D&D

• BINGHAM FARMS, Mich., March 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LUDWIG+, a leading full-service advertising agency, is thrilled to announce the addition of Miya Petrovic as Executive Operations Director, and welcomes new Finance Director, Heather Lundy.
• "Miya and Heather both bring incredible energy and expertise to our growing agency," said CEO Barbara Yolles Ludwig.
• Bringing over 18 years of acclaimed industry experience, Petrovic assumes the role of the company's Executive Operations Director.
• In her role as Finance Director at LUDWIG+, Heather Lundy will lead financial operations, strategic planning, and budget management initiatives, driving sustainable growth for the agency.

• CHICAGO, March 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Underground Donut Tour, America's Favorite Donut Tour, is looking for America's Greatest Donuts and Donut Shops.
• Back for a third year, America's Greatest Donuts Contest ( www.greatestdonuts.com ) is asking fans across the country to nominate their favorite donuts and donut shops.
• Other past winners include such great donut shops as Dahlia Bakery, Donut King, D&D's, Stan's Donuts, Kane's Donuts, Café Du Monde, Five Daughters Bakery, Duck Donuts, Peter Pan, Union Square, and Voodoo Donuts.
• Each winning shop will receive an award and the ability to tout that they have some of America's Greatest Donuts.

Half a century on from its creation, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) continues to attract millions of players across demographics. The tabletop role-playing game truly has cemented its position in an increasingly competitive market, valued at more than US$15 billion (A$23 billion) in 2022. How is a fantasy game from 1974 still capturing the imagination of so many people?

How to play

• They are a collaborative form of storytelling where players collectively control the narrative and “play” their characters through their words and actions.
• In D&D, each player creates a character (such as a human, elf or dwarf, to name a few examples) with unique qualities.
• Guided by a dungeon master, your party narrates a quest-filled campaign filled with sticky situations and perilous encounters.
• But, at its heart, D&D is simply a collective effort to tell a great story.

A global success

• D&D’s increased popularity, over the past decade in particular, has been driven by the success of the game’s current version (the fifth edition, released in 2014), the growth in online gaming culture, as well as increased social acceptance of what have historically been considered “nerdy” or “geeky” interests.
• Franchises such as Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings have also helped bring fantasy narratives into the mainstream.
• Following its 2014 release, celebrities such as Vin Diesel and Joe Mangianello made online appearances playing D&D.
• D&D continues to evolve through the rich contributions of its fan base, for whom it has become an important outlet for creativity and self-expression.

We all need connection

• One recent Australian study, of community members playing the game over an eight-week period, found playing D&D decreased players’ depression, stress and anxiety, and increased self-esteem.
• The authors suggest the game could be used as a wellbeing intervention tool or to prevent mental health issues from arising.
• Role-playing games in particular offer psychological support to people of all ages, helping to combat anxiety and build confidence.

The campaign continues

• Public libraries have included spaces for gaming since the 1850s, starting with billiard tables and puzzles, and now including video games.
• New social media communities, such as the Latrobe Valley Boardgamers Facebook Group, are frequently popping up for people with shared gaming interests.

• Lisa M. Given is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.
• She receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the Australian Library and Information Association.

• During the second quarter and year-to-date, Hasbro paid $97 million and $194 million, respectively, in cash dividends to shareholders.
• The next dividend of $0.70 per common share was previously declared and will be payable on August 15, 2023 to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 1, 2023.
• In support of Hasbro's Blueprint 2.0 strategy, Hasbro implemented an Operational Excellence program to deliver $250-300 million in annualized run-rate cost savings by year-end 2025.
• Hasbro will webcast its second quarter 2023 earnings conference call at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time today.