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<blockquote data-quote="mxyzplk" data-source="post: 4134959" data-attributes="member: 16450">You realize that every step y'all take backwards from openness is inviting you to get burned, as with Pathfinder.&nbsp; If you had remained committed to openness and had gotten the new info out in a timely manner to third parties, they wouldn't be rebelling now.The OGL was largely single-handedly responsible for reviving the RPG industry overall and it and 3e took D&amp;D from a bankrupt and largely irrelevant position back to its current state of RPG primacy and pop-culture relevancy.Let me note something about real world economics.&nbsp; A healthy market sector means more for everyone.&nbsp; My IRL company has been posting record revenues for many consecutive quarters.&nbsp; Our stock took a big hit lately.&nbsp; Why?&nbsp; Because our major competitors posted big losses.&nbsp; This cast the entire sector in a bad light.&nbsp; Doing well in a bad sector isn't any better than doing poorly in a good sector.&nbsp; (Industry economics are different from &quot;small company&quot; economics and you have to make the adjustment.)&nbsp; The naive businessman says &quot;us doing well is good, our competitors going well is bad.&quot;&nbsp; The smart businessman knows that's not true.&nbsp; Rent some MBAs if you need to, but I think it's high time to look at this form a big economic picture point of view.&nbsp; My company (hardware/software manufacturer) actively releases &quot;free&quot; standards and spends money to get the rest of the industry on board, because that gets more support, more product, more activity, and more customers to the standard.&nbsp; Y'all got that exact benefit out of 3e and the OGL.Competition never drove anyone out of business unless they were a) a small storefront or b) sucked and deserved it.&nbsp; Competition is good.&nbsp; Read a business book published in the last decade before making any more GSL &quot;decisions.&quot;I don't think the problem is &quot;putting business over creative direction,&quot; it's having improperly experienced business folks.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="mxyzplk, post: 4134959, member: 16450"] You realize that every step y'all take backwards from openness is inviting you to get burned, as with Pathfinder. If you had remained committed to openness and had gotten the new info out in a timely manner to third parties, they wouldn't be rebelling now. The OGL was largely single-handedly responsible for reviving the RPG industry overall and it and 3e took D&D from a bankrupt and largely irrelevant position back to its current state of RPG primacy and pop-culture relevancy. Let me note something about real world economics. A healthy market sector means more for everyone. My IRL company has been posting record revenues for many consecutive quarters. Our stock took a big hit lately. Why? Because our major competitors posted big losses. This cast the entire sector in a bad light. Doing well in a bad sector isn't any better than doing poorly in a good sector. (Industry economics are different from "small company" economics and you have to make the adjustment.) The naive businessman says "us doing well is good, our competitors going well is bad." The smart businessman knows that's not true. Rent some MBAs if you need to, but I think it's high time to look at this form a big economic picture point of view. My company (hardware/software manufacturer) actively releases "free" standards and spends money to get the rest of the industry on board, because that gets more support, more product, more activity, and more customers to the standard. Y'all got that exact benefit out of 3e and the OGL. Competition never drove anyone out of business unless they were a) a small storefront or b) sucked and deserved it. Competition is good. Read a business book published in the last decade before making any more GSL "decisions." I don't think the problem is "putting business over creative direction," it's having improperly experienced business folks. [/QUOTE]

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