Hasbro/Wizards has laid off almost all of the people responsible for the $63M in digital licensing profits from BG3 they brag about in their investor letter. Two weeks before Christmas.
Meanwhile, Dropout (Game Changer, Dimension 20) has instituted a full profit sharing program with everyone who worked on their productions, the majority of whom are contractors.
Get the D&D people in your life a Dropout subscription instead of the newest 5E book this Christmas!
This got way more reach than I expected!
For those unfamiliar with Dropout, they're an independent production company and streaming service. They make 1) Dimension 20, the best Actual Play TTRPG show on Earth and 2) several incredible improv/game show programs, including Game Changer, a game show with improv comedians where the game changes every time.
Start with this Game Changer ep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-6m0jW0X9E
Or dive straight into Dimension 20 with Fantasy High: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zZxCVBi7-k&list=PLhOoxQxz2yFOcJoLoPRyYzjqCbddeOjP4&index=2
One more clarifying thing here: these layoffs are at Hasbro (which owns Wizards of the Coast, which publishes D&D).
Revenue from BG3 was the only positive note in Hasbro's Q3 investor letter. They essentially said "we made tons of money from licensing" and then fired everyone who made them that money.
Larian, the studio that developed BG3, did not have layoffs! In a year with many game studio layoffs, that's commendable! Play Baldur's Gate 3!
See also: https://recurse.social/@dylnuge/111580262016923313
Attached: 2 images @[email protected] I didn't say Larian had layoffs! Hasbro's layoffs included almost all of Wizards' digital licensing team, which was responsible for Hasbro's profits on Baldur's Gate 3. Swen Vincke, the CEO of Larian, tweeted saying almost everyone they worked with on the Wizards side is gone. Licensing is work! The people at Wizards who worked with Larian are far more responsible for the the revenue Hasbro is listing in their Q3 Investor "highlights" than any Hasbro executive.
@dylnuge no wonder Critical Role is making their own rulebook.
No wonder Paizo's Pathfinder is seeing some interest (though whether Paizo is any better than Hasbro/WotC remains to be seen).
At this point I have to start yelling that Baldur's Gate III will have been successful not because of D&D, but IN SPITE OF.
@root The good news for Pathfinder fans is I think Paizo's player-friendlyness is pretty well established by now.
They had strong market share during the 4E era especially, with PF being seen by a lot of 3.5E fans (self included!) as the successor to the game we loved. PF2E has performed well.
From the beginning they've made all rule content from all books completely free (https://www.aonprd.com/). They cut the remaining D&D OGL ties in 2E when Wizards threatened the license.
@dylnuge and more power to Paizo and the playerbase if we get all the good stuff.
The issue is I did hear through the grapevine that there WAS some ugliness about the company itself. Admittedlty the tea dates back 2 years, but a quick web search for "paizo pathfinder controversies" will surface a fair few allegations.
Dylan Nugent
cybik 