D&D 5E Hypothetical: WotC goes under and Hasbro vaults D&D. Now What?

[Reynard]

ETA: Folks can respond how they want, of course. I'm not a cop. That said, the intent of the thread isn't really to give folks a venue to talk about how little they'd care. The intent was to attempt to imagine what it would actually look like.

One of the things that is said a lot with regards to the OGL and related discussions is that D&D being Open (and especially now that it is in CC) means it can never go away. There will always be "D&D" regardless of what happens to the company owning it.

So this thread is meant to be a discussion about what that might look like. What if by some series of unfortunate events D&D is no longer published or even licensed out? Let's even presume that Hasbro gets real litigious about any trademark violations, but doesn't bother doing anything about people using either SRD under CC.

Now what? What does "D&D never dying" look like under this scenario?

 

[Zardnaar]

Don't care. OSR and clones still around. If they're gone as well I have around 500 books/magazines on the shelf.

Barely touched a lot of 2E and 3E splat. Pathfinder as well only bought 6 books.

If recruiting players is hard/impossible run a smaller group.

Back catalog would last for years. Actually play my 5E stack of adventures as is.

 

[Tonguez]

One of the things that is said a lot with regards to the OGL and related discussions is that D&D being Open (and especially now that it is in CC) means it can never go away. There will always be "D&D" regardless of what happens to the company owning it.

So this thread is meant to be a discussion about what that might look like. What if by some series of unfortunate events D&D is no longer published or even licensed out? Let's even presume that Hasbro gets real litigious about any trademark violations, but doesn't bother doing anything about people using either SRD under CC.

Now what? What does "D&D never dying" look like under this scenario?

You either play with what youve got or play something else. There are so many options now that WotC dropping out of the market wouldnt be much of a gap

 

[Reynard]

Don't care.

This thread is about exploring what might happen.

 

[Reynard]

You either play with what youve got or play something else. There are so many options now that WotC dropping out of the market wouldnt be much of a gap

Which ones would rise to the top? Would it be a D&D like or something farther afield? What happens to all the influencers?

 

[billd91]

What happens to all the influencers?

I would expect the bottom to drop out of the D&D influencer market, particularly if Hasbro got litigious about D&D-adjacent material. They'd all have to get real jobs like gong farmer, otter shaver, or nut sorter. Ginny Di would probably have to find work as Laura Bailey's stunt double on Critical Role - at least whenever she plays Jester.

 

[Scribe]

Now what? What does "D&D never dying" look like under this scenario?

I think LU/ToV essentially are D&D as most people (5e players) think of it.
I think Shadowdark would continue to prosper.
I think OSR in its myriad of representations, would continue. Same with the *Borgs.

If ever there was a time when we do not need Wizards, its now.

 

[Morrus]

I mean, the brand goes away, but the game doesn't. I imagine--aside from the existing A5E, ToV, etc.--we'd see a ton of other variants spring up.

I don 't think we'd ever return to a place where a single company dominates the industry in the way WotC does. We'd have a much less centralised industry (and hobby).

 

[jgsugden]

Nothing would happen - and I don't mean that dismissively, I mean that as the plan going forward. Nothing would really change.

For example, I'd continue to play D&D based upon the latest edition I liked with the adjustments my group wanted. I've always felt it was likely I'd be locked away in a retirement facility someday playing D&D with whoever else wanted to play with me. The status quo would just ... persist.

If the digital transition takes place as Hasbro and WotC want and we move move of the games onto the internet with us licensing IP that they can rip away at any moment - well, then there would be a transition for me ... back to pen, paper and painted minis.

 

[AlViking]

For me and my groups, nothing would happen. I like the game as is and would continue to play.

But I find it hard to imagine that someone else would not pick up the pieces and carry on. The game is still the 800 pound gorilla and even if HASBRO dies I can't imagine it not being bought out by another company. If by some unlikely scenario it can't be bought, someone would create a very, very close clone.