Raven Crowking said:
I think that, if you go back and read about how 3e ended up being an OGL game, you will discover that this isn't what WotC believed at that time. Indeed, WotC believed that an independent game that uses the same basic rules as D&D perforce increases the sales of D&D (as the market leader) through system familiarity.
I don't know about you, but for me Conan, Arcana Evolved, Iron Heroes, etc., have all gone into the grist mill to improve my D&D game. I imagine that I am not alone there.
This is a craptacular move on the part of WotC. I don't dispute their right to do it; I do dispute the wisdom of it. It certainly doesn't make for good consumer relations, from where I'm sitting.
RC
However, I can see a lot of reasons WHY it makes sense to do it.
1.) Right now, I can go play Arcana Unearthed, C&C, M&M, True20, Midnight, Iron Heroes, Conan, A Game of Thrones, Warcraft d20, Monte Cook's WoD or even generic "SRD" D&D without ever touching WotC's books. WotC invested a lot of time and treasure into researching and developing the 4e rules, they should AT LEAST require you buy the core books to use their spiffy new system.
2.) Putting the Core Rules online for free negates the usefulness of the DDI "online book" premise.
3.) It allows them to incorporate more "flavor" elements while retaining IP and keeping the mechanics open (there you go, all you GWA haters)
4.) It stops "PHB" clones like the Pocket PHB to compete with their bread-n-butter books.
5.) It allows them to open more content without fear of giving whole books away for free (hello Unearthed Arcana).
6.) It doesn't stop games like Iron Heroes or Conan from being published (indeed, they wish to encourage alternate classes, new mechanics, and more feats, talents, and spells) but what it does do is stop "MONSTER QUEST: A COMPLETELY SEPARATE RPG GAME THAT JUST HAPPENS TO USE THE SAME MECHANICS AS THAT OTHER LEADING RPG" and selling it.
7.) Will it stifle some creativity? Absolutely. Restrictions always do. However, WotC did spend 2+ years developing these rules and he who pays the piper calls the tune.
