Raws li nws nyob ze 50 xyoo, lub luag hauj lwm ua si yog nrov dua puas tau - thiab Hasbro tab tom nrhiav kom tau nyiaj los ntawm kev txav nws cov wizards thiab tub rog mus rau TV, tsos, game consoles thiab txawm virtual tabletops.
By Brett Knight
Cynthia Williams yog tus thawj tswj hwm ntawm Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro division uas tshaj tawm cov kev ua si zoo li lub luag haujlwm ua si Dungeons & Dragons.
JAMEL TOPPIN RAU FORBES
As Cynthia Williams nyob rau hauv nws lub rooj zaum saum ib daim ntaub pua tsev, peb zaj sawv saib xyuas ntawm nws lub xub pwg - txhua tus tsis pub ntau tshaj ib tug ko taw los yog siab, tiam sis tsis muaj tsawg txaus ntshai, nrog cov nplaim yas los ntawm ib lub qhov ncauj. Cov iav hauv ob sab hauv chav yog ntim nrog ntau yam tsiaj uas txaus ntshai, ua rau hauv cov yas me me: ogres thiab dab ntxwg nyoog thiab hobgoblins. Cov tub rau khoom rub tawm kom pom ntau pua lub pob zeb dice, nrog 10, 12 lossis 20 sab. Nyob qhov twg cov ntawv jumbled adorns phab ntsa sab nraum, lub laub ntawm ib lub pob illuminates ib tug zais lus: "Cov neeg tso cai nkag yuav tau txais nqi zog."
Qhov no yog chav ua si ntawm Seattle-cheeb tsam chaw ua haujlwm hauv lub hauv paus ntawm Wizards ntawm ntug dej hiav txwv, Hasbro division uas tshaj tawm cov kev ua si fantasy. Qhov av kaw neeg thiab cov Zaj. Williams, raug ntiav ua tus thawj tswj hwm hauv lub Ob Hlis, txhawb kev txaus siab rau nws txoj haujlwm tshiab, tab sis nws thawj zaug ntsib nrog qhov kev ua si uas nws tam sim no saib xyuas yog iab.
“Kuv thawj qhov kev paub xav ua si Qhov av kaw neeg thiab cov Zaj tau rov qab los rau xyoo 80s, "hais tias 55-xyoo-laus Williams, uas loj hlob nyob rau hauv thaj chaw luam yeeb ntawm North Carolina, "thiab muaj qee tus txiv neej cov phooj ywg nyob hauv qab daus, thiab kuv xav ua si, thiab lawv nyob. zoo li: 'Tsis yog, koj ua tsis tau. Qhov no tsis yog rau cov ntxhais.' Kuv zoo siab heev uas qhov ntawd tsis yog lawm. "
Qhov tseeb, nyob ib ncig ntawm 40% ntawm D&D cov neeg ua si tam sim no yog poj niam, raws li kev tshawb fawb 2020 Wizards ntawm ntug dej hiav txwv ua nrog kev lag luam tshawb fawb tuam txhab Newzoo. Thiab xav tsis thoob rau qhov kev ua si uas yuav muaj hnub nyoog 50 xyoo, cov players skew cov hluas. Pab nrog a lub luag haujlwm tseem ceeb nyob rau hauv lub hit Netflix series Hmoob Tej yam uas, 24% ntawm D&D players nyob nruab nrab ntawm 20 thiab 24 xyoo, nrog 18% nyob rau hauv 25-to-29 bracket thiab lwm 18% 30 rau 34. Celebrities suav nrog Joe Manganiello, Deborah Ann Woll thiab Vin Diesel tau hu nkauj qhuas game, thiab D&D cov phau ntawv nquag pop tuaj ntawm cov npe muag khoom zoo tshaj plaws. Xyoo tom ntej yuav pom qhov kev tso tawm ntawm lub blockbuster D&D video game hauv Baldur lub rooj vag III- qhov tseeb tshaj plaws hauv cov yeeb yaj kiab uas tau muag ntau dua 5 lab luam tawm - ntxiv rau cov yeeb yaj kiab loj nyiaj txiag hauv Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Ntawm Cov Tub Sab, starring Chris Pine thiab Michelle Rodriguez. Ob qho khoom ua si ncaws pob official D&D daim ntawv tso cai los ntawm Wizards ntawm ntug dej hiav txwv.
Nyob rau hauv tag nrho, Wizards ntawm ntug dej hiav txwv kwv yees tias 50 lab tus tib neeg tau ua si txij li xyoo 1974, thiab thaum Hasbro tsis tawg. D&D Raws li ib ntu hauv nws cov ntaub ntawv pej xeem, nws tau sau tseg tias 2021 sawv cev rau qhov kev ua si thib cuaj xyoo sib law liag ntawm kev loj hlob. Arpiné Kocharyan, tus kws tshuaj ntsuam UBS, kwv yees qhov ntawd D&D tam sim no lub luag haujlwm rau $ 100 lab txog $ 150 lab hauv cov nyiaj tau los txhua xyoo.
Qhov ntawd yog ib qho me me ntawm $ 1.3 nphom hauv cov nyiaj tau los uas Wizards ntawm ntug dej hiav txwv tau tshaj tawm xyoo tas los thiab zoo li me me nyob ib sab ntawm Hasbro $ 6.4 billion. Tab sis D&D yog loj hlob sai, nrog cov nyiaj tau los ib daim ntawv tshaj tawm 35% nyob rau hauv 2020 los ntawm 2019 thiab ntau introductory D&D Cov khoom muag muag hauv 2021 tshaj li thaum lawv tau tso tawm hauv 2014. Thiab nws yog ib feem ntawm lub tsev muaj txiaj ntsig zoo, nrog Wizards suav txog 72% ($ 547 lab) ntawm Hasbro cov txiaj ntsig kev ua haujlwm rau 2021. "D&D yog, kuv xav tias, tus menyuam daim ntawv tshaj tawm rau peb lub hom phiaj kev lag luam, "hais tias Chris Cocks, uas tau muab ib lub teeb liab ntawm kev faib qhov tseem ceeb thaum nws tau nce los ntawm Wizards tus thawj tswj hwm rau Hasbro CEO thaum ntxov xyoo no. Cov neeg sab nrauv tau txais kev ceeb toom, ib yam nkaus. Ib qho kev tawm tsam los ntawm Alta Fox Capital Management xyoo no ua tsis tiav tau nrhiav kom tig tawm Wizards.
"Thaum Chris thiab kuv tau sib tham thawj zaug txog lub luag haujlwm no," Williams, uas hloov Cocks ntawm Wizards thaum Lub Ob Hlis, "Kuv xav tias lawv muaj cov kiv cua nyiam, thiab qhov ntawd yog qhov chaw zoo pib. … [Tab sis] thaum kuv tau saib cov lej, kuv zoo li, 'Yog lawm, qhov no yog kev lag luam uas kuv xav ua ib feem ntawm.'”
Wizards of the Coast's Seattle-cheeb tsam chaw ua haujlwm muaj cov duab zoo nkauj heev.
JAMEL TOPPIN RAU FORBES
Dtxawm hais tias cov lej zoo siab, Qhov av kaw neeg thiab cov Zaj zoo nkaus li zoo li tsis muaj sijhawm. Steeped nyob rau hauv canonical Western cov ntaub ntawv los ntawm Beowulf (c. 900) rau medieval tales ntawm King Arthur—tsis hais txog JRR Tolkien cov dab neeg ntawm ib nrab xyoo pua 20th—D&D tau nthuav tawm ib tiam neeg niaj hnub mus rau kev npau suav ntiaj teb ntawm ntaj thiab khawv koob. Tab sis thaum nws yog lub hauv paus ntawm xyoo 1980s tas luav thiab ib lub hnab sib xyaw ua si video, D&D tseem nyob hauv nws lub siab lub lag luam luam tawm, muag ib txheej ntawm lavishly illustrated hardcover rulebooks supplemented los ntawm novels thiab prewritten adventures.
Thaum D&D plodded me ntsis raws li, ib tug xov tooj ntawm lwm yam fantasy khoom dhia tawm ntawm nplooj ntawv thiab mus rau hauv mainstream kab lis kev cai. Peter Jackson peb zaj yeeb yaj kiab hloov kho ntawm Tolkien's Tus tswv ntawm lub Rings khwv tau ze li ntawm $ 3 nphom ntawm lub chaw ua haujlwm thoob ntiaj teb, yeej 17 Academy Awards thiab muaj prequel series streaming ntawm Amazon Prime. George RR Martin tus Zaj Nkauj Ntawm Cov Dej Haus Thiab Hluav Taws Cov dab neeg tshiab tau txhawb nqa ib khub ntawm HBO series, thiab 11 cov yeeb yaj kiab raws li JK Rowling's Harry Potter cov phau ntawv tau khwv tau $ 9 nphom thoob ntiaj teb, ntau dua 60 zaug D&Dcov nyiaj tau los txhua xyoo.
"D&D kiv cua saib Kev ua si ntawm Thrones thiab pom xwb D&D- qhov ntawd yog qee tus neeg D&D kev sib tw, tau txais txiaj ntsig, uas tau hloov mus rau qhov kev paub dhau los ntawm qhov screen, "hais tias Jon Peterson, tus sau phau ntawv D&D keeb kwm Game Wizards. “Tej zaum ib feem ntawm nws yog qhov ntawd D&D tsis zoo li series ntawm novels; D&D yog lub platform rau koj lub tswv yim. "
D&D yog kiv puag ncig thaum nws tau luam tawm thawj zaug, thiab nws tseem dais me ntsis zoo ib yam li cov neeg feem coob yuav sau ib qho kev ua si. Players feem ntau ua haujlwm ua ke, tsis yog kev sib tw. Tsis muaj yeej lossis poob. Ib qho "kev ua si" - tiag tiag zoo ib yam li cov lus piav qhia - tsis tshua ua tiav hauv ib qho zaum, thiab qee zaum unfurls ntau lub hlis lossis ntau xyoo. Tsis muaj board, lossis cov khoom ua si, yuav tsum tau ua. Qhov kev ua si muaj yuav luag tag nrho hauv lub siab ntawm nws cov players.
Qhov kev txiav txim mus ib yam li no. Ib tug neeg ua si hu ua lub qhov taub tus tswv piav qhia txog qhov xwm txheej rau lwm tus neeg ua si, txhua lub luag haujlwm ua tus ua yeeb yam zoo nkauj - hais tias, tus neeg tua neeg dwarvish, tib neeg tus mlom lossis elvish wizard. Tej zaum lawv tab tom sawv sab nraum qhov nqaim nkag mus rau hauv lub qhov tsua uas npog hauv cov cobwebs. Cov neeg ua si txiav txim siab seb lawv xav ua dab tsi ntxiv, txwv tsuas yog los ntawm lawv txoj kev xav - tej zaum lawv txhuam cov webs ib sab, teeb rau hluav taws nrog lub teeb lossis tsuas yog them nyiaj los ntawm lawv - thiab tus tswv lub qhov taub siv phau ntawv teev lus thiab cov tsuav los txiav txim qhov tshwm sim. Cov kab laug sab loj tuaj yeem tuaj yeem ua rau tog, lossis lawv tuaj yeem pom qhov zais cia: lub qhov rooj zais, lossis lub thawv muaj zog uas muaj kub.
"Txhua yam tuaj yeem sim tau," Peterson hais. "Txoj kev ywj pheej thiab txoj kab nruab nrab uas muab, kuv xav tias, yog ib qho ntawm qhov sib txawv ntawm qhov koj tuaj yeem tawm ntawm [kev ua yeeb yaj kiab zoo li] World of Warcraft, qhov twg koj tuaj yeem mus rau lub tsev noj mov tab sis koj tsis tuaj yeem teeb hluav taws rau nws. "
Dungeons & Dragons yog thawj zaug luam tawm los ntawm TSR, pib xyoo 1974.
Getty Dluab
D&D's creators, lig Gary Gygax thiab Dave Arneson, txiav lawv cov hniav wargaming, siv cov tsuav thiab me me figurines los tsim kom muaj kev sib ntaus sib tua tub rog nto moo. Lawv muaj kev cia siab me ntsis rau lawv qhov kev ua si fantasy tshiab. Kev muag ib txhiab daim ntawv luam "txhais tau tias koj tau raug ntaus ntawm koj txhais tes," Peterson hais. Game publishers tsis nyiam, ib yam nkaus. "Lawv luag ntawm cov ntawv sau no thaum peb xa lawv mus rau Avalon Hill," Robert J. Kuntz, uas ua haujlwm rau D&D nyob rau hauv nws thaum ntxov xyoo, xa mus rau lub biggest lub npe nyob rau hauv wargaming.
Gygax pib luam tawm tus kheej Qhov av kaw neeg thiab cov Zaj tawm ntawm nws Wisconsin hauv qab daus los ntawm lub tuam txhab tshiab, TSR, xyoo 1974, muag ib txhiab daim ntawv hauv kaum lub hlis. Los ntawm 1979, qhov kev ua si cov ntaub ntawv tseem ceeb tau muag ntau dua 300,000 daim ntawv luam ib xyoos, raws li cov ntaub ntawv Unearthed los ntawm Ben Riggs, tus sau ntawm Slaying the Dragon. Tom qab ntawd los ntawm kev tshaj tawm xov xwm-fueled hysteria baselessly txuas D&D mus rau dab pe hawm thiab witchcraft - uas, ntawm chav kawm, muaj cov nyhuv ntawm turbocharging muag rau qhov kev ua si cov hluas cov neeg tuaj saib.
Tim Kask, uas raug ntiav ua TSR thawj tus neeg ua haujlwm puv sijhawm xyoo 1975 hais tias "Lub foob pob hluav taws tau tawm mus," "Peb txhua tus tuav lub fins, thiab peb caij saum ntuj." Xyoo 1983, TSR muag ze li ntawm 1.9 lab luam ntawm nws cov phau ntawv tseem ceeb thiab tshaj tawm cov nyiaj tau los ze li ntawm $ 27 lab ($ 79 lab hauv cov nyiaj niaj hnub no).
Tom qab qhov xwm txheej, txawm li cas los xij, muaj teeb meem. TSR cov neeg ua haujlwm feem ntau yog cov hluas thiab tsis muaj kev paub txog kev lag luam. Cov teeb meem nyiaj txiag thiab kev tswj xyuas tsis zoo tau tshwm sim, tshwj xeeb tshaj yog tom qab kev muag khoom poob rau xyoo 1984. Kev koom tes nrog Random House tau txais cov tuam txhab cov khoom lag luam hauv cov khw muag ntawv loj tab sis dhau los ua qhov hnyav nyob ib puag ncig nws lub caj dab. Lub zog tawm tsam ntawm cov tswv lag luam tau ua rau lub tuam txhab hloov tes hauv xyoo 1985. Cov kev hloov pauv loj heev dhau los ua qhov tshwm sim yuav luag raws caij nyoog, nco txog Tracy Hickman, tus tsim qauv TSR game hauv xyoo 1980s. Los ntawm xyoo 1990, TSR tau muag ib kab ntawm cov phau ntawv kom tsawg dua lawv cov nqi tsim khoom.
Compounding nws cov teeb meem, rau feem ntau players, D&D yog kev yuav khoom ib zaug. Cov neeg ua si tau yuav phau ntawv tswj hwm - thiab qhov ntawd txaus rau lub neej ntawm kev ua si. Tseeb, TSR tau hloov kho cov cai nyob rau lub sijhawm, tab sis tsis muaj leej twg yuav tsum ua si los ntawm Txoj Cai Thib Ob (1989) lossis siv ib qho ntawm lub tuam txhab cov kev ua si ua ntej. Tsis muaj kev lav phib xaub ntawm cov neeg siv khoom rov qab, TSR flailed wildly. Muaj kev ua si raws li lwm yam khoom, suav nrog TV qhia zoo li Txhua Yam Kuv Cov Menyuam thiab Perry Mason: XNUMX Lab tus kiv cua tos koj rau Webtalk!. Lub tuam txhab tau tshaj tawm kev faib cov ntawv tseeb thiab cov khoom muaj ntawv tso cai xws li cov phuam da dej thiab Shrinky Dinks.
Los ntawm 1997, TSR tau teeb meem rau kev lag luam. Wizards ntawm ntug dej hiav txwv, uas los ntawm lub sijhawm ntawd yog kev ua si-kev lag luam juggernaut ua tus tshaj tawm ntawm daim npav sib sau ua ke Magic: Lub tuaj, cuam tshuam thiab snapped lub tuam txhab rau txog $ 25 lab, lossis kwv yees li $ 46 lab hauv 2022 nyiaj. Ob xyoos tom qab, Wizards muag nws tus kheej rau Hasbro rau $ 325 lab, qhov sib npaug ntawm $ 573 lab niaj hnub no.
NThaum ntxov 25 xyoo mus rau xyoo pua 21st, lub tswv yim hais tias "lub neej yav tom ntej yog digital" yuav zoo li tsis pom tseeb, tab sis tsuas yog qee qhov kev tso cai, Qhov av kaw neeg thiab cov Zaj tau tsom mus muag cov phau ntawv lub cev. Williams paub qhov no yuav tsum tau hloov - thiab nrog daim ntawv rov qab uas suav nrog cov stints ntawm Microsoft's Xbox video-gaming outfits thiab Amazon, nws muaj keeb kwm zoo tshaj los ua tus nqi.
"Kuv tau txais kev tshoov siab los ntawm qhov kuv tau pom los ntawm ntau qhov kev ua si ua kev pabcuam," nws hais. “Hnub no, nws yog kev lag luam luam tawm. Kuv xav tias peb yuav nthuav dav dua qhov ntawd. "
Thaum lub Tsib Hlis, Hasbro tau them $ 146 lab rau lub vev xaib D&D Beyond, daim ntawv tso cai daim ntawv tso cai thiab teeb tsa cov cuab yeej rau kev ua si. Williams pom lub vev xaib ua kom muaj kev muag khoom ncaj qha rau cov neeg ua si, pib nrog cov ntawv luam-thiab-cov phau ntawv digital. Lub vev xaib tseem yuav ua lub luag haujlwm tseem ceeb hauv kev loj hlob ntawm kev ua si txawv teb chaws, qhov twg D&D tau tuav rov qab los ntawm qhov nyuaj ntawm kev luam ntawv thiab faib cov ntawv luam ntawm lub cev. Ntawm D&D Beyond's 10 lab cov neeg siv sau npe, 85% yog nyob rau hauv North America, thiab kwv yees li 75% ntawm Wizards 'kev muag khoom tag nrho tshwm sim hauv Asmeskas, Canada thiab Mexico. Pom ib lub sijhawm, Wizards tshaj tawm xyoo no tias nws tau rov qab tswj hwm ncaj qha D&D cov ntawv tshaj tawm hauv Fab Kis, German, Italian thiab Spanish thiab yuav tso tawm Brazilian Portuguese version ib yam.
"D & D raws li kev ua si, raws li kev ua neej nyob muaj peev xwm pab tib neeg kom xis nyob nrog lawv yog leej twg, qhia lawv tus kheej ntau dua."
Ntau qhov dav, thaum Lub Yim Hli, Wizards tau nthuav tawm Ib D & D, peb lub tswv yim uas, ntxiv rau kev tsim tawm D&D Tshaj Plaws, yuav pom cov kev ua si cov kev cai kho dua tshiab (nyob rau hauv dab tsi yuav sib npaug rau ib tsab thib rau) rau D&D's 50th hnub tseem ceeb hauv 2024 thiab kev txhim kho ntawm "kev ua si digital." Qhov ntawd yuav suav nrog ib tug virtual tabletop, tso cai rau ib txwm version ntawm qhov kev ua si ua si hauv online.
Cov phiaj xwm digital no muaj ntau qhov nyiaj tau los tshiab. Dungeon masters yuav muaj peev xwm yuav premade maps ntxiv rau kev pom thiab suab. Thiab lwm tus neeg ua si yuav - tej zaum thawj zaug - muaj kev txhawb siab tiag tiag los nqis peev nyiaj ntawm lawv tus kheej. Ib yam li cov kiv cua ntawm kev ua si video nyiam Fortnite zoo siab los siv 99 xees rau hauv-kev ua si avatars thiab phom tshwj xeeb, D&D cov neeg ua si tuaj yeem txaus siab tawm qee cov nyiaj ntsuab los nplawm lawv lub ntsej muag tiag tiag ntawm lawv cov cim fantasy.
Yees duab ua si nyiam Baldur lub rooj vag III thiab movies zoo li Honour Ntawm Tub Sab tseem yuav ua lub luag haujlwm tseem ceeb hauv kev nthuav dav lub hom. Hasbro's 2019 kev yuav khoom ntawm game studio Tuque Games thiab TV thiab zaj duab xis tsim lub tsev eOne yuav tso cai rau Wizards pib tsim cov khoom hauv tsev, yam tsis muaj txiaj ntsig rau cov neeg muaj ntawv tso cai. Twb tau, muaj kev tshaj tawm TV hauv kev txhim kho.
Tsuas yog lub sijhawm loj npaum li cas? "Saib ntawm Marvel Cinematic Universe-nws yog TV yeeb yaj kiab, nws yog yeeb yaj kiab, nws yog khoom muag, nws yog video games, nws yog virtual reality, nws yog cov chaw ua si lom zem thiab kev paub hauv ntiaj teb," said David M. Ewalt, ib tug qub. Forbes reporter thiab tus sau ntawm lub D&D keeb kwm Ntawm Dice thiab Txiv Neej. “Lawv puas tuaj yeem rub tawm qhov ntawd? kuv tsis paub. Tab sis kuv xav tias lawv nyob hauv qhov chaw zoo tshaj plaws los sim uas lawv tau ua tej zaum puas tau. "
Lub tswv yim kev lom zem muaj nws qhov kev pheej hmoo: Cov yeeb yaj kiab thiab cov yeeb yaj kiab yog kim los tsim, thiab lub hom tseem tab tom cuam tshuam kev qias neeg ntawm cov yeeb yaj kiab dav dav hauv xyoo 2000. Qhov av kaw neeg thiab cov Zaj, uas yog tus nqi tshaj tawm txog $ 45 lab los ua tab sis tau txais tsuas yog $ 34 lab ntawm lub thawv ntawv thoob ntiaj teb.
Lwm qhov kev sib tw: ntau haiv neeg thiab kev suav nrog, cov ncauj lus uas muaj kev txaus siab tshwj xeeb rau qhov kev ua si cov tub ntxhais hluas kiv cua puag. Artwork hauv D&DCov ntawv tshaj tawm thaum ntxov tau nthuav tawm cov cim dawb thiab cov poj niam deev. Wizards tau siv lub siab xav hloov qhov tam sim no muaj nyob rau hauv thib tsib tsab, tab sis cov neeg thuam tau sau tseg tias qhov kev ua si siv "haiv neeg" - tus cwj pwm hom, zoo li gnome lossis orc - tuaj yeem txhawb cov stereotypes. Tag nrho cov neeg tuag, los yog tsaus ntuj nti elves, tau ib txwm coj los ua kev phem, piv txwv li.
Wizards zoo li tau sim, hosting rooj sib tham nrog cov kiv cua tom qab cog lus tias yuav txhawb kev sib txawv hauv ib tsab ntawv blog 2020. Thiab thaum qee qhov kev siv zog tau raug thuam los ntawm kev pabcuam di ncauj-xws li kev sib tsoo rhiab tsis lees paub ntawm cov phau ntawv kev coj noj coj ua uas tseem muag-Williams hais tias nws mob siab rau tsim "ib kab lis kev cai uas txhua tus tuaj yeem ua lawv txoj haujlwm zoo tshaj plaws" thiab "coj ntau tus neeg mus rau hauv. tog.” Phau Ntawv Player tam sim no qhia meej rau cov nyeem, "Koj tsis tas yuav raug kaw rau binary kev xav ntawm poj niam txiv neej thiab poj niam txiv neej."
"D&D raws li kev ua si, raws li txoj kev ua neej muaj peev xwm pab tib neeg kom xis nyob nrog lawv yog leej twg, qhia lawv tus kheej ntau dua, "hais tias Williams, uas thaum kawg tau txais lub sijhawm los ua si qhov kev ua si xyoo no, nrog Cocks ua nws lub qhov taub tus tswv. "Nws zoo kawg li nws tuaj deb npaum li cas txij thaum ib tus neeg xub hais rau kuv tias kuv tsis tuaj yeem ua si thaum kuv nyob hauv qab daus. Kuv zoo siab heev. "
XAV PAUB NTAU LOS RAU FORBES
Tau qhov twg los: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brettknight/2022/10/10/could-dungeons-dragons-be-the-next-harry-potter-stranger-things-have-happened/