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Wizards of the Coast Opens Digital Studio - MMORPG.com News

SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
edited January 2017 in News & Features Discussion

imageWizards of the Coast Opens Digital Studio - MMORPG.com News

Wizards of the Coast is moving into the computer age with the opening of its first digital studio and big plans to "reimagine" Magic the Gathering and other Wizards products in the new format. Could there be an MMO in the future or an augmented reality project? It's possible. The goal of the studio is to "make Wizards experiences more efficient, connected and convenient".

Read the full story here



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  • SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
    I was particularly struck by the comment about MMOs and wonder how this will impact DDO?


    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


  • GladDogGladDog Member RarePosts: 1,097
    Hmm... I cut my RPG teeth playing PnP D&D in the 70's. This is very, very interesting...


    The world is going to the dogs, which is just how I planned it!


  • RelampagoRelampago Member UncommonPosts: 445
    =)
  • SBFordSBFord Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
    Gorwe said:
    ...what does it even mean to "make an experience more efficient"?
    I think in terms, for instance, of match making. Not everyone has a group locally to play with in a tabletop campaign or is able to participate in MtG tournaments and stuff. Digital and / or online makes it more efficient for people to get into groups to play the WotC games.


    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 


  • gervaise1gervaise1 Member EpicPosts: 6,919

    SBFord said:

    I was particularly struck by the comment about MMOs and wonder how this will impact DDO?



    Indeed. It certainly could going forward.

    However maybe Wizards plan to release D&D "not on line".

    Characters slots on-line (paid unlocks);

    Modules on-line (unlocked with cash or maybe in-game gold) with voiced text but no graphics and "decision points" at which players used their phones or tablets to select spells, positions, actions.

    Lots of "dice rolling". Branching options in the module.

    The voice of the GM reveals the results. Will poor Teddy be resurrected or abandoned? No resurrection spell available? Would you like the gods to intervene - for a small donation of course.

    Old school, off-line D&D but with an on-line DM.
  • RollieJoeRollieJoe Member UncommonPosts: 451
    I'd be happy just with an online version of MtG that isn't complete garbage. Right now you've got MTGO that looks like someone resurrected it from the early 1990's, the DotP series with tiny cardpools, no deckbuilding and limited features, or the newest Duels game that's a bug-ridden broken mess that gets updated once a year.

    I know Blizzard sends a Christmas and Birthday card every year to whoever runs Wizards/MtG digital games division.
  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332
    I don't know man,i just know this company far too well to trust them.There is such a massive overall picture and history to look over with WOTC/Hasbro.

    I quit playing MTG for several reasons and never found DDO to be much good.MTG got out of hand with mechanics and cost to keep playing that game,new ways to spend money everyday is not something i look forward to in a game,i just want to play the game.

    Then they introduced an online MTG and it so happens was made by leaping Frog,so it is not like this guy is some magical new big name they are hiring,he has been there before.However guess what,they let that team go right when the game needed them ,was full of bugs,you could not play in any format w/o running into bugs,so they were more worried about profits than a stable game.

    They ran MTGO so badly it pretty much faded into oblivion,it went from thousands of players to a point you'd be lucky to see more than maybe 10-20 people online and that really says something about how players felt.

    So imo neither product are much good at this point,MTG paper is still strong but imo not as good as 7-10 years ago,it is more a yuppy hangout,it has age and prestige but imo not quality.So what could they possibly do to make either game any good at this point?Well DDO i see nothing,i ASSUME they like everyone else are looking at monetizing the two games, likely adding in mobile as the main profit maker.Could they improve MTGO to bring people back,idk i don't really trust WOTC,i don't want another money sink as both SOE's and WOTC tcg failed badly.

    Let's get back to making games we can play and NOT games we can constantly spend money on.

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • RelampagoRelampago Member UncommonPosts: 445
    gervaise1 said:

    SBFord said:

    I was particularly struck by the comment about MMOs and wonder how this will impact DDO?



    Indeed. It certainly could going forward.

    However maybe Wizards plan to release D&D "not on line".

    Characters slots on-line (paid unlocks);

    Modules on-line (unlocked with cash or maybe in-game gold) with voiced text but no graphics and "decision points" at which players used their phones or tablets to select spells, positions, actions.

    Lots of "dice rolling". Branching options in the module.

    The voice of the GM reveals the results. Will poor Teddy be resurrected or abandoned? No resurrection spell available? Would you like the gods to intervene - for a small donation of course.

    Old school, off-line D&D but with an on-line DM.
    http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/news/play-dd-fantasy-grounds-virtual-table

    Might be close to what you described.
  • gervaise1gervaise1 Member EpicPosts: 6,919
    edited January 2017

    Relampago said:


    gervaise1 said:



    SBFord said:


    I was particularly struck by the comment about MMOs and wonder how this will impact DDO?






    Indeed. It certainly could going forward.



    However maybe Wizards plan to release D&D "not on line".



    Characters slots on-line (paid unlocks);



    Modules on-line (unlocked with cash or maybe in-game gold) with voiced text but no graphics and "decision points" at which players used their phones or tablets to select spells, positions, actions.



    Lots of "dice rolling". Branching options in the module.



    The voice of the GM reveals the results. Will poor Teddy be resurrected or abandoned? No resurrection spell available? Would you like the gods to intervene - for a small donation of course.



    Old school, off-line D&D but with an on-line DM.


    http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/news/play-dd-fantasy-grounds-virtual-table

    Might be close to what you described.



    Indeed. I hadn't seen that.

    Certainly akin. Although I was thinking more of a application that replaced the Dungeon Master - coupled with the opportunity to raise revenue obviously. Maybe they could operate side by side.
  • ForgrimmForgrimm Member EpicPosts: 3,059
    The proof of the pudding is in the eating. I'm cautiously optimistic about this.
  • mgilbrtsnmgilbrtsn Member EpicPosts: 3,430
    Right now, this falls in the 'Interesting, but wait for more concrete info' category.  With this, it could mean just about anything or nothing.

    I self identify as a monkey.

  • ShinimasShinimas Member UncommonPosts: 67
    About time. With the success of Rollplay and similar other sites like that, if you get serious money and talent behind designing a powerful, easy to use DnD interface with matchmaking, simple to create campaigns, tools that help newbie GMs work with the chosen ruleset etc., you might have a hit on your hands.
    Unless I'm misunderstading their intentions and they're just researching more ways to ram it up their customer base's ass, except through the internet this time.
  • gervaise1gervaise1 Member EpicPosts: 6,919
    Well the real question is what they plan to do with MotG of course.
  • azarhalazarhal Member RarePosts: 1,402
    edited January 2017
    SBFord said:
    I was particularly struck by the comment about MMOs and wonder how this will impact DDO?
    Planeswalker is a Magic: The Gathering thing, so I would say no impact. ;)

     I'm personally surprised to see the word "publishing", WoTC only dealt with licensing before, not publishing other developers work. That's a huge change to me. Either they got a huge money investments or D&D 5e is super popular. Either way, if that means D&D 5e cRPGs I'm fully supporting them.

    I also suspect it might have something to do with Beamdog, Siege of Dragonspear was a test to see if D&D video games were still viable...
  • YashaXYashaX Member EpicPosts: 3,098
    Actually sounds very promising!
    ....
  • jgDuffayjgDuffay Member UncommonPosts: 237
    D&D GO ? looking forward to it =)
  • SeelinnikoiSeelinnikoi Member RarePosts: 1,360
    I am still waiting for a Magic the Gathering game where we can choose from ALL cards, since Alpha all the way to the latest release.

    And then play with people, friends, whatever...

    Yeah yeah some pretty OP decks will come up but you could also have more restricted formats like the ones we have today.

    Oh and a Paupers Mode, where you could only choose common cards. :D
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  • BruceYeeBruceYee Member EpicPosts: 2,556
    I'd play a Magic MMO or ARPG.
  • LokeroLokero Member RarePosts: 1,514
    edited January 2017
    SBFord said:
    Gorwe said:
    ...what does it even mean to "make an experience more efficient"?
    I think in terms, for instance, of match making. Not everyone has a group locally to play with in a tabletop campaign or is able to participate in MtG tournaments and stuff. Digital and / or online makes it more efficient for people to get into groups to play the WotC games.
    Well, history tells us that "efficient" usually translates as dumbing things down and removing as much complexity as possible.

    Still, it's interesting that they are thinking of branching back out.  They kind of quit releasing video games for the most part... or maybe I've just missed them.

    I think they missed the boat on MMOs though.  How long were people begging them for a Forgotten Realms/Dragonlance type MMO years back?  They could have had a whopping success years ago.

    Still, it's pretty cool to see all these big names suddenly renewing interest in MMOs.
  • ScorchienScorchien Member LegendaryPosts: 8,914
    Hopefully this goes better than there first attempt a few years ago , which they bailed on ...
  • BurntvetBurntvet Member RarePosts: 3,465
    edited January 2017
    Considering the D&D products have not been getting quality treatment from licensees in the last several years, it is not like they can do any worse.....

    The last "not completely terrible" D&D title was probably DDO and that was 10 years ago and even that game was severely limited.

    If it keeps other companies from shitting on the IP, it can only be a good thing...

  • ScorchienScorchien Member LegendaryPosts: 8,914
    Burntvet said:
    Considering the D&D products have not been getting quality treatment from licensees in the last several years, it is not like they can do any worse.....

    The last "not completely terrible" D&D title was probably DDO and that was 10 years ago and even that game was severely limited.

    If it keeps other companies from shitting on the IP, it can only be a good thing...

    Not what i am referring to , They tried a few years ago to deveolp there own In house tools and D&D online Graphic platform .. it was part of the D&D Insider .. They bailed on it ibn the end admitting they were in over there heads and couldnt produce a product that they were satisfied with that would delver the funtionality needed ..
  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332
    edited January 2017
    Well i guess i could agree with the phrase..they can't do any worse but then again a half rotten apple is better than a completely rotten apple,i don't want to eat either one.

    Never forget 3 mile Island and never trust a government official or company spokesman.

  • GrakulenGrakulen Staff WriterMMORPG.COM Staff LegendaryPosts: 894


    />t


    Oh and a Paupers Mode, where you could only choose common cards. :D


    that sounds fun
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