Hello, I am lawyer with a PSA: almost everyone is wrong about the OGL and SRD. Clearing up confusion.

[CapnZapp]

I'm almost in entire agreement to this. The first two sentences for sure, but I would be interested in seeing whether continued usage of OGL 1.0(a) is tested in court and possibly returning to it at a later date if precident is established the right way.

Sure. I myself am interested in many things that have purely academic interest only.

 

[CapnZapp]

IMO they fell back because they weren't the important change: killing the OGL 1.0a. That's their line in the sand.

Even if they walked back the killing of 1.0 it wouldn't help.

The cat is out the bag. Pandora's box is opened. The genie is out of the bottle. And so on.

The trust is gone.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I'm pretty sure WotC doesn't really care if people  play D&D, only that they  buy D&D. Money is the only concern here, and all their actions stem from it.

Oh definitely.

If they manage to get the 3D VTT up and running, and people aren't really using it to play D&D as we know it (which I find easy to envision, especially if they get an AI DM or something), but are spending loads on microtransactions and subscription fees, I have no doubt they'll be happy.

 

[robconley]

you would have said the same thing about WotC and the OGL just a few months ago

Yes you. Prior to January 2023, it was reasonable to assume that the situation that existed for 23 years would continue. Especially in the wake of what happened with 4e and the GSL.

Now you can't and as a result the old OGL is dead. If it survives all this it's only use if you want to remix older material.

 

[jgbrowning]

I am sincerely not getting what you want to say.

Rather than guess ("is he saying 3PPs will still use the OGL?") I'm simply asking you to clarify. What are you saying 3PPs will do when you say "People will still be willing to use WotC's Open Gaming Content after this"?

What they're doing now: wait until a final word from WotC is stated and then judge from there.
Everything right now is very much far from decided and, regardless what WotC is claiming, the OGL 1.0a is functioning exactly has it has for the prior 23 years and it shall continue doing that until WotC starts issueing cease and desists. It too early to say what's going to happen: knowing what they wanted to happen isn't the same as knowing what happened once it's over.

joe b.

 

[Micah Sweet]

What they're doing now: wait until a final word from WotC is stated and then judge from there.
Everything right now is very much far from decided and, regardless what WotC is claiming, the OGL 1.0a is functioning exactly has it has for the prior 23 years and it shall continue doing that until WotC starts issueing cease and desists. It too early to say what's going to happen: knowing what they wanted to happen isn't the same as knowing what happened once it's over.

joe b.

It isn't the same, but you can definitely see it from here. That's the issue. WotC has shown us their priorities, and what they actually think of the people who play the game they think they own.

 

[pemerton]

Paizo have already stated in writing that they'll see WotC in court if WotC tries to get rid of the OGL 1.0a, and that would end up in IP court, and as I've discussed at length, WotC has far more to lose in IP court than anyone else.

To me, it seems like it would be a dispute about the existence and terms of a contract.

 

[pemerton]

WotC has shown us their priorities, and what they actually think of the people who play the game they think they own.

Is anyone surprised? WotC is a large commercial enterprise whose goal is to make money from its two main brands/product lines.

 

[S'mon]

If they manage to get the 3D VTT up and running, and people aren't really using it to play D&D as we know it (which I find easy to envision, especially if they get an AI DM or something), but are spending loads on microtransactions and subscription fees, I have no doubt they'll be happy.

They seem to think they're a treble-A games developer who people will hate, but still play their terrible microtransaction based games.
(a) They're not.
(b) Hasbro-WoTC is a giant in tabletop gaming, but they're actually pretty small compared to those companies - Activision $60 billion, EA $34.5 billion from my googling. Hasbro market cap is $9 billion.

 

[S'mon]

Is anyone surprised? WotC is a large commercial enterprise whose goal is to make money from its two main brands/product lines.

Yes, I'm surprised. They don't seem to have realised where the real value of the D&D brand lies. Just from a purely self-interested perspective, either they are surprisingly ignorant, or surprisingly malevolent. And of course they have openly lied and invented a fake history re the OGL - "It was never meant to..."

I'd be even more surprised if their strategy actually worked. Who knows. But I'm pretty sure they are proceeding from a position of incompetence + malice, not 4D chess. The battle may not always go to the competent & the virtuous, but I feel that's the way to bet.