Hasbro Hires Warcraft Guy to Fix Dungeons & Dragons

WoTC has hired John Hight, formerly of Blizzard, as President of Wizards of the Coast. Professor DM analyzes the potential impact on D&D. (Ep. 404)

PROFESSOR DM LIVE:

[ricebrown]

"expand our digital offerings." We are going to put a price tag on every single item.

[brianofphobos]

Having played the game since 1977 I can tell you what you need to play D&D. Pencil, paper, dice and an imagination.

[captnjoe]

I race my sailboat on Wednesday evenings. This week the race was canceled: thunderstorms forecasted. So we invited the crew over for a game night which turned out to be a D&D session. My wife and I are in our 70s and are experienced D&D players, the others were all first timers: one player in their 60's two in their 50's and one thirty something. We all had a blast!!! We work very well as a team on our boat and the new comers quickly picked up the game mechanics and the role playing. Watching the cleric arguing with the barbarian on how they should approach a sleeping Orc was priceless. This game will always be about friends sitting around a table and the new players now have their own D&D tales to share with others. When the sailing season ends, we have all agreed to make this a weekly event. This is what the game is about. I have been playing games on computers since I wrote my first one in 1973, but D&D to me will always be played in person!

[GMMike]

What they say "buy this digital book and get this set of digital dice made of gold with diamond numbers"
Reality "Pay us to own nothing"

[Joker]

"You will own nothing, and you will be happy"

[TimeLapsePrints]

Hasbro taps Activision employee to do to D&D what he did to... Bliz... wait... this can't be right.

[sauco]

So an executive from Blizzard, the company that destroyed their IP with corporate greed ad created one of the most toxic working environments in the gaming industry.

What could go wrong?

[Vipercobra]

I view D&D as more of a social game. There's a kind of magic when you meet up with people in-person that's missing with playing online.

[SpawnOfJenova]

The more I see what WotC is doing. The more I'm happy, my friend group moved onto to other games.

[beamstalk]

"your going to pay subscription fees" - someone might but it won't be me

[sylvarogre]

I can see the future:
Welcome to VTT, now for an ad break. You see a group of monsters. Roll initiative, but first an ad break. Jon takes a turn. Then an ad break. Jill takes her turn. Then an ad break...

[Krohnutz]

So when they put it all online, and offer digital AI ran adventures, with AI ran NPCs that journey with your player character, and fully remove the table… will we still call it “Tabletop Gaming?” We had a thing like this since the 1980s, we called it Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. Welcome to the 80s on steroids. Gratz Hasbro, you revolutionized the industry.

[AceneDean]

"you can't blame them...a CEO has a fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders..."

THIS is exactly why we should be supporting smaller companies with better games. D&D IS NOT ABOUT THE GAME. It is about the money, money, money, money, money.

[steelmongoose]

The future of TTRPGs for me is the indie market. Dan, Kelsey, Ben, Scotty, Hank, Alan and so many others pouring their love and genius into the hobby are my people.

[Porphyrogenitus]

"It's like that island from _The Prisoner"_

Patrick McGoohan ftw! Great show. Memorable is the scene where he's escaping at the end and literally mowing down mooks to _All You Need is Love_

You are Player Character #6 btw. "I'm not a number, I'm a free PC!"

[spacerx]

Another interpretation is that Brinks and Williams bailed like rats leaving a sinking ship because they know "not 6e but really it's 6e" was unlikely to hit sales targets.

[Sunwolfe]

“I’m way more interested in what a designer like Kelsey has to say about Shadow Dark than official D&D…”
Word!

[greevar]

I think Kyle was put up as a sacrificial scapegoat, nothing more. There was no way he was going to salvage his job when Hasbro put him on the spot like they did.

[Cyryvy]

"iT'S GoT WHaT FaNS CRaVe!"

Where have I heard that before?

[Porphyrogenitus]

"Real kobolds look like dogs"
And real orcs are boar-faced!
Porcine Orcs or bust!