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[Bloomberg] Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast Cancels Video Game Projects

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Being sued right now, please help me find a lawyer
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Oct 25, 2017
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Hasbro Inc.'s Wizards of the Coast, best known for the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop games, has cancelled at least five video game projects as it scales back its ambitions in the industry.

Wizards of the Coast is still "committed to using digital games," a spokesman said in a statement to Bloomberg, adding that the company has "made some changes to our long-term portfolio to focus on games which are strategically aligned with developing our existing brands and those which show promise in expanding or engaging our audience in new ways."
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Fewer than 15 people at Wizards of the Coast will lose their jobs due to the shift and will be given a chance to apply to new roles within the company, the spokesman said.

But the reorganization will land hard for several independent studios such as Boston-based Otherside Entertainment and Bellevue, Washington-based Hidden Path Entertainment, both of which were working on games for Wizards of the Coast.
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www.bloomberg.com

Hasbro’s Wizards of the Coast Cancels Video Game Projects

Hasbro Inc.’s Wizards of the Coast, best known for the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop games, has cancelled at least five video game projects as it scales back its ambitions in the industry.
www.bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com
 
PlanetSmasher

PlanetSmasher

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Oct 25, 2017
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I have to imagine that Dark Alliance game from last year really scared the crap out of them.
 
Empyrean Cocytus

Empyrean Cocytus

One Winged Slayer
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Between MTG and D&D that's a lot of games canceled.

Then again I'm going to be really mad if one of the canceled games was Eye of Judgment 2.
 
ezekial45

ezekial45

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Oct 25, 2017
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PlanetSmasher said:
I have to imagine that Dark Alliance game from last year really scared the crap out of them.
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Yeah, that game came and went, and there was not a lot of good buzz behind it. I remember that Sam Maggs got went there last year to head up writing, which I assume were for these games.
But yeah, what a shame. I do think DnD and their related universes could warrant some video games, but they need to do them right.
 
PlanetSmasher

PlanetSmasher

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ezekial45 said:
Yeah, that game came and went, and there was not a lot of good buzz behind it. I remember that Sam Maggs got went there last year to head up writing, which I assume were for these games.
But yeah, what a shame. I do think DnD and their related universes could warrant some video games, but they need to do them right.
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It's a real, real bad game, and it was probably embarrassing for WotC considering it's one of the first video games they published in a while.

But yeah, like you said, D&D SHOULD be able to inspire great video games, but WotC just doesn't know how to find the right talent to make them yet.
 

Raigor

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May 14, 2020
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Bummer but expected, they founded several studios and at least two of them were formed by high profile BioWare veterans.
 

Raigor

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PlanetSmasher said:
But yeah, like you said, D&D SHOULD be able to inspire great video games, but WotC just doesn't know how to find the right talent to make them yet
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They have the talent, but talent with no budget and no scope is useless.

Archetype Entertainment is filled with high profile BioWare, ND and other prestige AAA studios devs.
 
Nairume

Nairume

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Oct 25, 2017
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I wonder if we see them going the Warhammer route of licensing it D&D games out to whoever now, since theyve been burned by solo licensers and trying to do it in house. Clearly the licensed stuff like BG3 and Solasta turned out better, so maybe it would be good to just do more of that and deal with the occasional dud.
 

rras1994

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Nov 4, 2017
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Can't read the article, does it sound like there will likely be job losses in the studios?
 
Capt Sensib1e

Capt Sensib1e

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A shame an IP with Forgotten Realms Underdark, Spelljammer, Dark Sun and Ravenloft can't dominate the RPG market.
 
Vash

Vash

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PlanetSmasher said:
It's a real, real bad game, and it was probably embarrassing for WotC considering it's one of the first video games they published in a while.

But yeah, like you said, D&D SHOULD be able to inspire great video games, but WotC just doesn't know how to find the right talent to make them yet.
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If I was Hasbro, I would've looked at how GW has been doing it in the past few years. Yes, there have been a couple of questionable Warhammer games (read stinkers) with little to no success, but clamping down on the license so hard also has adverse effects. Let the studios come to you and give you their best pitch, imo.

In the case of the new Dark Alliance, they made a mistake by making it a third person action brawler filled with bugs, little to no story, annoying design choices that got extremely repetitive, and it just wasn't the game people who loved the original two Dark Alliance games wanted.

It might've been received a bit better if they hadn't used the Dark Alliance name and just gave it a brand new title.
 
ToddBonzalez

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I'm most interested in the Archetype Entertainment game which is supposedly a sci-fi RPG being developed by a bunch of old school Bioware devs. Hopefully they weren't affected.
 
PlanetSmasher

PlanetSmasher

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CommodoreKong said:
As someone who actually plays D&D I had 0 interest in that game and I still haven't played it.

I just want RPGs that use the 5E system, not poor quality hack and slash games.
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Yeah, I played it myself and it was just an embarrassing experience. No aspect of the game felt fully thought out. I'm not surprised hardcore D&D players and hardcore action RPG fans bounced off of it.
 
Kalor

Kalor

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rucury said:
The OP says:

"Fewer than 15 people at Wizards of the Coast will lose their jobs due to the shift and will be given a chance to apply to new roles within the company, the spokesman said."
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That's just internally. The studios working on these games would be the ones to risk job losses.
 

Deleted member 129013

Dec 12, 2022
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Just make a VR tabletop experience that matches the real product. Done.
 
antennastoheaven

antennastoheaven

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Oct 26, 2017
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It took a while, Dark Alliance disastrous launch should've been enough to make that decision.

Hopefully they see what works for Baldur's Gate 3 and go in that direction.

Just make more stuff with that engine, that would be great.
 
Dangerman1337

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Hero of Legend

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How are the two Dark Alliance remasters on Switch?

I hope someone can somehow get the Transformers Cybertron games by High Moon and Devastation by PG remastered on Switch and such. Outright Games published Transformers Battlegrounds but Splash Damage is doing that new game, so I guess the license is not tied to a specific party, but the issue is if Activision can just pass along their games to an interested company and won't prevent anything from being done.

Maybe Nighthawk can try something, as they've picked up some licenses from Disney and such over the years for re-releases. Aspyr could maybe try as they have access to classic Star Wars games by basically everyone pre-EA. So existing publishers can be willing to let go of their unused licensed games. But has Actvision ever done this? I'm a bit surprised they haven't say given their Rapala catalogue to Gamemill who have the Rapala license (Cabela was last used by Planet Entertainment for a re-labeled Bass Pro Shops: The Hunt port on Switch).
 
Helmhold

Helmhold

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Dec 7, 2022
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Move them all onto their dnd VTT. I need to have all my resources and play in one place.
 
Reinhard

Reinhard

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rucury said:
The OP says:

"Fewer than 15 people at Wizards of the Coast will lose their jobs due to the shift and will be given a chance to apply to new roles within the company, the spokesman said."
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The OP mentions the indie studios that will be affected like Hidden Path and Otherside Entertainment, could result in layoffs or studio closures depending on how many projects they have ongoing.

DanteRavenkin said:
Be careful what you wish for. Considering WotC's top three execs are all ex-Microsoft/Xbox Live people, the One D&D/6th Ed. direction is going to be very heavily digital with lots of micro transactions.
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Ugh, does that mean they want to move away from source books / in-depth adventure books and have you buy everything piecemeal digitally?
 
DanteRavenkin

DanteRavenkin

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WotC's new CEO, Cythia Williams said in a fireside investor chat that D&D is "Under-monetized" and they want to create a "recurring spending environment". While that could mean more lifestyle D&D things like clothes and toys, it also will likely mean more digital spending in the VTT and dndbeyond side of things. Time will tell of course, because there's been tons of fan push back with regards to the OGL 1.1 update. They seem to be making good on 4th Edition's plans this time around.
(sorry I'm dumb with forum posts. This was in reply to Reinhard)
 
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