What if Hasbro Accidentally Remembered that They Own Dungeons & Dragons?
When I wrote about the old LJN Dungeons & Dragons toys earlier this year (posted here) I briefly touched on what could happen if Hasbro were to get behind the property. You see, when Wizards of the Coast bought TSR back in 1997 (see the Wikipedia entry for the basics, or read Thirty Years of Adventure* for a more detailed look) they acquired the Dungeons & Dragons game . . . which means that Hasbro’s purchase of Wizards of the Coast in 1999 moved Dungeons & Dragons into Hasbro’s deep catalog of IPs.
But, surprisingly, Hasbro hasn’t taken advantage of their purchase and launched an animated series or toyline to capitalize on the rich history and name recognition of the Dungeons & Dragons brand.
NOTE: None of this is real. There is no cartoon or toyline on the way.
Dungeons & Dragons on The Hub!
Coming this fall, the classic Dungeons & Dragons world is exploding on your television as The Hub launches “Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of the Forgotten Realms,” a five-part series that introduces us to the world of Dungeons & Dragons! Tune in as our heroes meet and adventure in the dungeons hiding beneath the city of Waterdeep . . . but are all of them truly heroes?
Taking a page from their launch of Transformers: Prime* a few years ago, this is five 30 minute episodes that will later be edited together to form a direct-to-video DVD film. The mini-series is designed to appeal to kids, using animation and character designs along the lines of the G.I. Joe: Renegades* series. The idea is to get enough info into the minds of kids that they understand the world, meet the heroes and key villain, and also to set the stage for a future animated series.
And, of course, to lead us into . . .
Dungeons & Dragons on Pegs!
At $10/each, this series of 3.75-inch scale action figures uses a joint system similar to the Marvel Universe and G.I. Joe action figures that Hasbro is already creating today. The first wave includes the main heroes from the show, the key villain, and some “troop builder” monsters like skeletons and goblins (both of which appear in the mini-series). A playset — a dungeon environment — is the one big piece in the line, but the bulk of the first wave is all single-carded action figures.
I would also be tempted to release a couple of small adventure sets for the line (see “Wanted: Adventure Sets for Masters of the Universe Classics”), but that idea may be best saved for a later release once the line has established itself in stores. Every figure also includes a game card, because if we’ve got Dungeons & Dragons in front of kids then we need . . .
Dungeons & Dragons on Tables!
Wizards of the Coast is working on a new edition of the Dungeons & Dragons game — see D&D Next at the Wizards site — but if the toys are in stores then this is a great opportunity to introduce kids to playing games. Hasbro has already done this with their Star Wars action figures — see “Star Wars Galactic Battle Game – Sometimes the Dark Side Does Win” at Wired — so the idea of adding a game to action figures is nothing new.
If I were in charge I’d try to shoot for a very light, GM-free roleplaying game that uses just cards and maybe even sell card boosters. My ultimate goal, besides selling kids toys and cards, would be to eventually lead them into the larger Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Use the cartoon and toys to help build a new generation of tabletop roleplayers!
Dungeons & Dragons Forever!
I haven’t seen any evidence that Hasbro has plans to do anything with the Dungeons & Dragons brand that would even get it close to what I am wishing for, but that doesn’t stop me from dreaming and hoping that there comes a day when someone at Hasbro realizes what they own. The worlds of Dungeons & Dragons are rich, perhaps even deeper and more defined than Star Wars or Transformers, and it’s all sitting there just waiting for Hasbro to build on (almost) forty years of game history.
I know that I’m not anywhere in the position to impact Hasbro’s plans for the future, but maybe if enough of us online try to remind the company of what they own they’ll at least look at it as more than just a line item in the Wizards of the Coast annual report. Or, just maybe, someone else will come along and secure a license to bring Dungeons & Dragons to children . . . but it would be really strange to see another company produce mass-market toys for a title in Hasbro’s catalog.
Oh well. I’ll just keep dreaming.
It would be amazing indeed!
@Stratos – If I had millions and millions of dollars I’d go after the license to create the cartoon and toys on my own. I suspect that’s one Kickstarter project that would fail.
You could always try the kick starter route, and then sell it to SJGames, and STILL get to play with it. 😉
Like, seriously!
A good chunk of today’s Hollywood’s writers and producers grew up playing D&D, so there’s good reason to hope that a D&D cartoon series could be smart and engaging.
I recall reading a few years ago that a lot of the adult (and teenage) D&D players in the early 80s detested the cartoon and toys because it made the game seem childish. But I grew up around that time and guess what–I love RPGs now!
I do think there would need to be a few different art approaches. Something akin to Pokemon for younger kids, something Marvel-ish for older kids on up through adult collectors. And maybe something more–shall we say, “metal”–for premium collectors (e.g., like the 6″ Masters of the Universe Classics).
I think Hasbro was experimenting a bit with D&D-like toys with Heroscape, but it was still a game and not a toy for the sake of being just a plaything or collectible.
Of course, they’ve squandered the movie rights for D&D for more than a decade–and that seems to be the key to any good toy license these days.
TV shows get cancelled if toys don’t do well (and vice versa) look at Green Lantern. Maybe a D&D show would need to be successful before the toys can be a reality?
@Shadowcat – I’m so insanely busy these days I don’t know where I’d find the time. But it does sound fun . . .
@Stefan Jones – So many in Hollywood remember D&D that I’m surprised the movie efforts to date haven’t been better.
@Jay – Wasn’t the D&D Heroscape from when Wizards of the Coast took over the Heroscape brand?
@Phil, yeah, to be honest I’m not sure how that all went down.
I recall the original Hasbro game was it’s own IP (characters, setting, etc.). Then they did a Marvel superheroes version, and about the time that Wizards stopped making minis for D&D they reused several of those sculpts for Heroscape. So I don’t know if it’s WOTC taking over, per se, or just intra-division synergy.
In any case, that’s about as close as they’ve come to having D&D toys. (Which isn’t what we’re aiming for here, right? We want full-on action figures and playsets!)
It makes me sad to see D&D sitting at the bottom of Hasbro’s box of toys. I knew the writing was on the wall when the sale went down, but last year they really pushed me over the edge.
I still play, but I have no faith that any kind of serious energy or resources will be given to D&D.
http://www.coryhuff.com/an-open-letter-to-wotc-greg-leeds-simon-blackwell-and-jerome-lalin