The OGL 1.1 is not an Open License

[Reynard]

I’ve heard WotC and then Hasbro has been killing D&D for 22 years now.

Who's talking about killing D&D?

 

[Reynard]

I share that concern, but let's probe it a bit. That particular Kickstarter campaign brought in about $1.25 million with 13,000+ backers. Kickstarter takes 5% (someone correct me if that's wrong). @Morrus suggests we could double that to estimate total sales, and let's assume those additional sales are all print products through traditional distribution channels at a 60% discount, just to make this scenario as unfavorable for the publisher as we can.

So total (net) sales are 1.25*.95 + 1.25*.4 = $1,687,500, and we'll just assume that's all in one year. That's $937,500 above the royalty threshold. Let's further assume that the royalty isn't even graduated--it's a flat 10% of net sales above the threshold, so that's a debit of $93,750 on the campaign. If you're the publisher, would you still do the campaign?

If we assume Ghostfire wants a 60% gross margin (that's what FFG wanted back in the dark times pre-Kickstarter), that means their budget to produce the book and add-ons for the campaign is about $675,000. Can you find room in that budget for a $93,750 royalty? I know production standards and associated costs are much higher than they were when I was in the game, but it seems like you definitely can? You'd rather keep the money, obviously, but it doesn't seem like that transforms a viable campaign into a non-viable one.

I don't think Wizards is going to go with a flat 10% royalty on net sales above $750,000. But even if they did, I think there'd be reason to expect that campaigns such as Dungeons of Drakkenheim would still happen.

ETA: corrected a math error.

Sure, if the only concern were "if we make it BIG we have to pay a royalty" that might not be too High a hudle. But what if the registration and earning reports are a pain? What if the license is rescindible or can be altered without notice? I'm not saying you won't ever get projects like this. I'm saying they will be less common. That $97K you mention is a pittance to WotC. And even if there were 20 of them a year, $2M is still nothing.

If this is the path they take, it's clear the new leadership does not understand the value the 3PP ecosystem has provided D&D for decades.

 

[MockingBird]

Who's talking about killing D&D?

In one of other threads on this subject someone was saying WotC is sucking the air out of the industry and would be better if they went bye bye. Not an exact quote but along those lines.

 

[dave2008]

Registering products is an encumbrance. Reporting earnings is an encumbrance. Paying royalties is an encumbrance. How is staying the course they have laid out "very easy for everyone" compared to the status quo?

First, I wasn't comparing it to the status quo. I was just trying to suggest there might be a way for them to work the details of the OGL, SRD, etc. such that it is easy for 3PP to adopt OGL 1.1. I don't know what that is, but there might be a way. It might need some revisions to previous statements, but not a complete reversal as you mentioned. To be clear, I was not and I am not suggestion that is where we are now.

 

[Reynard]

First, I wasn't comparing it to the status quo. I was just trying to suggest there might be a way for them to work the details of the OGL, SRD, etc. such that it is easy for 3PP to adopt OGL 1.1. I don't know what that is, but there might be a way. It might need some revisions to previous statements, but not a complete reversal as you mentioned. To be clear, I was not and I am not suggestion that is where we are now.

Again, I don't quite grok what their motivation is for changing it all. it has done wonders for 5E -- as has a very permissive fan content policy -- and trying to fix things that aren't broke always suggests someone is trying to put their "stamp" on things, however unnecessary or even harmful it might be.

And look, I am not trying to convince anyone of anything. I am just saying if OGL 1.1 comes out looking like they previewed I won't be supporting the new version of D&D or WotC, and tried to explain why.

 

[mamba]

I don't think the 4e GSL was that bad on it's own either.

I am not saying it will kill D&D or anything, but if you look at what happened to 3PP with the GST, the license never got widely adopted and 3PPs disappeared from the D&D / 4e ecosystem, that is the pretty bad I meant

 

[Reynard]

In one of other threads on this subject someone was saying WotC is sucking the air out of the industry and would be better if they went bye bye. Not an exact quote but along those lines.

There's been like 3 quarters in 25 years that WotC hasn't dominated everything in the market. A healthy D&D that brings new players into the hobby is a net good thing. But, frankly, I think corporations that measure success in "billions" taking notice of D&D has the potential to be ultimately bad for the game and hobby as we know it.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I am not saying it will kill D&D or anything, but if you look at what happened to 3PP with the GST, the license never got widely adopted and 3PPs disappeared from the D&D / 4e ecosystem, that is the pretty bad I meant

and as I said I'm not sure if that IS a bad thing. having none or less 3pp will change things I am unsure if it will for better or worse.

 

[bedir than]

That means that whatever you publish under the 1.1 ogl has an expiration date,

That's not how expiration dates work.
They actually have dates.

An expiration date isn't "something similar happened once and has the possibility of happening again"

And before the claim that this is being pedantic, realize that the entirety of the positioning against the OGL 1.1 is on pedantic readings of non-legal texts before the actual texts exist.

 

[Greg Benage]

it has done wonders for 5E -- as has a very permissive fan content policy -- and trying to fix things that aren't broke always suggests someone is trying to put their "stamp" on things, however unnecessary or even harmful it might be.

Hmm. I want it all to be free and for there to be lots of third-party support, and even I'm not sure I believe this. I think CR has done wonders for D&D, but it would have done so if they'd never published anything. Stranger Things did wonders for it, but the Duffer brothers aren't third-party publishers.

Have third-party publishers "done wonders" for 5e? Which products? I've purchased very little despite playing 5e weekly since 2014. The only thing I can think of is CR. Once that exploded, Wizards would have very much wanted material for it to be published, I think. I haven't purchased anything for it, either, but I can recognize its wonders despite that. Other than CR, though, I can't think of any 3PP that Wizards couldn't easily live without. What am I missing?