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1 year ago ::
May 02, 2012 - 4:37AM
#21
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"Hello thread OP. You're thinking way too small. You have to think BIG.
WoTC should create an artificial island and then create a country. Dungeons and Dragons country. With Dungeons and Dragons. Dungeons will be easy enough to make. Dragons... well... I'm sure they'll be able to do something with their unlimited funds, resources and expertise in all the areas of human knowledge..."
*knock, knock*
"Somebody knocked at the door and interrupted me. How rude. Who is it?"
"Hey, hello, sorry to bother you. I'm Reality"
"Hello Reality. What do you want?"
"I'm here to tell you that, sadly, neither WoTC nor Hasbro have access to unlimited funds, resources and/or expertise in all the areas of human knowledge."
"WHAT!? Seriously? Man, what a deal breaker! No DnD country then?"
"I'm afraid not."
"And that DnD tablet thingie? That should be at least possible."
"Hmm... not without an enourmous and hugely risky investment. Or a very unexpected and extremely unrealistic partnership with some big Hardware manufacturer."
"Rats! Apps and/or more web support than the current edition?"
"*Sigh* I fear software support for the DnD franchise has always been quite suboptimal. Nonetheless, the investment would be much more reasonable, so yes, that may be a possibility."
"Wow. What a downer. Still, that's at least something to look forward too, I suppose. Thanks Reality"
"You're welcome"
Then hope bumps into reality on the way out and says "You shouldn't lie to him, you know the chance of WotC making good solid software is minimal."
"I know," says reality, "I just couldn't help myself...
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1 year ago ::
May 02, 2012 - 4:55AM
#22
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Jharii, A lot of times you have some good ideas. This isn't one of those times. Best to pack up the thread and hit "delete" pretend it didn't happen. Making a tablet device is an extremely capital-intensive undertaking. WotC by itself doesn't have the resources to make such a thing. Could Hasbro? Probably, but they aren't the content mavens that apple,amazon,B&N are by any stretch. The amount of D&D product that would need to be moved on such a device to make the ROI work is astronomical. No, WotC Hasbro is much better suited to make aps/content for devices already available. I would not spend extra on some third rate tablet when I have a perfectly good iPad that could run any and all content WotC wanted to produce.
The idea is sound. The logistics, as presented, probably not.
Regardless, the technology is out there. They would just need to tap into the right people and resources. Maybe it's just a re-skin of a Nook using Android OS, maybe it's something else. The point of the thread is to spark the imagination and ideas and to speculate about the concept.
Reflavoring: the change of flavor without changing any mechanical part of the game, no matter how small, in order to fit the mechanics to an otherwise unsupported concept.
Retexturing: the change of flavor (with at most minor mechanical adaptations) in order to effortlessly create support for a concept without inventing anything new.
Houseruling: the change, either minor or major, of the mechanics in order to better reflect a certain aspect of the game, including adapting the rules to fit an otherwise unsupported concept.
Homebrewing: the complete invention of something new that fits within the system in order to reflect an unsupported concept.
Default module =/= Core mechanic.
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1 year ago ::
May 02, 2012 - 5:18AM
#23
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Date Joined:
Apr 26, 2012
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Good lord, why is everyone on the forums always downing one another? I thought this was a Community, not a Battlefield. Try to add some positivity every once in a while! 
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1 year ago ::
May 02, 2012 - 5:29AM
#24
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Date Joined:
Apr 27, 2012
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Jharri
I agree with your objective but not your means. There is an easier and more profitable way for WOTC. You go to their website and purchase whatever digital content you want. That content appears inside an app that is available in the app store (android whatever). It can also be accessed through an application on your computer. Think Kindle Reader.
Then you allow people to join a group. Certain digital components will then let you interact with everyone else in the group. We get everything you were wanting but WTOC of the coast is not saddled with developing a hardware platform of it's own. Having seen what they've done in the past I wouldn't even let such a device in my house. It might explode or burn down the house.
But good concept. Honestly. The end result is very desirable I think.
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1 year ago ::
May 02, 2012 - 5:30AM
#25
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I would love some good apps to sink my metaphorical teeth into. While it might not be likely, I could certainly see a partnership with Amazon to reskin some kindle fires (or Barnes & Noble with their nook, or hopefully both) and preload them with some D&D apps (character builder, dice roller, stuff like that). Apple doesn't reskin their products, so I don't see a partnership there. Advertising on the D&D main website for apps and digital content is also a given, I imagine. The trick is to avoid Lokiare's sig quote  I know I was all excited about the digital features hinted at in the 4e PH, and when I couldn't even make a character picture a few months later I cancelled my DDi and didn't look back. I don't love buying book after book, yet oddly I really want to give WoTC $10/month for good digital content.
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1 year ago ::
May 02, 2012 - 5:43AM
#26
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Date Joined:
Aug 17, 2007
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Something like this would be nice, but I don't really think its feasible. I would be more than happy with app that incorporates these ideas. Something that would offer easy rules reference, a character sheet, encounter/status tracking, dice rolling, etc. In app purchase of new books would provide an ongoing revenue stream. Sadly, WotC's history with digital is weak at best.
D&D Next... for those who would rather play a version of D&D they dislike the least, rather than the one they like the most!
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1 year ago ::
May 02, 2012 - 5:49AM
#27
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Ah, yes. A partnership with Amazon or B&N would be a great way to tackle this. The Kindle Dragonfire. Catchy.
I agree Fitzco. I was, and remain, a staunch critic of DDI. The quality is just not nearly up to par with what I would expect a Dungeons and Dragons product to strive for. This is definitely something another team would have to address. That team may already be on Amazon's or B&N's staff. It might take one of those companies to reach out to Wizards and make the offer rather than the other way around.
Reflavoring: the change of flavor without changing any mechanical part of the game, no matter how small, in order to fit the mechanics to an otherwise unsupported concept.
Retexturing: the change of flavor (with at most minor mechanical adaptations) in order to effortlessly create support for a concept without inventing anything new.
Houseruling: the change, either minor or major, of the mechanics in order to better reflect a certain aspect of the game, including adapting the rules to fit an otherwise unsupported concept.
Homebrewing: the complete invention of something new that fits within the system in order to reflect an unsupported concept.
Default module =/= Core mechanic.
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1 year ago ::
May 02, 2012 - 6:28AM
#28
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Good lord, why is everyone on the forums always downing one another? I thought this was a Community, not a Battlefield. Try to add some positivity every once in a while!
But then I wouldn't get to roll my d20...
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1 year ago ::
May 02, 2012 - 8:30AM
#29
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Date Joined:
Nov 19, 2007
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If I already had a tablet device, I wouldn't want to buy another one just because it was pre-loaded with D&D stuff. Far better for the existing tablet owners to go to the WotC app store and buy all the content they wanted. That takes advantage of the fact that there are LOT of tablets out there already, and gives them an easy way to grab the gaming bits. Far less inve$tment on WotC's part, doesn't tick off the tablet makers, and we get our digital material. And if I wanted a neat-looking D&D-ish tablet, I could go to SkinIt and design something. WotC could even offer official skins!
In memory of wrecan and his Unearthed Wrecana.5e should strongly stay away from "I don't like it, so you can't have it either."
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1 year ago ::
May 02, 2012 - 9:25AM
#30
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This isn't going to make any money.
Apps on the various major tablet software platforms WILL .. I think.
Especially if those apps can help in gameplay. An app where the DM can pass notes more discretely to another player with the app sounds pretty fantastic (especially if it can go cross-platform).
Of course the device itself is not going to make money. That's no different than the Nook or Kindle.
The object is to get the device into as many hands as possible. Sell value, cool factor, convenience, new technology... then sell the apps, books, D&D novels, subscription with value added content, and so on. They would make mad cash.
And that's why such a device would fail, because the D&D customer base doesn't have enough hands to make it profitable, even if they get it into every hand.
The other devices are aimed to get in a number of hands that's way above the D&D Next gamers
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