D&D Beyond Cancellations Changed WotCs Plans

Gizmodo has revealed that the partial OGL v1.1 walkback yesterday was in response to the fan campaign to cancel D&D Beyond subscriptions, with "five digits" worth of cancellations. However, the site also reveals that management at the company believed that fans were overreating and that it would all be forgotten in a few months.

In order to delete a D&D Beyond account entirely, users are funneled into a support system that asks them to submit tickets to be handled by customer service: Sources from inside Wizards of the Coast confirm that earlier this week there were “five digits” worth of complaining tickets in the system. Both moderation and internal management of the issues have been “a mess,” they said, partially due to the fact that WotC has recently downsized the D&D Beyond support team.

Yesterday's walkback removed the royalties from the license, but still 'de-authorized' the OGL v1.0a, something which may or may not be legally possible, depending on who you ask.

Cancelled D&D Beyond Subscriptions Forced Hasbro's Hand

Swift consumer action prompted Dungeons & Dragons publisher Wizards of the Coast to to scrap licensing updates. The players aren't done yet.

gizmodo.com

 

[This Effin’ GM]

I hate it when players over eat.

However, the site also reveals that management at the company believed that fans were overreating

I kid I love you I’m sorry

 

[Dreamscape]

Can someone explain the "5 digits complaining" thing? To me it sounds like it was only 5 tickets for cancelations but I know I'm not understanding it correctly.

Literally, it means 10,000-99,999. In actual use it's a means of obfusticating the true number (it's not that hard to write, say, 32,000) to make it look smaller or larger, depending on your goal. If you want to make 10,000 sound a lot, you say "5 figures". If you want to make 99,000 sound less than "almost a hundred thousand", you also say 5 figures.

 

[mamba]

Can someone explain the "5 digits complaining" thing? To me it sounds like it was only 5 tickets for cancelations but I know I'm not understanding it correctly.

a number with 5 digits, so anywhere from 10000 to 99999 cancellations

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I think the real question at this point is, would the terms I laid out in previous threads be enough to overcome the "sour taste" in developers' mouths, as quoted in the article?

For brevity:
1. Explicitly (in writing) disclaim any right to "de-authorize" the OGL, and explicitly say the OGL is irrevocable.
2. Include actual open-license structures in any new license(s) produced (perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free, share-alike, etc.)
3. Explicit, direct, & specific apology from the important people in the company.

Would that be enough to bring even some of the 3PP people back? Because if not, there is room to argue that WotC could view it as "one may as well hang for a sheep as a lamb." The whole issue where, when all crimes merit death, escalation carries no extra punishment but might let you succeed.

I think I've made my strident opposition to WotC's position clear. I consider the above to be the absolute bare minimum necessary to resolve this problem. But I am at least somewhat sympathetic to the idea that...well, "forgiveness" or "rebuilding trust" or whatever one wishes to call it, must be possible in order for people to actually try to obtain it. If forgiveness(/etc.) is impossible and trust, once broken, can never be regained, may as well start fighting as dirty as you can, y'know? And I don't think that's something we want to encourage the holder of the D&D IP to do.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Literally, it means 10,000-99,999. In actual use it's a means of obfusticating the true number (it's not that hard to write, say, 32,000) to make it look smaller or larger, depending on your goal. If you want to make 10,000 sound a lot, you say "5 figures". If you want to make 99,000 sound less than "almost a hundred thousand", you also say 5 figures.

The correct response, then, is to assume that the value is sqrt(10) between the two. Then you can never be more than (roughly) a factor of 3 off from the actual value, which is close enough.

Losing (approximately) 30,000 subscribers in the course of one week? Yeah, that's a red alert situation.

 

[MockingBird]

Is there any way to see the sub numbers before and after the big cancelation push?

 

[Pedantic]

Can someone explain the "5 digits complaining" thing? To me it sounds like it was only 5 tickets for cancelations but I know I'm not understanding it correctly.

That would mean a number greater than 10,000, but less than 100,000.

 

[Reynard]

That would mean a number greater than 10,000, but less than 100,000.

A user name like that and you didn't say "greater than 9,999." Tsk.

 

[billd91]

Is there any way to see the sub numbers before and after the big cancelation push?

I doubt it. Certainly not a public one. It would have to be leaked.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Don't relax folks. Keep up the pressure and cancellations.

WotC may have changed their timing, but you don't know their plans are changed until you see an actual OGL. This bit of press can lull the gaming public into saying "it's over, we won, back to business" which is exactly what WotC are aiming for.