Youtube video: Hasbro in talks to sell DnD to Tencent
- Thread starter Oliphant
- Start date
dur
aka Cybersquirt
uh.. what is that supposed to link? Chinese propaganda?
KhyberPunk
Member
Is this an out-of-season April Fools joke?
KhyberPunk
Member
There is no way Tencent entrusts the IP to Larian, and doesn't require them in the same breath to make a micro-transaction infested mobile-centric grind fest complete with gacha mechanics, anime waifus and jiggle physics as the next main line Baldur's Gate installment.
WotC hasn't been some paragon of excellence in recent history. Their recent attempt at grasping for a chokehold on creative licenses recently was quite frankly heinous.
This nightmare scenario you paint didn't happen to Path of Exile, Warframe, RIOT, etc despite having majority (i think?) shares transferred to Tencent. I think they (Tencent) have a mostly handsoff approach to potentially golden geese and they're just going about their long con goals of continuing their virtual IP imperialism. Whether that will lead to problems with D&D in the future or not remains to be seen I guess but I wouldn't start hyperventilating over this just yet.
Would be nice if these gaming companies didn't need to or feel so tempted to sell out to a giant company like this though, wouldn't want a single company to have so much power over it all, lest we end up another Disney, only one originating from China and centered around gaming and internet.
Lazuli
Well-known member
Meh, the pandaily non sense. I'd take it more seriously if it wasn't almost the exact layout of what Roll for Combat said.
For those who are not informed:
Roll for Combat stream had a show that talked about an idea that they admitted was based purely on speculation that Tencent is going to buy the D&D IP because Tencent owns 30% of Larian Studios. Now these people appear repeating the same information but saying that it is from an internal source. Yes of course. Comes from an insider but is the same information. Suspicious, right?
It doesn't make any sense either. Hasbro is losing money (which isn't exactly true, it's a drop in profits, but anyways), but D&D is one of the IPs that is making them profitable, and unlike other brands, it is very difficult to replace with another product line. D&D has an important market behind it, an identity, a fame and a tradition that a new product will have a very difficult time replacing. D&D has had its ups and downs but still unique in many ways. I mean D&D may not be a goose that always lays golden eggs, but it is a duck that lays silver. Why replace that with a starling that lays lead?
With fourth edition I completely moved away from WOTC products and official D&D. But come on, the data is there.
For those who are not informed:
Roll for Combat stream had a show that talked about an idea that they admitted was based purely on speculation that Tencent is going to buy the D&D IP because Tencent owns 30% of Larian Studios. Now these people appear repeating the same information but saying that it is from an internal source. Yes of course. Comes from an insider but is the same information. Suspicious, right?
It doesn't make any sense either. Hasbro is losing money (which isn't exactly true, it's a drop in profits, but anyways), but D&D is one of the IPs that is making them profitable, and unlike other brands, it is very difficult to replace with another product line. D&D has an important market behind it, an identity, a fame and a tradition that a new product will have a very difficult time replacing. D&D has had its ups and downs but still unique in many ways. I mean D&D may not be a goose that always lays golden eggs, but it is a duck that lays silver. Why replace that with a starling that lays lead?
With fourth edition I completely moved away from WOTC products and official D&D. But come on, the data is there.
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Lazuli
Well-known member
This is true, but this still seems like smoke to me. If the information were different from that of Roll for combat I would take it more seriously. But right now I don't see anything solid there.
I've read elsewhere that Tencent is looking for some kind of Master License on video games rather than a true acquisition of the IP. Also, I could be wrong, but I think Tencent is not dedicated to books, so this rumor seems more credible than wanting the full IP. Namely, there are many rumors, but right now I see few solid facts to believe in.
I'm not saying it's impossible for it to happen, stranger things have happened. Businesses make bedfellows as unusual as those of politicians. But right now I would take this with a grain of salt. We will find out eventually if this is true or not.
Titus Ovid
Mover and Shaker
The story goes viral it seems. But
Update: Wizards of the Coast provided the following statement to Dicebreaker. Original article follows:
"We regularly talk to Tencent and enjoy multiple partnerships with them across a number of our IPs. We don’t make a habit of commenting on internet rumors, but to be clear: we are not looking to sell our D&D IP. We will keep talking to partners about how we bring the best digital experiences to our fans. We won't comment any further on speculation or rumors about potential M&A or licensing deals."
I can't find anything on the official sites.
Cheers,
Titus
Update: Wizards of the Coast provided the following statement to Dicebreaker. Original article follows:
"We regularly talk to Tencent and enjoy multiple partnerships with them across a number of our IPs. We don’t make a habit of commenting on internet rumors, but to be clear: we are not looking to sell our D&D IP. We will keep talking to partners about how we bring the best digital experiences to our fans. We won't comment any further on speculation or rumors about potential M&A or licensing deals."
I can't find anything on the official sites.
Cheers,
Titus
Lazuli
Well-known member
This does make sense.
I wouldn't be surprised if Hasbro wanted a partnership of some kind with Tencent around D&D video games, since they seem to have abandoned that field and Tencent is strong in that. But sell the entire license? Has no sense. Also, Tencent has a strong digital presence, but in book publishing? Those rumors don't make sense.
Elminster
Well-known member
D&D is bigger than Magic in terms of the Zeitgeist and the level of awareness in the general consciousness of the masses.
You ask someone:"Do you know about Magic: the Gathering?" most randoms will look at you and go "who?" If you ask them "Do you know about Dungeons & Dragons?" and I would bet most people would be like "yeah I heard about that..."
In the U.S., D&D is up there with Baseball and Apple Pie in terms of being a piece of Americana. It would be absolutely idiotic if they wholesale sell all of the D&D IP.
Heck, I even think the U.S. Gov will step in and stop the sale due to the parties involved.
You ask someone:"Do you know about Magic: the Gathering?" most randoms will look at you and go "who?" If you ask them "Do you know about Dungeons & Dragons?" and I would bet most people would be like "yeah I heard about that..."
In the U.S., D&D is up there with Baseball and Apple Pie in terms of being a piece of Americana. It would be absolutely idiotic if they wholesale sell all of the D&D IP.
Heck, I even think the U.S. Gov will step in and stop the sale due to the parties involved.
In Path of Exile Tencent basically control only the china servers. China servers have additional features and cosmetic (like pets that collect loot) to buy with money and make the game a little more pay to win but the game itself is the same pre and post Tencent. They don't interfere with game development itself.
Elminster
Well-known member
Let's clear the elephant in the room.The only reason Tencent is interested in the D&D IP, is one reason and one only.
They want to make a new D&D MMO.