WotC WotC Cancels 5 Video Games

While D&D itself seems to be still growing rapidly nearly 10 years after the launch of 5th Edition, WotC has recently scaled back its video game plans, costing up to 15 people their jobs, although they may be able to relocate within the company. WotC spoke to Bloomberg and told the site that they were "still committed to using digital games" and that the change in plans was designed to focus on "games which are strategically aligned with developing our existing brands and those which show promise in expanding or engaging our audience in new ways."

Studios working on games for WotC include Otherside Entertainment and Hidden Path Entertainment. WotC owns 6 video game studios in various cities according to CEO Cynthia Williams in an interview with GeekWire.

We’ve announced six different studios that are first-party and owned. There’s Archetype in Austin that’s working on a sci-fi game that we’re really excited about. It’s a new IP.

You’ve got Atomic Arcade in Raleigh-Durham, that’s working on a very mature G.I. Joe game, and then, Invoke is working on a D&D game. The key piece I’d tell you is that we have been really fortunate to hire some amazing industry veterans, who have a passion for the brands and games that they’re building.

The Bloomberg article also mentions an internal cancelled project code-named 'Jabberwocky', but does not say what that was.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

This link should be to a non-paywalled version of the article:

BNN Bloomberg - Canada Business News, TSX Today, Oil and Energy Prices

Get the latest Canadian business news, including TSX updates, changes to oil and energy prices, and Bank of Canada coverage. Explore stock market investing and get expert financial insights on investment portfolio strategies.

www.bnnbloomberg.ca

Five videogames being cancelled, when they have six studios, might mean all but one of the studios had the game they were currently working on cancelled. If so, I'm praying the one that didn't was Archetype Entertainment's sci-fi CRPG, but given their failure to up the number of people working on it, I suspect that it's one of the ones that got the chop.

From the article, they're just massively scaling back their video game approach, which is interesting, given mere months or even weeks ago it was seen as a priority.

Also interesting they're aiming for only 15 people to lose their jobs entirely, by letting people change roles. One wonders if this ties in with the 350 people they're getting to work on the 3D VTT.

 

[Scribe]

Oof.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Yeah it's not great. Together with their troubles with MtG (still making a lot of money, but also a lot of people somewhat annoyed), getting downgraded by BoA, and selling eOne despite it apparently being important to getting D&D:HAT made, and falling toy product sales, it looks like D&D maybe Hasbro's shining star here. Which puts a lot of pressure on D&D to make them a lot of money. It is particularly surprising given a while back they implied the only way they'd make big money longer-term was through videogames. That said another source suggested Archetype Entertainment might indeed be safe, so there is that.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

That is truly bizarre news. Seemingly a 180 from just a few months ago, with no clear reason to make such a change in focus.

EDIT: A 180 from last month in fact.

 

[JEB]

That is truly bizarre news. Seemingly a 180 from just a few months ago, with no clear reason to make such a change in focus.

EDIT: A 180 from last month in fact.

I wonder if their fourth-quarter financials aren't looking so hot.

 

[mamba]

Also interesting they're aiming for only 15 people to lose their jobs entirely, by letting people change roles. One wonders if this ties in with the 350 people they're getting to work on the 3D VTT.

this seems to have a lot to do with the fact that at least some of the projects they cancelled were outsourced to independent studios

"Fewer than 15 people at Wizards of the Coast will lose their jobs due to the shift and will be given a chance to apply to new roles within the company, the spokesman said.

But the reorganization will land hard for several independent studios such as Boston-based Otherside Entertainment and Bellevue, Washington-based Hidden Path Entertainment, both of which were working on games for Wizards of the Coast."

 

[Ruin Explorer]

this seems to have a lot to do with the fact that at least some of the projects they cancelled were outsourced to independent studios

"Fewer than 15 people at Wizards of the Coast will lose their jobs due to the shift and will be given a chance to apply to new roles within the company, the spokesman said.

But the reorganization will land hard for several independent studios such as Boston-based Otherside Entertainment and Bellevue, Washington-based Hidden Path Entertainment, both of which were working on games for Wizards of the Coast."

Good point.

Otherside are Warren Spector's guys (one of the first names I remember from a game's credits, back in Worlds of Ultima: Savage Empire which I played in like 1991!), and Hidden Path are the Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Defense Grid people. Both didn't seem to be developing any games but their D&D games.

 

[Umbran]

From the article, they're just massively scaling back their video game approach, which is interesting, given mere months or even weeks ago it was seen as a priority.

So, if you want to make big money in videogames, quantity may not beat quality. If the cancelled games were some combination of behind on schedule, over on budget, or not seeming like they'd be good, cancelling them and putting folks on other projects may make a lot of sense.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Good point.

Otherside are Warren Spector's guys (one of the first names I remember from a game's credits, back in Worlds of Ultima: Savage Empire which I played in like 1991!), and Hidden Path are the Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Defense Grid people. Both didn't seem to be developing any games but their D&D games.

I loved Savage Empire! One of my all-time favorites. Martian Dreams was pretty good too.