WotC has a plan for their D&D archive. What is it!?

[Deset Gled]

I really don't see them creating a physical D&D museum, a place you could go visit in person. That would be cool, but very unlikely to happen.

A museum focused on just D+D is a bit of a pipe dream, but Hasbro has started doing some work with museums: Hasbro exhibit coming to Springfield Museum of History pays tribute to Milton Bradley | masslive.com

It looks like they're just doing stuff with the Milton Bradley lines so far, which makes sense because its probably the oldest active product line they have. But I think it would be possible for them to expand the exhibit into some of the history of their other brand lines. I doubt they'll get to the point of owning their own complete museum any time soon, but small projects like this or traveling exhibits could be feasible.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I hope they make a huge museum with all sorts of great geekery there. Then they scan the lot and offer them PoD and PDF for all time. Only available direct from the WotC website. All sweet.

 

[Lanefan]

I hope they make a huge museum with all sorts of great geekery there.

We-ell, considering Seattle already has a rock'n'roll museum and a science fiction museum perhaps this ain't as big a stretch as it might first appear.

That said, before WotC got bought out by Hasbro they operated a "Game Centre" in Seattle's University district, and was that thing ever a geek-out dream! Basement entirely given over to card tables and D&D set-ups, main floor a retail store and video arcade, top floor continued the arcade and had (I think) gaming rooms. Attached nextdoor was a cheap pizza-and-burger restaurant with a gaming theme. On all the walls were original Magic art pieces and other assorted memorabilia.

As soon as Hasbro took over they ripped it all apart. A shame.

Lanefan

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

I hope WotC's plan is nothing like the plan the Cylons had.

I for one welcome our new robot Overlords if they look like Tricia Helfer

 

[Minicol]

Well, I am interested in this one.

IF they do things right with this, I might consider them a respectable company again.

Just kidding small scale.

Yeah, they have an opportunity here. Let's see what they do with it.

 

[Eridanis]

The archivist/librarian in me is agog that it took 15 years to bring it to Renton! Wow.

 

[mudbunny]

If I were head of D+D, I would create a special message board and put out an open call for all the armchair-businessmen of the internet to post their ideas about what WotC should do with the archive to make money and preserve the history of D+D. I would then watch them argue about it incessantly on the internet for months. When I got bored, I would review all of the ideas proposed, and do the exact opposite.

And that's why I'm not in charge of D+D. That, and my lack of game design experience. Well, my lack of game design experience and refusal to relocate my family. That thing above, lack of experience, refusal to relocate, and an annoying number of Monty Python references are among the reasons why I am not in charge of D+D.

And llamas. Don't forget the llamas!!

 

[Dire Bare]

The archivist/librarian in me is agog that it took 15 years to bring it to Renton! Wow.

My thoughts too. First thing I said to my cat after reading the article was, "They've been sitting on a warehouse full of product for 15 years?!?! Crazy!" It is very weird, but in a way I'm glad, I'm not sure TSR or WotC was necessarily "ready" to properly handle the archive, and I'm hoping that now they are in the "right place" to do it justice. We'll see.

 

[Greatwyrm]

"They've been sitting on a warehouse full of product for 15 years?!?! Crazy!"

Just imagine if someone had forgotten to pay the storage bill and the whole lot ended up on one of those Storage Wars type shows.

 

[El Mahdi]

My thoughts too. First thing I said to my cat after reading the article was, "They've been sitting on a warehouse full of product for 15 years?!?! Crazy!" It is very weird, but in a way I'm glad, I'm not sure TSR or WotC was necessarily "ready" to properly handle the archive, and I'm hoping that now they are in the "right place" to do it justice. We'll see.

What did your cat have to say about it...?