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WotC will do what you say for 5 years. What are your instructions?
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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7803331" data-attributes="member: 29398"><p>I'm in charge of WotC for the next 5 years? Lookout, gaming world! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> By game, with some general bits first:</p><p></p><p>CORPORATE STUFF:</p><p></p><p>1. Make sure we immediately return to having a full corporate presence at the four major Cons - GenCon, Origins, the big UK one, and the big German one (I forget the names of those last two) and that we're running the core sessions and tournaments of our major games (most notably D&D and M:tG) in-house rather than farming it out to third-parties who, IME, do a less-than-stellar job.</p><p></p><p>2. Pick half a dozen other significant Cons around the world and do the same there; and GaryCon.</p><p></p><p>3. Do what I can to give our people at least some job security for as long as I'm in charge.</p><p></p><p>4. Branch out into a few gaming-themed businesses such as restaurants and pubs.; start in Seattle and work outwards from there, using our IP and games to promote the pub or restaurant and using it to in turn promote our games. Maybe shoot to have ten of each in North America within five years, with no two in the same city.</p><p></p><p>D&D:</p><p></p><p>1. design and release a complete conversion guide between all 5 main editions plus BECMI and OD&D, such that material published for any edition can be easily ported over to any other. (this expands our new-material market to anyone playing D&D, not just those playing the current version)</p><p></p><p>2. design and release a decent guide to worldbuilding and setting design. (amazed we've never done this)</p><p></p><p>3. write a bunch of not-necessarily-connected small (16-32 page) adventure modules with detached hard-card covers (a la early-era TSR), covering all types of adventures and at all character levels. Release these at a rate of 3 to 5 per year.</p><p></p><p>4. put all settings not named Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms under the OGL such that people can re-release them or update them or whatever (settings are expensive to produce, and we've got other things that need funds).</p><p></p><p>5. design a decent D&D website that supports all editions and includes the following for each: character generator, online play space, discussion forums, allowance for house rules, complete spell lists combined from all editions, complete item lists (and costs!) as per each edition, a master list of monsters statted out for each edition, and so forth. (I know we have it in us to do a good website, as we already have one for M:tG)</p><p></p><p>6. for any past publication that isn't ever going to be reprinted, put a free-access .pdf of it up on our website. For any past publication that is going to be reprinted, reprint it now and get it into the market.</p><p></p><p>7. take one of our major D&D franchises (Dragonlance?) and license someone competent in Hollywood to make a good movie (or a few, a la LotR) or TV series (a la GoT) out of it.</p><p></p><p>8. reach out to some who have in the past done third-party design based on D&D (Judges' Guild, I'm looking at you) and invite them into the company.</p><p></p><p>9. over time, re-work 5e into a series of systems each fully compatible with the others, where one is quite simple, one is roughly as it is now, and one is rules-heavy. Make each as modular as possible, such that someone could mix and match between these editions if so desired (e.g. use all the rules-heavy stuff for exploration but use the simple combat module).</p><p></p><p>10. tied to our website, design and implement a set-up where people can get gaming minis 3-d printed to spec, at a reasonable cost to the consumer and reasonable but not crazy profit to us.</p><p></p><p>M:tG:</p><p></p><p>1. do away with the 'reserved list' and start reprinting the old power cards; even if they're not legal for tournaments people will still snap 'em up.</p><p></p><p>2. I've no concrete ideas on how to even start this, but do something to make the game fun again; even if only by perception. It's become far too serious and cutthroat over the years.</p><p></p><p>3. re-work the deal with our card artists so we're not shorting them any more.</p><p></p><p>4. bring back the randomized 60-card 'starter packs'.</p><p></p><p>5. release a D&D themed block or two - make use of our IP from this and other games (e.g. in an Eberron expansion there could be some artifact creatures named after the robots in Roborally). Cross-pollinate like mad!</p><p></p><p>OTHER GAMES:</p><p></p><p>1. get our old properties e.g. Diplomacy, Roborally, various Avalon Hill games, etc. back in active circulation if they are not already. Cross-pollinate where possible when designing and releasing new games or rebooting old ones.</p><p></p><p>2. don't aggressively acquire other gaming companies as such, but keep an eye out for any that fail on their own and try to snap up their IP.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 7803331, member: 29398"] I'm in charge of WotC for the next 5 years? Lookout, gaming world! :) By game, with some general bits first: CORPORATE STUFF: 1. Make sure we immediately return to having a full corporate presence at the four major Cons - GenCon, Origins, the big UK one, and the big German one (I forget the names of those last two) and that we're running the core sessions and tournaments of our major games (most notably D&D and M:tG) in-house rather than farming it out to third-parties who, IME, do a less-than-stellar job. 2. Pick half a dozen other significant Cons around the world and do the same there; and GaryCon. 3. Do what I can to give our people at least some job security for as long as I'm in charge. 4. Branch out into a few gaming-themed businesses such as restaurants and pubs.; start in Seattle and work outwards from there, using our IP and games to promote the pub or restaurant and using it to in turn promote our games. Maybe shoot to have ten of each in North America within five years, with no two in the same city. D&D: 1. design and release a complete conversion guide between all 5 main editions plus BECMI and OD&D, such that material published for any edition can be easily ported over to any other. (this expands our new-material market to anyone playing D&D, not just those playing the current version) 2. design and release a decent guide to worldbuilding and setting design. (amazed we've never done this) 3. write a bunch of not-necessarily-connected small (16-32 page) adventure modules with detached hard-card covers (a la early-era TSR), covering all types of adventures and at all character levels. Release these at a rate of 3 to 5 per year. 4. put all settings not named Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms under the OGL such that people can re-release them or update them or whatever (settings are expensive to produce, and we've got other things that need funds). 5. design a decent D&D website that supports all editions and includes the following for each: character generator, online play space, discussion forums, allowance for house rules, complete spell lists combined from all editions, complete item lists (and costs!) as per each edition, a master list of monsters statted out for each edition, and so forth. (I know we have it in us to do a good website, as we already have one for M:tG) 6. for any past publication that isn't ever going to be reprinted, put a free-access .pdf of it up on our website. For any past publication that is going to be reprinted, reprint it now and get it into the market. 7. take one of our major D&D franchises (Dragonlance?) and license someone competent in Hollywood to make a good movie (or a few, a la LotR) or TV series (a la GoT) out of it. 8. reach out to some who have in the past done third-party design based on D&D (Judges' Guild, I'm looking at you) and invite them into the company. 9. over time, re-work 5e into a series of systems each fully compatible with the others, where one is quite simple, one is roughly as it is now, and one is rules-heavy. Make each as modular as possible, such that someone could mix and match between these editions if so desired (e.g. use all the rules-heavy stuff for exploration but use the simple combat module). 10. tied to our website, design and implement a set-up where people can get gaming minis 3-d printed to spec, at a reasonable cost to the consumer and reasonable but not crazy profit to us. M:tG: 1. do away with the 'reserved list' and start reprinting the old power cards; even if they're not legal for tournaments people will still snap 'em up. 2. I've no concrete ideas on how to even start this, but do something to make the game fun again; even if only by perception. It's become far too serious and cutthroat over the years. 3. re-work the deal with our card artists so we're not shorting them any more. 4. bring back the randomized 60-card 'starter packs'. 5. release a D&D themed block or two - make use of our IP from this and other games (e.g. in an Eberron expansion there could be some artifact creatures named after the robots in Roborally). Cross-pollinate like mad! OTHER GAMES: 1. get our old properties e.g. Diplomacy, Roborally, various Avalon Hill games, etc. back in active circulation if they are not already. Cross-pollinate where possible when designing and releasing new games or rebooting old ones. 2. don't aggressively acquire other gaming companies as such, but keep an eye out for any that fail on their own and try to snap up their IP. [/QUOTE]
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