WotC Who should own Wizards of the Coast if/when it is sold?
Solution
Steve Kenson's Ad Infinitum (or Green Ronin if they put Steve in charge). Hopefully, then, Steve re-writes several of the classes, modifies some mechancis, and the default game goes back to more traditional fantasy inspirations as seen in GR's 3e Master Class series. Then, they can release specific theme supplements that support campaigns inspired by gothic fantasy, post-cataclysmic fantasy, anime (shonen and shojo), mmorpgs, mythic fantasy, YA fantasy, xianxia, wuxia, etc.
In an ideal world, I could also get behind the settings being open to Beyond Belief Games (Barbarians of Lemuria), Gallant Knight Games (Tinyd6), Basic Action Games, PEG (Savage Worlds), and whomever currently owns the rights to Cortex Prime.
In an ideal world, I could also get behind the settings being open to Beyond Belief Games (Barbarians of Lemuria), Gallant Knight Games (Tinyd6), Basic Action Games, PEG (Savage Worlds), and whomever currently owns the rights to Cortex Prime.
Bacon Bits
Hero
I think it would be more likely for Hasbro to reorganize and separate into multiple companies to attract different types of investors rather than be sold, similar to what Dow-Dupont did. However, I'm not sure how much granularity investors even want on toys, games, and hobbies. Board games and TTRPGs are certainly more popular than they've ever been, but I question whether or not Hasbro can capitalize on that given their organizational structure.
If WotC were ever sold, I would imagine there would be very good chance that an investment company would buy them, which would be absolutely disastrous for the long term prospects of D&D and Magic. Magic already has major problems due to a quantity of "premium" content that would make Topps from the 80s and Image from the 90s blush. About the only benefit that I could see would be the likely revocation of Magic's reserve list, which continues to hamstring it by preventing the reprinting of it's own most iconic cards. Otherwise I'd expect the products to be slowly sucked dry of all value over the following 6-8 years just like virtually every retailer that's "gone bankrupt" and closed in the past 15 years.
Otherwise it depends entirely on what the new leadership sees as the goal for the product line. Almost certainly a new edition, though.
As far as who should own it? Whoever has the money to afford it. I don't understand why my opinion on that would remotely matter.
If WotC were ever sold, I would imagine there would be very good chance that an investment company would buy them, which would be absolutely disastrous for the long term prospects of D&D and Magic. Magic already has major problems due to a quantity of "premium" content that would make Topps from the 80s and Image from the 90s blush. About the only benefit that I could see would be the likely revocation of Magic's reserve list, which continues to hamstring it by preventing the reprinting of it's own most iconic cards. Otherwise I'd expect the products to be slowly sucked dry of all value over the following 6-8 years just like virtually every retailer that's "gone bankrupt" and closed in the past 15 years.
Otherwise it depends entirely on what the new leadership sees as the goal for the product line. Almost certainly a new edition, though.
As far as who should own it? Whoever has the money to afford it. I don't understand why my opinion on that would remotely matter.
LuisCarlos17f
Legend
Hasbro may sell WotC but not the brands D&D + M:tG at all. No kidding. Hasbro knows the future of the most of the IPs are as multimedia products: videogames, toys, media productions, comics, books, merchadicising. If WotC has got some rotten apples then the solution should be to replace those toxic bosses/management stuff and keeping the design team who works rightly.
Hasbro is not going to sell D&D when this still can become a valuable cash-cow. If a big company wants to buy WotC, it also to buy or merger with complete Hasbro. RPG publishers will would rather to start from zero with its own retro-con, as Pathfinder, before than spending a lot of money for a expensive brand. And other companies would rather to create their own IPs also from zero with total creative freedom.
And I don't remember a big company selling a productive subsidiary with a great future ahead.
Maybe Hasbro and Mattel could try negotiate a merger, unprobable but not totally impossible. Disney could wish new aquisitions but now this hasn't been a good year, and my theory is some cultural changes for the next years will affect all the entertaiment industry radically because audence loves authors who are true fountain of wisdow but hate ideologic propaganda.
Hasbro is not going to sell D&D when this still can become a valuable cash-cow. If a big company wants to buy WotC, it also to buy or merger with complete Hasbro. RPG publishers will would rather to start from zero with its own retro-con, as Pathfinder, before than spending a lot of money for a expensive brand. And other companies would rather to create their own IPs also from zero with total creative freedom.
And I don't remember a big company selling a productive subsidiary with a great future ahead.
Maybe Hasbro and Mattel could try negotiate a merger, unprobable but not totally impossible. Disney could wish new aquisitions but now this hasn't been a good year, and my theory is some cultural changes for the next years will affect all the entertaiment industry radically because audence loves authors who are true fountain of wisdow but hate ideologic propaganda.
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MoonSong
Rules-lawyering drama queen but not a munchkin
Out of all of the big companies, perhaps Microsoft would be the lesser evil. They have been acting very pro-consumer as of late. And they have studios to take advantage of the IP. Perhaps they would finally fix arena and put it on mobile?
Weiley31
Legend
Everybody on Hasbro's end, and whoever buys it, starts laughing at the greatest joke ever
Tales and Chronicles
Jewel of the North, formerly know as vincegetorix
Free League, Kobold Press or Green Ronin for the big names,
ENpublishing, Handiwork Games, Necrotic Gnomes or Flatland Games for the smaller companies. (I would personally prefer a smaller publisher myself)
ENpublishing, Handiwork Games, Necrotic Gnomes or Flatland Games for the smaller companies. (I would personally prefer a smaller publisher myself)
glass
(he, him)
This would be my preference, if it were to be sold at all. Since Hasbro is infamous for not letting go of IP once they acquire it, I doubt it ever will be.
_
glass.
Sorcerers Apprentice
Hero
Nobody is going to buy WotC without the brands. WotC corporate is what, a management team and a few writers/artists? The value of the company is the brands, and the experience the company employees have in managing those particular brands. It's worthless without the full package.
