Wizards of the Coast : Going out of Business

Silk · Post by **Silk** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:04 pm

I was just informed that Wizards of the Coast is going out of business. This may not be news to you, but it certainly is to me.

Maybe it's just a store, I'll find out... but the store in the Willowbrook Mall in Wayne, NJ has everything like 40%+ off!!!

WrathOG777 · Post by **WrathOG777** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:06 pm

I have mixed feelings. I think that wotc is bad for the game and it will do better without that company trying to make D&D Politicaly correct. But if they fall without someone competant picking up the raigns...

Nob · Post by **Nob** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:08 pm

No see they're going out of business because Hasbro decided it wants to put its stamp directly on their products...

Which means(as Actually put a huge discussion about a couple months back) more kidifying and PC bs.

WrathOG777 · Post by **WrathOG777** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:12 pm

fuck that! booo, I smell a boycot.

4x4_Ender · Post by **4x4_Ender** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:13 pm

I dont really see how they could go out of buisness unless they are being bought out. MTG rakes the cash in for them, seriously. How cheap is it to make a damn card?? And they sell for like $3.50 a pack? Add to that MTG online and you have yourself millions of dollars a year in profit.

keikobad · Post by **keikobad** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 9:17 pm

D&D is dead.

O well, we're all playing computer games anyway.

Sindol · Post by **Sindol** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 10:19 pm

Don't need WotC to play DND, but their products are at least well supported and of pretty good quality, despite what some old timers say. WotC managed to reduce the treshhold to play DND significantly.

Of course you might argue that PnP is doomed to die with the continued emergence of better and better online RPGs, but I'd have to argue that you're insane, because those are completely different experiences and not comparable except in the most basic principles.

As for them going out of business... not sure if it matters. The real WotC died a long time ago when Hasbro bought it.

Penumbra · Post by **Penumbra** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 10:47 pm

WotC is really irrelevant to anyone who has an imagination. I began to play D&D with nothing but the basic set. Then came AD&D, then 2nd edition. All WotC did was make another system to do the same thing (and capture more of our hard earned dollar). Don't get me wrong I play 3rd edition, but I've had just as much fun over the years playing every other edition plus Travelers, GURPS... the list goes on.

Whether you play AD&D, 2nd Edition, 3rd Edition whatever its all just a vehicle for good old fashioned RP. The players make it all come to life.

Plus there are still a number of companies putting out d20 materials if you don't have the time to make it up yourself.

http://www.zeitgeistgames.com/bigCompany.htm

http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/

Titanium Dragon · Post by **Titanium Dragon** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 10:48 pm

Pretty much. I remember back when WotC was its own company, and TSR was as well. Pity they aren't anymore.

I stopped playing magic a long while ago, when the quality just seemed to be going downhill. Still have my old cards though. I want TSR to be its own company again, dang it!

Samin Swift · Post by **Samin Swift** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 11:12 pm

I guess I really am an old fart. I didn't know what WotC was until I bought NWN. Incidentally there was about a ten year break between my last PnP game and the release of NWN. Back when I was a geek DnD was owned by TSR. Hey, what do I mean, "back when".

One thought. If you PnP, they're all printed materials. Nothing's changed, and as far as I know gravity makes dice work. It's all Version 1.0 baby.

Silk · Post by **Silk** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 11:17 pm

D&D is dead, Long Live D&D

Themicles · Post by **Themicles** » Wed Mar 10, 2004 11:31 pm

I am fairly certain its JUST the stores closing.

Why?
They were originally only intended to be open for something like 3 years.

-Themicles

ds77 · Post by **ds77** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:33 am

I have never even heard of a WoTC store. So maybe it is just the store.

Silk · Post by **Silk** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 2:03 am

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=co ... /20031228a

Quiz001 · Post by **Quiz001** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 4:41 pm

No see they're going out of business because Hasbro decided it wants to put its stamp directly on their products...

Which means(as Actually put a huge discussion about a couple months back) more kidifying and PC bs.

Hasbro already started a while ago. My nephew got a board game for christmas..... Dungeons and Dragons by Hasbro. I have to say it's beautifully made. I only started D&D when Baldurs Gate 1 came out, so never saw all the other stuff. We actually all sat round playing this board game for about a week after christmas, and it was great fun. Talk about back to basics - one fighter, a thief, a cleric and a mage. I don't know if this is a re-issue of the original game, but if it is, I can understand why it took off so well, and I have to applaud Hasbro for bringing it out. Yeah so it's basic, but if it brings new players into the more involved side of things, great......... as long as Hasbro don't abandon the more advanced stuff.....

storminj · Post by **storminj** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 5:56 pm

We have at least 3 stores in minnesota. I guess I will have to check for deals.

Alex Noble · Post by **Alex Noble** » Thu Mar 11, 2004 6:14 pm

Ya we have one or two stores here in Michigan...Daddy needs a new bag of dice.... ((as long as mommy dose not catch him))

Casmicus · Post by **Casmicus** » Tue Mar 16, 2004 11:56 pm

fortunately or unfortunately it's just the stores that are closing guys. WOTC is a subsidiary of Hasbro and Hasbro decided to cut back and among the cutbacks are retail stores. One of them is WOTC stores and the other one is the Game Keeper. upto 40% off all stuff on both stores and they will be closing in April. I talked w/ one of the store employees and got the info. Also bought Settler's of the Catan and Cities and Knights of Catan. Awesome games.

Fuzz · Post by **Fuzz** » Wed Mar 17, 2004 12:11 am

Shit, I could have told you that last week, Silk. Was there on Saturday.

Was tempted to grab that lone White Wolf KotE book in there, but then I realized that I would never fucking use it, even if it was only 6 bucks.

PlasmaJohn · Post by **PlasmaJohn** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 4:23 am

Via a contorted FOAF relationship, I've got it on good authority that Hasbro finally took a look at WOTC's balance sheet and said *oops*. They are reversing or have reversed their antagonisitc attitude towards the RPG community because we make them tons of money (about the only thing they understand).

Nice to hear but Infogrames still has that damn all-your-base contract so D&D CRPGs will be .... weak if at all.

John

Post by **Orleron** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 5:31 am

Ah dude, you didn't tell me you lived in Edison, NJ. That's like 10 miles from me. I'm in Piscataway.

Anyways... other stores have sold and will continue to sell D&D stuff, so it's no loss. It just won't be as easy to find all in one place as it was. That's all. The hobby stores are probably happy, since us gaming geeks will probably be going back to them once more now.

Draconis · Post by **Draconis** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 6:09 am

Well never had one of their stores near me. But have 4 other stores that sell D&D and other stuff so no worries. Plus there is a ton of online stores too!

Vanor · Post by **Vanor** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 3:44 pm

There's a couple WotC stores near here, but I'd much rather go to The Soruce a small local store to buy my gaming stuff.

For one, the people who work there are actually gamers, not some smuck off the streat looking for a mall job. They're also extreamly frendly and helpful.

Once looking for a mini, they didn't have on stock, the guy put it on order for me for nothing down. They even called my house when the mini came in. Talk about service.

Also when ever I'm looking at something there, there's always someone who's actually played it who can give an opinion.

4x4_Ender · Post by **4x4_Ender** » Tue Mar 23, 2004 4:16 pm

Vanor wrote:There's a couple WotC stores near here, but I'd much rather go to The Soruce a small local store to buy my gaming stuff.

For one, the people who work there are actually gamers, not some smuck off the streat looking for a mall job. They're also extreamly frendly and helpful.

Once looking for a mini, they didn't have on stock, the guy put it on order for me for nothing down. They even called my house when the mini came in. Talk about service.

Also when ever I'm looking at something there, there's always someone who's actually played it who can give an opinion.

Yeah, I go to the source some for Magic the Gathering stuff and to play tounaments there. But they only hold them once a month, so i dont play there often. But a place by my work called Unicorn Games has draft tounements once a week, so i go there alot. They also got quite a bit of D&D books and things for other games, but not nearly as extensive as the source.