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EMERGENCY UPLOAD! WOTC Creator Summit Analysis (Extended) (Patreon)

Published:
2023-04-07 14:29:50
Imported:
2026-06
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Videos

Content

PDM takes an in depth look at what happened and why. 

Files

Previews only

Summit.mp4

Comments

Bagel-Man

Excited to watch PDM, keep up the great work! Hope all is well with your family.

bl00dywelld0ne

Great video, and fair assessment. The only thing I would say is that, at least on my phone, the video sounds over-compressed. It keeps peaking anytime your voice gets loud dynamically, so you may want to turn the game down or use a little less compression

GegaHub

Good stuff! Being a RPG'r and a retailer, I often struggle with my own old school RPG sensibilities and how young people play the game, especially how the game sells and I try and have a conversation with every customer interested in RPGs. The young players that come into the store seem to want to stick to dice and books, but still buy the WOTC books. Older players (30+) have almost universally abandoned D&D after the OGL debacle, regardless of the resolution. It's interesting to see how this style of gaming is evolving and so far, at least in my exposure, it is not to computers.

Elated Muse

Great analysis! I agree with you ProfDM, I do DND to get away from the digital. I'm look to sit down with friends and have the freedom from having to be tied to a computer. involve real people. the issue today is people date by going out and sitting across from one another and looking at their phones. DND TTRPG is where I am. I don't mind movies. but when it comes to the core game, it isn't going to be through a computer that I interact with DND. In the beginning I tried dndbeyond. I really did try, but it is automated thinking. I like foundations. I like that the mind and creativity, not just some computer. Human please. The other mediums of entertainment of DND, cartoons, movies, etc. I am ok. Though I will not support the VTT. Never cared for VTT and never will really. that is too videogame for me. It was my hope that ONEdnd or whatever they called it (I called 5.5) is not going to have the books released and to get the 'full version' you have to go to dndbeyond for parts of it. that. . .is what I fear. I agree also that DND has the chance of real life skills. Though with VTT and digital I feel like it takes away that chance and human interaction.

robert fransgaard

Great thoughts. Ive said it before, but I do think you can replicate much of around-the-table experience online but it has to be lo-tech solutions that supports the current player behaviours. The VTT is something else. It is trying to change player behaviours based on company desired rather than player needs. The two can co-exist but only if players do not feel they get a lower quality experience than what they do today. Fyi, I work professionally with digital experiences so the above might sound a bit technical :)

Bryan Stephens

I have found the urge to create maps in roll 20 that around the table I would never bother to create. We do roll 20 to get some extra gaming in but it's not like sitting around the table.

Chuck Thorin

Great video. My first thought on seeing the VTT demo with everyone with their laptops: No I don't have an 8 page character backstory but I do have a 30 minute Powerpoint presentation.

Doug Bush

Absolutely love the authenticity of your videos! Thanks for keeping it real!

Old Man Zed

My youtube suggestions have been lambasted with business about WOTC and half elves - assuming this somehow came out of the creators forum. I'm not watching videos as they seems to be hyper angry, but I am curious about what, if anything, is actually going on. Anyone?

David Nelson

I'd rather dip my privates in acid than play D and D on a computer. Just sayin' Disclaimer: Yes, I know, if it's the only way you can connect it's better than nothing. No problem with that.

Scott Spears

Good insights. I'm an older player (going back to 1980) and I love physical stuff on a table but playing with younger players they tend to lean computers. My weekly game is virtual because we have player who moved hundreds of miles away. Even when I play at a game cafe, we have a VTT. I do think there will be a economic divide for players. The haves will go WOTC's VTT and the have nots will be stuck with physical stuff or Owlbear Rodeo.. Glad you're better from the root canal.

Mark Hanson

When I saw that one of the influencers asked the question " will I need an expensive Alienware computer to run this VTT?" and the response was " do you want to run it on a less expensive computer? ".. I mean, that was a pure SMH moment. These guys are so out of touch. I don't hate VTTs like the good Professor. I see a use for them, but I'll stick with something simple I could run on even a Chromebook, like Owlbear Rodeo.

Jay

Wow! Great analysis PDM. I share many of your views and concerns regarding this subject. First off, I’m not a fan of Massive Multi-Player Online (MMO) games, subscription based gaming where I do not receive a physical copy of any material, or microtransactions. Any online platform can also ban your account for any reason they seem viable at any time they choose. A lot of wasted time and money. I have a significant library of video games and typically play only a handful of them over and over. Many are collecting dust on my hard drive right next to the bazillion DriveThru RPG PDF’s I’m still reviewing. I realize most young people are glued to their screens these days and may find this cool. If so, I say good for them. Still, I wonder how long this will last when action-based video games such as the upcoming Elder Scrolls 6 may bury this slow turn based MMO. Interacting with people is becoming a perishable skill these days, or at least in my opinion. Second, I’m not 100% confident that being given free stuff from a mega corporation doesn’t have some psychological impact on bias in reviewing this stuff. I mean this in general, I’m clearly not pointing any fingers at anyone but there are reasons police, judges, and others aren’t supposed to receive gifts or money due to a conflict of interest when they are supposed to remain fair and impartial in the execution of their duties. This video has me thinking - Dungeons and Discourse - The Truth About D&D Influencers - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toDHrtl3C0o . Finally, I can see this leading to a larger shortage of DM’s. Online players can be cruel, uncooperative, argumentative just like they are on social media. The need for a high end PC or upgrade requirement may price some out of the market in addition to a learning curve to understand the command controls for this game as well. This is still all about power and control over gamers for WoTC. For me and my group, this is completely unnecessary, costly, and time consuming. We enjoy playing face to face. So much is missed behind a screen. The laughs, the funny looks, expressions, and everything else you don’t get when dealing in person with others. I still believe that even if this game is popular at first it will later become another bunch of electrons in the dust bin of history. I could be wrong but time will tell.

Jay
>>105854972

On a similar subject, I don't watch much TV anymore but am I the only one who's TV randomly changes volume and blast out commercials louder than the show or movie? So annoying!

Justin Watson

Like you I understand a company’s commitment to their bottom line, and setting up “recurrent revenue sources,” is an imperative, but it is crazy frustrating that instead of leveraging their IP for products people explicitly want, we get Minecraft DnD and a mediocre movie. Here’s hoping Joe retains creative control of the DL series and it gets a good budget.

Glumer Games LLC

The creator summit was nothing more than an attempt to gather a bunch of yes men. From a strategic standpoint you can’t disagree with that. They’re trying to get content creators to push their brand for them. I’d love content creators to push Mystic Days for us, but at the end of the day, if our game isn’t good, it won’t matter, and that’s WotC’s problem. From a ttrpg player’s position, their game isn’t good. It’s frosting on excrement.

MrGunn
>>105860785

Hiya Jay! Fantastic update, you hit so many of the salient points square on: 'Interacting with people is becoming a perishable skill these days,' Agree, seems future face to face interactions will only occur in a moderated 'safe space' where no one's feelings can ever be hurt. I don't care for MMOs either, don't care much for Discord, Twitter or really any online chat, unless at work, when I need to know something quickly, otherwise it is a video call (used to walk by folks office, but I WFH now.) 'Second, I’m not 100% confident that being given free stuff from a mega corporation doesn’t have some psychological impact on bias in reviewing this stuff.' Again, totally agree! I recommend the book 'Influence!: Science and Practice by Robert Cialdini. Also saw the Dungeons and Discourse - The Truth About D&D Influencers, good stuff. Finally, 'I can see this leading to a larger shortage of DM’s.' Didn't you hear AI will be replacing everyone's jobs except CEOs and above they will still somehow take home all the money.

James C

The hobby getting more expensive and more exclusive to those with money is a trend that seems to happen everywhere. Companies decide to cater to the top while neglecting the people that gave them their prosperity. It’s happening in the auto industry. Companies are focusing on luxury cars and ignoring the masses because there is a greater profit margin with luxury goods. And I chuckled on your “yub, yub” PDM. Embrace your inner Ewok.

MrGunn
>>105854972

@Jay No you are not Jay, so F'ing annoying! Happens all the time with commercial TV.

MrGunn
>>105855878

@robert fransgaard Exactly, the corpos want to TELL you how you SHOULD play the game!

MrGunn
>>105863012

@Glumer Games LLC Indeed, they wanted a positive PR spin event so they could repair their tattered brand image, I am not sure that is what they got, unless you count any press as being good press.

MrGunn

Professor your analysis is spot on as usual. Hasbro/WotC leadership are completely out of touch with their customer base. WotC had this 'summit' so they could presumably have softball PR spin event with 'influencers' who could help them rehabilitate their tattered brand image. I am not clear that is what they got, unless you count any press as good press. Jay put it well when he commented; 'I’m not 100% confident that being given free stuff from a mega corporation doesn’t have some psychological impact on bias in reviewing this...'; I totally agree with him, no matter how hard we might try, free stuff has an influence! I recommend the book 'Influence!: Science and Practice' by Robert Cialdini. Note, if I am honest, I too would go almost anywhere for free food, like one of Skinner's pigeons, I am easily motivated by food! Hasbro/WotC will continue to struggle with their messaging, and will continue to remain out of touch until their leadership changes. Their VTT may be a success it may not. However, the devil really is in the details, I see the new VTT and DnDBeyond as setting the stage for an end run to implement the terms of the OGL 1.2 and creating a software like End User License Agreement where the TsandCs can be changed at anytime by the company with no customer recourse. - They will continue to expand their walled garden and bring the Dungeon Master's Guild content in house once the OneBookShelf contract ends. See 1:24:55 on Roll For Combat's 'The WoTC D&D Creator Summit did NOT go as planned. What exactly happened with D&D Virtual Tabletop?' https://www.youtube.com/live/UXTRwqCTang?feature=share - They will start legally going after the their VTT competition using their IP, more so if there VTT is at all successful - The VTT have a higher pay tier for DMs and folks who want to use or create own content or homebrew. -They will have some sort of 3rd party VTT in app purchase marketplace where WotC gets a 50%+ cut for doing nothing. -Users can be booted from the VTT and DnDBeyond for 'violating' the 'community's standards' or any reason really, with access to any purchased digital content revoked with NO monetary compensation. Again, thanks for your analysis, it is as insightful as always, but I am so done with WotC/Hasboro. Note, I am not anger buying either, I did not see the movie and I don't plan to purchase another WotC product. I would prefer if we can we move on to more interesting topics, reviews, advice, and alternatives to WotC/Hasboro's DandD. Thanks PDM, Yubba-Yubbaa-Doo :D

MrGunn
>>105862496

@Justin Watson Hasbro/WotC have become totally disassociated with their customer base.

MrGunn

Who was it that mentioned the 'dystopian' image of the developers all sitting in the same room around a computer playing a game meant to be played in person? Loved that comment!

MrGunn
>>105858975

@Old Man Zed Lots of folks are starting to dissect the summit, alledgedly Chris Perkins said there would be no more half-races (orcs, elves, etc) b/c they were racist. To learn more about the summit, Roll for Combat has a long postmortem with someone who actually attended, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXTRwqCTang Tenkar's Tavern did a video on some of the content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBaufXzuWvw EnWorld may have some stuff on their forums, supposedly there is transcript out there too. Hope this helps!

Brent Tomlonovic
>>105855160

As a retailer I have seen a similar trend. I know that many of my customers in the 20 to 25 range still buy books and dice, but they play a lot of the games over zoom or skype. I have a handful of younger customers that deal with anxiety issues so they like the online play but still want physical books and dice. For our in store play, the 20 to 30 crowd use lots of tablets and laptops at the table. Some of the 30 to 40 crowd do this as well. At almost 50, I use a mix of laptop, ipad and physical notes. I have also noticed that the 30+ crowd has largely shifted away from D&D at my store. However, we have had a surge of younger gamers into D&D so our sales have remained relatively constant. Our core book D&D sales are still strong, although Keys from the Golden Vault really did poorly. It sold almost as badly as Strixhaven.

Old Man Zed
>>105858975

Yes, most helpful. Tough to seperate wheat from chaff these days, especially with so many inflammatory folks trying to be ‘first’ to report.

Brent Tomlonovic
>>105866629

I see this happening with Games Workshop in the miniature wargame field. They are pushing hard to exploit the whales and trying to move the game to a luxury hobby. It is strange that the 2 big publicly traded companies in the game space are also the 2 worst. I wonder why that is? :)

MrGunn
>>105859446

@David Nelson If that is what you do to privates how do you treat the other enlisted and warrants? :D

Disruptive Machine

How many of the creators invited participate in live play games? That’s why there is an emphasis on twitch streamers, that’s why they’re making it “look like a video game”. They’re going after the live play streaming segment for the same reason they tried to do OGL change. Critical Role. When the numbers leaked and WotC/Hasbro discovered how much critical role is making and they want to copy that business model, or at least do something that can capitalize on it. As for hardware requirements there are millions of machines out there that can run this, and the users are already equipped with microphones and high speed internet for collaborative play, they’re called consoles. Everyone with an Xbox or PlayStation will be able to run this VTT. The problem with your analysis of the movie and the VTT is that you’re starting with the presupposition that it was made for you. It wasn’t. They’re already getting your money, they don’t need to do something new for you. They’re trying to reach new demographics and new market segments. When you reframe everything in that context it all makes sense. The movie was for tweens and teens, to sell them toys, pull them into the hobby, and get them interested in future content. It was sanitized enough for conservatives and inclusive enough for liberals. They introduced a TON of plot threads and ideas for decades of new content. If you remove the single factor analysis of making it all about hardcore dnd fanatics then by all other metrics it was a success. Box office numbers in a post pandemic world can’t be analyzed solely on opening weekends. The entire film industry is undergoing a correction to fix that flawed thinking. The VTT is the same, it’s not for you. I’m no WotC fanboy, I hate what they did to MtG, however I want to thank them for getting as many new people into the hobby as possible, it’s a net positive in my book. YMMV.

Mighty Zeus

Truly, 16:08 - 16:53 is something WotC and Hasbro should hear. Would also make a great short on the YT channel.

MrGunn
>>105866629

@Brent Tomlonovic You and I watched the same Discourse video :)

James Mace
>>105855160

My group is mostly Gen-Xers though we do have a couple of younger Millennials. We used Roll20 VTT during the pandemic because we didn't have a choice. But as soon as it ended, we were back to gaming in-person. We're kind of a hybrid when it comes to tech, regardless of age. Most of us do use DnD Beyond for our character sheets, while a few are pencil and paper. Everything else is map boards with dry erase markers, miniatures, and physical dice (because who doesn't like slinging dice?). While there is a market for VTTs, especially for those playing remotely, I can't see this being a success. Too much power required, too restrictive on DM and player creativity, and the thought of microtransactions is going to drive players away. In "theatre of the mind" who cares about visual bells and whistles? If I want to play a video game, I'll play a video game.

MrGunn
>>105874118

@Disruptive Machine I enjoyed reading your post. I found your opening statement: 'The problem with your analysis of the movie and the VTT is that you’re starting with the presupposition that it was made for you. It was thought provoking, thanks!

Disruptive Machine
>>105874118

Thanks. Rereading it I probably came off way more hostile then I intended. I should say “I’m in the same boat, it wasn’t made for me either, and that sucks”

Jay
>>105860785

Thanks for the comments. Just to add, DM's do most of the heavy lifting. What I mean is, preparation, story structure, impromptu decision making, buying most of the materials, books, crafting, and so forth. If you remove that burned with AI who is going to measure up or even feel confident they can learn to be a good DM/GM at a game table? I've been skeptical of the internet since as long back as I can remember. It only makes sense that people in power who slowly erode our freedoms want more money and greater control over our daily lives. I still remember when a certain president gave away ICAN from the US. Wasn't his to give. Free speech simply isn't guaranteed online. I'm sure you can name numerous other concerns regarding algorithms and AI which could lead to more dystopian outcomes. Great idea for an RPG anyway.

Jay
>>105867242

Spot on! Also great job citing some good references. There are several points made here I think people should be aware of. Still, most people rarely follow the warnings or advice of others and that's fine. At the end of the day, WoTC's success or failure will likely depend on many factors such as marketing and more importantly, if the game is any good for those who prefer a digital tabletop experience. I didn't care for Elder Scrolls Online, yet for some reason many did. It will at least be interesting to see how this turns out. I also look forward to PDM’s more interesting content yet understand this topic is all the buzz and everyone is feeding the algorithms at the moment. So I’ll try and be patient along with everyone else.

Cee-Jay

Great video as always, PDM. I'm going to say that older white guys who love old-school D&D are simply not their primary audience, and so likely there were very limited seats for such folks. It's hard for me to really care what WizBro does at this point... are they going to make something as fun as DCC? Are they going to make something as fun as B/X or various OSR products, or things like Shadow Dark? Probably not. And anyway, there is simply no shortage at all of awesome TTRPG stuff out there and more and more new stuff everyday. Maybe I'm not respecting enough how important WizBro is to keeping the game alive (of course, more players is generally a good thing and 5e is the most popular TTRPG in history), but I guess I'm having a hard time caring what they do at this point. Unlikely 5e will improve (relative to my play style anyway), so it just feels like the only reason to pay attention is to b*tch and complain about how lame they are. And hey, that's a worthy endeavor for a content creator, but not me. Maybe that's a video idea... why should people who don't play much 5e care about the healthy and future of WizBro?

GegaHub
>>105855160

Good points, I also use a laptop or tablet, as do some of my players but only for pdf books (got away from that with Prof DM's videos LOL)and a soundtrack. I'm curious what you all use tablets and laptops for during a session?

Graham Kane
>>105874118

This is an excellent post. Can you see WOTC approaching the likes of Critical Role with some sort of sponsorship deal to use the VTT in their campaign?

MrGunn
>>105874118

@Disruptive Machine Whoops, I meant to say; your comment WAS thought provoking. I like to see opposing viewpoints, I am trying to do better to hear the message not just the medium. I corrected my comment, but I cannot guarantee you'll see it, if I try to fix it on my iPhone the change does not seem to stick.

MrGunn
>>105886906

@Chris Janak Disruptive Machine said as much too. I liked this part of your comment ' Unlikely 5e will improve (relative to my play style anyway), so it just feels like the only reason to pay attention is to b*tch and complain about how lame they are.' I agree, I am also done with WizBros, so done, I really don't care to hear what they are up to.

Timothy J. Mallory

I don't have a problem with the idea of laptops at the table and if I was trying to run pathfinder, D&D, or some other high detail game per the rules, I would totally be happy to have a VTT instead of graph paper and pencils while playing in person. Playing in person is still playing in person. We are talking and laughing and able to see each other, unlike typical voice chat. I just don't play that way. I don't play those sorts of games. That kind of tactical wargmaming play isn't my style. But I'm not WotC's audience since the last time I actually played D&D itself (not counting video games like BG) was like 1980? Not long after 2e came out.

Lenny Orth

Personally, I appreciate your insight despite not agreeing with your opinion regarding the new movie. Imo, you should keep on doing what you do. Most of us love you for it.

Brent Tomlonovic
>>105866629

I like that channel, mainly because I deal with GW almost daily as part of my job. It sucks dealing with them as a retailer because they are both my supplier and my competition.

Brian Leet

I think those invited are those who were only about D&D pre-OGL fiasco. You have a ‘competing’ product in Deathbringer. Another angle on them not really knowing the community -maybe. But clearly you aren’t the audience they are going for with these products. I ran my second longest RPG campaign using FUDGE rules mostly through IRC chat. Our in person group switched to Roll20 during the pandemic (and back to in person as soon as we could - DM needs his snacks). It’s a different skill set running a tight adventure in a virtual environment. Elements like lighting and fog of war are much easier, but as you noted, it fosters other sort of foreshadowing. I’m hoping it works well and runs smoothly on older techs. But we’ve been here before. Early announcements for 4th edition were all about the online options it would make available. Twenty years later they are still trying.. I’m holding judgement until I can try myself. Meanwhile, I think they might be getting lapped by tools such as Heroforge, Dungeon Alchemist and Talespire.

Marc Acosta

Loved the video. I cannot agree more with the fact that WotC is out of touch with their player base. It seems like to me anyway that when they changed from 3.5-4e that it was all about a cash grab for them. They had a solid system that was mostly easy to pick up, especially if you had a dm that had been playing for while. So basically, what I believe we are seeing is just the newest incarnation of the WotC cash grab by tweaking the rules just enough so that the consumers will "have" to purchase the new books just to stay 'up-to-date' with the latest brain trusts ideas. Which may not even be that good. Not to mention that they basically cut their throats with the entire OGL debauchle. Which pulled a ton of players from 5e to PF2e (the data there can be seen when you try to purchase a hardcover rulebook on Amazon). Honestly I think you are probably better off not having been invited to their summit. It really kind of gives credence to the fact that you are truly in-tune with what the players want. You may not have the subs that some other content creators have but you have legitimate SUBStance. All of you content is unbiased and honestly top tier. So please dont beat yourself up over not being invited to hang at the kids table when you are clearly the big daddy of content creators

Drago Russo

Good morning PDM. I have a friend who has invited, Teos Abadia, and he has great insight and is a champion to many whose voices are not always heard. He is always looking to help people less economically fortunate, such as Latin American players, among others. Anyone interested can follow Alphastream and he has a great podcast with Shawn Merwin called Mastering Dungeons. Anyway, Twitter is where the rage mob rules and people just throw stones without even investigating whether something is true or not. They are afraid of the rage mob as they seem to have power, although, they are short lived as everyday something shiny and new grabs their attention and they throw stones somewhere else. Twitter is a lot like a Monty Python sketch, lol. You keep doing what you do as your fan base is solid.

MrGunn
>>105899950

@Timothy J Mallory But is it truly the same in person w/ devices in our hands? My in-laws are the kind of people who sit at a restaurant or in their living room texting each other, they don’t really interact with each other or the world around them. It is sad, which is why I am very low contact with them.

MrGunn
>>105869638

Found it, it was in the YouTube comments section of the video, leet, I 🤔 think wrote it.

MrGunn
>>105859640

@Mark Hanson I too want a top tier Alienware PC and free mental healthcare 🤣🤣🤣

MrGunn
>>105855160

@GegaHub What a great idea! I think a: Which electronics do you use at the table top?, would be great Patreon poll and YouTube video topic. PDM there you have it, GegaHub writing free content 🤪😆😁 Maybe send him a free DB T-shirt if you do a video 🥹

Daniel Defazio
>>105927283

Much love here for Latin America! For some reason, DungeonCraft has a HUGE following in Brazil. I was dismayed to discover taxes make miniatures and terrain difficult to obtain there. Send my regards to toes. Hope he had a great time seeing Seattle!

Timothy J. Mallory
>>105899950

Sure, you *could* do that. That would be stupid. But that's not what was happening in the video. Its not what happens with my friends who play that way. They use the tablets or laptops to share documents, save records, and all the stuff that otherwise has to be done on paper. They still talk to each other. In this video, you can clearly see the DM talking to one of the other players while a third person is looking on. Sure, the 4th player is staring at her screen, but how is that different from staring at a rulebook or a character sheet?

Paul Michael

I am placing my bet that the VTT will ultimately fail for its first several years and Hasbro will have to decide how many years of continued investment they will be ultimately willing to put into it. It has all the ingredients to become a worst of both worlds experience that lacks the fun and effective mechanics of an MMORPG and neither is a high quality TTRPG experience. The PC/Processing power issue is a also a very big deal; that is a huge barrier if every single person in the group is required to spend several thousands of dollars to upgrade their PCs. Gaming is also not part of the Hasbro wheelhouse so the chances for failure are very high. We also have no idea about how big the burden will be on the DM to design these scenarios in this VTT; I can easily imagine it making prep time 3-5x longer. Any single one of these problems is probably enough to cause it to fail but it will need to not only overcome all of them but be such a superior experience that it will pull people who normally play offline into its ecosystem. I just don't see it.

Daniel Defazio
>>105961214

Maybe. I've had several people tell me the Unreal Engine can run on any laptop. It's tough to say. However, I agree with you.

Cee-Jay
>>105899950

In my experience (which may or may not generalize to others), when players have devices out they a) are often distracted, only half there and b) focus more on details (skills, equipment, spells, etc.) and less on what's happening in the game and less on their fellow players. I prefer games in which the players are the solvers, as opposed to characters. As a DM/GM/Judge/Referee/Etc, it is sometimes helpful to have a laptop for organization and speed. But in most caese, I don't want a laptop (or even a DM screen) in between myself and they players; I want to be with them. This may sound dumb to some folks, but being in circle at a table (whether eating or playing a game) is silly and fun and exciting... but also in a certain way sacred. It's an opportunity for intimacy and friendship and connection... so for me, I don't want things in the way of that. But of course if people want to play intense, simulation style games then of course I can understand the desire to be screened up. And to each his(her) own, of course. It's just that when I do play 5e, I don't play that way.

Timothy Leeds

Because of your YouTube channel my son and I have been playing D&D. For us the only investment that I had to do is get some die and a few Mini figures. Now that he is 17 he is bringing his friends over and playing D&D. He and his friends play video games. They like playing D&D at my house because it is just that physical, not virtual. They love the social interaction that they have with each other. Virtual may be good for some. But it will never be a part of our table. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. My son and I have a good relationship and it was built around the love we have for each and our D&D table PDM style.

Daniel Defazio
>>105991479

That means a lot to me. God bless you and your son, Timothy. The memories I have of playing games with my children are the most valuable thing I possess.

Timothy J. Mallory
>>105899950

Sure, but how is that different from the old trope of the player with their nose in the rulebook the whole session or eyes glued to their character sheets? Either your players are rude and inattentive or they are not. Pretending that one group of players is gonna be cool and attentive and the other group isn't just because of where they store their books and char sheets is basically bs.

Timothy J. Mallory
>>105899950

It's a tablet or laptop. Its not even as eye line blocking as a DM screen. The only reason you wouldn't be laughing and talking and having sacred communion is because you don't want to, not because you have a pdf of the rules instead of the actual book.

Paul Michael
>>105874118

I would agree with a lot of this analysis if what WoTC was making was actually a full AAA video game or series that could attract gamers and twitch streamers. That would make a lot of sense. The problem is that the VTT is not an mmorpg, not a single player video game nor will it look like a live stream of actual table top play akin to Critical Role. So who are these new demographics and target segments? If it's gamers and streamers I see this not landing at all. A popular twitch streamer generally needs to post new content almost every day. If a single player video game they can simply boot it up and begin playing/streaming. They can and will do this with Baldur's Gate III when it comes out. For a VTT this will not be feasible as it will require the DM to prep and getting the same 4+ person group together 4+ times a week. Are streamers going to take the risk to abandon their popular live plays and put out less content in order to try out this brand new VTT format that requires way more work?

Gregory Helding

The event you talk about in this video is DND Direct. It’s not the “summit.” They are distinct events