GSL questions for Scott Rouse and Mike Lescault

[Lizard]

While the publisher side of the GSL could wait till after Gen Con they have to have something of a license by the June release. What I am thinking here is the consumer side and rights to republish on the web. They are dreaming if they think that people will hold off on web publishing campaigns, characters, house rules, and general chatter. Without some kind of license people will wonder whether what they put on the web will get a cease and desist letter or not. This does not need to be a license that allows for any for profit uses, but at least something that allows their customers to share information over the web. I don't want a repeat of TSR.

They want people to use DDI/Gleemax for these things.

I think they will be as harsh, or worse, with online use of their material than TSR was, because their business model is so heavily based on the success of DDI/Gleemax. (Look at the 4e FAQ. Look how much is "What is D&D?". Look how much is "What is DDI?" It's obvious where they think their money is coming from -- the online subs, not the game books.

 

[mhensley]

OK, so now we've endured two weeks of absolute silence from WotC since that interesting quote from Liz Schuh. Only eight weeks left to the release of 4e. Will the silence continue to be as deafening?

 

[Brown Jenkin]

They want people to use DDI/Gleemax for these things.

I think they will be as harsh, or worse, with online use of their material than TSR was, because their business model is so heavily based on the success of DDI/Gleemax. (Look at the 4e FAQ. Look how much is "What is D&D?". Look how much is "What is DDI?" It's obvious where they think their money is coming from -- the online subs, not the game books.

That may be their wish but its not going to happen. Sure DDI/"that which shall not be named" will appeal to some people but they will run into a PR nightmare if they think they can force everyone to use these. If they start sending out cease and desist letters before Gen Con I wouldn't want to be anywhere near their booth or seminars either. But without a GSL in place in June to let people know what is or is not acceptable there will be almost certain problems.

 

[2WS-Steve]

They want people to use DDI/Gleemax for these things.

I think they will be as harsh, or worse, with online use of their material than TSR was, because their business model is so heavily based on the success of DDI/Gleemax. (Look at the 4e FAQ. Look how much is "What is D&D?". Look how much is "What is DDI?" It's obvious where they think their money is coming from -- the online subs, not the game books.

While I'm increasingly pessimistic about the prospects for the GSL, I don't think that WotC will put in a new, harsher fan-site policy.

They've been friendly in the past to fan-sites and I think everybody's pretty much of the opinion that fan-sites aren't real competition for WotC's books or the for-pay features they'll have on Gleemax. Fan-sites will likely work well as "feeders" for Gleemax by introducing customers to online content, then the people who want something more robust move on up to the pay site.

 

[xechnao]

While I'm increasingly pessimistic about the prospects for the GSL, I don't think that WotC will put in a new, harsher fan-site policy.

They've been friendly in the past to fan-sites and I think everybody's pretty much of the opinion that fan-sites aren't real competition for WotC's books or the for-pay features they'll have on Gleemax. Fan-sites will likely work well as "feeders" for Gleemax by introducing customers to online content, then the people who want something more robust move on up to the pay site.

I agree with this.

 

[Delta]

My prediction is also that there will be some number of cease & desist letters going out to website operators by the end of the year.

Fan-sites will likely work well as "feeders" for Gleemax by introducing customers to online content, then the people who want something more robust move on up to the pay site.

As another prediction, I think it's a safe bet that something like ENWorld will continue to be "more robust" than the official Gleemax DDI site. All historical data about WOTC digital services points in that direction.

 

[2WS-Steve]

As another prediction, I think it's a safe bet that something like ENWorld will continue to be "more robust" than the official Gleemax DDI site. All historical data about WOTC digital services points in that direction.

I should be more clear -- by "robust" I mean having the actual content of the D&D books/magazines and various software gadgets like the tabletop and character generator.

As far as user-communities goes I think people will hang out where they always hung out and Gleemax won't have a significant edge there.

In fact, WotC's best approach would be to forge strong ties between places like ENWorld and Gleemax so that people could sign on for the Gleemax tools, and hang out in the communities they prefer.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

OK, so now we've endured two weeks of absolute silence from WotC since that interesting quote from Liz Schuh. Only eight weeks left to the release of 4e. Will the silence continue to be as deafening?

Not only keep the WotC-people their silence, even our head demon withholds his pearls of demonic wisdom... I sense the presence of some weird conspiracy here...

---
Huldvoll

Jan van Leyden

 

[Wystan]

Good point, where is Orcus in all this here now?

 

[mhensley]

My prediction is also that there will be some number of cease & desist letters going out to website operators by the end of the year.

If this happens, I predict wotc's sites will be the frequent target of dos attacks.