Would Paizo Make a Better Steward for Our Hobby?

[Argyle King]

I think the question of whether or not another company would want the D&D brand is a valid question to ask. Certainly, it carries a lot of weight, but it also comes with a lot of baggage. Look at some of the arguments during D&D 5E discussions and the edition wars. What I would like to see is what some of my favorite games would look like if they had the financial support that the D&D brand has.

 

[Sunseeker]

IOW, Paizo would end up in the same boat as WOTC if they did get the brand. That is the problem, it is no longer just a game..it is a brand. Yuck.

I'm not sure what the problem with that is.

D&D books have been popular for decades and are still some of the choice reading within modern fantasy.
D&D toys(such as minis and statuettes) are popular in many circles of D&D.
D&D video games are the basis for most RPGs on the market and several MMOs.

I'm really not sure what the problem is with there being more to D&D than just the TTRPG and it's mandatory accessories(such as dice). These things only devalue the core product when done poorly. Wizard's other star product MTG is certainly a brand and the fact that they make a variety of non-game-essential accessories certainly has done it no harm.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

That is, it makes interesting speculation, but produces nothing of real lasting value outside the conversation itself.

...You mean like 90% of all internet discussions, and 99% of all internet gaming discussions?

 

[Zardnaar]

Yes they probably would do a better job.

 

[MerricB]

My feeling is that Paizo would be great for supporting the game with a steady stream of adventures. That'd be great.

However, they'd make a dog's breakfast of the rules.

 

[Gundark]

I think that there is a tendency for people to say yes to Paizo. I get that Paizo is popular.

However being neutral to Paizo think that they wouldn't be as great as people think. They would run a large risk of turning of turning into what people dislike.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

They would clearly do better with D&D products, lore, and catering to the current base.

Whether Paizo would have the assets to continue to grow a brand as large as D&D is another question entirely.What I'd like to see is Paizo's creative and business staff married with WotC's resources.

C'mon WotC -- outsource to Paizo like you did with Dungeon and Dragon. You know you want to!

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

However being neutral to Paizo think that they wouldn't be as great as people think. They would run a large risk of turning of turning into what people dislike.

You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become a villain?

 

[trancejeremy]

Yes, I do.

For one, D&D as a game would be their main focus. How important is D&D to WOTC? Not very. How important is it to Hasbro? I guess they care about the brand name, but that's it, and yet they do little to actually promote the brand, because they have so many others.

And making a "dog's breakfast" of the rules would be better than anything WOTC has done lately with them. Based on what's happened with 4e and 5e, D&D could very well disappear as a product line, just kept alive as a brand for Hasbro to license out, and it will be because of WOTC's poor handling of the game.

 

[Morrus]

I think it would be interesting. I'd bet Greyhawk would become the foremost supported setting if Erik Mona had anything to say about it.

WotC may well knock 5E out of the park. D&D has been overtaken by other games before (White Wolf led it for a long time) and came roaring back with 3E to become to top dog again. If there's one thing that's always true it's that things always change.

Paizo is as concerned with multiple-product branding as WotC is. Novels, miniatures, plushies, comic books, an MMO, a card game; that's hardly a WotC-only trait.