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]

You don't say...

If I was a Hasbro shareholder I'd be alarmed.

Spaceballs had this figured out how long ago? GI Joe? Transformers?

Big yikes.

 

[Dire Bare]

And you still could John Hight!
A movie that's available on THREE streaming platforms in the US and in the top 50 on two of them (Netflix and Paramount) despite being years old. It would also be a good way to push Levy-Netflix to push forward with the TV show they bought from Paramount

No, not really.

I mean, sure, WotC could release an "Honor Among Thieves" book next year or so . . . but that would be a terrible business decision. The time for a tie-in was when the movie was released in theatres.

 

[Superchunk77]

Another D&D MMORPG? Bahahaha. What is with this company and video games.

 

[aco175]

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.

 

[Chaltab]

What they're saying sounds sensible enough but I'm always gonna be skeptical until I see results.

 

[mamba]

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.

Their microtransaction dreams imploded alongside Sigil, not that those would have ever gotten them to the 1B mark

 

[mamba]

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.

will allow is most likely true, but I need to see results first before I give it much credence

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

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.

No, they didn't. People online decided that's what "monetization" meant, despite zero evidence.

 

[AlViking]

I think it was interesting what he said about video game development "In addition, Wizards of the Coast operates a central content development team that any of its internal or external studios can draw on. The idea, he says, is to have a 'set of artists and designers that are trained up on the IP, that have a love and affection for the IP and an understanding of it, and can effectively move from one game to the next.'"

I could easily see multiple games using shared resources. As he states, that would in theory help level out the cycle of game development where you have to have a huge number of people to create a game and then they either get laid off or aren't fully utilized (or more likely during "peak" periods have no life outside of work).

Of course everything is vaporware until we see an actual game, but I also see no reason to guess at future performance based on past performance. I think BG 3 proved two things - a D&D game can make a lot of money but also that WOTC kind of blew it by not having a committed team to do follow through which apparently pissed off Larian. Doesn't mean they'll do any better but it seems like they're acknowledging the issue.

Other notes - they acknowledge that they're looking into AI but only in support of development and AI will never be the final product. I find it interesting what he said but discussing anything AI on this forum never really ends well. It also doesn't sound like there's a huge push for an MMO in the near future and if they do one they'll take a different approach.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

It also doesn't sound like there's a huge push for an MMO in the near future and if they do one they'll take a different approach.

MMOs as a category are pretty much dead, at least when it comes to launching new ones. Even Star Wars' second (and much more commercial) one is kind of just hanging around as a free to play game, rather than being the big WoW-killing moneymaker it was envisioned as.

Unless something drastic changes in the marketplace, I think we'll see more games like Sea of Thieves or Fortnite, where lots of people can play together, but which don't require the kind of expensive content creation we saw during the heyday of MMOs.