Pathfinder 1E Which is it WotC/Paizo?

[Vyvyan Basterd]

Erik Mona

Paizo has licensed the right to publish Dragon and Dungeon from Wizards of the Coast since 2002. The decision whether or not to renew that license did not rest with Paizo.

More than a year ago, after much discussion, WotC and Paizo mutually agreed to let the contract expire at the end of the current license.

Paizo has been very adamant that the decision was completely out of their hands.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

I'm sure that, given their preference, the guys at Piazo would have been more than happy to continue doing Dungeon and Dragon magazines... but since they were not given their presence, they agreed with the decision to let the liscence expire in order to maintain a friendly working relationship with Wizards...

I'm sure that the gist of that conversation was something like this:

Wizards guy: Hey, Piazo guys, we've got this thing, but to do it, we've got to kill Dungeon and Dragon magazines.
Piazo guy: That sucks for us. Can you give us a year or so to finish up our AP line and get out of our advertising deals?
Wizards guy: Sure, when do you plan on rolling out the last of your AP?
Piazo guy: Well, the current one's up in four or five months, but we've sold ad space for about the next ten issues. So... maybe sixteen months to finish up this one and roll through one more AP?
Wizards guy: That sounds great, I can't wait to read it!

and so on...

That's both a mutual decision on when to let the liscence expire, and one that is more or less out of Piazo's hands.

Later
silver

(edit: ***Disclaimer*** I don't know anyone at either Piazo or Wizards, nor am I a psychic fortune teller, so my speculation is no more valid than that of your average burger flipper in this regard).

 

[Imaro]

If they've already said it was "out of their hands" I gotta go with a PR wording twist to stave off further negative reactions. I don't think Paizo wanted to end Dragon or Dungeon, but they didn't own them so...

 

[Morrus]

I'm also intrigued by the Dragonlance thing - Margaret Weiss announced WotC had decided not to renew the license; WotC say that nothing has been decided and that negotiations are ongoing.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

I'm also intrigued by the Dragonlance thing - Margaret Weiss announced WotC had decided not to renew the license; WotC say that nothing has been decided and that negotiations are ongoing.

Yeah, that's a little wierd. Maybe there was a miscommunication, where one side thought it was a done deal but the other side is still waiting for a counter-offer, or something. Maybe this interview-thing will help to clear up that miscommunication...

Later
silver

 

[Imaro]

I'm also intrigued by the Dragonlance thing - Margaret Weiss announced WotC had decided not to renew the license; WotC say that nothing has been decided and that negotiations are ongoing.

Actually they said it was being negotiated...but not by who. I wonder if they're leasing it to someone else, and if so why?

 

[Morrus]

Actually they said it was being negotiated...but not by who. I wonder if they're leasing it to someone else, and if so why?

But that would mean a decision had been made - the decision not to renew Weiss' license; WotC has said no decision has been made.

Dunno, maybe I'm analyzing the verbage too carefully. But I get the impression that words have been carefully chosen. And they said they can't discuss ongoing negotiations (fair enough), but cancelling Weiss' license wouldn't be an "ongong negotiation" in that case.

 

[WayneLigon]

I'm also intrigued by the Dragonlance thing - Margaret Weiss announced WotC had decided not to renew the license; WotC say that nothing has been decided and that negotiations are ongoing.

It might have something to do with things related to the movie rights/digital distribution rights, etc? If Paizo knew this was coming more than a year in advance, I think it might be possible that Weiss did as well?

 

[Steel_Wind]

Actually they said it was being negotiated...but not by who. I wonder if they're leasing it to someone else, and if so why?

I don't mean to throw needless speculation on this, but as I recall, the original DragonLance license went to Sovereign Press - not MW Productions.

The difference being, Sov Press' ownership was different that MWP. I'm not sure if Sov Press is now a trade name for MWP, if MW now owns all of it - or only some of Sov Press - or what's up with that at all. At one point, I had understood Sov PRess and MWP to be two different and distinct companies, albeit, affiliates of one another by virtue of Margaret being a shareholder in both. But MWP was all hers - and Sovereign Press was not.

I really don't know if that has anything to do with it at all - but it might, such that I suppose it is possible that Margaret is still involved in negotiations under a different corporate vehicle.

*shrug*

 

[Ranger REG]

I don't mean to throw needless speculation on this, but as I recall, the original DragonLance license went to Sovereign Press - not MW Productions.

Margaret Weis owns both Sovereign Press and MWP (the younger of the two). AFAIC, she's the head of BOTH companies.