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.

 

[Scribe]

Probably, but I don't see what that has to do with the "D&D is undermonetized" comment.

I mean the statement is/was true.

They sit on a great IP, and cannot even cross promote or merchandise it properly.

It's actually amusingly bad.

 

[Lorehand_GM]

I like the idea of returning to the table more... But they just spend the last couple years telling me that online microtransactions were the future. Something about a billion-dollar-franchise.

It would be cool if they had an online tool that allowed me to drag and drop items like monster statblocks and dungeon elements into a helper module of some sort. Guessing there would be some AI involved, but if it can help with structure and certain elements of design, then I might be in.

I'm building an AI tool that helps DM's keep their lore in tact, buffs your worldbuilding, polishes dungeon level designs that always end up incredibly immersive, and it helps DM's run environmental elements both online and in person! My AI model has cut my DM prep time by 80%. That is not hyperbole.

If you're interested, I'll share more when it's getting ready for user testing. I'm going to seek out around 20 DM's to try it for free.

 

[Lorehand_GM]

I like the idea of returning to the table more... But they just spend the last couple years telling me that online microtransactions were the future. Something about a billion-dollar-franchise.

It would be cool if they had an online tool that allowed me to drag and drop items like monster statblocks and dungeon elements into a helper module of some sort. Guessing there would be some AI involved, but if it can help with structure and certain elements of design, then I might be in.

Would you like to be a tester for my custom AI model for ttrpg GM's? It does a lot of the elements you're speaking of with grounded immersion that can be utilized online and in-person.

 

[Hussar]

Yes, how dare people keep bringing up the genuinely terrible things that this company actually did in real life!

I know right? Legally trying to recover missing property by using a collection agency? The horror of terrible things. Attempting to change a contract and then immediately backing off and not changing anything, only to release everything under an even better contract? My goodness, what a terrible company. It's almost like they are evil incarnate.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I remember there was a Warcraft d20, and also a Everquest RPG by the same publisher, using a variant of d20.

I have just read Hasbro and Amazon are working together for a future action-live production of "My Little Pony". Let's remember other projects about Hasbro franchises like Magic or G.I.Joe.

I can't believe the Chinese company Pop Mart could make a lot of money thanks the little monster "Labubu". Aren't strange the reasons because a franchise could become very popular and loved?

D&D offers different styles, it can be gothic horror like "Raveloft" or child-friendly like "Witchlight". Maybe in the next two years there is an animated show in Netflix whose main characters are kenders from Dragonlance, and more focused into comedy than epic, and then kenders become the most popular PC specie. Who can guess that kind of things?

Or D&D could show mash-up version of other franchises, for example an isekai version of "Jem and the Holograms" following a style like "K-Pop demon hunters".

How would be a Dragonlance videogame with the gameplay of BG3 but a vintage visual look like a JRPG from 90s or 00s? And a manga version of Dragonlance novels?

Now Hasbro wants to introduce publicly D&D like a family-friendly brand, but after in the backdoor players can choose a different no-so-childish tone.

To produce other videogame like BG3 isn't easy. If it was then other studios would try to follow the same steps with their own IPs.

D&D i the leviathan in TTRPG industry but comparing with the rest of entertaiment industry it is a little fish in the middle of the ocean. The brand can become more famous thanks new books, videogames or Hollywood productions but these projects need time, money and work.