Avalanche Press stops using d20 license

[Krug]

http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=10060

 

[KDLadage]

http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=10060

It is strange... but just yesterday, I was telling my friends how I felt that Avalanche would most likely announce this very thing very soon... (I figure it has to do with their reputation for having a lot of 'cheese-cake' art in their books). Good to see, actually.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Gamingreport is blocked from work here (I guess they think it's a gambling site)...

Can someone repost the news for me?

Wulf

 

[KDLadage]

And so it Begins:

"Avalanche Press announced today the repositioning of their role-playing division in the wake of the D20 license changes announced by Wizards of the Coast. Avalanche Press's Age Guides are the standard in "fan guides" for historical genres. The first of

these, Celtic Age, won the 2002 Origins Award for Best RPG Supplement. Over the last two years, Avalanche Press products have received more Origins Award nominations than any other publisher.

The Age Guides and their supplements are the best place for a gamer to find everything there is to know about that period or theme along with stats to use the information in their games. However, all future releases will be published only in accordance with the Open Game License, not the d20 System Trademark License.

"The changes we are proposing are really things we have been discussing internally anyway," commented Mike Bennighof, Avalanche Press CEO. "We're grateful to Wizards of the Coast for opening the door for us to get into roleplaying publishing with the d20 license, but the market has changed. With WotC's changes to the license there is simply no reason not to implement modifications to our own product line any more." Avalanche's last three role-playing releases Celtic Age, The Little People: A Guide to Celtic Fairies (a supplement for Celtic Age), and Viking Age are the beginning of this repositioning.

Marketing Manger Elizabeth Fulda commented, "In some ways, I think the D20 logo may have scared off some possible consumers. Avalanche's line of book products are great for people who just fancy things about Egypt or Pirates. You don't have to game to enjoy reading them." In celebration of that, all existing products with the exception of Celtic Age, Viking Age, and Little People will be 65% off their usual price to every level of the tier from 9/10/03 to 9/17/03.

John Phythyon, RPG Line Editor stated, "The Open Game License is going to allow us to keep the game value of our products as well as add things like character creation to the guides. Whether gamer or simple aficionado of a time period, Avalanche products are a 'must buy' with or without the D20 logo."

For more information see http://www.avalanchepress.com!"

This would be about it...

 

[Scorpio]

Gamingreport is blocked from work here (I guess they think it's a gambling site)...

Can someone repost the news for me?

Wulf

"Avalanche Press announced today the repositioning of their role-playing division in the wake of the D20 license changes announced by Wizards of the Coast. Avalanche Press's Age Guides are the standard in "fan guides" for historical genres. The first of

these, Celtic Age, won the 2002 Origins Award for Best RPG Supplement. Over the last two years, Avalanche Press products have received more Origins Award nominations than any other publisher.

The Age Guides and their supplements are the best place for a gamer to find everything there is to know about that period or theme along with stats to use the information in their games. However, all future releases will be published only in accordance with the Open Game License, not the d20 System Trademark License.

"The changes we are proposing are really things we have been discussing internally anyway," commented Mike Bennighof, Avalanche Press CEO. "We're grateful to Wizards of the Coast for opening the door for us to get into roleplaying publishing with the d20 license, but the market has changed. With WotC's changes to the license there is simply no reason not to implement modifications to our own product line any more." Avalanche's last three role-playing releases Celtic Age, The Little People: A Guide to Celtic Fairies (a supplement for Celtic Age), and Viking Age are the beginning of this repositioning.

Marketing Manger Elizabeth Fulda commented, "In some ways, I think the D20 logo may have scared off some possible consumers. Avalanche's line of book products are great for people who just fancy things about Egypt or Pirates. You don't have to game to enjoy reading them." In celebration of that, all existing products with the exception of Celtic Age, Viking Age, and Little People will be 65% off their usual price to every level of the tier from 9/10/03 to 9/17/03.

John Phythyon, RPG Line Editor stated, "The Open Game License is going to allow us to keep the game value of our products as well as add things like character creation to the guides. Whether gamer or simple aficionado of a time period, Avalanche products are a 'must buy' with or without the D20 logo."

For more information see http://www.avalanchepress.com!"

 

[Crothian]

That's terrible to hear. They were the only ones doing historical stuff, and Wizards scared them off.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

It is strange... but just yesterday, I was telling my friends how I felt that Avalanche would most likely announce this very thing very soon... (I figure it has to do with their reputation for having a lot of 'cheese-cake' art in their books). Good to see, actually.

Actually the problem is not likely thier art which seems to meet the new standards but rather thier content wich covers real world historical issues like slavery and religion both of which are now verboten. If it was the art I would still have less of an issue but WotC is strangling well done content.

 

[jaerdaph]

That's terrible to hear. They were the only ones doing historical stuff, and Wizards scared them off.

But the press release says they are still publishing books in this series, so I fail to see what's the big deal?

 

[jgbrowning]

But the press release says they are still publishing books in this series, so I fail to see what's the big deal?

The big deal is that the d20 logo has consumer awareness. There may be fewer people looking at their products now which might result in fewer sales. Fewer sales can result in canceling a line of products, in this case, historical material.

Amittedly there's a lot of "mays" in the above, but its far from unreasonable.

I'm also a publisher of historical material. Only one product so far, but I'm having to weigh my options concerning the d20 license. I don't think I'll be affected, but If I am that's a lot of money lost.

joe b.

 

[jaerdaph]

The big deal is that the d20 logo has consumer awareness.

And every one of us discussing this issue online or in their FLGS knows exactly what companies are producing something they can use with their Dungeons & Dragons books, d20 logo or not. It's not the death sentence people make it out to be.