Sure, but we don’t know what that one thing is. It may not even be something they directly ask the content creators and influencers for. Hasbro/WoTC could just say “hey we tried to address the community’s grievances and prevent any future issues by talking them all out”. The content creators and influencers don’t have to say anything in that case to their audience, just by accepting Hasbro can use their attendance as positive PR. That being said I am all in favor of these creators and influencers going. Just saying that what Hasbro wants/expects in return may not be as quid pro quo as a favorable video from these creators.
I was at the D&D Summit in 2012 when the shift from failed 4E to 5E. It is overwhelming how you are treated and important you are made to feel. This is even worse than it was back then for buying goodwill.
Hasbro very effectively caused division within the D&D community by doing this. This takes the target off them and puts it on the same people that were their enemy only 2 months ago. Well played Wizard's.
This won't rehab Hasbro's image. All it will do is make players distrust Hasbro AND influencers who accept the invitation. This will cause even more damage to the TTRPG community.
You are correct. I used to work in the corporate world. WotC/Hasbro regrouped & reevaluated. They have learned from the OGL debacle & from the failure of the Brink Rainbow Tour that they need to befriend & control whoever they can in the TH-cam Realm. Know this: WotC/Hasbro will always believe they are the smartest people in the room.
I work as a public servant for a state agency or institution and have to take an ethics training every year to insure that we are being ethical about our dealings with vendors and other businesses with which we interact. We are not allowed to receive "things of economic value" without it fitting within very specific strict guidelines. In other words, no buying off good government. So your points really resonate with me!
Please add "emoluments clause" trigger warning for U.S. residents. We're still dealing with the trauma of hearing every talking head explain "things of economic value" and "guidelines" and "bias" or maybe even "blatant corruption" and "obvious bribes" for the last four years.
Same. This topic also comes up in my line of work fairly regularly, and this has bribery written all over it lol. I’m not super well versed in the legal side of it though, I just go with the “never accept anything from business partners” philosophy.
@@GavinRalston13 this is true, everyone and their cousin has an opinion on things that are happening and think that THEIR opinion is valuable information about said company too and it really isn't when it comes down to it.
@@riptide3340 This is typical of ANY company wanting to invite people to view insider information about the company and that company putting their best foot forward. There is nothing untoward about this other than that and it is normal corporate behavior. If you are one of the people being invited, turn them down if you think it is a bribe then, if not then it is kind of silly to make assumptions about something you are not sure about and this video is not an indicator either LOL.
I remember back in the early aughts when a number of companies like Procter and Gamble came to recognize the growth of blogging, particularly from what were called "Mommy Bloggers" whose anecdotes about the trials, tribulations and unexpected joys of raising their children had developed a substantial audience. The marketing and advertising professionals realized that this appearance of candor and authenticity in these daily stories ( "And THIS is how Kelsey leaving a fistful of magic markers in her inside jacket pocket resulted in $150 of washing machine repairs and at least one irrevocably ruined pair of light blue trousers..") was far more effective than an actress in a professionally shot print or television ad talking about the great new applesauce that her imaginary children loved. As a result, these marketers began inviting these women to events where they were supplied with veritable vanloads of everything from baby formula, disposable diapers, cleaning products, child friendly treats and snacks etc. It was not long afterwards that the larger Blogosphere ( gods, what a ridiculous word ) started to demand more transparency from people online who suddenly seemed all too enthusiastic about various products and services.. It seems like this is a VERY similar situation.
There are many, many large corporations that spend money in order to sway society and culture over profits. Just look at Disney or black rock or black rock for future reference. BlackRock is the world's third largest economy, after the United States and China.
That's a naive point of view. Corporations are full of what are little better than cultists, using the resources of the corporation to further their agenda, regardless of what it does to the corporation. Have you not watched, for example, Disney for the last several years?
That description sounded like the 'Red Wedding' to me ("After we eliminate all the popular Influencers, no one will be left to bad mouth D&D One!!!" 😂)
@@elbruces Then you haven't been paying attention. The term "influencer" has been around probably since TH-cam started. I forget when I first heard the term but it's been at least 10 years.
Even if we don't like the fact some content creators have accepted the invitation and may indeed be influenced by their time their, we have to handle it carefully. If we attack them too brutally it drives them further into Hasbro's camp - even if they don't want to be there - it also fragments the tabletop community, making it much harder to oppose a monolithic force like Hasbro. This is clearly their endgame.
@@michaelmcnamara1839 these people are not Hasbro employees. Their entire existence is third party content based on Hasbro properties. They can’t be driven towards Hasbro because Hasbro can’t pay them.
Just because the gun jams, doesn't mean you should accept the trigger puller back into your life.❤ Wizard's pulled the trigger while aiming the gun at us. EDIT: Kyle Brink still needs to be fired for being a sexist racist bigot. Until Kyle is gone, there can be no trust.
I've LITERALLY seen people say "They said they were sorry! Can we not just drop all this hate towards WotC/Hasbro now?!" completely ignoring the fact that WotC/Hasbro have tried this kind of thing before and WILL try it again!
What if the person pulling the trigger was working for someone else in another department who has since been sacked, and never even knew your old friend who tried to stop the attack by leaking the OGL?
I admit some bias, but the only influencer I care about is my DM, who has been playing, leading, and creating for over 35 years, since he was a child. This DM is also the only content creator I care about, as he makes unique, wondrous, and fascinating worlds and stories for us time after time after time. He is open and responsive. Engagement is the responsibility of the group and its leader and this commitment is the true source of the spirit of Dungeons & Dragons. Hasbro and Wizards have given us the product, but they have not had and never will have any power or control over us because Dungeons & Dragons is already ours.
I think the issue some folk have with the 'influencer' title is that it was one which was created by forces outside the content creator community to specifically describe creators who basically operate as pitchmen for corporations. Plus there has always been a matter of scale attached to it as well: influencers are usually those who have six figure followings, who make enough in ads and sponsorships to be full time creators, and who pretty exclusively work in the PR and native advertising space. Content Creator = Independent Creative who may sometimes do ad sales for money but who primarily focuses on making content that exists for its own sake. Influencer = Social Media Pitchman who focuses explicitly on doing ad sales for money, whose content has reached a scale where it only exists to sell ad space and native ad copy. Very few content creators are trying to be that person, and very few have channels that would really qualify in a meaningful way outside the small D&D market. So, to be called an 'influencer' when you do not specifically envision yourself as one is kinda like being told you lack authenticity and credibility.
I'm willing to wait and see what those invited say. I watched their videos about being invited and they were open and honest about being wary. They even showed the contents of the letters. Yes, they interviewed Kyle Brink, but they openly discussed where the answers fell short and which ones they felt were lies or PR speak. How many here, just dumping on them, actually watched those videos?
You mean handing WotC a platform to spread their PR lies crafted to mend damage done and to fool people that are too gullible to know better? I have seen these interviews yes, and there was next to no digging, just nodding off to PR non answers.
They acted as "usefull idiots" for Brink and Wizards, they were mouthpieces for Wizards even tough they didn't want to without realizing it, regardless of all the care they took on the questions and discussions during the interview. And now they are being used again and either don't want to notice it or realy aren't aware of it (which is concearning, they should be aware by now, Wizards is using them).
@@DakonBlackblade2 hard disagree. They asked questions that people wanted answered and critised poor answers. There is nothing wrong with that. If the community is ever going to be able to recover from the OGL mess we need to be able to ask questions and get answers. There is no point sticking your head in the sand and saying "I am not listening, WOTC Bad, Lalalalala"
@@garrettc1973 Wizards chose ppl who wouldn't be overly confrontational, and they all asked the same questions on all their interviews. Brink had an asnwer prepared for all of them. Wether you agree with it or not, wether the influencers realize they were just being used or not, it make sno difference, the fact of the matter is Wizards used them and got what they wanted out of it. Wizards is doing it again now. It is more evident this time and ppl should know better, but since now there is this whole "getting money and followers out of it" situation, many will pretend like it is all right and trade their integrity in a heart beat.
So here's the thing, I totally get where you're coming from and I totally understand where WotC's intentions are because that's pretty transparent at this point. But the fact is that if they are doing this and meeting with content creators to get feedback from the community.... Isn't that what we want? Like the entire OGL scandal could have been avoided if there was someone in the player community to tell them "this is a really bad idea," and they actually listen.
I love your channel. You simply don’t find someone/channel who thoroughly researches something and passionately expresses such well crafted opinions. Wish more people like you existed in our hobby world!
I used to work at a hotel next door to WotC headquarters around 09-11. I remember Hasbro people coming to stay at the hotel for a night or two. And I remember them never being happy. You smiled, tried to talk nicely to them. But they were the most grim $0Bs ya ever did see. Now I imagine the emps who will be at this event will be the happiest, biggest smiles, begging to please buy our product group you will see. But I know that right next door; grimmer than the Old World.
Unrelated to content topic. My wife immediately says “I love her haircut!” As soon as the video starts. She wanted me to pass along the compliment. We love your videos. Keep up the great work!
The fact that they didn't invite any of the more critical voices is very telling. After watching Kyle's interview with Bob the world builder, it was very clear that they're avoiding any conversations with someone who was going to be critical, call them on the lies, or ask really hard questions.
Looking at it in a more neutral light, the people like Ginny and Bob, also tend to do a LOT more research and come at problems with a more... let's just say nuanced take. Note that neither Bob nor Ginny really had that whole, "They're gonna own your stuff and just use it" Because both have probably seen the annual "DeviantArt legal document" thing that comes up. For those that don't know it's basically a CYA thing on sites that host creative content that lets them, you know, publish your work on their website (reason I use DeviantArt legal document is that it's almost a yearly occurence that they get accused of basically the same thing, this in spite of almost 20 years of people being told what it means). There's also the thing of just how many of a certain type of influencer were, to put it bluntly, actually acting like the stereotypical influencer, and well, Ginny and Bob weren't of that type. You know the one who broke it, but later fell out because he fell for a MONTHS old troll.
Bob and Ginny are fairly nice, laid back, and non confrontational by personality. It's not entirely their fault that they didn't have a more hard-hitting journalistic interview. And it's on Wizards that they deliberately targeted people like that because they were easier to exploit.
@@camiblack1 I don't blame the influencers that are accepting these interviews or the invitation to the summit. Not one bit. But the ones who have been the loudest, like dungeons and discourse, and d&d shorts, are the ones who are getting snubbed. Kyle brink said that he didn't schedule interviews with people that he didn't feel would have a productive conversation with him. To me, that felt like a complete avoidance of anyone who's going to ask the real hard questions and call him on the BS. That said, I'm also frustrated with wizards that they are using him as a scapegoat. He specifically said, his team had very little to do with the OGL. But they're making him their spokesperson now.
I wish I could send this video to every content creator on TH-cam. Of course Hasbro has to do things to fix their public image. Of course money spent CAN influence people. No matter if those people can be influenced or not, it's a factor and denying that is just fallacy.
The influencers who you should be concerned about are the ones that say they are immune to bias. If you think you are immune, you are not looking out for it. Bias has a way to weave their way into our opinions, it's human behavior. It's EXACTLY as you say.
"If you think you're immune to bias and propaganda, you've already been roped & shuffled into the herd." ~former neighbor and WW2 vet who had some very colorful words about domestic propaganda
A very important video with very important points. For anyone of these influencers that went to this, we have to keep a very strict and observant eye on their opinions and if/how they change.
And this is exactly the same exaple, but from the other side: trying to influence influencers and audiences to keep the hate alive, just because (or for the clicks, perhaps?). It is a TTPRGP, not a human/civil right at risk. If people like it, good; if not, it's fine too. It is understandable why WotC tries to appeal the market: every move they do has that goal in mind (although they had failures and missoportunities, of course). Absolutely nothing bad happens if they succed (or fail). Either way, people will be happy with whichever role playing game they choose to play. At the end, is that what all this should be about, isn't?
There is a content creator I follow who specializes in utterly non-D&D content who got a special invite to the D&D movie preview. They are slightly nerdy and have great reach and of course came back with a great review of the movie. Not compromised really just unaware of the issues in the wider D&D community.
I feel like this event, while a clear attempt at bribery, won’t be as beneficial as WotC might think it will be. They can’t give the community what it wants without seriously compromising their desires. Because of that, I believe the event is either going to be a giant nothing burger or simply more cringe-worthy rebuttal that will be used against them later. At least, assuming the creators don’t buy in to the BS, ya know? Great video btw!!
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
@@coda821 Is it an attack to tell them that WotC is trying to manipulate them with this? Bribery is insidious... and make no mistake, an all-expenses paid trip is a bribe. Though I do agree, attacking them doesn't help. There's a balance to be struck here... unfortunately something social media sucks at.
@@RethShannar Exactly. Attacking ppl attending will make WOTC's bribery more effective. Sending them there with a supportive community will be more effective. I'm open to hearing how we can find that balance.
I'm really a bit disappointed that so many of the people that rightfully knew how bad the OGL stunt that Hasbro pulled are now willingly giving their platforms to Hasbro spokespeople in interviews and now legitimising this upcoming event No. Hasbro has shown their intentions. And they will never change their intentions as they are fundamentally a profit driven public company. They will do this again and again when we let our guard down The only way to go to this event is to completely dunk on Hasbro, show them for the weasels they are, and use it to embarrass them and backfire their PR. How would one go about this? Don't know, seems hard, so I'd rather these influencers did not go at all. That's the best delegitimising strategy
In their defense, some of the interviewers could be going with the “if the enemy is digging their grave, don’t stop them” approach. I haven’t seen most of the interviews, but I’ve seen a decent number of clips that were… pitiful for WotC lol. As far as “giving legitimacy” to WotC by going, I think it depends on how things go when they get back. If they pull more “people like me can’t leave the game fast enough” stuff, everyone will have more recent examples to dunk on them with. Tbh, I’d go for the free food and still critique them if nothing has changed lol
not a single exec was fired, that should be clear that the intention hasn't changed at all and they'll just try again. I've been disappointed in a lot of friends even who after it all stopped were like oh well, open the money spigot again.
Tbh this is a pretty bad take. Yes they absolutely fucked up with the OGL situation and people should absolutely take everything they say with a grain of salt but if they are making attempts to make ammends we should accept that. Obviously we can't forget the OGL situation but when they do good we should accept that. Not to mention if you actually watch most of those interview videos the creators tend to use them as a chance to ask questions we want answered and then they call out the bs non answers and criticise them. This is the case in both Ginni Di and Bob the world builder's videos.
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
@@coda821 I'm right there with you, Coda; why punish the influencers for something Hasbro did? Why should we stop loving the content of said influencers just because they're going on a free trip...a trip that, for all WE know, might turn out to be a bust
I feel like the best possible solution here would be if they all said, yes to it, they all went and took full advantage of it, and they all just released a collective video (the same one on the channel of everyone that went) that said something along the lines of "We watched what you tried to do, we said no. You've spent you money, but the visit is irrelevant, as you still call it a draft, which means you're still lying to us. We can't forgive you while you do that. Thanks for the holiday, but we can't be bought" I mean, that's almost definitely not going to happen, but that is my dream response. Refuse to give them any of the coverage they were trying to get, don't let them try and earn back trust while still being dishonest, but still make them spend the money. Because the money (both actual cost, and potential money from the community in the future) are all they give a shit about.
Nothing wrong with influencers going to events like this. The ethical problems arise with what they do afterwards. Whether or not they sell their standards for future access, or not. I for, one am very interested in hearing what they have to say when they get back.
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
I don't entirely agree. It doesn't have to be a bad thing, but I think it's important that these folks know what they're getting into. Mostly that this is an investment by WotC they hope to see a return on.
@@LyricalDJ The event itself is not a bad thing. Influencers going to the event, is not a bad thing. Influencers changing their minds on the product because they legitimately agree with what they have seen, is not a bad thing. If, however, they allow their "heads to be turned" because of this new access, and being wined and dined , then that is a bad thing.
Frankly, if I were a Journo covering gaming culture, and I found myself invited to this little party. I would decline, stating possible conflict of interest. It is just safer that way.
So am I in the Minority here with the fact that I don't care who these people are that go or what it is they do. I am a grown person that can and Does think for myself every day and I don't follow anyone that tells me one thing or another about D&D or any other RPG, Video Game, TV show, Movie, ETC. Now if they come back and have done a complete 180 on their opinions or end up just start being nothing but Mouth pieces for WotC or Hasbro then I will have an issue and will most likely stop following them completely as they have compromised their Ideals and opinions that they have stated they have towards WotC and Hasbro.
Eh. I am in a couple TTRPG content creator chats with some of the people going to the summit and I can tell you that they do not trust it one bit *even though they are going* and so they are going in with both eyes open. People, as usual, are just projecting their own expected outcomes onto the situation. We don't even know if there will be any 'wining and dining' going on or if it is just going to be a couple hours spent chatting in a WotC office conference room. That said ... yes ... people need to be aware of their own ability to be influenced by these things. Even being followed by official D&D creators on Twitter was enough to make me soften my own analyses of 5th Edition, because suddenly I did not want to accidentally hurt the feelings of a creative acquaintance. The US military started embedding journalists with military units abroad for exactly this reason: just knowing a person will tend to soften any reportage about that person.
I love that you have a take and deliver it with such passion. Finding your channel was a bright spot during the OGL crisis. Keep it up. If I were an invited influencer, I’d have a hard time passing up the opportunity to meet Chris Perkins, Mike M., and Amanda in person. I’ve enjoyed every time I’ve met one of the D&D/Pathfinder gods in person at conventions. They are my celebrities.
My favorite things about Kyle Brink: Hey, he just started working at Wizards He never attended a single meeting at Wizards His team has never been involved with a decision
@@scabbynack odeargods that's BEAUTIFUL. You beautiful creature, have you got that on a webpage anywhere? Or... my Channel About profile has my e-mail address on it, would you be in a position to one way or another throw that screenshot around, goodsir?
I'll go out on a limb here. I play D&D, a lot. And some other Ttrpgs. I don't consider myself part of a "community" and don't expect every other worldwide player to share my tastes, views of opinions. I certainly won't get concerned about what other players do in their free time. Influencers, I have my like a and dislikes. I don't t blindly follow orders from people on the talky screen. Neither do generate a "Mother company" which behaves like WOTC. But, not everything is a crisis. Impact of the year's corporate B.S. Drama on my playing groups? Zero. Why? We don't take orders from corporate overlords. We roll five and have fun. Nobody gets hurt, except characters who miss their saves.
I’m not sure if there is anything that either content creators or WotC could possibly do now or in the future that would ever satisfy you. Sounds like sour grapes? The direct evidence now, is that WotC does listen to feedback. Yes, they royally F’ed up. Yes, Hasbro executives had their collector heads up their butts. But the design team and content creators within WotC largely consist of gamers and people who love the game. The best outcome possible moving forward, is for content creator organizations to build a bridge with the company who owns the content and brand of the game. Yes, free gifts need to be disclosed if they exceed a certain amount, but public companies have different reporting requirements than private s-corps or LLCs. I have noticed most influencer personalities being very transparent about their invitations to this event. I think it’s a positive development and take exception to your hyperbolic reaction.
Thank you. Yes, that seems to be the case. I started to scratch my head when the video went in circles and repeated itself several times. I'm not sure what the point was. None of us are stupid. She's preaching to the choir. The only thing is, if some ppl refuse to move on from the OGL mess, they shouldn't be surprised that ppl like WoTC decide trying to cater to them us a waste of time. Tbh, it feels like the OGL is becoming the content giver that never runs dry. I honestly fail to see the point of making this video other than to vent. And that, that is obvious enough it's actually becoming annoying.
@@Liriel4 God bless those outrage farmers, coming home after a hard day's work, lol. They're making sure that in 2077 we'll all still be talking about an OGL.... What was it again?? Lol
Even in adversarial relations such as labor negotiations, contact with and communication between the two sides softens the opinions of both parties by humanizing their interactions. Especially given that online commentators are not structurally connected to an organized community that disciplines their interactions, of COURSE it will bias their subsequent perspectives. It would take deliberate action on the part of these online commentators to protect themselves from the bias that you're so astutely spelling out.
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
@@TheBliepbliep If U read the descriptions of sociopath traits, U'll see they R also all asshole traits. Sociopath is basically the psychological term for asshole.
They exclude persons with disabilities, Rhode Island and Washington State Attorney Generals have been notified, plus Hasbro and WOTC in writing! ADA Violations are 150k EACH!
I gotta give WotC credit. Divide and conquer. Two months ago, we spoke with one voice. Today, we attack ourselves. We won the battle but have lost the war.
Is there a list of people who were and weren't invited to the summit? I would love to see something compiled showing if it was nothing but positive and neutral channels, and they just ghosted anyone who criticized.
One thing I’m adding to the game I’ve been designing is sectors and dealing with ethics and logic/reasoning. The biggest problem with moving to a virtual tabletop, as I near the end of your video, is the removing of the thinking of the player. That the player needs to be the computer. We Mentats need to continue to think. It actually is the reason why I started passing math class back in the 70s. Because I had a legitimate reason to use it. And that’s a learning curve issue that our current players I suspect are rebelling against. Anyway that is a tail end subject
I like how you talk. Also, your jokes, funny faces, emotions, and great smile keep bringing me back for more. The great information is just a big bonus too.
You articulate this point so well. This is why I'm always excited for your videos. OK, that's not entirely true. It's really only one reason. The primary reason is because I'm always hoping for a skit as well. I LOVE the skits! 😁
I hope we have an undercover investigative piece that comes out of this. That would be amusing to see. WoTC inviting people into the castle, only to find one of them cased the joint and found out where all the evil is. Good video on the importance of objectivity, even in the 'influencer' space which is seen as more informal than other commercial enterprises.
This is just an Amazon ‘Rings of Power’ The Sequel special event …Lots of the Tolkien community walked away from a few influencers because they were viewed as shills (and honestly they SOUNDED like shills after the special trip) 🤡
Thank you for your opinion and for taking the time to share with us all. I appreciate you and your fierce determination to protect and inform everyone you can to ensure we don't forget the past and succumb to the potential darkness ahead. I have faith that no matter what happens, the community will find ways to enjoy the games we love even in the most dire of future outcomes. I play Pathfinder2e these days and I love it, but I would have never discovered it if WotC hadn't attempted their insane shenanigans. I'm thankful that it all happened even if it was not a good experience for most, but I hope that people don't forget the past even if influencers are somewhat bias. I feel that bias is everywhere already anyway, so it is up to each individual to see things for what they are and to make their own opinions instead of blindly following.
I mean, I wouldn't turn down a free trip, free food, and free product. No complaints. Enjoy it. But is it going to change my opinion of One D&D? I'd stay honest. Luckily I'm just a humble blogger. I still want a pro wrestling match with Kyle Brink (real or simulated.) I think WotC had this planned before the OGL debacle. Yes, the summit is a PR move. What happens if people come away from the summit and throw shade on the new VTT and/or One D&D?
Great video! Also, you always make me homesick for Belfast. Watching your vids is a lot like standing outside City Hall back in the day, watching Ian Paisley giving a rant. :D
Here's the thing, there are only two types of professional influencers: 1) Ones that create and therefore live or die by the popularity of the thing. Which means they are tied to it's success whether it is healthy or not. For 5E folks the market for all other RPGs combined is lower than 5E by itself, so they are kinda stuck unless they can find another way to segment it. For example, painting models CAN be system agnostic, somewhat. 2) Agitators/Outragers that thrive on controversy and can find other things to also shout at the camera about. Outrage is its own market segment.
Yeah, even if they all unanimously agree to become Pathfinder influencers instead, they'll have an uphill struggle ahead of them. They NEED One D&D to succeed, because their audience are D&D players. At the end of the day it really is that simple.
@@DoinItforNewCommTech And movie watchers and Critical Role watchers or comic readers and people who buy the "lifestyle merch" that is in no way going to enhance a game.
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
@@coda821 LOOK EVERYBODY it's the new Wizards defence strategy! The only influencers they invited were the ones who publicly love WotC and ALREADY bent the knee to them. Shorts wasn't invited. Bob the softballer was. These influencers have already proven they won't give the finger. And on top of that, how stupid are you? WotC will provide shelter from THE PEOPLE THEY'RE MEANT TO INFLUENCE? I don't know what's worse, that someone thought this post might succeed, or the idea that it MIGHT succeed in swaying even one single person. Fine evidence that some people shouldn't be allowed to reproduce.
Content Creators/Influencers are not the same as JOURNALISTS. CCs have no responsibility to remain neutral and are free to accept gifts. There's no ethical conflict
We get this in the tool world as well. Generally, it's fairly easy to spot the ones that are overly gushy over a product or brand or consistently getting free products to review. What I've come down to is that it's all about branding from the content creator and transparency.
Maybe, since nobody knows what exactly will be covered in the creator summit, we should all just back off the creators that have decided to attend. Maybe you should wait till they report back on the summit before you judge them.
Yeah, BobWorldBuilder's video really didnt resonate well with me on that front. Calling him a shill might be overdone at this point, but goddamn, if the hat didn't fit on that one...
I am not a Content Creator; however I have been playing D&D ( both as PC/DM ) longer than most have been alive ( especially in the last two generation's +/- ). You mentioned your commentary pertaining to the past 15 years vs. VTRPG struggle's of WoTC / Hasbro, and yes you are correct about the sloth and the mismanagement(s). What I also notice is that this "Invite" is apparent parallel of "Honor Amongst Thieves" ( both the movie and the D&D Campaign via One D&D via Beyond ) -- this reminds me of when Hasbro tried to muscle out the old TSR group ( as anyone who is anyone should know the stories ) for "Hasbro's" 4th edition with WoTC / TSR Mention's, but with no real direct links.... TSR finally told Hasbro to go elsewhere and joined many of their other brother's / sister's at the newly formed "Paizo" -- continuing the 3.5 system and compatible cross-overs with Paizo's "Pathfinder", it was the newly ( Craptastic ) D&D Movie -- that bombed and got awards for being among the worst movie made -- that Hasbro tried to sell 4th edition through via promo's and content deals.......some of you weren't even born yet when this Catastrophic Disaster Game/Movie happened. So Yes.......though I'm not a Content Creator, and have been skeptical of the market pertaining to, my EXP has to agree with your concerns vs. yet what seems to be another PR Debacle in the brew..........Even Tasha would go WTF!!! as Xanathar would be; "and I thought I was the Criminal Badass".... Keep making vid's of awareness and if possible rally some of those going to this event to use more than their pocketbooks to think with. After all; all one needs are 3 books, an imagination and like-minded friends to play a game that can survive with the rich and powerful....par for the reason I dislike "Pro-DM's", they're as much of the problem current as is WoTC/Hasbro.
The most effective bias is unconscious. Becoming conscious of the potential for bias is not fully protective, but a step in the right direction. Medicine and pharma have been balancing this (and not always well) for a while. Great video.
deems like sour grapes that she wasn't asked along. The other way to go at this is WotC knows they have destroyed their fan base through their stupidity. they are hoping, if they are sane, to rebuild that and rather than put out more declarations to be mocked they ask in the people from the community with the most pull to try and give it their spin. These people know this when they're invited. This woman seems to think they are unaware of this or that the people when they show are going to be mind controlled or something like that. and yes I've bene registered with FINRA too. I'm well aware of the red flags but this is a case where part of the community-hers- seems to htink ANY interaction with WotC is a betrayal and anyone going there is too stupid to think otherwise insteado f maybe seeing what they've got. I have no interest in a video d&D game and can keep quite happily with my books and dice and paper thank you very much.
Your point about financial relationships not being limited to money is spot on. Even if we don't mean to, getting free stuff influences our opinion. We like to think we are logical humans. We are not. We are even worse at controlling and correcting for bias.
I was expecting this video to be some sort of an accusatory piece hating on everyone who dares to accept the invitation, but you actually gave it a fair shake. Good job on explaining your thinking 👍
I'm waiting for them to get back and see what content they release about their experience and if it's all positive. See if their opinion on what WOTC/Hasbro has done and plan to do has changed..... You did answer a question I had, did you get an invite lol. If you had been invited, would you have gone?
I picked up Savage Worlds Adventure Edition, around three years ago. Using it every since and on the top of it, I do enrich my library with as many systems as possible. If D&D disappeared now, I wouldn't even notice it.
I appreciate all your work and coverage on this and similar subjects. That being said, I don’t care what WOTC are doing. If people go to the summit, cool. If they don’t, cool. Either way I’m not having anything to do with onednd.
Great work as always, Discourse. It's good to see legitimate skeptical people on the platform. Especially those with experience dealing with corporate bullshit.
The sheer amount of influencers I've seen comment on Linda Codega's post saying "I AM IMMUNE TO PROPAGANDA" is......... staggering. Absolutely staggering. How could Wizards of the Coast have been brought to its knees only two months ago by people so completely gormless? Not a drop of gorm between them. Wizards has already won, I fear.
the fact that in one of the intros Brinks flat out said he wouldn't be comfortable interviewing DnD Shorts is all I needed to hear to put the last nail in the coffin that they didn't want to talk to anybody that would be to 'aggressive', because aggressive interviewers don't like this lowball friendly conversation stuff, they want facts, answers, no beating around the bush, no walking in circles. not only that, but it means that they can present DnD Short's 'aggression' as a veiled threat to other content creators, that those who rock the boat will get thrown overboard.
I mean it also wouldn't be productive. A shouting match between two people rarely achieves much. Some of the creators they spoke to like Bob had clearly stated how they weren't comfortable with the OGL situation but they weren't doing so in a way thay was actively antagonistic to WOTC. WOTC clearly wanted a chance to actually say their peice, which is reasonable.
@@garrettc1973 Because it's not as if WOTC has a TH-cam channel, a Twitter account, a large website, the whole of D&D Beyond, the ability to buy television advertising, brick and mortar stores with shelves full of their material, A MOVIE COMING UP... ... a shouting match achieves a LOT, Garrett. For a start, we get to see the words and the knives coming out. We shouted about OGL1.1 when it was merely a SECRETLY SELECTIVELY SENT AND AGREEMENT SIGNED DOCUMENT and we got to see them swap the knife to the offhand with OGL1.2. We got to see what a pack of disgusting liars they were. We get to see how you're shilling for them now.
i understand the appeal of going to the event, specially if the company will pay for your accomodations, for an individual perspective it would seem of taking advantage of the situation and said company, BUT people forget how much we've internalized capitalism, how it works and therefore, its so intertwined with absolute everything we do on a daily basis.
The odd thing is, I follow LOT of D&D CCs on YT and Twitter and the only reason I heard about it was because they said yhey were NOT invited. I have not seen anyone who was. So... who was invited?
going throught he comments is a tad concerning. the amount of people already piling on hate to people who have been invited for merely being invited is frankly, shocking. the event hasn't even happened yet! wait for the results before you start calling people shills. going to events, interviewing execs, reviewing product, fuck it's almost like it's part of their job or something.
I couldn't even think at all that Bob Worldbuilder could be bought by WotC and act now as a promoter for them after the drama of the beginning of the year. This is a shock and needs to be digested while I'm wondering if I'm going to continue following Bob's channel and podcasts or cancel the channel subscriptions. Sad, because I liked Bob's channel.
Bob Worldbuilder has always been quite enthusiastic and optimistic about everything WotC did. Even his take on the OGL drama was very constructive and careful. I think if any influencer would hop on the WotC bandwagon, no questions asked, it'd be Bob. I myself used to like his optimism, but now, after the OGL thing, it just sounds so naive...
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
It would genuinely be interesting to see which people were denouncing WOTC (thus driving their content and revenue) who have now accepted that invitation and getting comped for it. I suppose the good thing is being able to see peoples content before this invitation went out and what their content is like after it.
They really showed cowardice by not inviting their worst critics to this event, or one like it. Giving interviews to people like that, but also a little love, is a great move… if they want to capitalise on honest answers and meaningful concessions and service of the community. They’ve given a small dose of each… but they owe more than they’ve given
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
@@coda821 I completely agree - wizards should have invited more friendly figures like Ginny and Bob, And critics like discourse and dnd shorts. Anyone with a platform, with truth, meaningful apologies, and restitution for the community. They’ve done some of that (Creative Commons was the right move), but they can and should do more.
For example, making a physical access pass for all ebooks, such that if you buy a physical copy it comes with roll20 and dndbeyond versions from now on, with no price markup
@@carrias1 The creative commons was a desperate move, but really cost them nothing. 5E customers will likely adopt OneD&D. WOTC can still drop the OGL on ppl publishing standard D20 & OSR materials. These new OGL contracts R still hanging in limbo, & could be applied later. WOTC is still a threat to D&D & 3rd part publishers. We must continue to treat them as the threat that they R.
Remember the Bond movies when the BBEG explained his plan to rivals and cronies? There was always the one guy who didn't buy in and got whacked. All the others thought it was a great idea, and they also got whacked.
Areas that aren't always recognized as bribery/corruption but provide the same type of incentive structure: Access to inside information/personnel for future content Future employment Cause contribution (Campaign, affiliated charity, pet company/sponsor) Recognizing that we all have areas where we could be influenced by Mr. Moneybags and then making your audience aware of the potential for that bias to affect you is a pretty simple ethical responsibility one has to their audience, but one failed across numerous areas of society. It's not surprising that a lot of creators are or pretend to be unaware of this given how pervasive unethical trade in influence is.
This is what is called in Industry like the pharmaceutical industry, softening up, relationship management and sometimes when people are being more honest soft bribery. Just the truth about human psychology, you tend to like people who give you stuff and treat you nicely even if you know they have an ulterior motive
Too bad I can only “walk away” from WotC once, there’s a lot of times that have deserved them losing customers. I’m no longer in their “target market”, I don’t like 5e and my hours of play have only reinforced that. I have zero interest in OneD&D or any future product for that matter. It’s a shame that so many people seem to be in a Stockholm-esque relationship with current D&D since there are so many better TTRPGs out there with companies and people who don’t behave like this.
The only way I know how to hurt Hasbro is to NOT buy their products. My fury is long for insulting the entire community and treating us like stupid whales, and my memory is longer. I haven't forgotten, and I'm playing the long game. F these corporate tools. I'm with you, Dungeons & Discourse. I got your back.
I'm pretty sure we have to keep an Eye on Dungeons & Discourse. I know for a fact that their one hand would turn green multiple times through out the video it must be the hand of Vecna! We are on to you.
I don't particularly blame "influencers" for going on a nice freebie trip but it's naive to think that WotC aren't expecting something in return..
Yes but WotC has no way to enforce getting something in return besides the possible risk of not being invited to another similar event in the future.
Yes but WotC has no way to enforce getting something in return besides the possible risk of not being invited to another similar event in the future.
Sure, but we don’t know what that one thing is. It may not even be something they directly ask the content creators and influencers for. Hasbro/WoTC could just say “hey we tried to address the community’s grievances and prevent any future issues by talking them all out”. The content creators and influencers don’t have to say anything in that case to their audience, just by accepting Hasbro can use their attendance as positive PR.
That being said I am all in favor of these creators and influencers going. Just saying that what Hasbro wants/expects in return may not be as quid pro quo as a favorable video from these creators.
I was at the D&D Summit in 2012 when the shift from failed 4E to 5E. It is overwhelming how you are treated and important you are made to feel. This is even worse than it was back then for buying goodwill.
Wotc is a business. It's naive to assume any business does anything without expecting some benefit.
Hasbro very effectively caused division within the D&D community by doing this. This takes the target off them and puts it on the same people that were their enemy only 2 months ago. Well played Wizard's.
This. Congrats on letting them set you up for eating each other and not them.
They hired an excellent crisis communications team.
Those corporate boot licker are getting what they deserve esp Bob
This won't rehab Hasbro's image. All it will do is make players distrust Hasbro AND influencers who accept the invitation. This will cause even more damage to the TTRPG community.
You are correct.
I used to work in the corporate world.
WotC/Hasbro regrouped & reevaluated. They have learned from the OGL debacle & from the failure of the Brink Rainbow Tour that they need to befriend & control whoever they can in the TH-cam Realm.
Know this: WotC/Hasbro will always believe they are the smartest people in the room.
I work as a public servant for a state agency or institution and have to take an ethics training every year to insure that we are being ethical about our dealings with vendors and other businesses with which we interact. We are not allowed to receive "things of economic value" without it fitting within very specific strict guidelines. In other words, no buying off good government. So your points really resonate with me!
Please add "emoluments clause" trigger warning for U.S. residents. We're still dealing with the trauma of hearing every talking head explain "things of economic value" and "guidelines" and "bias" or maybe even "blatant corruption" and "obvious bribes" for the last four years.
Same. This topic also comes up in my line of work fairly regularly, and this has bribery written all over it lol.
I’m not super well versed in the legal side of it though, I just go with the “never accept anything from business partners” philosophy.
There's certainly no undue amount of influence on politics held by business.🙄
@@GavinRalston13 this is true, everyone and their cousin has an opinion on things that are happening and think that THEIR opinion is valuable information about said company too and it really isn't when it comes down to it.
@@riptide3340 This is typical of ANY company wanting to invite people to view insider information about the company and that company putting their best foot forward. There is nothing untoward about this other than that and it is normal corporate behavior. If you are one of the people being invited, turn them down if you think it is a bribe then, if not then it is kind of silly to make assumptions about something you are not sure about and this video is not an indicator either LOL.
One of the things we say amongst our industry: "No free lunch" and this applies here. Thanks for raising awareness of this event.
I remember back in the early aughts when a number of companies like Procter and Gamble came to recognize the growth of blogging, particularly from what were called "Mommy Bloggers" whose anecdotes about the trials, tribulations and unexpected joys of raising their children had developed a substantial audience. The marketing and advertising professionals realized that this appearance of candor and authenticity in these daily stories ( "And THIS is how Kelsey leaving a fistful of magic markers in her inside jacket pocket resulted in $150 of washing machine repairs and at least one irrevocably ruined pair of light blue trousers..") was far more effective than an actress in a professionally shot print or television ad talking about the great new applesauce that her imaginary children loved. As a result, these marketers began inviting these women to events where they were supplied with veritable vanloads of everything from baby formula, disposable diapers, cleaning products, child friendly treats and snacks etc. It was not long afterwards that the larger Blogosphere ( gods, what a ridiculous word ) started to demand more transparency from people online who suddenly seemed all too enthusiastic about various products and services..
It seems like this is a VERY similar situation.
I think this is a fair take. I think all sides need to recognized this.
Totally agree. Large corporations never spend money except to make more money. It's that simple.
Also they have enough resources and persistence to play the Long Game.
There are many, many large corporations that spend money in order to sway society and culture over profits. Just look at Disney or black rock or black rock for future reference. BlackRock is the world's third largest economy, after the United States and China.
Exactly, they are going to be looking for a positive ROI, after spending this kind of money.
That's a naive point of view. Corporations are full of what are little better than cultists, using the resources of the corporation to further their agenda, regardless of what it does to the corporation. Have you not watched, for example, Disney for the last several years?
They are really doing a crap job at it recently though. Mostly though hubris.
That description sounded like the 'Red Wedding' to me ("After we eliminate all the popular Influencers, no one will be left to bad mouth D&D One!!!" 😂)
If Hasbro and WOTC WERE to do something like that, it would only make their situation with the public even worse
"I haven't been influenced by EvilCorp giving me nice things, it's not that easy to influence people"
- Someone Whose Entire Job Title Is Influencer
I've never seen anybody in the D&D space call themselves an "influencer." I haven't seen anyone called that before this video's title.
@@elbruces Yet that’s exactly what they are.
@@elbruces Then you haven't been paying attention. The term "influencer" has been around probably since TH-cam started. I forget when I first heard the term but it's been at least 10 years.
Even if we don't like the fact some content creators have accepted the invitation and may indeed be influenced by their time their, we have to handle it carefully. If we attack them too brutally it drives them further into Hasbro's camp - even if they don't want to be there - it also fragments the tabletop community, making it much harder to oppose a monolithic force like Hasbro. This is clearly their endgame.
@@michaelmcnamara1839 these people are not Hasbro employees. Their entire existence is third party content based on Hasbro properties. They can’t be driven towards Hasbro because Hasbro can’t pay them.
Just because the gun jams, doesn't mean you should accept the trigger puller back into your life.❤
Wizard's pulled the trigger while aiming the gun at us.
EDIT: Kyle Brink still needs to be fired for being a sexist racist bigot. Until Kyle is gone, there can be no trust.
I've LITERALLY seen people say "They said they were sorry! Can we not just drop all this hate towards WotC/Hasbro now?!" completely ignoring the fact that WotC/Hasbro have tried this kind of thing before and WILL try it again!
Exactly. People are willing to forgive over really serious transgressions. To me, that attempt was pretty blatently out to screw people over.
Anyone who's studied domestic violence is all too familiar with this pattern. 😢
What if the person pulling the trigger was working for someone else in another department who has since been sacked, and never even knew your old friend who tried to stop the attack by leaking the OGL?
@Darren Gamer Did I not just say something about victims continuing to support their abuser?
I admit some bias, but the only influencer I care about is my DM, who has been playing, leading, and creating for over 35 years, since he was a child. This DM is also the only content creator I care about, as he makes unique, wondrous, and fascinating worlds and stories for us time after time after time. He is open and responsive. Engagement is the responsibility of the group and its leader and this commitment is the true source of the spirit of Dungeons & Dragons. Hasbro and Wizards have given us the product, but they have not had and never will have any power or control over us because Dungeons & Dragons is already ours.
^ This. Every word of it.
True OSR.
I think the issue some folk have with the 'influencer' title is that it was one which was created by forces outside the content creator community to specifically describe creators who basically operate as pitchmen for corporations. Plus there has always been a matter of scale attached to it as well: influencers are usually those who have six figure followings, who make enough in ads and sponsorships to be full time creators, and who pretty exclusively work in the PR and native advertising space.
Content Creator = Independent Creative who may sometimes do ad sales for money but who primarily focuses on making content that exists for its own sake.
Influencer = Social Media Pitchman who focuses explicitly on doing ad sales for money, whose content has reached a scale where it only exists to sell ad space and native ad copy.
Very few content creators are trying to be that person, and very few have channels that would really qualify in a meaningful way outside the small D&D market.
So, to be called an 'influencer' when you do not specifically envision yourself as one is kinda like being told you lack authenticity and credibility.
I'm willing to wait and see what those invited say. I watched their videos about being invited and they were open and honest about being wary. They even showed the contents of the letters. Yes, they interviewed Kyle Brink, but they openly discussed where the answers fell short and which ones they felt were lies or PR speak. How many here, just dumping on them, actually watched those videos?
You mean handing WotC a platform to spread their PR lies crafted to mend damage done and to fool people that are too gullible to know better? I have seen these interviews yes, and there was next to no digging, just nodding off to PR non answers.
They acted as "usefull idiots" for Brink and Wizards, they were mouthpieces for Wizards even tough they didn't want to without realizing it, regardless of all the care they took on the questions and discussions during the interview. And now they are being used again and either don't want to notice it or realy aren't aware of it (which is concearning, they should be aware by now, Wizards is using them).
I've got a better question. Do we have a list of the invited who REJECTED THE INVITATION?
@@DakonBlackblade2 hard disagree. They asked questions that people wanted answered and critised poor answers. There is nothing wrong with that. If the community is ever going to be able to recover from the OGL mess we need to be able to ask questions and get answers. There is no point sticking your head in the sand and saying "I am not listening, WOTC Bad, Lalalalala"
@@garrettc1973 Wizards chose ppl who wouldn't be overly confrontational, and they all asked the same questions on all their interviews. Brink had an asnwer prepared for all of them. Wether you agree with it or not, wether the influencers realize they were just being used or not, it make sno difference, the fact of the matter is Wizards used them and got what they wanted out of it.
Wizards is doing it again now. It is more evident this time and ppl should know better, but since now there is this whole "getting money and followers out of it" situation, many will pretend like it is all right and trade their integrity in a heart beat.
So here's the thing, I totally get where you're coming from and I totally understand where WotC's intentions are because that's pretty transparent at this point. But the fact is that if they are doing this and meeting with content creators to get feedback from the community.... Isn't that what we want?
Like the entire OGL scandal could have been avoided if there was someone in the player community to tell them "this is a really bad idea," and they actually listen.
I love your channel. You simply don’t find someone/channel who thoroughly researches something and passionately expresses such well crafted opinions. Wish more people like you existed in our hobby world!
thank you :3
I used to work at a hotel next door to WotC headquarters around 09-11. I remember Hasbro people coming to stay at the hotel for a night or two. And I remember them never being happy.
You smiled, tried to talk nicely to them. But they were the most grim $0Bs ya ever did see.
Now I imagine the emps who will be at this event will be the happiest, biggest smiles, begging to please buy our product group you will see.
But I know that right next door; grimmer than the Old World.
Unrelated to content topic. My wife immediately says “I love her haircut!” As soon as the video starts. She wanted me to pass along the compliment. We love your videos. Keep up the great work!
tell her thank you!! :D
The fact that they didn't invite any of the more critical voices is very telling. After watching Kyle's interview with Bob the world builder, it was very clear that they're avoiding any conversations with someone who was going to be critical, call them on the lies, or ask really hard questions.
Looking at it in a more neutral light, the people like Ginny and Bob, also tend to do a LOT more research and come at problems with a more... let's just say nuanced take. Note that neither Bob nor Ginny really had that whole, "They're gonna own your stuff and just use it" Because both have probably seen the annual "DeviantArt legal document" thing that comes up. For those that don't know it's basically a CYA thing on sites that host creative content that lets them, you know, publish your work on their website (reason I use DeviantArt legal document is that it's almost a yearly occurence that they get accused of basically the same thing, this in spite of almost 20 years of people being told what it means). There's also the thing of just how many of a certain type of influencer were, to put it bluntly, actually acting like the stereotypical influencer, and well, Ginny and Bob weren't of that type. You know the one who broke it, but later fell out because he fell for a MONTHS old troll.
Bob and Ginny are fairly nice, laid back, and non confrontational by personality. It's not entirely their fault that they didn't have a more hard-hitting journalistic interview. And it's on Wizards that they deliberately targeted people like that because they were easier to exploit.
@@camiblack1 I don't blame the influencers that are accepting these interviews or the invitation to the summit. Not one bit. But the ones who have been the loudest, like dungeons and discourse, and d&d shorts, are the ones who are getting snubbed. Kyle brink said that he didn't schedule interviews with people that he didn't feel would have a productive conversation with him. To me, that felt like a complete avoidance of anyone who's going to ask the real hard questions and call him on the BS. That said, I'm also frustrated with wizards that they are using him as a scapegoat. He specifically said, his team had very little to do with the OGL. But they're making him their spokesperson now.
Watzi realizes they were stopped by the "Influencers" . Now, Watzi is attempting to subvert the "influencers" before going ahead now.
I wish I could send this video to every content creator on TH-cam. Of course Hasbro has to do things to fix their public image. Of course money spent CAN influence people. No matter if those people can be influenced or not, it's a factor and denying that is just fallacy.
Just chiming in re: the thumbnail - from working pretty closely with Bob, he's an absolute legend and just as chill as you'd expect from his videos.
The influencers who you should be concerned about are the ones that say they are immune to bias. If you think you are immune, you are not looking out for it. Bias has a way to weave their way into our opinions, it's human behavior. It's EXACTLY as you say.
"If you think you're immune to bias and propaganda, you've already been roped & shuffled into the herd." ~former neighbor and WW2 vet who had some very colorful words about domestic propaganda
A very important video with very important points. For anyone of these influencers that went to this, we have to keep a very strict and observant eye on their opinions and if/how they change.
Pinnacle Entertainment:Savage Worlds. There where I’ll be.
And this is exactly the same exaple, but from the other side: trying to influence influencers and audiences to keep the hate alive, just because (or for the clicks, perhaps?).
It is a TTPRGP, not a human/civil right at risk. If people like it, good; if not, it's fine too. It is understandable why WotC tries to appeal the market: every move they do has that goal in mind (although they had failures and missoportunities, of course). Absolutely nothing bad happens if they succed (or fail). Either way, people will be happy with whichever role playing game they choose to play. At the end, is that what all this should be about, isn't?
There is a content creator I follow who specializes in utterly non-D&D content who got a special invite to the D&D movie preview. They are slightly nerdy and have great reach and of course came back with a great review of the movie. Not compromised really just unaware of the issues in the wider D&D community.
Who was the content creator?
@@projectM1K3 th-cam.com/video/4tTRl0jbYRE/w-d-xo.html
I feel like this event, while a clear attempt at bribery, won’t be as beneficial as WotC might think it will be. They can’t give the community what it wants without seriously compromising their desires. Because of that, I believe the event is either going to be a giant nothing burger or simply more cringe-worthy rebuttal that will be used against them later.
At least, assuming the creators don’t buy in to the BS, ya know?
Great video btw!!
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
@@coda821 Is it an attack to tell them that WotC is trying to manipulate them with this? Bribery is insidious... and make no mistake, an all-expenses paid trip is a bribe.
Though I do agree, attacking them doesn't help. There's a balance to be struck here... unfortunately something social media sucks at.
@@RethShannar Exactly. Attacking ppl attending will make WOTC's bribery more effective. Sending them there with a supportive community will be more effective. I'm open to hearing how we can find that balance.
Free food, free drinks and visit a Evil Lair? I'm in!
I'm really a bit disappointed that so many of the people that rightfully knew how bad the OGL stunt that Hasbro pulled are now willingly giving their platforms to Hasbro spokespeople in interviews and now legitimising this upcoming event
No. Hasbro has shown their intentions. And they will never change their intentions as they are fundamentally a profit driven public company. They will do this again and again when we let our guard down
The only way to go to this event is to completely dunk on Hasbro, show them for the weasels they are, and use it to embarrass them and backfire their PR. How would one go about this? Don't know, seems hard, so I'd rather these influencers did not go at all. That's the best delegitimising strategy
In their defense, some of the interviewers could be going with the “if the enemy is digging their grave, don’t stop them” approach. I haven’t seen most of the interviews, but I’ve seen a decent number of clips that were… pitiful for WotC lol.
As far as “giving legitimacy” to WotC by going, I think it depends on how things go when they get back. If they pull more “people like me can’t leave the game fast enough” stuff, everyone will have more recent examples to dunk on them with. Tbh, I’d go for the free food and still critique them if nothing has changed lol
not a single exec was fired, that should be clear that the intention hasn't changed at all and they'll just try again. I've been disappointed in a lot of friends even who after it all stopped were like oh well, open the money spigot again.
Tbh this is a pretty bad take.
Yes they absolutely fucked up with the OGL situation and people should absolutely take everything they say with a grain of salt but if they are making attempts to make ammends we should accept that.
Obviously we can't forget the OGL situation but when they do good we should accept that.
Not to mention if you actually watch most of those interview videos the creators tend to use them as a chance to ask questions we want answered and then they call out the bs non answers and criticise them. This is the case in both Ginni Di and Bob the world builder's videos.
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
@@coda821 I'm right there with you, Coda; why punish the influencers for something Hasbro did?
Why should we stop loving the content of said influencers just because they're going on a free trip...a trip that, for all WE know, might turn out to be a bust
I feel like the best possible solution here would be if they all said, yes to it, they all went and took full advantage of it, and they all just released a collective video (the same one on the channel of everyone that went) that said something along the lines of "We watched what you tried to do, we said no. You've spent you money, but the visit is irrelevant, as you still call it a draft, which means you're still lying to us. We can't forgive you while you do that.
Thanks for the holiday, but we can't be bought"
I mean, that's almost definitely not going to happen, but that is my dream response. Refuse to give them any of the coverage they were trying to get, don't let them try and earn back trust while still being dishonest, but still make them spend the money. Because the money (both actual cost, and potential money from the community in the future) are all they give a shit about.
You are 100% right discourse.
Also. Can you do a battle report video sometime? (Especially OPR!)
This shit cracks me up. You talk about the ethics of influencers and are literally TRYING to influence US!
Nothing wrong with influencers going to events like this. The ethical problems arise with what they do afterwards. Whether or not they sell their standards for future access, or not. I for, one am very interested in hearing what they have to say when they get back.
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
I don't entirely agree. It doesn't have to be a bad thing, but I think it's important that these folks know what they're getting into. Mostly that this is an investment by WotC they hope to see a return on.
@@LyricalDJ The event itself is not a bad thing. Influencers going to the event, is not a bad thing. Influencers changing their minds on the product because they legitimately agree with what they have seen, is not a bad thing. If, however, they allow their "heads to be turned" because of this new access, and being wined and dined , then that is a bad thing.
Frankly, if I were a Journo covering gaming culture, and I found myself invited to this little party. I would decline, stating possible conflict of interest. It is just safer that way.
@@scottwalker6947 I agree with you, really. I was just saying that it's good for influencers to keep in mind why Wizards would want them to go.
So am I in the Minority here with the fact that I don't care who these people are that go or what it is they do. I am a grown person that can and Does think for myself every day and I don't follow anyone that tells me one thing or another about D&D or any other RPG, Video Game, TV show, Movie, ETC. Now if they come back and have done a complete 180 on their opinions or end up just start being nothing but Mouth pieces for WotC or Hasbro then I will have an issue and will most likely stop following them completely as they have compromised their Ideals and opinions that they have stated they have towards WotC and Hasbro.
Eh.
I am in a couple TTRPG content creator chats with some of the people going to the summit and I can tell you that they do not trust it one bit *even though they are going* and so they are going in with both eyes open.
People, as usual, are just projecting their own expected outcomes onto the situation.
We don't even know if there will be any 'wining and dining' going on or if it is just going to be a couple hours spent chatting in a WotC office conference room.
That said ... yes ... people need to be aware of their own ability to be influenced by these things.
Even being followed by official D&D creators on Twitter was enough to make me soften my own analyses of 5th Edition, because suddenly I did not want to accidentally hurt the feelings of a creative acquaintance. The US military started embedding journalists with military units abroad for exactly this reason: just knowing a person will tend to soften any reportage about that person.
I love that you have a take and deliver it with such passion. Finding your channel was a bright spot during the OGL crisis. Keep it up.
If I were an invited influencer, I’d have a hard time passing up the opportunity to meet Chris Perkins, Mike M., and Amanda in person. I’ve enjoyed every time I’ve met one of the D&D/Pathfinder gods in person at conventions. They are my celebrities.
My favorite things about Kyle Brink:
Hey, he just started working at Wizards
He never attended a single meeting at Wizards
His team has never been involved with a decision
But at least he accused old school geeks of being racist and told white dudes to get out of the game. 😄
Don't forget "long time gamer" but then, his Beyond account was what, only a few weeks old?
@@steelmongoose4956 he's so woke while coming up with the monetization strategy for a TTRPG!
@@troffle it was minutes old when he posted that article. I took a screenshot lol
@@scabbynack odeargods that's BEAUTIFUL.
You beautiful creature, have you got that on a webpage anywhere? Or... my Channel About profile has my e-mail address on it, would you be in a position to one way or another throw that screenshot around, goodsir?
I'll go out on a limb here.
I play D&D, a lot.
And some other Ttrpgs.
I don't consider myself part of a "community" and don't expect every other worldwide player to share my tastes, views of opinions.
I certainly won't get concerned about what other players do in their free time.
Influencers, I have my like a and dislikes.
I don't t blindly follow orders from people on the talky screen.
Neither do generate a "Mother company" which behaves like WOTC.
But, not everything is a crisis.
Impact of the year's corporate B.S. Drama on my playing groups? Zero.
Why?
We don't take orders from corporate overlords.
We roll five and have fun.
Nobody gets hurt, except characters who miss their saves.
I’m not sure if there is anything that either content creators or WotC could possibly do now or in the future that would ever satisfy you. Sounds like sour grapes? The direct evidence now, is that WotC does listen to feedback. Yes, they royally F’ed up. Yes, Hasbro executives had their collector heads up their butts. But the design team and content creators within WotC largely consist of gamers and people who love the game. The best outcome possible moving forward, is for content creator organizations to build a bridge with the company who owns the content and brand of the game.
Yes, free gifts need to be disclosed if they exceed a certain amount, but public companies have different reporting requirements than private s-corps or LLCs. I have noticed most influencer personalities being very transparent about their invitations to this event. I think it’s a positive development and take exception to your hyperbolic reaction.
Thank you. Yes, that seems to be the case. I started to scratch my head when the video went in circles and repeated itself several times. I'm not sure what the point was. None of us are stupid. She's preaching to the choir. The only thing is, if some ppl refuse to move on from the OGL mess, they shouldn't be surprised that ppl like WoTC decide trying to cater to them us a waste of time.
Tbh, it feels like the OGL is becoming the content giver that never runs dry. I honestly fail to see the point of making this video other than to vent. And that, that is obvious enough it's actually becoming annoying.
@@Liriel4 God bless those outrage farmers, coming home after a hard day's work, lol. They're making sure that in 2077 we'll all still be talking about an OGL.... What was it again?? Lol
Even in adversarial relations such as labor negotiations, contact with and communication between the two sides softens the opinions of both parties by humanizing their interactions. Especially given that online commentators are not structurally connected to an organized community that disciplines their interactions, of COURSE it will bias their subsequent perspectives. It would take deliberate action on the part of these online commentators to protect themselves from the bias that you're so astutely spelling out.
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
@@TheBliepbliep If U read the descriptions of sociopath traits, U'll see they
R also all asshole traits. Sociopath is basically the psychological term for asshole.
They exclude persons with disabilities, Rhode Island and Washington State Attorney Generals have been notified, plus Hasbro and WOTC in writing! ADA Violations are 150k EACH!
I gotta give WotC credit. Divide and conquer. Two months ago, we spoke with one voice. Today, we attack ourselves. We won the battle but have lost the war.
Is there a list of people who were and weren't invited to the summit? I would love to see something compiled showing if it was nothing but positive and neutral channels, and they just ghosted anyone who criticized.
Influencers have integrity? Hasbro seems to think we are sheep?
"You can always pay one half of the poor to kill the other half."
Or convince one half that the other half is the reason they are poor!
You only need to divide people once to fracture them. To stay united you need everyone to choose that every time. Its much harder.
@@michaelmcnamara1839 It really is...
One thing I’m adding to the game I’ve been designing is sectors and dealing with ethics and logic/reasoning. The biggest problem with moving to a virtual tabletop, as I near the end of your video, is the removing of the thinking of the player. That the player needs to be the computer. We Mentats need to continue to think. It actually is the reason why I started passing math class back in the 70s. Because I had a legitimate reason to use it. And that’s a learning curve issue that our current players I suspect are rebelling against. Anyway that is a tail end subject
I like how you talk. Also, your jokes, funny faces, emotions, and great smile keep bringing me back for more.
The great information is just a big bonus too.
thank you!
You articulate this point so well. This is why I'm always excited for your videos. OK, that's not entirely true. It's really only one reason. The primary reason is because I'm always hoping for a skit as well. I LOVE the skits! 😁
I hope we have an undercover investigative piece that comes out of this. That would be amusing to see. WoTC inviting people into the castle, only to find one of them cased the joint and found out where all the evil is. Good video on the importance of objectivity, even in the 'influencer' space which is seen as more informal than other commercial enterprises.
Wow... your energy is insane! Stay awesome
One suspects that Hasbro simply views the objectors as a form of Luddites. Appreciate your comments, Discourse.
This is just an Amazon ‘Rings of Power’ The Sequel special event …Lots of the Tolkien community walked away from a few influencers because they were viewed as shills (and honestly they SOUNDED like shills after the special trip) 🤡
You are totally right! Awesome points!
We must keep both eyes open!
Thank you for your opinion and for taking the time to share with us all. I appreciate you and your fierce determination to protect and inform everyone you can to ensure we don't forget the past and succumb to the potential darkness ahead.
I have faith that no matter what happens, the community will find ways to enjoy the games we love even in the most dire of future outcomes. I play Pathfinder2e these days and I love it, but I would have never discovered it if WotC hadn't attempted their insane shenanigans. I'm thankful that it all happened even if it was not a good experience for most, but I hope that people don't forget the past even if influencers are somewhat bias. I feel that bias is everywhere already anyway, so it is up to each individual to see things for what they are and to make their own opinions instead of blindly following.
I mean, I wouldn't turn down a free trip, free food, and free product. No complaints. Enjoy it.
But is it going to change my opinion of One D&D? I'd stay honest. Luckily I'm just a humble blogger. I still want a pro wrestling match with Kyle Brink (real or simulated.)
I think WotC had this planned before the OGL debacle. Yes, the summit is a PR move. What happens if people come away from the summit and throw shade on the new VTT and/or One D&D?
Great video! Also, you always make me homesick for Belfast. Watching your vids is a lot like standing outside City Hall back in the day, watching Ian Paisley giving a rant. :D
Here's the thing, there are only two types of professional influencers:
1) Ones that create and therefore live or die by the popularity of the thing. Which means they are tied to it's success whether it is healthy or not. For 5E folks the market for all other RPGs combined is lower than 5E by itself, so they are kinda stuck unless they can find another way to segment it. For example, painting models CAN be system agnostic, somewhat.
2) Agitators/Outragers that thrive on controversy and can find other things to also shout at the camera about. Outrage is its own market segment.
Yeah, even if they all unanimously agree to become Pathfinder influencers instead, they'll have an uphill struggle ahead of them. They NEED One D&D to succeed, because their audience are D&D players. At the end of the day it really is that simple.
@@DoinItforNewCommTech And movie watchers and Critical Role watchers or comic readers and people who buy the "lifestyle merch" that is in no way going to enhance a game.
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
@@coda821 LOOK EVERYBODY it's the new Wizards defence strategy!
The only influencers they invited were the ones who publicly love WotC and ALREADY bent the knee to them. Shorts wasn't invited. Bob the softballer was. These influencers have already proven they won't give the finger.
And on top of that, how stupid are you? WotC will provide shelter from THE PEOPLE THEY'RE MEANT TO INFLUENCE?
I don't know what's worse, that someone thought this post might succeed, or the idea that it MIGHT succeed in swaying even one single person. Fine evidence that some people shouldn't be allowed to reproduce.
Content Creators/Influencers are not the same as JOURNALISTS. CCs have no responsibility to remain neutral and are free to accept gifts. There's no ethical conflict
But have you ever considered Buck Rogers XXVc?
We get this in the tool world as well. Generally, it's fairly easy to spot the ones that are overly gushy over a product or brand or consistently getting free products to review.
What I've come down to is that it's all about branding from the content creator and transparency.
Maybe, since nobody knows what exactly will be covered in the creator summit, we should all just back off the creators that have decided to attend. Maybe you should wait till they report back on the summit before you judge them.
Yeah, BobWorldBuilder's video really didnt resonate well with me on that front.
Calling him a shill might be overdone at this point, but goddamn, if the hat didn't fit on that one...
I am not a Content Creator; however I have been playing D&D ( both as PC/DM ) longer than most have been alive ( especially in the last two generation's +/- ). You mentioned your commentary pertaining to the past 15 years vs. VTRPG struggle's of WoTC / Hasbro, and yes you are correct about the sloth and the mismanagement(s). What I also notice is that this "Invite" is apparent parallel of "Honor Amongst Thieves" ( both the movie and the D&D Campaign via One D&D via Beyond ) -- this reminds me of when Hasbro tried to muscle out the old TSR group ( as anyone who is anyone should know the stories ) for "Hasbro's" 4th edition with WoTC / TSR Mention's, but with no real direct links.... TSR finally told Hasbro to go elsewhere and joined many of their other brother's / sister's at the newly formed "Paizo" -- continuing the 3.5 system and compatible cross-overs with Paizo's "Pathfinder", it was the newly ( Craptastic ) D&D Movie -- that bombed and got awards for being among the worst movie made -- that Hasbro tried to sell 4th edition through via promo's and content deals.......some of you weren't even born yet when this Catastrophic Disaster Game/Movie happened.
So Yes.......though I'm not a Content Creator, and have been skeptical of the market pertaining to, my EXP has to agree with your concerns vs. yet what seems to be another PR Debacle in the brew..........Even Tasha would go WTF!!! as Xanathar would be; "and I thought I was the Criminal Badass".... Keep making vid's of awareness and if possible rally some of those going to this event to use more than their pocketbooks to think with. After all; all one needs are 3 books, an imagination and like-minded friends to play a game that can survive with the rich and powerful....par for the reason I dislike "Pro-DM's", they're as much of the problem current as is WoTC/Hasbro.
Someone should wear a Pathfinder shirt to the event.
The most effective bias is unconscious. Becoming conscious of the potential for bias is not fully protective, but a step in the right direction. Medicine and pharma have been balancing this (and not always well) for a while. Great video.
deems like sour grapes that she wasn't asked along. The other way to go at this is WotC knows they have destroyed their fan base through their stupidity. they are hoping, if they are sane, to rebuild that and rather than put out more declarations to be mocked they ask in the people from the community with the most pull to try and give it their spin. These people know this when they're invited. This woman seems to think they are unaware of this or that the people when they show are going to be mind controlled or something like that.
and yes I've bene registered with FINRA too. I'm well aware of the red flags but this is a case where part of the community-hers- seems to htink ANY interaction with WotC is a betrayal and anyone going there is too stupid to think otherwise insteado f maybe seeing what they've got. I have no interest in a video d&D game and can keep quite happily with my books and dice and paper thank you very much.
This is the perfect diabolical plan to split the community.
Your point about financial relationships not being limited to money is spot on. Even if we don't mean to, getting free stuff influences our opinion. We like to think we are logical humans. We are not. We are even worse at controlling and correcting for bias.
0:29 You didn’t get an invite then?
I was expecting this video to be some sort of an accusatory piece hating on everyone who dares to accept the invitation, but you actually gave it a fair shake. Good job on explaining your thinking 👍
I'm waiting for them to get back and see what content they release about their experience and if it's all positive. See if their opinion on what WOTC/Hasbro has done and plan to do has changed..... You did answer a question I had, did you get an invite lol. If you had been invited, would you have gone?
I picked up Savage Worlds Adventure Edition, around three years ago. Using it every since and on the top of it, I do enrich my library with as many systems as possible. If D&D disappeared now, I wouldn't even notice it.
I appreciate all your work and coverage on this and similar subjects. That being said, I don’t care what WOTC are doing. If people go to the summit, cool. If they don’t, cool. Either way I’m not having anything to do with onednd.
Great content as usual, love your use of humor 😂❤ thanks 👍
Thank you 😁
Great work as always, Discourse. It's good to see legitimate skeptical people on the platform. Especially those with experience dealing with corporate bullshit.
"Maybe if I'm more pro-Wizards in my videos then I'll get an invite next time"
The sheer amount of influencers I've seen comment on Linda Codega's post saying "I AM IMMUNE TO PROPAGANDA" is......... staggering. Absolutely staggering. How could Wizards of the Coast have been brought to its knees only two months ago by people so completely gormless? Not a drop of gorm between them. Wizards has already won, I fear.
the fact that in one of the intros Brinks flat out said he wouldn't be comfortable interviewing DnD Shorts is all I needed to hear to put the last nail in the coffin that they didn't want to talk to anybody that would be to 'aggressive', because aggressive interviewers don't like this lowball friendly conversation stuff, they want facts, answers, no beating around the bush, no walking in circles. not only that, but it means that they can present DnD Short's 'aggression' as a veiled threat to other content creators, that those who rock the boat will get thrown overboard.
Exactly
I had to pore over hundreds of comments to find a one like this. THANK you.
I mean it also wouldn't be productive. A shouting match between two people rarely achieves much. Some of the creators they spoke to like Bob had clearly stated how they weren't comfortable with the OGL situation but they weren't doing so in a way thay was actively antagonistic to WOTC. WOTC clearly wanted a chance to actually say their peice, which is reasonable.
@@garrettc1973 Because it's not as if WOTC has a TH-cam channel, a Twitter account, a large website, the whole of D&D Beyond, the ability to buy television advertising, brick and mortar stores with shelves full of their material, A MOVIE COMING UP...
... a shouting match achieves a LOT, Garrett. For a start, we get to see the words and the knives coming out. We shouted about OGL1.1 when it was merely a SECRETLY SELECTIVELY SENT AND AGREEMENT SIGNED DOCUMENT and we got to see them swap the knife to the offhand with OGL1.2. We got to see what a pack of disgusting liars they were.
We get to see how you're shilling for them now.
Time to put on that Foster Wallace's bandana: "a supposedly fun thing i'll never do again."
Now I have to go look up those tweets to see who I have to judge with a more critical eye than I have been currently.
i understand the appeal of going to the event, specially if the company will pay for your accomodations, for an individual perspective it would seem of taking advantage of the situation and said company, BUT people forget how much we've internalized capitalism, how it works and therefore, its so intertwined with absolute everything we do on a daily basis.
The odd thing is, I follow LOT of D&D CCs on YT and Twitter and the only reason I heard about it was because they said yhey were NOT invited.
I have not seen anyone who was.
So... who was invited?
@3:43...it looks like a metal teethed trap that will spring shut on anyone stupid enough to reach inside and grab a ticket... XD
going throught he comments is a tad concerning. the amount of people already piling on hate to people who have been invited for merely being invited is frankly, shocking. the event hasn't even happened yet! wait for the results before you start calling people shills. going to events, interviewing execs, reviewing product, fuck it's almost like it's part of their job or something.
Every year we lose a little more of what we once loved as more and more people stick their hand in the jar. Gatekeeping was the right thing to do.
How far back should we go? No jocks? No girls? No black people? Go on.
once you initiate combat you can't roll a diplomacy check, WOTC. Read your own rules FFS
You mean the giant Banner as you enter the summit that says "we are trying to buy your opinion" could be considered corruption?
I couldn't even think at all that Bob Worldbuilder could be bought by WotC and act now as a promoter for them after the drama of the beginning of the year. This is a shock and needs to be digested while I'm wondering if I'm going to continue following Bob's channel and podcasts or cancel the channel subscriptions. Sad, because I liked Bob's channel.
Good God, if you like somebody keep watching them. Make up your own mind, Don't be influenced by the army of nameless strangers on the internet.
Bob Worldbuilder has always been quite enthusiastic and optimistic about everything WotC did. Even his take on the OGL drama was very constructive and careful. I think if any influencer would hop on the WotC bandwagon, no questions asked, it'd be Bob. I myself used to like his optimism, but now, after the OGL thing, it just sounds so naive...
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
It would genuinely be interesting to see which people were denouncing WOTC (thus driving their content and revenue) who have now accepted that invitation and getting comped for it. I suppose the good thing is being able to see peoples content before this invitation went out and what their content is like after it.
Technically, Seattle isn't *in* a volcano, it's merely in the shadow of a volcano.
That's what they want you to think ;-b
They really showed cowardice by not inviting their worst critics to this event, or one like it. Giving interviews to people like that, but also a little love, is a great move… if they want to capitalise on honest answers and meaningful concessions and service of the community. They’ve given a small dose of each… but they owe more than they’ve given
I say support the influencers who R attending the summit. These R the ppl who can tell WOTC to eat shit for us. Attacking them only allows WOTC to paint us as unkind nasty ppl, who they can provide shelter from. We want solidarity in the D&D community, so let's support solidarity. Let's ask these influencers to give WOTC the finger for us. Let's not attack them.
@@coda821 I completely agree - wizards should have invited more friendly figures like Ginny and Bob, And critics like discourse and dnd shorts. Anyone with a platform, with truth, meaningful apologies, and restitution for the community. They’ve done some of that (Creative Commons was the right move), but they can and should do more.
For example, making a physical access pass for all ebooks, such that if you buy a physical copy it comes with roll20 and dndbeyond versions from now on, with no price markup
@@carrias1 The creative commons was a desperate move, but really cost them nothing. 5E customers will likely adopt OneD&D. WOTC can still drop the OGL on ppl publishing standard D20 & OSR materials. These new OGL contracts R still hanging in limbo, & could be applied later. WOTC is still a threat to D&D & 3rd part publishers. We must continue to treat them as the threat that they R.
I mostly agree with you...I would still accept the invite. It's an all expenses paid trip to attend a conference.
I'd go just to upper decker there toilets after they shit on the community it's the least any of us could do to repay the way they have treated us
Remember the Bond movies when the BBEG explained his plan to rivals and cronies? There was always the one guy who didn't buy in and got whacked. All the others thought it was a great idea, and they also got whacked.
Areas that aren't always recognized as bribery/corruption but provide the same type of incentive structure:
Access to inside information/personnel for future content
Future employment
Cause contribution (Campaign, affiliated charity, pet company/sponsor)
Recognizing that we all have areas where we could be influenced by Mr. Moneybags and then making your audience aware of the potential for that bias to affect you is a pretty simple ethical responsibility one has to their audience, but one failed across numerous areas of society. It's not surprising that a lot of creators are or pretend to be unaware of this given how pervasive unethical trade in influence is.
This is what is called in Industry like the pharmaceutical industry, softening up, relationship management and sometimes when people are being more honest soft bribery. Just the truth about human psychology, you tend to like people who give you stuff and treat you nicely even if you know they have an ulterior motive
Too bad I can only “walk away” from WotC once, there’s a lot of times that have deserved them losing customers. I’m no longer in their “target market”, I don’t like 5e and my hours of play have only reinforced that. I have zero interest in OneD&D or any future product for that matter. It’s a shame that so many people seem to be in a Stockholm-esque relationship with current D&D since there are so many better TTRPGs out there with companies and people who don’t behave like this.
Why does this 'Invitational Summit' remind me of the time Grant Imahara went to see how Chicken Nuggets were made???
The only way I know how to hurt Hasbro is to NOT buy their products. My fury is long for insulting the entire community and treating us like stupid whales, and my memory is longer. I haven't forgotten, and I'm playing the long game. F these corporate tools.
I'm with you, Dungeons & Discourse. I got your back.
So what's your thoughts on the third party content creators?
I'm pretty sure we have to keep an Eye on Dungeons & Discourse. I know for a fact that their one hand would turn green multiple times through out the video it must be the hand of Vecna! We are on to you.