Wizards of the Coast Head Explains Benefits to D&D Franchise Model

The head of Wizards of the Coast believes that moving to a franchise model will allow for more alignment between D&D multimedia and the core D&D tabletop game. Recently, Wizards of the Coast president John Hight spoke with GameIndustry.biz in a wide-ranging interview about the gaming company. Much of the interview was spent on Wizards' digital gaming ambitions, but Hight did speak about the realignment of the company to a franchise model.

Under the franchise model, all D&D-related operations now run through Dan Ayoub as opposed to having different arms for entertainment, video games, and tabletop. In the interview, Hight stated that the franchise model would allow for better coordination - specifically between different aspects of the franchise. One example was the D&D movie, which had relatively limited crossover with the D&D tabletop game. "We'd love to have had a D&D book or campaign a part and parcel with the movie," he says.

He also noted that Stranger Things - which is receiving a new tie-in project next month - could be integrated more with the game. "It'd be nice to have that all lined up, so when this thing rolls out, we've got a campaign for you to enjoy that's something you saw on the show, or the characters in the show."

Additionally, Hight noted that another side to the franchise model is to fully align the digital and physical sides of play, which he hopes will lead to in-person play. "Unfortunately, because of COVID, there's a whole generation of gamers that has spent a good deal of their time playing only online," he said. "And they're re-discovering the joy of being able to play together. What I want us to be able to do is have players move fairly seamlessly between in person play and online play."

Elsewhere in the interview, Hight hinted at a new D&D MMORPG, stating that he has encouraged development of a new MMO but stopped shy of saying a project was officially in the works.

 

[bedir than]

Some of you have never heard of enshittification and it shows.

They could do that in a franchise model, a studio model, an indie model -- enshittification, like the rants against capitalism existing, isn't related to the change in model

 

[Hussar]

Some of you have never heard of enshittification and it shows.

No, it's more that some of us have heard about the "enshittification" of D&D for decades now and we're rather tired of it. Weren't you the one who started the whole "talking to conservative games is exhausting" rant? Well, this is a perfect example of that. No matter what WotC says or does, there will be a very vocal segment of the fandom that will proclaim that D&D is dying and this is just another example of how things were better in the past.

I mean, good grief, people are talking, in this thread, about how D&D was better as a privately traded company. Sure, we gots lots of books, but, it did mean that the company went out of business. As a publicly traded company, D&D is now the largest it has ever been. By, like, a lot. We've got video games, a movie, and more choices than ever before.

But, it's all bad because WotC is doing it. Cue "Pinkertons" "OGL scandal" and whatever other proof of how dastardly WotC is.

 

[Parmandur]

Some of you have never heard of enshittification and it shows.

I have heard of enshittification. I have also heard of hammers, that doesn't mean everything I see is a nail.

 

[mamba]

Not to be obtuse, but, isn't the OGL (or now the CC) model essentially what is meant by a "franchise" model?

no, for one there is no payment to WotC for the right to use something and for another you can use it to create anything, even a competing TTRPG, rather than something in the D&D universe

 

[Divine2021]

I mean, I don’t like WotC either, but the constant complaining about the same things ad nausem is tired. You aren’t critiquing in an interesting and thoughtful manner, you’re repeating talking points.

 

[The Soloist]

At this point it's not even discussing, it's heckling.

 

[MichaelSomething]

The problem isn't companies making a profit, it is companies serving shareholders instead of customers.

And there are dozens, if not hundreds, of creators out there creating TTRPGs for the love the art instead of to sell. You can always go play those!

 

[Stormonu]

​

The head of Wizards of the Coast believes that moving to a franchise model will allow for more alignment between D&D multimedia and the core D&D tabletop game.

What alignment would that be - Lawful Evil?

Just make a good D&D game guys, stop trying to flood it into areas where it's just money down the drain.

 

[Echohawk]

They could be finding homes for three legged kittens and this would still be painted as unethical.

Without bothering to first equip the poor felines with bionic limbs? The monsters!

 

[AlViking]

Without bothering to first equip the poor felines with bionic limbs? The monsters!

Great. First it starts with a fourth leg, then it's other minor enhancements. Next thing you know it's thumbs and they realize they don't need us any more because they can open the cans of tuna for themselves and they take over the world.