More evidence Pundit is lying for clicks.

Comicbook.com has an interview with the new D&D Vice President Jess Lanzillo. 

They asked Lanzillo about the recurring fears of digitalization within Dungeons & Dragons and whether there was any mandated shift to digital.

"I think it's unfortunate that this dichotomy has been set up," Lanzillo said. "It's artificial in so many ways. How did most of us play D&D during the lockdown? Was it necessarily everyone's preferred way of playing it? Hard to say. Some people found that they've continued playing digitally. They're playing on Maps on D&D Beyond and on Discord and on voice calls. Many of us play in person, a more tactile experience. I was probably one of the last migrators to the D&D Beyond character sheet, because I am an artist, so I just draw all of my stuff, and I want to do it in this very bespoke fashion."

"I'm a big fan of being able to provide play experiences to people any way they want to play them," Lanzillo continued. "I actually look at it as a form of gatekeeping to be like, "Your version of playing is stupid, and my version of playing is good."

"I just think it's all part of the same ecosystem, and putting things up against each other and trying to villainize one thing over the other...it's just about giving people the experiences for wherever they're at in their life and whoever the people are around them," Lanzillo said.

In regards to the physical releases, Lanzillo mentioned that there were no plans to move away from physical during a Q&A session earlier in the day. There's a quote that didn't make the final interview where she pushes back on the idea of digital pivots in general and talks about how she wants to "give people the experiences for wherever they're at in their life and whoever the people are around them."

Does that sound like they're ditching books? No. No it does not. They are supporting both, just like the said before. They are dumping more new funds into digital. This isn't coming out of the book budget. They didn't fire everyone involved with books. They fired 3 of about 18 people involved with books. Not to mention people who work on digital publications often ARE THE SAME PEOPLE working on physical publications. This whole conspiracy theory is built on nothing but fear and speculation and false rumors.

Quote from: Mistwell on August 12, 2024, 03:07:11 PM"I think it's unfortunate that this dichotomy has been set up," Lanzillo said. "It's artificial in so many ways. How did most of us play D&D during the lockdown? Was it necessarily everyone's preferred way of playing it? Hard to say. Some people found that they've continued playing digitally. They're playing on Maps on D&D Beyond and on Discord and on voice calls. Many of us play in person, a more tactile experience. I was probably one of the last migrators to the D&D Beyond character sheet, because I am an artist, so I just draw all of my stuff, and I want to do it in this very bespoke fashion."

"I'm a big fan of being able to provide play experiences to people any way they want to play them," Lanzillo continued. "I actually look at it as a form of gatekeeping to be like, "Your version of playing is stupid, and my version of playing is good."

"I just think it's all part of the same ecosystem, and putting things up against each other and trying to villainize one thing over the other...it's just about giving people the experiences for wherever they're at in their life and whoever the people are around them," Lanzillo said.

Uhhh, this corporate blather doesn't say or prove anything about WotC's plans for hardcopy books.  It doesn't state anything about what products are planned in the future, nor does it state how those products will be published.  Why even quote this?

Quote from: Mistwell on August 12, 2024, 03:07:11 PMIn regards to the physical releases, Lanzillo mentioned that there were no plans to move away from physical during a Q&A session earlier in the day.

Wait, you quoted all of the generic bullshit that this person said, but didn't directly quote where they said WotC will continue to publish all of their products in hardcopy?  Seem like that is the one quote that would actually support your assertion!  But you paraphrase that?  Why?  Seems like you are trying to gloss over something.  Otherwise you'd just quote, "We will be releasing everything in hardcopy and digitally."  But they didn't say that, did they?  I bet there was some corporate weaselry in that statement, too...

Edit: I can't find anything about that paraphrased "statement" in the article at all.  Did you make it up?

Mistwell, why are you digging this hole for yourself?

The art director isn't the person to try and divine business decisions from.

If she does know, and publicy revealed internal business plans, she'd be fired. I hope you realize that all WotC employees who attend conventions are given media training and printed talking points to adhere to, from the Marketing department.

It has been the intent of the D&D brand team to migrate play to an online VTT since before the launch of 3rd edition. Just because it failed in 2000, & in 2008 doesn't mean this ever stopped being the goal.

The last two presidents of WotC have been hired specifically because of expertise in micro transactions.


I imagine you will continue to ignore the abundant evidence that WotC is in fact all in on the VTT.

Oh, and why did you leave this part out?

QuoteThe possibility of modular optional rulesets also keeps the umbrella of D&D open to more kinds of players. "If you're a person that wants to run some OSR-style, total party kill dungeons, and then all of a sudden, I'm going to make you read 20 pages about courtship or whatever, maybe you're uncomfortable with that in your game," Lanzillo said. "That isn't a thing that necessarily we want to bake into the actual core of what D&D is. But say we did want to make something that was more romantasy-oriented, and we wanted to create that stuff around it. Now, we know that's not going to be a hundred percent of the D&D audience and it might be a totally new audience in some ways. So, how do we create that bridge back to the core rulebooks but just note that the combat might be pretty light or something." Lanzillo said that the idea of using Dungeons & Dragons as an adaptive framework was an "exciting challenge" that she looked forward to the team tackling over the next few years.

Sounds a lot like little "optional" rules packets or something.  Seems really expensive to publish a bunch of little packets of rules in hardcopy.  Almost like they'll be easier to produce electronically...

Quote from: Eirikrautha on August 12, 2024, 06:57:54 PMOh, and why did you leave this part out?

QuoteThe possibility of modular optional rulesets also keeps the umbrella of D&D open to more kinds of players. "If you're a person that wants to run some OSR-style, total party kill dungeons, and then all of a sudden, I'm going to make you read 20 pages about courtship or whatever, maybe you're uncomfortable with that in your game," Lanzillo said. "That isn't a thing that necessarily we want to bake into the actual core of what D&D is. But say we did want to make something that was more romantasy-oriented, and we wanted to create that stuff around it. Now, we know that's not going to be a hundred percent of the D&D audience and it might be a totally new audience in some ways. So, how do we create that bridge back to the core rulebooks but just note that the combat might be pretty light or something." Lanzillo said that the idea of using Dungeons & Dragons as an adaptive framework was an "exciting challenge" that she looked forward to the team tackling over the next few years.

Sounds a lot like little "optional" rules packets or something.  Seems really expensive to publish a bunch of little packets of rules in hardcopy.  Almost like they'll be easier to produce electronically...

Alternatively, its something really easy to mark up... 24-32 page stapled booklet with rules and a short adventure with a cardstock cover like an old TSR module, but PoD. Sell it for $9.99 or even $12.99. Order right off their website.

Not saying they will or won't, just that short limited appeal booklets seems like a great excuse to really mark up the price since the ones who want it REALLY want it (and offering free still wouldn't be enough for others to pick it up). PoD just limits your overhead.

Quote from: Chris24601 on August 12, 2024, 08:38:21 PM

Quote from: Eirikrautha on August 12, 2024, 06:57:54 PMOh, and why did you leave this part out?

QuoteThe possibility of modular optional rulesets also keeps the umbrella of D&D open to more kinds of players. "If you're a person that wants to run some OSR-style, total party kill dungeons, and then all of a sudden, I'm going to make you read 20 pages about courtship or whatever, maybe you're uncomfortable with that in your game," Lanzillo said. "That isn't a thing that necessarily we want to bake into the actual core of what D&D is. But say we did want to make something that was more romantasy-oriented, and we wanted to create that stuff around it. Now, we know that's not going to be a hundred percent of the D&D audience and it might be a totally new audience in some ways. So, how do we create that bridge back to the core rulebooks but just note that the combat might be pretty light or something." Lanzillo said that the idea of using Dungeons & Dragons as an adaptive framework was an "exciting challenge" that she looked forward to the team tackling over the next few years.

Sounds a lot like little "optional" rules packets or something.  Seems really expensive to publish a bunch of little packets of rules in hardcopy.  Almost like they'll be easier to produce electronically...

Alternatively, its something really easy to mark up... 24-32 page stapled booklet with rules and a short adventure with a cardstock cover like an old TSR module, but PoD. Sell it for $9.99 or even $12.99. Order right off their website.

Not saying they will or won't, just that short limited appeal booklets seems like a great excuse to really mark up the price since the ones who want it REALLY want it (and offering free still wouldn't be enough for others to pick it up). PoD just limits your overhead.

No way they would print small stapled product. I guarantee they wouldn't even consider the idea. Outside of prestige print products, or a Xanathar analog 3-4 years from now, all the new player facing options will be DDB exclusive.

Quote from: Mistwell on August 12, 2024, 03:07:11 PMMore evidence Pundit is lying for clicks.

Comicbook.com has an interview with the new D&D Vice President Jess Lanzillo. 

They asked Lanzillo about the recurring fears of digitalization within Dungeons & Dragons and whether there was any mandated shift to digital.

"I think it's unfortunate that this dichotomy has been set up," Lanzillo said. "It's artificial in so many ways. How did most of us play D&D during the lockdown? Was it necessarily everyone's preferred way of playing it? Hard to say. Some people found that they've continued playing digitally. They're playing on Maps on D&D Beyond and on Discord and on voice calls. Many of us play in person, a more tactile experience. I was probably one of the last migrators to the D&D Beyond character sheet, because I am an artist, so I just draw all of my stuff, and I want to do it in this very bespoke fashion."

"I'm a big fan of being able to provide play experiences to people any way they want to play them," Lanzillo continued. "I actually look at it as a form of gatekeeping to be like, "Your version of playing is stupid, and my version of playing is good."

"I just think it's all part of the same ecosystem, and putting things up against each other and trying to villainize one thing over the other...it's just about giving people the experiences for wherever they're at in their life and whoever the people are around them," Lanzillo said.

In regards to the physical releases, Lanzillo mentioned that there were no plans to move away from physical during a Q&A session earlier in the day. There's a quote that didn't make the final interview where she pushes back on the idea of digital pivots in general and talks about how she wants to "give people the experiences for wherever they're at in their life and whoever the people are around them."

Does that sound like they're ditching books? No. No it does not. They are supporting both, just like the said before. They are dumping more new funds into digital. This isn't coming out of the book budget. They didn't fire everyone involved with books. They fired 3 of about 18 people involved with books. Not to mention people who work on digital publications often ARE THE SAME PEOPLE working on physical publications. This whole conspiracy theory is built on nothing but fear and speculation and false rumors.

I remember when the very first rumors of their being a 4th edition coming out, and WotC was asked about it, and the answer was very cleverly crafted to sound like there wasn't any 4e forthcoming when in fact there was. At the time, I was fooled by that.

If Lanzillo was trying to answer honestly she could have just said "no, we're not going all-digital, and here is a small example of the future books we're putting out". Note that this didn't happen.

To add to the mistrust of corporate boilerplate press releases, WotC already released CCG booster packs for collectible effects to play during your RPG during 4e. And WotC also released randomized boxes for collectible pre-painted miniatures for 5e.

Past performance suggests future behavior. WotC has a history. I'm going to believe its history before its boilerplate press releases. Words < Actions. Following corporate curricula vitae and industry band-wagonning it is far from unreasonable to connect the dots and expect this sort of direction.

Further, WotC has already way over-drafted the benefit of the doubt with me and many others. Some may want to play with Lucy & the Football as Charlie Brown -- the triumph of hope over experience -- but I have no interest in playing that game anymore. So I feel vindicated reserving my right to heavy cynicism and disinterest.

Quote from: M2A0 on August 12, 2024, 06:54:27 PMJust because it failed in 2000, & in 2008 doesn't mean this ever stopped being the goal.

And 2013 with the Neverwinter MMO.

Quote from: Opaopajr on August 13, 2024, 04:03:56 AMWotC already released CCG booster packs for collectible effects to play during your RPG during 4e. And WotC also released randomized boxes for collectible pre-painted miniatures for 5e.

The first was Gamma World using 4e. It actually was a better RPG than core 4e. But as a GW product it was a train wreck.

The second is like the WizKids D&D minis. WizKids likes their random buy too.

If WotC can sneak in some random buy packs for the VTT they will.

But I suspect they will instead go the forced rarity route where it will be every month some sort of "Buy it NOW before it is GONE foreverrrrr!" sort of predating on players.

Quote from: Opaopajr on August 13, 2024, 04:03:56 AMTo add to the mistrust of corporate boilerplate press releases, WotC already released CCG booster packs for collectible effects to play during your RPG during 4e. And WotC also released randomized boxes for collectible pre-painted miniatures for 5e.

Past performance suggests future behavior. WotC has a history. I'm going to believe its history before its boilerplate press releases. Words < Actions. Following corporate curricula vitae and industry band-wagonning it is far from unreasonable to connect the dots and expect this sort of direction.

Further, WotC has already way over-drafted the benefit of the doubt with me and many others. Some may want to play with Lucy & the Football as Charlie Brown -- the triumph of hope over experience -- but I have no interest in playing that game anymore. So I feel vindicated reserving my right to heavy cynicism and disinterest.

Greetings!

"Heavy cynicism and disinterest." *LAUGHING* Ahh, yeah, my friend! Exactly!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Quote from: Omega on August 13, 2024, 04:30:11 AMBut I suspect they will instead go the forced rarity route where it will be every month some sort of "Buy it NOW before it is GONE foreverrrrr!" sort of predating on players.

Sadly, FOMO (fear of missing out) is a powerful marketing/predatory tool.  I have no doubt that they are considering it.

Quote from: zircher on August 13, 2024, 01:08:54 PM

Quote from: Omega on August 13, 2024, 04:30:11 AMBut I suspect they will instead go the forced rarity route where it will be every month some sort of "Buy it NOW before it is GONE foreverrrrr!" sort of predating on players.

Sadly, FOMO (fear of missing out) is a powerful marketing/predatory tool.  I have no doubt that they are considering it.

Collectible characters, where your race, class, powers, and magic items would be luck of the draw has been on the table since at least 2011 if not earlier. Back then it would have been similar to the 4E Gamma World boosters. Now it will just be digital.

Quote from: zircher on August 13, 2024, 01:08:54 PM

Quote from: Omega on August 13, 2024, 04:30:11 AMBut I suspect they will instead go the forced rarity route where it will be every month some sort of "Buy it NOW before it is GONE foreverrrrr!" sort of predating on players.

Sadly, FOMO (fear of missing out) is a powerful marketing/predatory tool.  I have no doubt that they are considering it.

Not just considering. The NWO MMO makes use of it as does the Idle "RPG".

And they are already implimenting it with 6e. Buy the BIG pre-order and get a special digital dragon mini! Dont miss out!!!

Every month will be some new "Get it before its GONE!" bait.

Quote from: M2A0 on August 13, 2024, 01:47:57 PM

Quote from: zircher on August 13, 2024, 01:08:54 PM

Quote from: Omega on August 13, 2024, 04:30:11 AMBut I suspect they will instead go the forced rarity route where it will be every month some sort of "Buy it NOW before it is GONE foreverrrrr!" sort of predating on players.

Sadly, FOMO (fear of missing out) is a powerful marketing/predatory tool.  I have no doubt that they are considering it.

Collectible characters, where your race, class, powers, and magic items would be luck of the draw has been on the table since at least 2011 if not earlier. Back then it would have been similar to the 4E Gamma World boosters. Now it will just be digital.

The GW CCG part was actually not even a game. It was just random packs of new mutations and artifacts you could add to your deck and maybe gain every morning when everything randomized. Train wreck is an understatement.