From the article:

QuoteAnother challenge: diversity and inclusion, topics that are of special interest to the game's young fan base. The artwork in D&D's early publications featured overwhelmingly white characters and sexualized women. Wizards has made a conscious effort to change that in the currently available fifth edition, but critics have noted that the game's use of "race"—a character's species, like a gnome or an orc—can reinforce stereotypes. All drow, or dark elves, were traditionally portrayed as evil, for instance.

Wizards seems to be trying, hosting roundtable discussions with fans after promising to promote diversity in a 2020 blog post. And while some efforts have been derided as lip service—such as slapping sensitivity disclaimers on culturally insensitive books that remain for sale—Williams insists that she is serious about creating "a culture where everybody can do their best work" and "bringing more people into the party." The Player's Handbook now explicitly tells readers, "You don't need to be confined to binary notions of sex and gender."

"D&D as a game, as a lifestyle has the potential to help people be more comfortable with who they are, express themselves more," says Williams, who finally got the opportunity to play the game this year, with Cocks as her dungeon master. "It's amazing how far it's come since someone first told me I couldn't play when I was in that basement. I'm super-excited."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/could-dungeons-26-dragons-be-the-next-harry-potter-stranger-things-have-happened/ar-AA12N7Ia

So in essence; WOTC wants D&D, to be the exact opposite of what I want it to be.

Quote from: Jam The MF on October 14, 2022, 12:54:36 PM
So in essence; WOTC wants D&D, to be the exact opposite of what I want it to be.

Pretty much, for most of us.

I think we've known that since this: https://dnd.wizards.com/news/diversity-and-dnd

To which, I reply:

Quote from: Osman Gazi on October 14, 2022, 12:45:41 PM
From the article:

QuoteAnother challenge: diversity and inclusion, topics that are of special interest to the game's young fan base. The artwork in D&D's early publications featured overwhelmingly white characters and sexualized women. Wizards has made a conscious effort to change that in the currently available fifth edition, but critics have noted that the game's use of "race"—a character's species, like a gnome or an orc—can reinforce stereotypes. All drow, or dark elves, were traditionally portrayed as evil, for instance.

Wizards seems to be trying, hosting roundtable discussions with fans after promising to promote diversity in a 2020 blog post. And while some efforts have been derided as lip service—such as slapping sensitivity disclaimers on culturally insensitive books that remain for sale—Williams insists that she is serious about creating "a culture where everybody can do their best work" and "bringing more people into the party." The Player's Handbook now explicitly tells readers, "You don't need to be confined to binary notions of sex and gender."

"D&D as a game, as a lifestyle has the potential to help people be more comfortable with who they are, express themselves more," says Williams, who finally got the opportunity to play the game this year, with Cocks as her dungeon master. "It's amazing how far it's come since someone first told me I couldn't play when I was in that basement. I'm super-excited."

Amazing how repeating a lie often enough still doesn't make it true. (But the sociopaths repeating the lie never stop repeating it, because the more they repeat the lie the more power they can exercise over you.)

Quote from: Osman Gazi on October 14, 2022, 12:45:41 PM
From the article:

Quote*snip* "It's amazing how far it's come since someone first told me I couldn't play when I was in that basement. I'm super-excited."

I'm triggered that the DM's name is "Cocks" in a game that has historically been a racist, misogynistic boy's club dominated by incels.

I thought Wizards was trying to do better. Such a disappointment.

The racists at WOTC can take their newspeak version of "diversity and inclusion " and cram it up their asses

What do people think about the business information in the article? From other estimates, it sounds like D&D is about a quarter the size of Magic: The Gathering, which has also been growing, making $580 million in 2021. Still, D&D's supposed continuous growth for 9 years and young player base sounds good as far as their business. Of course, their own numbers are suspect - but WotC president being promoted to top Hasbro CEO and shareholder reports sound positive.

My anecdotal experience fits with this. I was shocked two months ago when I visited the Grand Canyon, and the ranger letting us in said that she played D&D too, and had a group of rangers she played with.

Doing well as a business doesn't mean a game is particularly good, but especially as the market leader, it will affect how other game companies proceed.

QuoteIn fact, around 40% of D&D players are now female, according to a 2020 study Wizards of the Coast conducted with market research firm Newzoo. And surprisingly for a game that's about to turn 50, the players skew young. Helped along by a prominent role in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, 24% of D&D players are between 20 and 24 years old, with 18% in the 25-to-29 bracket and another 18% 30 to 34. Celebrities including Joe Manganiello, Deborah Ann Woll and Vin Diesel have sung the game's praises, and D&D books frequently pop up on bestseller lists. Next year will see the release of a blockbuster D&D video game in Baldur's Gate III—the latest in a series that has sold more than 5 million copies—plus a big-budget movie in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, starring Chris Pine and Michelle Rodriguez. Both properties sport official D&D licenses from Wizards of the Coast.

In all, Wizards of the Coast estimates that 50 million people have played the game since 1974, and while Hasbro does not break out D&D as a segment in its public filings, it noted that 2021 represented the game's ninth consecutive year of growth. Arpiné Kocharyan, a UBS analyst, estimates that D&D is now responsible for $100 million to $150 million in annual revenue.

That is a small slice of the $1.3 billion in net revenue that Wizards of the Coast posted last year and looks even more modest next to Hasbro's $6.4 billion. But D&D is growing fast, with revenue up a reported 35% in 2020 from 2019 and more introductory D&D products sold in 2021 than when they were released in 2014. And it is part of a phenomenally profitable unit, with Wizards accounting for 72% ($547 million) of Hasbro's operating profit for 2021. "D&D is, I think, the poster child for our brand blueprint strategy," says Chris Cocks, who provided one signal of the division's importance when he was promoted from Wizards president to Hasbro CEO early this year. Outsiders are taking notice, too. An activist campaign by Alta Fox Capital Management this year unsuccessfully sought to spin off Wizards.

Man, somebody should write a game just like D&D without the politics in it.

"who finally got the opportunity to play the game this year"

Hired to run WotC without ever playing a game of D&D?? 

You know the sun's setting now.

Quote from: Chainsaw on October 14, 2022, 08:09:21 PM
"who finally got the opportunity to play the game this year"

That's exactly what I thought... She was soooo into it she finally started playing - In her defense it was only a gap of over forty years! LOOOL

Quote from: Zelen on October 14, 2022, 01:43:37 PM

Quote from: Osman Gazi on October 14, 2022, 12:45:41 PM
From the article:

QuoteAnother challenge: diversity and inclusion, topics that are of special interest to the game's young fan base. The artwork in D&D's early publications featured overwhelmingly white characters and sexualized women. Wizards has made a conscious effort to change that in the currently available fifth edition, but critics have noted that the game's use of "race"—a character's species, like a gnome or an orc—can reinforce stereotypes. All drow, or dark elves, were traditionally portrayed as evil, for instance.

Wizards seems to be trying, hosting roundtable discussions with fans after promising to promote diversity in a 2020 blog post. And while some efforts have been derided as lip service—such as slapping sensitivity disclaimers on culturally insensitive books that remain for sale—Williams insists that she is serious about creating "a culture where everybody can do their best work" and "bringing more people into the party." The Player's Handbook now explicitly tells readers, "You don't need to be confined to binary notions of sex and gender."

"D&D as a game, as a lifestyle has the potential to help people be more comfortable with who they are, express themselves more," says Williams, who finally got the opportunity to play the game this year, with Cocks as her dungeon master. "It's amazing how far it's come since someone first told me I couldn't play when I was in that basement. I'm super-excited."

Amazing how repeating a lie often enough still doesn't make it true. (But the sociopaths repeating the lie never stop repeating it, because the more they repeat the lie the more power they can exercise over you.)

I get others saying this isn't the direction for them. I don't get what you think is the lie in this? You saying nobody told her she couldn't play?

The best thing you can do to fuck with WotC, run games at your hobby shop.  Introduce new players to the hobby.  Use older modules and content.  Pre-Winninger D&D 5E was decent, it just needed a bit of hacks to make it lethal again.  Use racial stats, have goblins and orcs be unquestionably evil.  Put out a good game and encourage other players to DM as well.  Show them ways of getting the old D&D content, like Dungeon Magazine for adventures.  Build a good gaming culture at your hobby shop.  Having guys playing at the shop is one way to fuck with D&D One.

QuoteAnother challenge: diversity and inclusion, topics that are of special interest to the game's young fan base. The artwork in D&D's early publications featured overwhelmingly white characters and sexualized women.

When you can't tell skin tone from ink sketches, the race of the characters featured in the art work is whatever you want them to be. Those who want featured characters to be overwhelmingly while will see featured characters as overwhelmingly white.

Quote from: Lunamancer on October 14, 2022, 09:50:19 PM
When you can't tell skin tone from ink sketches, the race of the characters featured in the art work is whatever you want them to be. Those who want featured characters to be overwhelmingly while will see featured characters as overwhelmingly white.

While I think it's fair to say that D&D grows out of distinctly European history & mythos, even trying to talk about real-world racial groups in the context of fantasy worlds doesn't make sense. None of the characteristics of real-world races inherently apply to fantasy races, even if they're using similar costume or features.