D&D Goes "all in on digital"

HASBRO CEO Chris Cocks says they are transitioning to a digital gaming company. That means the days of physical Dungeons & Dragons books are numbered. (Ep. 406)
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[@quizzitnizzpin2695]

And the quote of the year goes to: "Real dice are better than virtual dice, they got that klackity-klack..." Truer words, Professor, truer words...

[@_Grimblewedge_]

I'd totally buy a "Real Dice Got That Clackity-Clack" tshirt.

[@Devire666]

To be fair, digital dice can also have klackity-klack. But analog dice are still better.

[@fonkin]

In grumpy dwarf voice: "Dice? Why when I started playing we had CHITS! Cardboard chits! And we LIKED IT!!!"

[@opscontaylor8195]

The Original Deep Magic - "Clicky Klakity I roll to Attackity!"

[@Red_Devil_2011]

"...they got that klackity-klack..." As Sauron spoke those words, the hordes of dice-goblins cheered and shrieked in ecstatic revelry...

[@jessehammil3897]

The reason I play tabletop games with my kids is to get away from screens and teach them how to have conversations face to face.

[@jamesverhoff1899]

I can see it both ways. On the one hand, I do TTRPGing with people around the country, and online play makes that not only easier, but possible. Things like Roll20 and Discord and DriveThroughRPG and others allow us to share this hobby regardless of distance. On the other hand, yeah, I like my kids sitting down with a book, reading through the book to figure out what they're going to do, and to come together to play a game with each other and me. Nothing teaches math quite like "Does my character live or die here?" Nothing teaches reading comprehension quite the same way as "Daddy will never expect me to do this!" And nothing teaches cooperation quite like going off on your own away from the party, opening a door, and having a T. rex take a bite out of you!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Exactly.

[@ramgladore]

But you use a DM screen.

[@jessehammil3897]

@@ramgladore 😂

[@myskown4367]

I'm not able to play with my friends physicaly anymore. My players (and friends) moved too far away, we don't live in the same country. Online solutions like Roll20, Foudry or any others are the only way to continue our campain. I love my D&D books, I love my dices, I use them and behind my cam, I have a desk full of sheets, books, all my GM stuff behind my screen. I don't know what to think about this decision. Digital solutions save our campain but I still like to use physical books.

[@scottwalker6947]

"Sorry Baby Dinosaur, but your next stop is the gas tank of my Nissan." Brilliant! :D

[@twincast2005]

Fossil fuels are much older than dinosaurs, but yes, it's a funny line.

[@sterlinggecko3269]

​@@twincast2005 fossil fuels are mostly vegan lol

[@jamesverhoff1899]

@@twincast2005 Was coming here to say that. It's a funny line, but hurts my paleontologist brain! So, a critical hit in other words. :D

[@Mind_of_MATT]

"Fossil Fuels" ... a misnomer.

[@vicentterraneo306]

I'll be honest, I'm not too worried. We've still got Pathfinder, Kobald Press, Savage Worlds, and the whole OSR.

[@blockmasterscott]

I was thinking that too. There are so many alternatives out there.

[@aglavraowl4932]

The more people will learn about alternatives the better. D&D is the default idea of TTRPG, however, I know a bunch of people who started with it (because it feels like a default option), didn't like it and got disappointed in TTRPGs as a whole.

[@silentdrew7636]

And MCDM

[@AzraealGamer]

Yea I don’t really care. I got a shit ton of book for advanced dnd and 3.* series. Also play AFMBE, my favorite game.

[@waylonoconner9121]

"Everyone can do everything, everyone's all the same...." This is the real death knell for me. Being able to shift your character, nearly at will, to any number of combinations, rips the guts out of the fun and people won't see it until it's too late. I remember 3rd Edition and scanning through the PHB building my character. Using the class and race option weaknesses as backstory and RP opportunities. Multi-classing to get the skills and abilities I needed for the vision I had. All of which came at a cost. Take out those negatives and you're left with a game that is positively lifeless.

[@antieverything1]

Counterpoint: no it doesn't.

[@waylonoconner9121]

@@antieverything1 For some it probably doesn't. Thats OK, it's a great thing about the hobby.

[@MontegomeryLoL]

The fact that WotC's first idea for how to fix Warlocks in the 5e -> 2024 transition was to try and make them half-casters speaks volumes.

[@TheSmokeyRooster]

For a company that’s changing it for race “equity” they sure love class warfare and to stay in your lane approach in character development. This word salad post of don’t get out of the box is why I went playing Marvel RPG in custom worlds and other games where you weren’t penalized for cross training. I loved the original Elder Scrolls games because your stats on skills went up as you used them.

[@graynanuuq]

Don't ever get tired of being right.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Laughed so hard I'm crying. Thank you.

[@UndeadFredl]

@@DUNGEONCRAFT1 You nailed it. The crowds will accuses you of crying the sky is falling, then when it falls everyone says "Duh anyone could of seen that coming a mile away"

[@alantesser1645]

@@UndeadFredl What’s the worst outcome you dread from DnD going fully digital? I’m not trying to bait you, I’m genuinely curious and approaching with an open mind to what your concerns are. From my perspective, the genie is already out of the bottle. DnD has influenced the creation of so many awesome (mostly independent) games and that’ll continue to occur regardless of what direction Hasbro takes the game, right? It seems to me that there’ll be a mainstream of easier, digital role playing available for all and then a smaller subsection of gamers will play indie games. The two can easily coexist. I think they’ll probably be sort of symbiotic!

[@OGNoNameNobody]

Its not being right that's tiring; it that people will continue to doubt your correctness in spite of your track record.

[@lucasterable]

It's easy to guess it right when you apply Andreotti's razor 😂

[@stickjohnny]

"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules.” Gary Gygax Edit: Chill out everyone. The best TTRPG is the one that gets a group of people together to have fun and roll dice. I'm that regard, every edition of dnd is great.

[@chaosblade5906]

I mean, you don't really need dice, either, you could just write down a bunch of numbers and then put them in a jar to draw randomly. It's still fun to roll dice, and I still enjoy reading rulebooks with art and story in them as well.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Yup.

[@Vyke348]

@@chaosblade5906 You're right we don't need dice, I don't need them. I can stop getting dice any time. Any time. I could do it right now. I don't need them. You got any dice?

[@knghtbrd]

Absolutely. And what we REALLY do not need is gaming corporations going "all in" on lootbox-laiden mobile-class shite.

[@Turglayfopa]

"The secret we should never let the players know is that they don't need token art or accurate battlemaps" -Some Microsoft/WotC suit probably

[@RyanWBL]

The Gucci reference reminds me of the term enshittification; when product and service providers experience a decline in quality over time in favor of meeting short term profits for each quarter. I credit Sly Flourish for introducing the term to me and you do a great job here showing what is happening to products all over the world.

[@theGhoulman]

Love that term, coined by none other than Cory Doctorow.

[@ScottBaker_]

​@@theGhoulmanGlad you posted the original source. Cory deserves more recognition.

[@driver3899]

I don't know why people are surprised by this though, it's literally what capitalism is all about. Make the most profit at any cost, hire the most ruthless and uncaring CEO you can and watch him do his best to cut corners and make more for the quarterly report so he gets his bonus. Product quality and customer base are irrelevant compared to profits.

[@juicejooos]

@@driver3899 Because people don't honestly critique capitalism due to almost a century of propaganda. Try to make them think critically of capitalism and they'll hit you with the "but what's the alternative?": it's the good old "it's easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism", and such.

[@driver3899]

@@juicejooos True I guess, but with just a little bit of thought its pretty easy to see what's going on.

[@nickstefanac6048]

You still have books, friends, minis, and an ever-expanding range of independent content creators. What you do in your own home with your friends will never change.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

True. But we must pass on our knowledge and encourage the next generation, like Gary Gygax did with Kelsey Dionne.

[@TheCharredTree]

So, you’re good with the hobby dying out as the current number of books wear out and new people coming into the hobby aren’t allowed to buy their own copies of the book because they are no longer produced.

[@jeremytitus9519]

⁠@@TheCharredTreethe biggest trick Hasbro ever pulled was convincing gamers we needed It to keep the hobby alive.

[@TheCharredTree]

@@jeremytitus9519 Philosophically I lean libertarian/anarchist, but as a creator I also respect copyright and trademarks. That being said, we’re a long way from the books going into public domain. If push comes to shove, I’m not above hoisting the skull and crossbones and take what is needed, but I’d prefer to keep things on the up and up.

[@LazyGhostHunter]

Way to be okay with the hobby dying out once our generation is gone.

[@dnaseb9214]

You made me emotional when you went into how goods go from quality to crap. Bought tears to my eyes remembering how great the products used to be when they were built to last, vs now when they break if you look at them funny. These people do see us as insects who deserve the lowest effort possible at the maximum price possible.

[@KootFloris]

That's capitalism for you. And the false paradigm: the purpose of a company is to make as much money as possible. It should be deliver the best product of service possible, with sufficient profits to keep providing, customers, company and workers needs (as in pay a decent salary)

[@dnaseb9214]

@@KootFloris I think we need to remove investors, make it illegal and have the customers be the sole financial aid for any company.

[@KootFloris]

@@dnaseb9214 True, purchasing an item should give you are tiny stock of the company, and thus influence as well. And innovators I'd keep them, but they must propose to the audience too.

[@BlackEcology]

​@@KootFloris They would never actually pay a laborer their "fair" labor value in any sort of currency system. Ever. Not to mention, if you can't critique Work/property/civilization at this point in human history and just want it reformed - you probably get what you deserve.

[@KootFloris]

@@BlackEcology I started to agree strongly with you, but don't understand this bit "if you can't critique Work/property/civilization at this point in human history and just want it reformed - you probably get what you deserve." Isn't critiquing an essential step towards reform? And why would this be 'punished'? by getting what I deserve? Child labour, women's right to study and vote, end of slavery are all 'won' cases and with each victory we find much more needs to be fought.

[@KarlKarsnark]

"Digital" means Corporate control and gatekeeping of your games, characters and creations. "You will own nothing and be Happy(tm)".

[@UndeadFredl]

This guy gets it. Everyone accuses you of crying the sky is falling, then when it falls everyone says "Duh anyone could of seen that coming a mile away"

[@nowayjosedaniel]

D&D 5e players are not known for being the most intelligent, informed, or stable minded people in the room.

[@kanaric]

Ya seriously. I quit DND 5e several years ago because of WOTC, these are the same people who keep buying Madden and Call of Duty for sure.

[@JonnyMithrandir]

I just started DMing again for my family and I did it at home. All the kids (all adults) came in from near and far and nothing was digital.

[@VaderViktor]

Sounds like a wonderful way to catch up and bond. Im glad you guys made it work! Its a shame many can't or dont want to put the effort to - instead opting for the route that gives WotC control over how they play.

[@theGhoulman]

Well done. I hear loads of stories how D&D can bring a bunch of kids around a table and have fun doing something other than stare at a screen. Some schools have clubs, there's charity games, doesn't critical role support one that plays? :)

[@ScoutSarge]

I live in a small town in rural Iowa and ran a D&D game at the library (using 5e cuz it’s easy and has name recognition) and I had a huge turn out of all ages to try it in person. One kid even got her dad to drive her over from the next town a half hour away! All because of the name. It was awesome. The only thing digital was the adventure (Goodman Games update of Keep on the Borderlands) on my iPad because I already had too many things to carry. It wasn’t well organized, so I need to try again and I’d love to use ANY of my many other games on my shelf, but none have the name recognition of D&D.

[@jason916]

NOTHING will ever beat sitting at the table with a group of friends rolling dice and getting cheeto fingers

[@Jokervision744]

Like taking a stroll and hearing birds chirp is healthy for your psyche. Reason why Alphabet/Google has people going out or something.

[@abbottshaull9831]

It will be a game where homebrewed rules will be unheard of.

[@louisedful]

Remember Bethesda's paid mods? Well, try Wizards of the Coast's paid homebrew.

[@terratorment2940]

One of the most critical assets DnD has is not the rules anymore, it is the name "Dungeons and Dragons." Normies know that name.

[@holycowitsdave]

I honestly think that the biggest thing holding other RPGs back is the fact that none of them have anything in print at game stores outside of like, the core rules. If people wanna play other systems, SOMEBODY has to DM. Learning to DM in the first place can be pretty intimidating. If you're new and you go to a game store, what looks better; one book that has all the rules but you gotta do EVERYTHING from scratch while learning the system for the first time and not having a grasp on the balance? Or DnD, with its dedicated DM Guide, as well as plentiful adventures for you to pick up that have done most of the work of making the adventure for you, so you can better focus on learning how to actually run a game before diving headfirst into making your own stuff? I'm not saying DnD's adventures are amazing or anything, but they exist, in a space where I can look at them, understand what they are, and buy them.

[@rustybrooks8916]

@@holycowitsdave I don't know, from the start I was game mastering and I have yet to ever fun (Edit: run) a single module created by someone else. Anyone can get their hands on the storyline details of any prewritten adventure and easily cheat with that knowledge, I don't see how people are ever ok with running something like that.

[@alzathoth]

IMO its not the rules, but the players and the story telling. if the story is lousy, then so will the game. doesn't matter what the 'rules' are.

[@rustybrooks8916]

@@alzathoth Those are fine qualities, but all I care about is if it's a fun experience. There is something to be said for the mechanics being enjoyable, that is the actual part of the game that is actually a game (mostly a war game), the rest of it is just cooperative storytelling, which has never needed rules of any kind, and actually just tend to get in the way of a good story being told.

[@michaelnurse9089]

Solution: create a new game called Douglas and Adams. If you say them fast enough - nobody would know the difference.

[@Kyrnsword]

Hasbro throws Comic Book- tabletop stores under the bus. Thank God for Inde developers like you and others that keep paper, pencil and dice rpg's alive.

[@Xplora213]

Disney has done a great job of making sure your treasured properties will not be supporting your local stores!

[@oskar6661]

The one saving grace is that there will always be a counter-culture. It won't be a globe-spanning, billion dollar market for your average developer...but there are people who still buy casette tapes and new vinyl. The more the 'controlled access' digital world continues to develop...the more you'll see alternatives which are the opposite. Eventually in a world of nothing but AI/digital/virtual reality nonsense...there will be a need for more non-electronic escapism. While I don't know if it worked as an advertising campaign, Coleman had a series of adverts with the clever tag line "The original social network", etc.

[@nowayjosedaniel]

@@Xplora213 Not even sure what this means, but whatever Disney is doing they won't be able to do for much longer now that all their IP's are entering public domain. A generation or two, and they'll absolutely have nothing but their new IP's that are massive jokes.

[@Xplora213]

@@nowayjosedaniel the comic book industry will utterly collapse given that all the Disney companies capable of making comic book material will ruin them.

[@MotherScreng]

Replace "Hasbro" with "Amazon" and change the date of this video to 15 years ago. Lets blame hasbro for global warming too

[@leejackson623]

Your Gucci/Gygax analogy is perfect - 100% spot on. Good work mate 👍🏼

[@thegoob5021]

I am a younger player and I am still very new to the scene. I have only been playing DnD for a little over a year. I am probably one of the only people in my group that prefers the books over the the Beyond application. I still use it for my character sheet, but don't like the limitations from pay walls when I already own the books that have the info I need. I was born into the digital age, but I believe there is too much dependence on technology and I do not like the fleeting nature of digital trends. The physical and analog will always have its place and I will support it where I can. I would like to spread out to try other, independent ttrpg games, but I don't think my current group is ready to stem out from base 5e DnD. Anyway, I've been watching your content for a few months now and I always find what you have to say to be insightful and intriguing. Keep up the good work.

[@wvanyar1801]

@thegoob5021, you are showing some wisdom. Recently Red Box went out of business. People that used their digital service to purchase a movie, have learned their digital copy is now gone. Things that are stored in the cloud (someone else's computer) can disappear without notice. Physical copies cannot. This is the case with Disney+ and Crunchyroll. They both have removed items from their inventory and you are out of luck.

[@jonhowland73]

Gaming in person at a table cannot be replaced by online imo. The experience is so much better live with folks' faces around you.

[@thetabletopskirmisher]

Sadly the latest generation IS the online generation. Unless someone shows them the alternative... online is all they'll ever know.

[@Hedgehobbit]

In the last quarter, 50% of D&D's revenue was digital. You've already been replaced.

[@wvanyar1801]

@@thetabletopskirmisher , not true. I just spent 2 days of Comic Con playing Pathfinder with a bunch of my goddaughter's friends. All of them are early high school. One had never played a TTRPG ever. They all had fun. The girls were all drawing art on the notes. The guys were reading over their characters and pointing out what they character could or could not do. I just sat back and watched them have fun. None of this would have happen in a remote game. Also, the sharing of snacks I had. I DM for Adventure League, but WotC has killed Adventure League. So, I'm looking to move to Pathfinder.

[@pmester228]

​@@thetabletopskirmisher Two people at my table is hungarian, two are from serbia and we have a guy from spain. Maybe if you ever stepped out of your ivory tower and into the real world, you'd have learned to consider that. Our experience is not lesser than yours, if anything, my table is more ready to homebrew and get things done than to complain endlessly.

[@SkoomaGodDovahkiin666]

Ah yes, Getting choked by some legbeard grognard's BO while being part of DnDrama, having to share the same building, the same table with a bunch of human failures who are going senile. Screw that.

[@TheArcaneLibrary]

You honor me, Professor! May the gaming halls always ring with the clackity clack of real dice and the tickety tick of good Swiss movements as the torch timer burns low!

[@atinybard6594]

Shadowdark is goated ❤

[@spaceranger7683]

Hail, Kelsey! We who are about to roll a die salute you!

[@LLLLLL-wp9bz]

The bibity bop of real maces and the snicker-snack of real blades…err…nvrmnd.

[@jamestatsumi7095]

This is the best angry rant that manages to remain wholesome I've seen in a long time.

[@BlackburnBigdragon]

The next thing we can expect with D&D is "Microtransaction Hell". I'm forseeeing situations like they give you only a small handful of monsters for your monster manual, instead of giving you the full monster manual. And then they charge you for each monster you want to add. They'll say, "It's for player choice! Players can just build their own monster manuals!" But in the end, if you purchased all the monsters for it, it would cost ten times more than just purchasing a Monster Manual. It will come with goblins for free. Or a couple dragons for free. But you want that red dragon? That'll be $5! You want a Hobgoblin to go with the goblins we gave you for free? That'll be $5! Add to that all the nickel and diming that they're going to do for adventures and stuff. And I'm willing to bet that the adventures they offer won't even be released as full adventures. I'll bet that they'll just be released as chapters for a never ending story and you'll subscribe to them to get the new chapter every month! How much do you want to bet that they won't let you load your own virtual minis into their virtual tabletop and will charge you cash to buy each individual proprietary version of a jpg that they're going to use for them? Essentially, I see them working every one of the worse mobile game traits into D&D. Let's face it. What Hasbro has done is essentially kill D&D. This isn't D&D. Bottom line. At this point, it's something entirely different that they've just slapped the D&D title on. People who choose to play D&D will simply be paying premium prices for stuff that takes the bare minimum to produce, just like with mobile games. D&D is essentially going to be a mobile game and it's going to fail. And the funny thing is that Hasbro seems to be so out of touch that they think this is going to succeed.

[@strawberryhellcat4738]

Don't forget ads. If there's one inevitability of every corporate product, it's the insertion of ads.

[@BlackburnBigdragon]

@@strawberryhellcat4738 It's the limited edition "Monster Energy Drink Monster!" Get him here for only $5!!!

[@DoinItforNewCommTech]

I think they'll ease into it. Pre-order bonuses, where you get exclusive encounters, exclusive statblocks, exclusive magic items. Things like the Spelljammer/Dragonlance creature codexes, which should've been in the books, but were exclusive to D&D Beyond. They'll release sourcebooks with new subclasses, but the only way to get a mini of that subclass on their VTT will be with a microtransaction. New monster? Gotta pay for the VTT mini bundle. And then will come the loot boxes. The exclusive seasonal skins for our minis. The exclusive branded crossover minis for a limited time only! And then they'll shut down the servers when they move from 5.5e to 6e proper. Because sales will drop, and the only way to drum up hype again will be with a new edition. They want the 2024 books to just be "D&D" instead of "D&D 5.5e", but that's going to last exactly one edition.

[@BlackburnBigdragon]

@@DoinItforNewCommTech They don't seem to realize that D&D isn't a mobile game, video game, or MMO.

[@Bodharas]

They had a great a la cart system where if you just wanted an item or two, or a special monster you could buy it, but it was cheap. Like 1.99. They got rid of it. Now when you're trying to build your campaign you see something thinking you already have access to it, and it will take you to the page to buy the whole digital book. Maybe they'll give you a hard copy with your digital purchase? Nope that'll be double. It's crap now.

[@mattyboombatty82]

Us old bastards aren't the target audience anymore.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Correct.

[@TheCharredTree]

@@mattyboombatty82 This is true. They know they can’t fool us into buying into their plan to fleece their customers. Instead they’ve switched to the people who have been acclimated to paying subscriptions for everything (World of Warcrack, anyone?).

[@draakgast]

​@@TheCharredTreemore like they figured out you people stopped buying their products anyway, we"re not all as lucky as some people who come acros their books at the flea market or a friend. So digital can provide us with FREE alternatives already made by people.

[@TheCharredTree]

@@draakgast Awww…. Go eat your avocado toast. You just made my whole point. Going fully digital means you’re stuck with a monthly subscription instead of being able to find and buy a copy of the books for yourself.

[@draakgast]

@@TheCharredTree gee, thanks for making MY point, then don't buy a subscribtion and use the free online tools made by people. I AM a fan of at the table, difference is we don't all live in the stone times and HAVE be online digitally. we can Make the same stuff regardless and all of the sudden you guys chicken out? Computors to hard for you when there's already people providing alternatives. I thought all you guys were so proud of all that homebrew stuff you made but now that you have to type it out it becomes to hard for you implement?

[@JMcMillen]

Considering how many people I knew growing up that barely scraped together enough money to buy their own set of dice, it sounds like Hasbro doesn't want poor people playing DnD. Digital books and monthly subscriptions would have kept them from ever wanting to play the game, especially as affordable RPG options were out there.

[@KAT-no4iy]

Our library DDAL group just hosted a D&D event last Saturday, running short, 1-hour adventures. We had five DMs, three sessions, and while the first session was pretty light (only needed 2 DMs), the second two were full up. 40 participants, 28 of whom had never been to a game before. All players got a set of dice to use and keep. Hopefully, we'll start seeing some of them at our regular bi-weekly sessions. Strictly live play.

[@Xplora213]

I don’t think you will see such enthusiasm from digital communities.

[@ImperialVirtue]

Digital has always been the "we can't play in person due to distance or scheduling" option for me. In person was always the first choice. I remember back when I started in 3.5, I felt so awesome getting involved in this wonderful and storied game. Now D&D almost feels dirty, like I'm just a part of a vapid hype machine. So many things I've loved have been reduced to this. The only question is what's next?

[@4saken404]

AI game masters in order to reduce costs even further. And once it's fully enshitified it will get let go and passed off to private equity firms.

[@nowayjosedaniel]

Of course in person is always preferred. It is to everyone, even though the hobby attracts (or used to attract) so many anti-social outcasts. They found comfort in their small company of fellow nerds. Now those truly open minded, friendly, intelligent people are pushed into a corner (often derided for not finding mainstream 5e appealing). Now, there's a massive >80% marketshare comprised almost entirely of just D&D 5e players, who are legit NPC normie geeks who just want to act out virtue signaling power fantasies. Look how great of a straight white man I am: I am playing a wheelchair bounded barbarian-wizard half-orc half-elf translesbian person of color with that stereotypical half-shaved hairstyle from all the woke video games! With this cloud-strife sized 2H gunblade she don't need no man! Hehe okay give me points, fellow white male twitter followers! Wait wut do you mean by "offensive to people actually in wheelchairs" and "black people arent orcs??? Are you a REPUBLICAN?!?!" I thought it was just a meme, but then I went on Twitter to see D&D hashtags, and no lie it seems about 80-90% of all that community look almost identical to each other (cookie cutter profiles). They literally seem to use mental disorders as a currency and brag-worthy badge of honor. I am not exaggerating that they will have 4-5 fake mental illnesses in their profile description. Afterall, anxiety & ADHD are actually the reason they're crippled with unemployment and the inability to clean their room or take a shower. Wait wut do you mean by "doctors need to diagnose you first?" and "personal responsibility"? "Webmd & Wikipedia is all you need, boomer!"

[@antieverything1]

Almost nobody is using VTTs as a preferred replacement for in-person gaming. The reality is that for most people the "we can't play in person due to distance or scheduling" is the normal scenario--an opportunity where everyone can get the OK from their spouse or find a babysitter so they can spend an entire day rolling crazy dice needs to be planned far in advance. In my weekly game some players will often have babies in their laps or be on discord while driving to pick up kids from daycare!

[@SpaceCowboy57]

"We can't play in person due to distance or scheduling" has been the norm for basically my entire gaming group for the last decade. I think a lot of people have been relying very heavily on VTTs to play more often or to even play at all.

[@DnDOldGuard]

I didn't think the coffin needed more nails...but here we are

[@kalajel]

If that coffin gets any more nails, some rich dude will use it to sell trips to see the Titanic...

[@stealthington]

Its to make sure they don't squirm out again. No more "But we've made the old versions free forever! Love Us!!!" thank you very much.

[@kalajel]

@@stealthington Why? why would anyone in their right mind want to stick with D&D? This game is dead! Just pull the plug already and move on to some other better game.

[@chadbizeau5997]

They've switched to rivets

[@DnDOldGuard]

@@kalajel I run BECMI D&D I have no need for WotC Scum Lords.

[@rmaiabr]

We don't need anything more than our old player's handbooks, pencils and notebooks (no laptops or computers).

[@gronthgronth2628]

Laptops or computers for music and soundboards :D

[@DalePoole]

I am so 'old' old school. I abandoned official D&D when 3rd ed. came out. So this is not as dramatic an occurrence for me. I learned to home-brew and house-rule, wedging as many of the original TSR modules into my own hand built world. As you have said Professor, the writing has been on the wall for some time now. Fortunately, we have many alternatives, to be found where the the true gaming community has been playing - at the table, rolling dice, in a world that challenges our imagination rather than our finger poking dexterity.

[@MBCGRS]

What's your Thaco...! AD&D forever...!

[@FlautistaGhost]

"and you going to pry these out of my hands when I am cold and dead!" lol that was savage hahahahaha

[@UCFElCarnicero]

Would upvote, but you got 69 upvotes!

[@jackrackham4137]

Great video professor. We’ll always have D&D but I’m not getting into some digital “pay to play” nonsense. Stop paying all these micro transactions!!

[@mikuel25]

"When everyone is super, no one is" -Syndrome

[@sebbonxxsebbon6824]

Everyone gets an award, no first place.

[@TYRANTARES]

A world where everyone is super would have been better than a world where only vigilantes are.

[@sebbonxxsebbon6824]

@@TYRANTARES The Devils and Demons can take over with no opposition then and the Blood war can be held on the prime material worlds!

[@GrinningAries]

​​@@TYRANTARES as a reality to live in, probably. For compelling fiction, probably not.

[@rodjacksonx]

@@TYRANTARES - Do you apply the same logic to gun ownership? (Sorry, reflexively had to ask, feel free to ignore.)

[@slaapliedje]

"Your next step is being gas in my Nissan." That was golden.

[@hikikomicklori9290]

Been playing D&D since 1983 and for me Dungeons and Dragons died with Tasha's Cauldron of Excrement. I'm so glad I found Savage Worlds.

[@vicentterraneo306]

Love Savage Worlds! Honestly if my players would let me I'd just run that instead of 5e

[@TheCharredTree]

@@vicentterraneo306 Just do it. They follow or you find replacements.

[@SkoomaGodDovahkiin666]

That's a mark of shame. Playing a mediocre game since 83 radiates some serious bum energy.

[@yourseatatthetable]

Here's why WoTc lost me as a future customer. About five years ago I bought a digital copy of Civilization via Steam. Now, for whatever reason, I cannot access it any more, nor will it run when I try to open it. In comparison, every 'pen and paper' game I've ever bought (and kept), still grace my shelves. Nope, you can have your bottomless pit of 'renting' your game space.

[@tempanon8672]

Civilization...1? I don't think that's ever been on Steam. And as for it running, that may well be an operating system issue on your end. However, even web browsers today are capable of legally running and playing Civilization 1-3 entirely in window.

[@bjornh4664]

That's why I will probably never buy an app-driven game. If everything isn't in the box, it isn't a game.

[@yourseatatthetable]

@@tempanon8672 IT's there. I don't have any other online game platforms. I have Risk and Axis and Allies, and Civilization V, which hasn't ran in several years.

[@yourseatatthetable]

@@tempanon8672 Oh, and Dwarf Fortress. Only four and I can clearly see the nice thumbnail for each game, including Civilization V

[@tempanon8672]

@@yourseatatthetable V? Now that's REAL weird. Might be a Windows 11 thing because on my end with W10 it's in "Works on My Machine" territory. The biggest issue I can imagine is the 2K Launcher getting in the way of things. There are guides to get around it that involve a lil bit of elbow grease.

[@DMTalesTTRPG]

Your face when you say “the klackity klack” is tee shirt worthy…

[@trynda1701]

As is the face he makes when twisting the watch dial!

[@PurifyWithLight]

It means I'll be saving lots and lots of money!

[@parttimed.m.1111]

Same here!

[@badnewsBH]

I would agree, except I've been supporting an awful lot of Kickstarter and Backerkit runs for other games. Yay, not-WotC! 😆

[@MattWeber]

I wont be, but it will never be hasbro getting it. Instead it will be Paizo, who only gets my money because I support there decisions, even though I can get literally anything I need for free via their partnership with Archives of Nephys.

[@trikepilot101]

During covid two of my long time game friends moved out of town. I am now "stuck" in an online game in order to keep in contact with this group of friends I have had for decades. There would be nothing wrong with that, except it kind of takes up my gaming time/energy and makes it hard to start a new in--person group. I know other people in the same group. People are playing online out of loyalty to their old friends, not because they prefer it to being in person.

[@chrishoj5277]

During Covid I ran a game for me and my 5 friends online. There is a need for that digital product. It’s great to get people together from wherever, but we didn’t need an app, we used discord, a free dice roller, and pdfs sent in chat. It’s the monetization that is awful. I will always be someone who buys physical.

[@seanferguson-th6ny]

I am reminded of Jeremy Rifkin's book from the year 2000 called "Age of Access", where he points out that the way digital networks are designed there are built-in stratified mechanisms (my paraphrasing) which generate hierarchies of access. D&D, like most things, is being transcribed into the transphysical digital space to solely become the "pay-to-play" subscription service many MMOs build their industry on. They call it "community" building but the definition is very much different from the common-sense understanding of what that means. They mean consumers. Yet so many current 5e players don't fully comprehend what this paradigm shift will actually mean for the game, the hobby, and the consumer. GO SHADOWDARK!

[@jeffrey.p.thornton]

I passionately disagree with Rifkin's political values, but he is a writer who has had a lor of real insights into how system work. Great reference.

[@rustybrooks8916]

I think that the days of this kind of game were always numbered, especially in the age of AI. Sooner or later we're going to have virtual reality "matrix" style simulation and AI controlling of it and people will al get lost in their own narrative worlds that are more compelling than their actual indignations alone can give them. It's probably my SzPD speaking, but I can't wait for this kind of future, I just fear I won't live quite long enough to see it come true.

[@zirconiumdiamond1416]

That doesn't really make sense to me as a network engineer. Networks are very deliberately designed for interoperability and global scale in mind. And in 2000, the web was even more open, with many, many fewer paywalls and many more casual folks operating their own websites rather than relying on social media platforms. I am not aware of anything in computer networking or digital communications that could be described as a hierarchy of access, with a possible exception that back then devices were more likely to implicitly trust machines on the same local area network and performance was better. However, these days, the zero trust security model and the rapid advance of Internet connections has made this entirely obsolete. Your access is entirely based on whether the holder of the data/service wants you to have access; the network will easily accommodate either decision.

[@thomgizziz]

Awww, look at the little slowey pretending to be smart.

[@yurisei6732]

But the flipside of that has always been the fan communities and the ethical pirates who use the internet to grant everyone access to resources that might previously have been inaccessible - even just with 5e, it's thanks to the internet that free PDFs and similar tools exist, and people are able to access and play the game without spending a penny.

[@TonyJ1776]

"Play in person!" The entire draw of TTRPGs was their actual SOCIAL nature. Not ONLINE social BS, real socializing. Thumbs up.

[@reyvynnightveil1706]

Come on. You know the people at the top at WotC and Hasbro don't play these games and I'd bank that none of them ever really socialize. Bunch of chronically online woke degenerates.

[@spacegoat2130]

Any games really, boardgames or even MTG. I have gems lying around on magic arena account and don't feel like playing. But if friends want to draft a cube I'm all in anytime.

[@JakAttack]

Online socializing IS real socializing 🙂

[@matthewlane]

@@JakAttack " Online socializing IS real socializing " Reality demonstrates otherwise.

[@JakAttack]

@@matthewlane To presume as such is only doing yourself a disservice🙂

[@macdd7257]

First! I love your channel Professor. Also, fuck cancer!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thank you.

[@shaclown7721]

I've been saying the whole "every race is now the same, they just LOOK different" is an abysmal design choice from the moment they introduced it in the playtest. Why should a gnome be physically more powerful than an orc, or an elf more stout than any dwarf?! It makes no sense, and completely removes immersion and actual choice...

[@DoomBringerDANTE]

Don’t they all still have their racial features but with Tasha’s thing of picking where ever to put your stat boosts? IE: Elves have anti-sleep. Dragonborn have their breath attack.

[@dicecrazydude]

Didn't they learn from 4th ed when they did the same thing to classes?

[@shaclown7721]

@@DoomBringerDANTE so why decide to make them completely indistinct in their strengths and weaknesses department? It wouldn't surprise me if they'd continue and say "hey, you know that dragon's breath? Wouldn't it be cool if you could breathe fire as an elf or human too?" It's just a stupid way to design your game. Orcs are dumb and strong, gnomes are small and intelligent, elves are charismatic and slender, while dwarves are tanky.

[@thearcticfox343]

@@shaclown7721 that would be cool if i could breath fire as a human PC, who wouldn't want that, that sounds epic

[@shaclown7721]

@@thearcticfox343 anybody who doesn't want the game to be a sludge of samey boring non-choices...

[@stevenphillips5323]

Amazing video. My group has been playing D&D for over 40 years. We switched to Pathfinder 2E last year and have never looked back. It is shocking how disinterested we all are with the 2024 edition coming out. I could see us never going back.

[@wvanyar1801]

I've played Pathfinder at the last few conventions I've gone too. I've got the Core, DM, and Monster books already. I'm thinking of getting the Box Set to introduce my players to Pathfinder. I use to DM for Adventure League. But there have been no new AL modules since 2020. It just feels like Adventure League is just running on momentum. I've stepped back from running game store games. I am looking into the Pathfinder Society now.

[@KhanjoOfEthiopia]

my favorite part of making all the classes samey is that everyone gets subclasses at lvl 3 now, so clerics are just gonna be wandering around like "I don't know who you are or why I worship you, but please lend me your power" until lvl 3

[@dingleberrio]

Howdy! I'm a business guy, millennial. Been watching you for years now when I first got the itch for DND. Cool to see how your channel has progressed! I started paying a LOT of attention to you when I started DMing. I love your insight into making games move, and essentially be easy to pick up, fun to play, and accessible. I wanted to comment because I've noticed quite a few videos where you are frustrated with the DND fanboys who don't understand what hasbro is doing. Just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that you're not crazy, you are 100% spot on. Keep up the great work! I enjoy both your click-bait content (which gets me to click--duh) and the long form professor dungeon master stuff

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thank you. You comment means a lot.

[@Evil0tto]

This what happens when people who don't play Dungeons and Dragons get put in charge of Dungeons and Dragons.

[@jason916]

Yup

[@jojorose1947]

aren't all the main developers on dnd well known players and DMs? I don't think this logic works

[@Evil0tto]

@@jojorose1947 The developers aren’t in charge. Their job is to develop the game, but they don’t make the corporate-level decisions like this.

[@federicoghezzi1261]

I tought they just missed the timing on the release of 5.24 and rushed to publish at least the PHB in the year of 50th anniversary. It never occured to me that it could be a strategy to spread the revenue of the new edition over more than one quarter.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Hobbits is tricksy.

[@wvanyar1801]

The spreading out of the books is just going to confuse old and new players. Oh, you have the new Players, but I'm not allowing that character into the game because the rest of the books the DM needs are not out. Not a good plan. In the past the core three books were released together since 2nd edition.

[@longiniusspear4565]

Nothing is stopping you from playing older editions.

[@dungeonsandducky8817]

I still play adnd 2nd ed and 3.5.

[@tobyclayton2597]

Fortunately I still have 20 odd books from 3 and 3.5 editions.

[@MatthewFenn1517]

When I first got into D&D about 10 years ago, I bought Pathfinder (1e). My gaming group wanted to play 5e, so I went with that. I put Pathfinder on the shelf. But, I saw those Pathfinder 1e books on the shelf the other day. Those analog books deserve some love. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@homebrewisthebestbrew5270]

My current group introduced me to PF1 recently. We've mixed and matched elements of PF1 and 3.5 to get what we want.

[@p-leif630]

True I just don’t like focused on player choice withered I see that not as boon but crutch Even 5e is far to bloated and slow Charakter build kill creativity

[@karlklein2263]

I've always been big into video games. But there is just something special about gathering friends around a table to play some tabletop rpgs. The comradery, the in jokes, riffing with your friends, and telling stories. So much of that is lost online.

[@Barlmoro]

And i think IT is harder to DM online cose you cannot read the room. See If someone is unhappy or plays more with his Smartphone.

[@Croveski]

It's not lost with digital tools though. I play in-person (when I can) but using things like D&DBeyond on a tablet or laptop for character/campaign management, character sheets, their encounter tool, and quick and easy access to whatever I need out of source books. I guess I have the hot take here but I think Dungeon Craft is being a little doomer here, and it's not the pencil and paper that make in-person DND great - its the people, and it doesn't matter if you're using paper or a digital character sheet. The comradery, in jokes, riffing with your friends, and telling stories is not impacted by whether you're looking at a piece of paper or a screen when in-person. I would also argue that digital tools for remote play have allowed way more people into our hobby. Especially during Covid when meeting up was much harder to arrange. I can play D&D with my friends who live across the country with remote play, which I value a lot more than whether or not we're in the same room. Of course it would be nice to be in the same room and I try to do that with my local friends when I can, but remote play tools imo have been a net positive for the D&D community.

[@kirktate647]

A voice crying in the wilderness, my friend. Folks will believe in WotC and rationalize the facts to fit that belief because they have incorporated "playing D&D" - the brand - into their identity. Someone asks who you are and what you're into , saying "I play tabletop roleplaying games" gets a "huh?" response. But "I play D&D" means something to the masses. Hasbro has succeeded. 5e, Critical Role, Stranger Things, the movie, the merch, Baldur's Gate 3 - the brand has surpassed the product. It is truly over. But hey! 50 years is a hell of a run!

[@houndgirl7365]

Critical role is going to be using a different system very likely their own so I wouldn't quite stick to their name being tied to dnd. Though daggerheart is rough it has potential!

[@yurisei6732]

This is why something I always make sure to mention in places like this is why "just sticking with 5e" or "just pirating the books" doesn't solve the problem: You're still playing "D&D". "D&D" is still part of your identity. You're still free advertising for "D&D". You're still contributing to the big name familiarity that makes other people give WOTC money. If you're sick of the effect WOTC has on this industry, you need to abandon everything to do with D&D, and you need to play non-D&D systems. And no, PF and OSR are still D&D.

[@arfived4]

There's an article on the old WotC website from 2002, which is still available on the Wayback Machine, where Ryan Dancey explains the thinking behind the introduction of the OGL - the money-maker for D&D was the Players' Handbook, and everything else was ultimately just marketing that drove PHB sales. The idea was that, by effectively outsourcing the supplementary material (via a licence that you don't really need) to 'the community', they would "drive support for all other game systems to the lowest level possible in the market" and "create customer resistance to the introduction of new systems". They've been at this for literally decades.

[@DoomBringerDANTE]

People have known DND over others for decades. This isn’t new. This is like complaining that people only know World of Warcraft and not FF14 or Dungeon Fighter. This really is a non-issue.

[@michaelnurse9089]

Once is brand overtakes a product it starts to die. Unfortunately, it takes a few decades for the brand to slide over the precipice. D&D probably has 30 years of 'monetization' to go.

[@Starfall383]

My group saw this too. After playing D&D since the late 80s, our group is playing Pathfinder 2e, and I will be running Starfinder in the near future. Our current GM's daughter and her best friend even joined the group, bringing in the next generation. All in person table-top.

[@wvanyar1801]

I played Pathfinder at Comic Con for 2 days with my goddaughter and her friends. They loved it. Only a few had played D&D. One had never even played a RPG before. I've been playing AD&D since 1982. I'm now looking heavily into Pathfinder. I've played Car Wars, Shadowrun, and a few obscure RPGs. D&D is not the only RPG.

[@darksiant04]

"Get out of the D&D silo..." one of the best statements I've heard in quite some time. There are plenty of quality RPGs to try out that fits the environment, style and characters you want to play... and many of these games are (gasp) easier to learn and run than D&D.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Yup.

[@AgranakStudios]

On my channel I am doubling down on table top........t a b l e t o p gaming and running away from digital RPGs. At the end of the day, it's not the same, it just is not. Playing Excitebike is not riding a dirt bike, and VTT is not D&D, it's just not. A surrogate sure........but not the real thing! Great video! I love the passion!!!

[@mikecheckpro]

I am so thankful that OSE, Shadowdark, DCC and MCC exist.

[@JWK1101]

Well, my days of buying my D&D from non-Hasbro sources are certainly coming to a middle. Also, as someone who regularly wears a pocket watch, I agree with you about the virtues of analog.

[@stuartbaxter-potter8363]

Props for the Firefly reference. I'm in the same boat but with MTG.

[@scoots291]

I use to say "support the official release" bow I say "if possession isn't ownership then theft isn't stealing"

[@shaclown7721]

The sheer desperation in your voice and mannerism when talking about the fact dnd is going completely digital and taking fans of the franchise or ttrpg's as a whole into a direction you despise is palpable... Eidt: i don't mean this as an insult, i meant it as me noticing how frustrated you are with the whole situation and i feel sorry for a long term fan to be betrayed. I completely agree with your stance, and i'm honestly going to give shadowdark a try now that you've displayed it so nicely in this video!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

It's so frustrating to deal with fan boys. Thanks for watching.

[@TomGoose-op1rh]

"They got the clackity clack, and you'll have to pry them out of my hands when I'm cold and dead!"

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thank you for watching.

[@zombiemann]

As a disabled person, and lifelong gamer, I LOVE the advent of virtual table tops. Makes getting to game night a thousand times easier. But nothing can replace sitting down with a physical copy of the books and reading them.

[@yurisei6732]

I strongly suspect that OneD&D isn't going to be very accessible though, since it's fully 3D and designed to be an unmodifiable walled garden. I think most disabled people are going to find 2D moddable VTTs like Foundry better suited to their needs.

[@johnevans5782]

@@yurisei6732 It really depends. I am in a group that used Foundry during Quarantiine. Then our campaign ended, and I was asked to run the game, The DM gave me access to Foundry's tools. and it was like trying to learn how to pilot the space shuttle. I tried to figure it out for about 2 weeks, surrendered and waved my white flag, and we started playing in person. Much will depend on how hard and complicated it is to use and run.

[@zombiemann]

@@yurisei6732 I use Foundry now and have been having a blast.

[@dabradmp1]

I have a serious question for you. I see more and more images of the next D&D including disable people in the game. Does this appeal to you? Like those characters in wheelchair. When you play, do you view your character being disable?

[@DoctorLazers]

As a PSW and husband to a disabled woman, I think the last thing a disabled person needs, is less reason to get out of the house.

[@yvindheilo229]

I've heard they'll release the Potato Man as a new playable race!

[@kentonbaird1723]

No, that's just how the shareholders refer to continuing Wotc consumers...

[@scotchsunday]

My 45 year old 1e Player's Handbook is still intact and in great condition. My 5e PH has more and more pages falling out every time I open it.

[@ElderGoblinGames]

You are right on the money sir. As corporations grow the quality of their products decline. The era of D&D is steadily declining, long live the era of Independent gaming!

[@s-o-tariknomad6970]

7:58 I understand what you meant, but now I'm imagining a Middle Class Millipede going to Gucci

[@BusyBadger]

Don't mind me, I'll be over at the corner table with my Moldvay set, Megamat, and Grenadier & Ral Partha minis.

[@nickmorgan3199]

Don’t forget your gradual lead poisoning lol 😉

[@BusyBadger]

@@nickmorgan3199 I inocultated myself by eating paint chips, gradually increasing the amount over time so that I now have total immunity.

[@nickmorgan3199]

@@BusyBadgerI absolutely love the fact that the internet can still surprise me once in awhile with a person that has a good natured sense of humor. Thanks for the laugh! You have a great day!

[@AllForLast]

One thing I want to correct since I've heard you say it several times and it's a common misconception: the CEO does not have a fiduciary duty to the shareholders to increase share price. He has a fiduciary duty to the company, meaning when making decisions he has to put the company's interests first. That duty to the company is further broken into different kinds of duties (care, loyalty, good faith) and evaluated under the business judgment rule. None of those duties require maximizing share price, just making reasonable decisions in good faith for the best interest of the company. Practically, the CEO wants to increase share price to earn more money through bonuses and keep their job. That's the real reason for short term maximization.

[@Deliriumend]

and pragmatically, if he doesn't make money for share holders they're going to oust him.

[@mkklassicmk3895]

They literally have the responsibility that the professor says. It's actually the law.

[@NathanaelRouillard]

@@mkklassicmk3895 what law? Because having worked at an international investment bank, they seemed to think that the notion was bullshit. We had whole learning segments on the various stakeholder classes, and how they worked as part of the company being invested in. The focus on the shareholder over the other stakeholders was highlighted as a red flag for bad investment, and they specifically pointed out that it was not true, but a philosophical choice.

[@mkklassicmk3895]

@@NathanaelRouillard The CEO of a publicly traded company has a responsibility to the company as a whole. They can't make decisions that would knowingly harm the company. The publicly traded company as a whole has the same responsibility to the stockholders. It's the basic protection against defrauding investors.

[@AllForLast]

@@mkklassicmk3895 They don't have that responsibility. To be more specific, they don't have a fiduciary duty to increase share price, which is what he said in the video. You can literally just Google "ceo fiduciary duties" and find countless articles summarizing this since this is as basic a corporate law concept as there is. None of them will say 'maximize share price'. What you're describing is a popular philosophical belief and corporate movement, though it's starting to be challenged more and more, that the point of companies is to maximize shareholder value and that other stakeholders don't matter. That's not a legally required belief and many in the corporate world don't adopt it.

[@Oyster_Man]

It's officially dungeover. Anyway Cypher System is neat.

[@JoeSmith-oy3hk]

Invisible sun cube should arrive right around the end of my campaign. Forward and onward.

[@orkcol]

Cypher is cool to be fair. I enjoyed running it. Easy as anything to run aswel.

[@NubiBuiltKatchr]

Well said! Ranting like a true Grognard. I stand with you in solidarity.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Sometimes you gotta rant!

[@almitrahopkins1873]

Do you remember that first game? That’s what keeps you coming back. It’s that first awakening of your imagination. It’s picturing what happened when you rolled those dice the first time. Imagination is one hell of a drug and you’ve been hooked on it for decades. My first group consisted of a bunch of Navy brats who played on the patio of the fancy hotel that was always full of Americans in Gaeta, Italy. We had smaller groups that met in other places, but that was the big group. It cost you 500 lira (roughly a quarter) to use their pool for the day, so a lot of us were there every day in the summer. I never even had a set of books or dice before moving back to states from there. Do you remember walking into a game store and the people playing telling you that watching wasn’t allowed as they handed you a character sheet? That was our “conventions” before there were conventions. Yeah, Hasbro is screwing this up. We can go back to what it was back in the ‘80s, because we learned the skills to do it before Hasbro came along. I have books on my shelf from GW, GDW, SJC, FASA, TSR, WotC, West End, Imperium, Iron Crown, Black Dog and even more I can’t think of right now. We don’t need them, but they need us.

[@scottrisley8716]

Fantastic news for indies!!!!

[@dragonhowto]

Lol my players still don't understand why I refuse to use D&D Beyond. I keep explaining it to them and they still don't get it

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Send them this video. Cheers.

[@dragonhowto]

Great idea! Forwarded the video to the group chat!​@@DUNGEONCRAFT1

[@kentonbaird1723]

"because if I wanted to pay a monthly fee for a game to make it all basic for me, I'd go back to World of Warcraft."

[@TheCharredTree]

@@kentonbaird1723 Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

[@go_outside]

The G. Gucci & G. Gygax/Kering & Hasbro comparison was very insightful and a reminder of why I enjoy your videos as much as I do.

[@user-ll8rk4xx2u]

Nothing wrong with change. Digital opens it up for more people to enjoy this wonderful pastime.

[@tracynsolus7186]

As a younger player who started playing dnd in person with friends about 3 years ago, I honestly believe they are over estimating the potential returns of doubling down on the online table top. The rules are not and cannot be copy righted and are currently available for free online, by raising the entrance cost to the game they ultimately reduce the likelihood of more young players joining. My group started off with a single copy of the player and dungeon master’s handbooks which we pooled funds to grab, reasoning that the price of the books ended up being less than we’d pay for a modern game to play together and the analog books would allow for many different campaigns and experiences for that one upfront cost. Making every player pay a subscription will just push more players to try other cheaper alternatives such as just pirating the books or using other free media, meaning less new players enter the ecosystem. It’s a short sighted move at best by wizards and I think will probably be what breaks their de facto monopoly.

[@autumnbowler]

Good point. I've played with so many new players who drag their feet with buying their own players guide or even dice. I always found it a bit annoying because as the DM you're providing them with hours and hours of fun and it seems like a small request for them to spend a little money and stop borrowing dice from you. Now they'll all have to pay a LOT more.

[@JohnDoe-cr3og]

Soaking in the passion on this subject. Stay strong, tabletop friends!!

[@badgermaniac1]

This is your best video you have ever made. Just drop the mic and have a cold one.

[@gbhermit]

THIS.

[@Vyke348]

Thing is... that part you said at the end... it's absolutely critical. But it also involves players choosing to be really honest about if they need 5.5e2024 and if not... not buying it. I mean if you already have the 5e books you have an infinite amount of playtime (Why I still crack open my 3.5, my BECMI and even my 4e (fight me) or any of another couple of dozen systems) And it will be hard for a lot of people, especially people who haven't lived through an edition change (and there'll be a lot this time). Learning new games is hard. Getting players to play new games seems hard (It's not in reality, I tell my players what I want to run and if they want something different I tell them I'm thrilled they want to run and let me play for a change.... then we play what I suggested in the first place). What WOTC give you is easy. But ultimately it's like food. 5.5e2024 is easy food. It's McDonalds. And McDonalds is fine. But if it's all you eat, that stuff will kill you. Eventually, easy isn't good enough. And while it might sound intimidating, it's not that much extra work to make make your own carbonara. So absolutely do all the stuff at the end of the the video.... but always be aware that how you spend your money is the biggest influence you have in the market. If you buy all the books and subscribe to the app but then only play Call of Cthulu.... they still have your money so the model is working. Doesn't matter that you're not playing. If you want the new books.... buy them.... but ask yourself if you really do or are getting them because you think you should...

[@bryantursk7637]

At 58 years old and have played dnd since the mid 80's... I prefer virtual play on a VTT using Discord. It is way more convenient with work, chores, errands, honey do list etc. add on dealing with germs/illness and travel times. Was in person fun back in the day... Of course... But online suits me way better at this point in my life.

[@Rich_H_1972]

Hope it happens. I know more and more kids and young adults that want to sit around a table with their gaming buddies. D&D digital will mean more players for all other games.

[@simontemplar3359]

The awesome thing to me is that with games like Knave and Dragonbane, ICRPG, etc, I honestly am un-impacted by it. I just don't care about the & game. Cocks reminds me of the Brad character on Mythic Quest. It's really a drag. You raise interesting points about the fiduciary responsibility that the CEO has. There's a great documentary called The Corporation. It's old at this point, but I think it's still well worth checking out.

[@vancomycinb1193]

Yup. I've gotten into savage worlds stuff lately and it's good.

[@rynowatcher]

@@simontemplar3359 generally, d&d has not had as big of a monopoly for table top for a while. You get a screwed view because d&d has a multi billion dollar company proping up the media surrounding their products. Adding d&d to the hash tag garentees you will have your video seen. This is the tail wagging the dog.

[@Thumperoo]

The Corporation is indeed a classic. Nice call !

[@jamesalexhowlett]

lol I left wotc when the OGL scandal happened, I knew it wouldn’t be the end of their problems they’ve been creating for themselves. First it was a drop in quality, then purposely leaving material out of their books, then the price increase in books, while increasing the amount of books they publish, and finally the OGL scandal. I only peek in on wotc when I want a chuckle.

[@circlingoverland4364]

That was the last straw for me as well. I won't give them another penny.

[@Patoshlenain]

As much as I dislike video about WotC content, this is the only source of news I get on the subject so thanks for the updates PDM!

[@Gabriel-vl2ft]

The best thing about this video is... Professor DM's passion for the game! We may not agree on somethings, but I think we do agree that the game should be played as you like. Not how some company wants you to play. Going all digital will inevitably change the game... It will no longer be D & D. But a video game to play at home, either through video with friends, or dare I say it... by yourself. And be limited by the rules and computer logic of the platform you play on.

[@agosto310]

I consider myself a weird one in the RPG community. I started playing with a spanish RPG that was particularly bad, but I liked it at the time. Then I moved on to other RPGs and I was jumping around, but never truly got into DnD. My only exposure to it was a single campaign with 4e, in which I wasn't the DM. Now I'm kinda glad I've never jumped in that DnD train. I have some friend which I played RPGs with that ended up in 5e and they've been trapped by it since. I find that DnD encourages the player behaviour of bringing characters with super cool backstories, which make them epic and cool even before sitting at the table. Or min maxing your character sheet and planning a route for your player when you lvl up, essentialy making it a game of playing alone at home and testing how it goes every now and then at the table. Me, on the other hand, I'm amazed by games like DCC, which I run sparsely, or Pendragon, which is a masterpiece. I want games that encourage making your character story at the table, not at character creation. I already have a hard time remembering all the NPCs I create in game, I don't wanna deal with whatever you created all by yourself at home, juggling with all of your feat and abilities combos and dealing with your 0 input at the table, because you already have your story made up in your head or you come at the table just to test your build. Rant off, I guess hahaha

[@rons3580]

My theory is the OGL fiasco taught them the power of the current in-person players. They are also going after Gen Z'ers who do everything online. A poll showed over 20% would quit their job rather than go into the office. They live their life online and are the next players to continue buying things. They are already trained to accept micro transactions.

[@vickieden1973]

WOTC: "Character creation can take forever." I mean, compared to your earlier editions, such as 4E or 3.5E? Hell no. It's stupid fast to build a character in 5E, there aren't very many choices to make! The part that takes forever is imagining the exact character you want to play... what race/species and class... flipping through subclasses... and of course what spells to choose-and no online character builder can really make that bit any quicker. And for me at least, I wouldn't want it to, because that would take all the fun out of building a character.

[@BlaueEnte_]

I mean this is the nicest way possible, you have Danny Devito energy when you're excited

[@dwsonye]

My group moved to Basic Fantasy and we all love it.

[@TorIverWilhelmsen]

(Every other RPG publishing company) "You do you, Hasbro."

[@Winterydee]

Ease of access does not mean that the product is better. Pure digital is the thing that most people should be very worried about because once something is purely digital and controlled by a singular access point/portal it then becomes very easy for changes to be made and the history leading up to that point to be lost forever. While yes, this is just a game and only one example, once certain things are lost, it can become very hard to impossible to ever learn or recover that which was lost. Sadly, more often than not as people tend to not know what we truly have until after things have changed and usually it is not for the better that we learn that lesson.

[@Senzueffect]

They can build their hedge garden. I'll be in my own garden. Finding which content I'll be weeding or cutting topiary of what books to use. Let my players open their imagination.

[@Stray_GM]

Yep, Professor, you've been saying it for some time now. It really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone... This video rocks. I'll be sharing if you dont mine.

[@EpicQuestBattlemaps]

This video is a refreshing and blunt, eye-opening reality check. Masterfully explained, as always, and delivered in a way that keeps you smiling throughout. Standing ovation for you, Professor. Cheers!

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

Thank you.

[@marlinperkins6910]

I’ve said this before, but the greatest tragedy here was when a megacorp got its hooks on D&D. This was always going to happen because role playing is NOT a billion dollar industry, but Hasbro requires it to be. Role playing is a bespoke industry, and can only really shine when people that care about run it.

[@donbeyer5074]

I gave up on any emotional attachment to D&D long ago. Instead, I’m attending the Gen Con seminar with hopes I can have Kelsey Dionne sign my ShadowDark book. I let that last part sink in…

[@TheArcaneLibrary]

I’ll see you there! 😊

[@apmartini70]

@@TheArcaneLibraryI saw you! You were signing someone’s book and talking very passionately about something. I wanted to chat but had to go to a session. I’ll see you next time!

[@dustincoopermusic]

Not going to lie: I don't really give a crap about the new D&D or what that crappy company plans on doing with it. There are so many good alternatives to "official D&D" that at this point, they can turn it into D&D Go (like you said) and it will never effect me. I love the shout out to Shadowdark, btw. And I am still hoping for a full Deathbringer rpg sometime in the future! Thanks again!

[@MidianNiles]

I too am feeling a hole growing deeper in my tabletop soul. I was truly hoping that WotC was going to create a duality, where both digital and physical resources were going to be their own genre of gamers. Leaving the physical realm is a massive mistake. I too like the idea of having a digital resource for D&D; however I also feel the exclusion of physical resources is a slap to Gary Gygax's face, and his vision of human connection!

[@djmarley3739]

Watching the D&D Live event at GenCon, the moment the WotC VTT was used in the game the entire dynamic changed from a tabletop roleplaying game to "let me interact with my computer around others" game. I'm sure it'll be great for those trying out the hobby - but no way will I use it in my games.

[@DUNGEONCRAFT1]

My review of the Player's Handbook hits YT in 2 hours. You'll enjoy it--even if you don't want o buy it. Trust me.

[@GRIMGORIRONHIDEROCKS]

I watch all your videos. You're my number 1 d&d youtuber. Sure, I prefer your running the game and crafting videos more than your business news videos. But I still learn so much from these videos. They're always so thoroughly broken down so complicated stats and ideas are easy to digest. But THIS video on particular had a mountain of passion on top of all that knowledge. It got me very excited and obviously engaged me enough to write this comment in the first place. Just wanted to express that. Anyway, may all your rolls be 20's.