The original company that owned Dungeons and Dragons sold the business to Wizards of the Coast, which had this hit game called Magic the Gathering. The open licensing framework is what really broadened the types of people who were playing D&D. Now you have more women coming in, you have more people of color and allowed people to make characters and adventures that appealed to them and their friends. It was this great diversifying effect on the broader Dungeons and Dragons community.
The tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons is approaching its 50th anniversary and it has never been more popular, attracting players of all ages to its analog charms. Now Hasbro, the toy company that owns it, is betting D&D can be brought into the digital age and become a big moneymaker.
Bloomberg correspondent Felix Gillette joins this episode to talk about why Dungeons & Dragons is having a cultural — and economic — moment, and why it might not be so easy to persuade diehard fans to pay for a digital experience. Gaming retail store owner Lauren Bilanko shares what it’s like to run a business that caters to the D&D crowd.
Read more here: Dungeons & Dragons’ Epic Quest to Finally Make Money.
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