D&D General WotC Has Owned D&D Longer Than TSR Did

As Matt Forbeck pointed out on Twitter, WotC has owned D&D for 24 years since it purchased TSR in 1997. TSR created D&D in 1974, 23 years before WotC bought it.

 

[Marc Radle]

Supposedly it was Gail Gygax who convinced them to go with the alliterative name--before that it was just 'The Fantasy Game'.

Nope, it was Gary’s young daughter. Gary listed a bunch of alliterative names on a sheet of paper (including Dungeons & Dragons, Castles & Crusades, etc.) and his daughter was drawn most to Dungeons & Dragons

 

[Parmandur]

Honestly, this freaks me out a lot less than the realization, three years ago, that we had passed the point when the Berlin Wall had been gone longer than it had been up.

I have no memory of the Soviet Union even existing, though there was some overlap.

 

[Parmandur]

A good time to sell it to Free League, Modiphius, or Paizo.

Lol, Hasbro isn't selling anything.

 

[billd91]

I have no memory of the Soviet Union even existing, though there was some overlap.

Whippersnapper.

 

[Ogre Mage]

Given how bleak the D&D business situation was in 1996-1997, my then early 20s self would be relieved and surprised to see how popular and visible D&D is today. Back then I thought D&D had become an anachronism (of the 20th century) whose glory days were past. It was going to fade away.

 

[Parmandur]

Whippersnapper.

Tell that to my kids, or my grey hair.

 

[KentDT]

Correction, HASBRO owned it longer (than both). And lot of good that did. I think D&D would have been way better had WotC not been tied down by Hasbro. I'll never forget Sean Reynolds "Forgotten Rum" story about what went on behind closed doors for D&D's future.

What is the “Forgotten Rum” story?

 

[Sunsword]

Correction, HASBRO owned it longer (than both). And lot of good that did. I think D&D would have been way better had WotC not been tied down by Hasbro. I'll never forget Sean Reynolds "Forgotten Rum" story about what went on behind closed doors for D&D's future.

5E is a pretty darn good critical & commercial success. Its really hard to play "What If...". If Hasbro didn't own WotC would 4E have sunk the IP? Would Paizo have bought the IP?

 

[HomegrownHydra]

What is the “Forgotten Rum” story?

Bards Rumors

 

[Parmandur]

Bards Rumors

Charming. Very fine example of how to win friends and influence people.

Not terribly relevant to the current state if D&D, at any rate.