Dungeon-delving is going digital, and platform providers are scrambling to address cybersecurity risks
By James Rundle April 20, 2020 1:05 pm ET Dungeon-delving is going digital as coronavirus shelter-in-place orders have sent devoted roleplayers online to keep the game going. With the mass appearance of wizards and warriors—many of them children—platform providers are scrambling to expand their platforms and address cybersecurity risks.
For some players, including college students who may be unable to afford premium subscriptions to specialist platforms, the desire to play games to break up the monotony of being cooped up at home can outweigh any worries about cyber intrusion. The company ensures that the third parties it works with, such as D&D Beyond, adhere to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and similar laws, Mr. Winninger said. Children aged 8 to 17 years comprise roughly 24% of the game’s players, according to the company.
Dungeons & Dragons has had a renaissance in popularity in recent years and the shift to online has been going on for some time. Wizards of the Coast said the surge is thanks in part to gamers broadcasting their campaigns on social-media websites such as Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube and Amazon Inc.’s Twitch. Wizards of the Coast estimates roughly 16,000 campaigns were broadcast across the two services in 2019, with fans watching around 146 million hours of that content.
Platforms Suddenly Inundated The proliferation of users has strained systems. When Italy closed its borders in March, traffic on Roll20’s platform briefly overtook that in the U.S., Mr. Jones said. The company then started to expand server capacity and hired additional staff in anticipation of broader demand.
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