Breaking news on the future of Ravenloft
Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2014 11:17 pm
Well, here we go again, everyone. A lot of us remember when Hasbro bought Wizards of the Coast. Some were around when Wizards bought TSR before that, and an ancient few of us even remember when Tactical Studies Rules became TSR Hobbies in the first place. And now, the latest acquisition to rock the D&D world was announced today: The Walt Disney Company is purchasing Hasbro Inc.
The news hit the business and finance sites late last night and is only now trickling down to the gaming news outlets, so you might not have heard yet, but it's official. The House of Mouse and the House of Strahd are under one corporate roof.
We are definitely excited that an entertainment company with deep pockets and the highest recognized potential for quality is buying D&D. It really means that finally our hobby can get all the attention it deserves in the general public!
And for Ravenloft? We know that some of you might be concerned with what this might mean for our beloved game, and most importantly, our beloved setting. Of course, D&D is but a small part of Hasbro's vast toy and game empire, and Ravenloft is only a small, oft-neglected part of D&D. So, will cute, kid-friendly felt vampires and werewolves roam the Disney parks? Will the next edition of Ravenloft include Maleficent, Jafar, and Shere Kahn as darklords? Will Tatyana join the Princess line-up? Will the Unseelie Court become the new foes for the Faeries of Pixie Hollow? Or will Ravenloft be ignored entirely while they exploit IP like My Little Pony, Magic: The Gathering, and Transformers instead?
Well, we here at the FoS have actually known about this for a few months now, and were alerted in the best possible way when we found this in our email inboxes:
VIEW CONTENT:
We were sworn to secrecy until the news became public, so imagine how hard it was for us to hold our tongues in this thread.
As we've been in the know for a while, we have learned that there is big support for D&D at Disney: CEO Bob Iger is actually a big Roleplaying fan. And we hear that J.J. Abrams is keen to take on a D&D-related project once he's done reinventing Star Wars. So we are cautiously confident that Ravenloft is in good hands. (We know that a few of you out there may also be aware of more secret details of this business transaction, so please, everyone, remember your non-disclosure agreements, and be careful what you reveal here!)
And for any who still fear this change, look at it this way: D&D, Star Wars, The Muppets, and Marvel Comics are now owned by the same company. (So, pretty much everything good about the 70's and 80's) (The same company also owns Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor, but why quibble?) And, besides, who wouldn't want to see Captain Jack Sparrow to face down Captain Pieter Van Riese in the next movie?
In honor of our new dark masters, we've changed the main page's colors and punched up most of our forum themes with highlights of Princess-pink. Enjoy! (If it's not showing up for you, hit "refresh" in your browser)
Remember this date, everyone, and be sure you can tell everyone in the future that you were here to witness this momentous occasion! Rest assured that the Fraternity of Shadows will remain Ravenloft's biggest supporters, even in this "Whole New World." It's a small demiplane after all....
Ron, for the FoS
I like the new colors. My question is..... 
Are the Weathermay's going to be part of the Disney Princesses? I'm afraid the Princesses are in need of a twin duo.... don't know why they didn't think of that sooner!