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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Saracenus" data-source="post: 8942473" data-attributes="member: 47839">I think we can all agree that we just don't really know the actual motivations that drove WotC to put out the 1.1 "OGL." We saw the document. We saw the result. We heard the PR. But honestly we are trying to make patterns and connections from very thin information.Here is what I think went down (this not stated at fact).1) OGL discussions did start about 2 years ago. I am pretty sure there for factions within the company that wanted different things from a new OGL and for a long time there was no consensus to propel the idea out of the working group.2) C-Suite Execs at WotC are relatively fresh and not from Hasbro or a division under Hasbro. They are primarily coming from outside and have experience in the game space, but primarily digital. WotC wants this experience because they see digital and media as huge areas of growth that they can use to increase revenue. A huge amount of money is being now spent on developing these new areas of potential growth.NOTE: For three, I am dividing it because I don't which came first.3a) Then Hasbro hands down a new directive that changes the way that various segments of that massive entity are going to receive or not receive attention and resources, i.e. the 1 Billion in revenue metric by segment (Magic is a segment, D&D is another), not by the Division. Suddenly there is a new benchmark they have to hit if their digital and media dreams for the D&D brand are to stay alive.3b) Either before or after that directive Alta-Fox's "Free The Wizards" campaign starts and ends when they fail to get their hand picked board members elected. This brings a ton of investor attention to WotC that previously it happily flew under the radar of. WotC is the secret cash cow driving Hasbro profit (but note, not revenue).4) Under scrutiny and in immediate need to show forward progress towards 1 billion in revenue the WotC C-Suite folks start looking for ways to increase revenue now! The media and digital initiatives are currently cost centers with no track record of what the Return On Investment (ROI) is going to be.These are the forces propelling the folks at the WotC executive level. They answer to Hasbro and Hasbro answers to the stockholders.We don't know what shape or form the 2 year OGL project was at when that came into the Execs sights. We don't know who was championing the stuff that was already there and what was tacked on when that project suddenly was put on the front burner.We do know that Kyle Brink kept his creative team insulated from the goings on from above (which is his job) but failed to advocate for or bring forward voices that had insight into the D&D community and culture. So an critically important bit of information is missing for the Executives in their decision making.Add two plus years of COVID into the mix. Processes are scrambled to meet the emergent needs to keep their workforce healthy and working on products. There is less intermingling between people because they are not in the building. Those informal relationships are critical and they were disrupted.Now I am not saying there were not individual bad actors in this whole mess that were pushing their agendas to the fore during this time of tumult. We just don't know. Frankly until the dust settles and eventually a history is written we are not likely to know (this all predicated on a it being written).Until I get something more substantial on what was going on internally, to me the OGL mess is explained best by a cascading series of failures (pressure, ignorance, breakdowns in communication, and yes, some straight up stupidity) was the root cause of this disaster.Hell, this might even be the "truth." But I only have the information at hand and my best guess based upon my experience in the corporate world. So take it with the huge, heaping grains of salt that I am giving to all the other hot takes in this thread.Some edits made for grammar and clarity. </blockquote>

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