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.

 

[EthanSental]

Despite playing face-to-face, out of the six participants in my current Greyhawk campaign, only two of us are rocking it old school with pen & paper. Four of the players are using D&D Beyond for everything including rolling dice. I do think WotC will continue to encourage players and DMs to make use of D&D Beyond or whatever else they come up with even when you're playing with your pals at the kitchen table. While I personally have mixed feelings about it, I don't have any moral objections.


I was more than a little surprised as well. Hopefully they manage to maintain quality while releasing tie-in products in a timely fashion. I don't imagine it's actually that easy to coordinate production schedules between different forms of media.

I was a holdout and using pen and paper until we were playing pathfinder and needed the app to keep up with all the feats. Then using the iPad at the table for 5e for the aging eyes and being able to blow up things to read easier than flipping on reading glasses to see my bonuses and such on the character sheet.

 

[MGibster]

I was a holdout and using pen and paper until we were playing pathfinder and needed the app to keep up with all the feats. Then using the iPad at the table for 5e for the aging eyes and being able to blow up things to read easier than flipping on reading glasses to see my bonuses and such on the character sheet.

Brother, I might be there soon. Every time I go to the optometrist I think it's finally time for the bifocals. I have to use reading glasses when painting my miniatures.

 

[EthanSental]

same on the mini painting and in fact just bought a desk lamp magnifier off Amazon tonight to help with that part of the hobby!

 

[Minigiant]

$10 says the MMO is a mobile game

 

[Azzy]

Brother, I might be there soon. Every time I go to the optometrist I think it's finally time for the bifocals. I have to use reading glasses when painting my miniatures.

I've already reached the bifocal stage and I feel you on the painting miniatures front.

 

[Cergorach]

A reminder, as people were insisting that D&D was on the path to microtransactions, WotC eliminated DnDBeyond microtransactions.

I don't inherently dislike DLC (microtransactions), it just depends what it is, for what it is, how it's priced, how long you can use it, etc. Would I like $8 horse armor? No. Do I like a $5/$30/$120 VTT module? Sure, just depends on what it is.

People forget that when they buy a bear or a cup of coffee, how long exactly is that staying in your system. Of when you get fast-food, at McDonald's, it leaves your body even faster, with effects, and it has very little nutritional value...

And the splitting up of books into small transactions isn't bad for the consumer when they still have options to buy the whole thing at a reduced price. The only thing WotC did was remove options for the consumer. And it wasn't for the consumers benefit, as small transactions have a high cost to the payment provider, so WotC gets less. Plus that they are now 'forcing' folks to buy the whole book instead of just what they wanted/needed.

If there is a LEGO: D&D... why not a Playmobil: D&D?

At the same time? Then you would be competing in the same space with mostly the same audience, not something your partner would want. But when the deal with Lego is done, why not also Playmobil.

 

[kermit4karate]

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.

Ha! Preach.

 

[kirkq]

Some of us read: Wizards of the Coast Head Explodes...

Some of us really wanted that to be the case... not literally of course. But PLEASE realize that we, the players, don't want so much monetization and cross-over as defaults...
I don't want DnD to become MtG.

 

[bedir than]

Then you would be competing in the same space with mostly the same audience,

LEGO's biggest profit makers are the massive, boutique sets designed for well off adults.

Playmobil is what those adults get their friends and family when they have a toddler's birthday. It's a kids toy still.

 

[AlViking]

Some of us really wanted that to be the case... not literally of course. But PLEASE realize that we, the players, don't want so much monetization and cross-over as defaults...
I don't want DnD to become MtG.

DnD isn't and without a total redesign of the game can't become MtG. Obviously they want a steady revenue stream from DndBeyond and they want to make a profit on other products. That's how capitalism works - nobody publishes a game unless they believe they can make money off of it.

For what it's worth, I can kind of see their point that D&D is under monetized but I'm not talking about the game itself. Previous editions seem to show that flooding the market with product doesn't really increase revenue and I don't see any way they could enforce trading cards or pay for bonus microtransactions. I do think there are likely plenty of opportunities to leverage the brand recognition in video games and other media.