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.

 

[mamba]

Even if they did have plans to make custom minis, so what? I buy minis now for my game, why should a digital mini be any different?

no so what, just to counter the 'they never said anything about / planned and microtransactions' a bit

Micro-transactions always struck me as the mythical boogie-man hiding under the bed to destroy D&D. You could never buy anything that would make your character more powerful, there was always going to be a DM running the game. Want a little bling? That's nothing new.

it also still is a microtransaction... there are plenty games that offer purely cosmetic ones

 

[Aldarc]

They did make it possible to turn into an owlbear, but they could definitely do more.

Listen my children,
Of what I had done
With the 3.5 build
Of lil Pun Pun.
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow probably

 

[AlViking]

no so what, just to counter the 'they never said anything about / planned and microtransactions' a bit


it also still is a microtransaction... there are plenty games that offer purely cosmetic ones

We have no idea what kind of cost structure they had in mind. From the looks of it, neither did they.

 

[Remathilis]

of course that was after they had given up on Sigil, so there was no point in charging for it

Still a better precedent than something like MultiVerses

 

[geek0id]

View attachment 416364

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.

 

[geek0id]

View attachment 416364

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.

 

[geek0id]

View attachment 416364

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.

 

[Cergorach]

I think they're just acknowledging that in-person play is important and to counter the argument that I've seen made that they're pushing for more and more online play.

The reality is that depending on the occasion we would love to play in person, BUT... Our group of friends moved all over the country, and some moved to different countries. Playing every other week in person just isn't an option, especially not when a player is on the other side of the globe. We're also in a point in our lives where travelling for four hours to play another four hours isn't at all desirable, even the folks that only have to travel two hours prefer to spend those with their kids instead.

We've moved on to get together once or twice a year depending on when our overseas friend is back in town and spend a weekend playing games, including D&D. But Online is here to stay, whether some WotC manager wants it that way or not...

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

They could easily have pulled that off eventually, but it needed to be good, affordable, accessible, and in massive amounts of choice. That would have taken dedication, patience, and oodles of resources. Something WotC/Hasbro obviously doesn't have.

Also note that a year before WotC closed Sigil down, they started licensing D&D to far more capable VTTs (like Foundry), that could already do their stuff in 3D (as an option) and they were missing out partly because folks either imported their DND Beyond stuff into their VTT via a 3rd party or they just used a fan site to import stuff without paying anything (Arrr matey! Piracy of the worst sort! ). So they started licensing their IP out so they could get more of the pie. Mean while something like TaleSpire was already doing 3D VTT so darned well via Steam, cross platform (Win/Mac), that a Sigil would need to fight an uphill battle...

I've bought every official D&D Foundry VTT module to date (it's only been six), at $30/module, no printing, transportation, storage cost/fees, and no tariffs. I've been forced to look at some pretty darned good PF2e modules because at the time, there was almost NO official D&D modules. Two hundred buck on tokens and a carddeck, $120 for a adventure/campaign (Kingmaker), and that just on PF2e modules (besides PDFs and Bundles). Spend quite a bit on other FVTT modules, probably ~$1500 in the last 2,5 years, with probably another $500 on related services and software. I wouldn't spend that on WotC services, not because I wouldn't want to, but because I don't trust them to keep it up and running. But looking at what people spend on (a previously ancient) VTT like Roll20, it can be BIG business, especially when you not only own the VTT, but also the IP. You could get a big cut from third party sellers on the platform for doing very little. Essentially becoming the Valve/Steam for VTTs...

Keep in mind that folks have a budget. When people normally bought books, only a VERY small part of the MSRP would end up in the hands of WotC, retailers, distributors, transport, storage, printing, etc. All cost a LOT, when previously they only got maybe 30% of a $60 book ($18), now they could keep the whole $30 they would ask for a purly digital product. (excluding payment costs). And they could still sell the physical books AND the digital products for their 3D VTT. And if they did it well, they could also sell STLs of the monsters for an adventure... Maybe create multiple different subscriptions, etc. Services like text-to-speech (read aloud texts), AI/LLM integration (generating text), image generation based on their image catalogue, speech-to-text for gaming logs, world building, blog space, campaign tracking, etc.

But alas, they threw up their hands and screamed "DIFFICULT!" and walked away...

 

[geek0id]

Counter point: John hight is a rech bro wannabe who can't cut it in the tech industry, so he is trying, oh so desperately to bring the tech world to DnD and failed . Now it is trying to bring the marvel model to DnD. It continues to not understand the customer base of DnD.

 

[Dire Bare]

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

Huh? Why would WotC NOT pursue video games based on D&D?

Especially since Baldur's Gate 3 was so very recently incredibly successful?

There have been two D&D MMOs so far, "D&D Online" and "Neverwinter" . . . both successful enough they are still running today. But they are both older games based on older versions of D&D and have rather dated graphics and gameplay. A new MMO . . . if done well, of course . . . would be a welcome addition, IMO.