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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 8910440" data-attributes="member: 82106">I take the opposite position from most others, which is that OGL doesn't really do much for the game industry. People publish RPGs, and plenty of non-OGL (that is non-D&D-like and thus not having any specific need to use OGL) games are out there. OGL may encourage some people to design D&D-likes, or publish D&D related setting/adventure/supplement material instead of doing something else. Maybe that makes a bit more money for WotC, its hard to say. The boom in publishing GENERALLY though is not related to OGL, and you can see this instantly because it isn't even restricted to RPGs! Today you can put together a PDF and 'publish' it yourself, and even get kickstarted with some money to gussy it up if there's a modicum of interest. The result is a vast array of Eurogames, RPGs, self-published novels, heck there are even self-published TV SHOWS! (I admit, the quality levels are a bit limited there). Clearly we are in an era where small content producers can flourish. The costs of entry into the market are nearly non-existent, and production costs can be close to that as well, depending on the target quality level. I mean, OK, OGL (or some other effectively similar licenses) are not bad things, but CC-BY-SA does 99% of what OGL does (all it doesn't do is bar licensees from using their inherent IP rights, fair use, etc., to deal in Product Identity). Its not like we would lack Open RPGs if the OGL didn't exist. Heck, by now much greater clarity might exist as to what IS fair use of D&D-like elements, making the need for an OGL fairly moot.</blockquote>

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