WoTC CEO "resigns".... too little too late for a Larian BG4

[Brian_the_Brute]

WoTC CEO "resigns". She was likely a part of the reason Larian passed on a sequel for BG3. There still is not much hope of WoTC turning the D&D brand around due to the entrenched company culture. It does however open up the possibility for a decent BG4 game if they also decide to sell the D&D IP to someone else.

[seeker1]

Story here:

WIZARDS OF THE COAST PRESIDENT RESIGNS Before EOM
https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/56723/wizards-coast-president-resigns

Wizards of the Coast and Digital Gaming President Cynthia Williams has informed parent company Hasbro of her intention to resign from her position before the end of the month, the company said in an SEC filing. She informed Hasbro of her plans on April 15, and the resignation will be effective on April 26, an 11-day notice.

Williams has been in her position a little over two years; she took over on February 25, 2022, as previous WotC President Chis ♥♥♥♥♥ ascended to the Hasbro CEO role (see “New CEO for WotC”). She came to Wizards of the Coast from Microsoft, where she had been General Manager & Vice President of the Gaming Ecosystem Commercial Team.

Her tenure was marked by record sales and controversy, most notably with the botched handling of revisions to WotC’s Open Gaming License for Dungeons & Dragons (see “WotC Folds”). In 2024, Wizards of the Coast faces tough comparisons to 2023, and ongoing concerns about Magic: The Gathering over-production and SKU proliferation (which Hasbro CEO ♥♥♥♥♥ addressed in a recent interview, see “♥♥♥♥♥ Interview”).

[snip][end]

I guess we'll see whether her replacement is committed to making the same kinds of mistakes. (see: "botched handling of WotC's OGL".)

[hornsounder97]

Eh, WoTC pretty much killed the D&D brand with their brain dead OGL scheme. It sucks, but it is what it is. Frankly I'm excited for Daggerheart, and it looks like so much fun.

[Cartesian Duelist]

I'd put my money on Hasbro/WotC holding onto the D&D brand and grinding it to dust before selling it.

Hot take prediction: BG4, should it ever be made, will be a D&D Beyond VTT product.

[DeMasked]

Larian already expressed annoyance at having to deal with D&D's combat system so I'm happy that they got a big boost from BG3 and am looking forward to what they have in store for us with their next game.

[Moonlight Knight]

I hope their next game is something sci-fantasy. I've been wanting a game in a setting with the aesthetics and gear of something like 40k but a bit more hopeful and less satirical.

[lordmilier]

Originally posted by DeMasked:

Larian already expressed annoyance at having to deal with D&D's combat system so I'm happy that they got a big boost from BG3 and am looking forward to what they have in store for us with their next game.

What did they not like about the combat system? I sort of feel there were plenty of DoS aspects in BG3, The biggest 180 I can see is that abilities have cooldowns that require you to rest to refresh. They sort of had something similar in DoS2 with source skills which at least made me never use them until the final battle were they were free,

[seeker1]

Larian seem perfect for doing a Shadowrun game, perfect mix of near-future cyberpunk sci-fi with some fantasy elements. Question is can they get the IP rights, and do they want to deal with the IP rights. Could they do their own original thing which is similar to Shadowrun, but different enough to pull off and call their own IP?

[Moonlight Knight]

Originally posted by seeker1:

Larian seem perfect for doing a Shadowrun game, perfect mix of near-future cyberpunk sci-fi with some fantasy elements. Question is can they get the IP rights, and do they want to deal with the IP rights. Could they do their own original thing which is similar to Shadowrun, but different enough to pull off and call their own IP?

Oh god, Larian and Shadowrun would be a match made in heaven imo.

I think I'd like to see what they would pull off in their own IP though.

[DeMasked]

Originally posted by lordmilier:

Originally posted by DeMasked:

Larian already expressed annoyance at having to deal with D&D's combat system so I'm happy that they got a big boost from BG3 and am looking forward to what they have in store for us with their next game.

What did they not like about the combat system? I sort of feel there were plenty of DoS aspects in BG3, The biggest 180 I can see is that abilities have cooldowns that require you to rest to refresh. They sort of had something similar in DoS2 with source skills which at least made me never use them until the final battle were they were free,

Specifically I'm not sure. The combat was restrictive in a way that Larian didn't like. I know DOS2 you can do a lot more per turn as opposed to early game BG3.

[lordmilier]

Originally posted by DeMasked:

Originally posted by lordmilier:

What did they not like about the combat system? I sort of feel there were plenty of DoS aspects in BG3, The biggest 180 I can see is that abilities have cooldowns that require you to rest to refresh. They sort of had something similar in DoS2 with source skills which at least made me never use them until the final battle were they were free,

Specifically I'm not sure. The combat was restrictive in a way that Larian didn't like. I know DOS2 you can do a lot more per turn as opposed to early game BG3.

I sense they loathed the resource system in DnD then seeing as different abilities had different costs to use. In a way it is sort of like spell tiers but you get to manage it use in every single encounter in the game rather than per long rest like in DnD. Perhaps this is why there is a lack of downsides to long rests for most story elements in the game?

[Quillithe]

Originally posted by hornsounder97:

Eh, WoTC pretty much killed the D&D brand with their brain dead OGL scheme. It sucks, but it is what it is. Frankly I'm excited for Daggerheart, and it looks like so much fun.

I dunno between M:tG and D&D I think WotC has done things that were supposed to kill each game about a dozen times and they're still going. Its not over until it's over.

[Ereghor the Enigmatic]

...She came to Wizards of the Coast from Microsoft...

Just how much of an incestuous cabal is America's corporate sphere?

The way they run to cover/lick each other's asses whenever the customer sphere gets angry at something, cracking the whip at the journos to crap out an article or two about how people are bad and evil and -ists - their relationships form together into one big square.

[DeMasked]

Originally posted by lordmilier:

Originally posted by DeMasked:

Specifically I'm not sure. The combat was restrictive in a way that Larian didn't like. I know DOS2 you can do a lot more per turn as opposed to early game BG3.

I sense they loathed the resource system in DnD then seeing as different abilities had different costs to use. In a way it is sort of like spell tiers but you get to manage it use in every single encounter in the game rather than per long rest like in DnD. Perhaps this is why there is a lack of downsides to long rests for most story elements in the game?

Well DOS2 you had the main action resource that was used for moving and abilities plus the source action resource for specific abilities that required you to get it back after the combat.

BG3 has movement, main action and bonus action which to me is very much separated and therefore limiting at least early on depending on class and level. DOS2 you could do multiple attacks or spells right from the get go while BG3 you have some classes where you do 1 thing and that's kinda it.

[seeker1]

Originally posted by Ereghor the Enigmatic:

Just how much of an incestuous cabal is America's corporate sphere?

About as incestuous as the corporate sphere in just about every country, given that in most cases, we are talking about what are essentially multinational or transnational corporations that are hardly "American" anymore, especially as many now declare their HQ is in other countries for tax evasion purposes.

[Ereghor the Enigmatic]

Originally posted by seeker1:

Originally posted by Ereghor the Enigmatic:

Just how much of an incestuous cabal is America's corporate sphere?

About as incestuous as the corporate sphere in just about every country, given that in most cases, we are talking about what are essentially multinational or transnational corporations that are hardly "American" anymore, especially as many now declare their HQ is in other countries for tax evasion purposes.

Fair. They don't have as global a coverage, though.