WotC Who should own Wizards of the Coast if/when it is sold?

[Luminous]

Hopefully a businessman who also has a family?

 

[MGibster]

Ugh. Look at what Microsoft did with BattleTech shudder

Whatever happened to Battletech? In the 1990s it was hugely popular and I would have picked it over Warhammer 40k to become even more popular. But it's a shadow of what it once was.

 

[Zardnaar]

Ideally Kobold Press realistically video game company.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

When Hasbro has sold an IPs or subsudiary? Heroquest was an almost totally forgotten board game but they notices it deserved a second opportunity, and the crowdfunding has been successful. Transformer was an "old glory" but thanks Michael Bay's productions are again in the crest of the wave. Who would guess the reboot of My Little Pony would so popular, even more than the original?

My mind is very open about future merger and acquisitions, sometimes speculating fool ideas about future movements amongs the entertaiment megacorporations but I don't believe Hasbro was willing to sell WotC. If something happens, it will be linked with the complete corporation.

My theory is WotC will use a multiverse event to justify parallel worlds, and then the DM Guild would allow sourcebooks linked with the lore or fluff of the D&D worlds, for example a total reboot of Jakandor. And if some idea is very good, then allowed to become oficially canon.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Whatever happened to Battletech? In the 1990s it was hugely popular and I would have picked it over Warhammer 40k to become even more popular. But it's a shadow of what it once was.

Battletech is one of the best example of how sci-fi gets old. New generations miss current technology we can't see in the old sci-fi titles, for example the mobiles, the flat screens and the tablets. It is not only Battletech but also most of franchises within the mecha (giant robots) subgenre. Only transformers and some other are in the new wave now.

 

[Marc_C]

Asmodée. Their new division EDGE Studio is responsible for rpg development. They absorbed FFG's rpg design studio. MTG would probably end up under FFG's board and card game division.

 

[Zsong]

Luke Gygax

 

[Marc_C]

Battletech is one of the best example of how sci-fi gets old. New generations miss current technology we can't see in the old sci-fi titles, for example the mobiles, the flat screens and the tablets. It is not only Battletech but also most of franchises within the mecha (giant robots) subgenre. Only transformers and some other are in the new wave now.

Battletech is still extremely popular as a MMO computer game. The look and tech of the Mechs has been updated. There is no generation gap on that level.

The miniature game and rpg are owned by Catalyst Game Lab. The old metal miniatures are still produced and sold via Iron Wind Metal and they are butt ugly by today's standards. In 2018 Catalyst relaunched the game with new and better looking plastic miniatures. In 2019 they did a hugely successful KS to add more models to the collection.

The rpg has never been updated.

 

[Dragonblade]

I doubt Hasbro ever sells WotC. Hasbro bought WotC for 325 million in 1999. That was 20 years ago and those brands have only increased in value, especially with the advent of 5e, online streaming, etc. I was reading some shareholder information and Magic alone probably brings in close to 500 million in revenue. D&D wouldn't be that high, but with 5e and licensing I could see combined D&D revenue between 50 and 100 million.

That means D&D and Magic IP would be worth easily north of 1 Billion today, and nobody aside from a major game studio or media conglomerate can afford that. Technically, on paper it would be worth more (if 500 mill in revenue is accurate than 3-5 billion is in the ballpark), but given the risk and volatility of the tabletop market, I'm not sure someone would pay what its really worth, thus making it less likely that Hasbro wants to sell without extracting full value for their properties. Selling those properties for less would be foolish unless Hasbro itself is being broken up for some reason and all their properties go in a fire sale.

There is also no value in WotC as a niche tabletop publisher without D&D and Magic attached to it, so this notion of WotC being sold with Hasbro retaining the licenses is unlikely. Who would buy WotC without D&D and Magic? Nobody. The only way that works is if Hasbro decides to outsource all their publishing and includes WotC assets as part of some sort of long term licensing deal with an established big time publisher to take the reins of D&D. I would only see Asmodee even coming close to the kind of numbers Hasbro would expect as part of such a deal. Maybe Hasbro would consider a sweet heart deal with Paizo, but they would have to bring in some big investors to help them and Pathfinder gets mothballed.

D&D could be sold by itself, but that too would be a 500 million dollar deal at the low end. Nobody in tabletop today can realistically afford that without bringing in some equity partners, and I don't see big equity taking a gamble on the niche tabletop industry like that. Too much risk and not enough upside, even with the D&D name. I could potentially see a game studio like EA making a deal like that, because they could instantly capitalize on that IP in video games.

 

[Azzy]

Heh... Paizo.

Whoever ends up with it, assuming it actually does get sold, I hope they wouldn't create a new system and instead just iterate 5e with some QoL improvements.

 

[Zardnaar]

I doubt Hasbro ever sells WotC. Hasbro bought WotC for 325 million in 1999. That was 20 years ago and those brands have only increased in value, especially with the advent of 5e, online streaming, etc. I was reading some shareholder information and Magic alone probably brings in close to 500 million in revenue. D&D wouldn't be that high, but with 5e and licensing I could see combined D&D revenue between 50 and 100 million.

That means D&D and Magic IP would be worth easily north of 1 Billion today, and nobody aside from a major game studio or media conglomerate can afford that. Technically, on paper it would be worth more (if 500 mill in revenue is accurate than 3-5 billion is in the ballpark), but given the risk and volatility of the tabletop market, I'm not sure someone would pay what its really worth, thus making it less likely that Hasbro wants to sell without extracting full value for their properties. Selling those properties for less would be foolish unless Hasbro itself is being broken up for some reason and all their properties go in a fire sale.

There is also no value in WotC as a niche tabletop publisher without D&D and Magic attached to it, so this notion of WotC being sold with Hasbro retaining the licenses is unlikely. Who would buy WotC without D&D and Magic? Nobody. The only way that works is if Hasbro decides to outsource all their publishing and includes WotC assets as part of some sort of long term licensing deal with an established big time publisher to take the reins of D&D. I would only see Asmodee even coming close to the kind of numbers Hasbro would expect as part of such a deal. Maybe Hasbro would consider a sweet heart deal with Paizo, but they would have to bring in some big investors to help them and Pathfinder gets mothballed.

D&D could be sold by itself, but that too would be a 500 million dollar deal at the low end. Nobody in tabletop today can realistically afford that without bringing in some equity partners, and I don't see big equity taking a gamble on the niche tabletop industry like that. Too much risk and not enough upside, even with the D&D name. I could potentially see a game studio like EA making a deal like that, because they could instantly capitalize on that IP in video games.

I doubt D&D is worth 500 million.

Entire hobby is what 50-60 million a year WotC only gets a slice of that then has to pay expenses. Wouldn't be surprised if it "only" brings in ten or twenty million minus expenses.

If they wanted to sell and someone waved $100-200 million cash under their noses.....