the new online initiative mean a lessening or cessation of online content that is currently being offered for free on the WotC website, such as Web Enhancements, Adventure Archive, Map-a-week etc.

 

[thorian]

I'd like to know two things:

1) WHO was the person responsible for making the decision to not renew Paizo's license? There might have been several people involved in discussing the idea, but presumably, there is ONE person who has the final say.

2) WHAT was the reasoning they used to make the decision? Profit is the goal, but what are the means they expect to use to generate said profit? Why do they think this will benefit D&D overall rather than hurt D&D overall, since the health of D&D directly relates to the goal of profit.