Could WotC Put the Genie Back in the Bottle?

[Axiomatic Unicorn]

For the d20 license, yes. Not for the OGL though:
"9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License."

True, but they can let the OGL go adrift and no loss.

If they clamp down the D20L, the current environment ends.

I am not real worried yet, but the odds of this kind of bad news are much better than a week ago.

 

[Desdichado]

I'm mainly asking this because the recent changes seem Hasbro-instigated rather than WotC-instigated. I certainly can see where Hasbro, as WotC's parent company, could see the OGL and the STL as liabilities.

Actually, I've seen statements (not official, but statements nonetheless) that the opposite is true: this latest round of cuts is WotC only and not Hasbro-instigated at all.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Re: Re: Could WotC Put the Genie Back in the Bottle?

True, but they can let the OGL go adrift and no loss.

If they clamp down the D20L, the current environment ends.

I am not real worried yet, but the odds of this kind of bad news are much better than a week ago.

I disagree.

The d20 STL only provides for the use of the d20 logo (and the use of limited phrasology mentioning compatibility with the Players Handbook).

Third-party publishers will simply adopt their own new logo and continue using and producing under the OGL.

Which is not to say I'm not worried, since I just spend a good chunk of change on my own d20 publishing plans...


Wulf

 

[Axiomatic Unicorn]

Re: Re: Re: Could WotC Put the Genie Back in the Bottle?

I disagree.

The d20 STL only provides for the use of the d20 logo (and the use of limited phrasology mentioning compatibility with the Players Handbook).

Third-party publishers will simply adopt their own new logo and continue using and producing under the OGL.

Which is not to say I'm not worried, since I just spend a good chunk of change on my own d20 publishing plans...


Wulf

????

All of the current stuff coming out is d20. The SRD is D20.

With only the OGL, all of the 3E compatible stuff and all other D20 new games would be at an end.

They could make completely new games, but right now no one is doing that.

I think you underestimate what the D20L provides.

 

[Vuron]

Remember though that only a certain percentage of the SRD is classified as OGC at the current time and there seems to be no guarantee that the rest of the SRD will actually become OGC.

 

[Florin]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Could WotC Put the Genie Back in the Bottle?

????

All of the current stuff coming out is d20. The SRD is D20.

With only the OGL, all of the 3E compatible stuff and all other D20 new games would be at an end.

They could make completely new games, but right now no one is doing that.

I think you underestimate what the D20L provides.

Well, S&SS is going to be coming out with the Everquest RPG, and it will only be using the Open Gaming License. There are a couple other lesser-known games that will only be using the OGL also. There is also a movement to reverse engineer what was stripped from the SRD (like character creation) and release that for designers and players to use. So, no matter what, D&D will survive in one form or another.

 

[Lizard]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Could WotC Put the Genie Back in the Bottle?

????

All of the current stuff coming out is d20. The SRD is D20.

With only the OGL, all of the 3E compatible stuff and all other D20 new games would be at an end.

They could make completely new games, but right now no one is doing that.

I think you underestimate what the D20L provides.

I'm sorry ,but you don't understand the license.

The D20 *mechanics* are covered in the SRD. Classes, skills, feats, combat, all that.

The *only* thing the D20 STL grants is the right to put a "D20" ***LOGO*** on the book, and limited use of the "Dungeons&Dragons" trademark in marketing.

If the D20 license were revoked tomorrow, Sword&Sorcery could reprint "Relics&Rituals" entirely under the OGL merely by changing the cover. (And updating the license pages as appropriate)

No actual game material is covered by the D20 STL. It's a TRADEMARK license only.

 

[Axiomatic Unicorn]

I agree that D&D will survive. It has come through worse than this.

After all, as others have stated, the core books are out, we have the game.

I don't think that gaming overall will be harmed.

But the D20L is a boon that could be taken away.
If so, we would have less than we have now.

I don't see OGL Everquest picking up where a post-D20L 3E left off.

A black box reverse engineering of the game may be conceiveable, but I think it would be far easier said than done, both technically and legally.

You make good points, and there is reason to be optimistic long-term. But I don't see that you have changed anything I said.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Couldn't the d20 pubs simply remove the d20 logo and rename the constituent parts of the game and continue publishing D&D/d20? Sort of like how Mayfair did with its Role Aids stuff. Even without the OGL (let's pretend it was never brought up by Dancey way back when), couldn't a company do this, if they were very careful about it? I don't know; I'm just asking.

 

[JohnNephew]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Could WotC Put the Genie Back in the Bottle?

????

All of the current stuff coming out is d20. The SRD is D20.

With only the OGL, all of the 3E compatible stuff and all other D20 new games would be at an end.

They could make completely new games, but right now no one is doing that.

I think you underestimate what the D20L provides.

I fear you may be confused on this point. One could
publish 3E-compatible materials, derivative of the SRD, under the OGL alone (and there are publishers with games in the work that do this -- I gather EQ from WW will be one), using the D20 System but simply never calling it the D20 System, using the D20 logo, or indicating on the product that it is compatible with Dungeons & Dragons. (In fact, they changed from calling it "D20 SRD" to just "SRD" for this very reason.)

With only the OGL, you would just see the D20 logo and mention that "Requires the use of D&D 3E PHB..." vanish from products that would still use the D20 System and be as compatible with it as anything today. (Probably more compatible, as people continue to get better at using the system.)