Dungeons and Dragons and the Critical Failure
A Thematic Analysis of the TTRPG Communities Reception of the Leaked OGL 1.1
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55016/ojs/muj.v1i2.77447Keywords:
Thematic Analysis, Audience Reception, Audience Perception, TTRPGs, RPG, Dungeons and Dragons, Wizards of the Coast, OGL, Open Gaming License, UGC, User-Generated ContentAbstract
In the field of communication, there has been a distinct lack of a focus on table-top roleplaying games (TTRPGs), most notably Dungeons and Dragons. Research in this topic could provide a deeper insight into how a shared hobby can help large groups organize meaningful action in response to perceived threats to their ways of life. In the wake of the January 2023 Open Gaming Licence (OGL) Leak, hobby game company Wizards of the Coast, publishers for Dungeons and Dragons, has seen unprecedented drops in sales and customer retention. This report uses thematic analysis to find common patterns and themes present in the reporting of the OGL leak from both traditional media outlets, as well as creators on TikTok. Using the themes found in these sources, the sentiments of the respective comment sections has been recorded to find what effect the actions of Wizards of the Coast during this crisis has had on their brand and the impact it may have on the TTRPG community. The research concluded that many customers within the Dungeons and Dragons community had already harboured negative views of Wizards of the Coast regarding previous business practices and found the leaked OGL was the straw that broke the camels back. This sentiment led to a substantial portion of the Dungeons and Dragons community cancelling subscriptions to D&D Beyond, a service provided by Wizards of the Coast, and moving their buying power to other competitors within the TTRPG community. This has begun a shift towards the dethroning of Wizards of the Coast and Dungeons and Dragons as the top of an RPG monolith and a renaissance of independently published TTRPGs.
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