D&D 5E I still want D&D and Beyond, but...

[Velderan]

People are currently thinking in terms of $0.99 feats or virtual miniatures, and they're certainly going to sell those things, but there are also going to be things like limited edition stickers for your public-facing profile, special virtual character sheet themes (which may already be offered on D&D Beyond for all I know), skins for your virtual dice, and things like that.

I'm not sure they currently sell the sheet themes, but they definitely exist currently. You typically get them either as part of the monthly subscriber bonus or a preorder bonus for buying a book. Digital dice exist as either free bonuses for preorder or monthly subscriber bonus as well as one time purchase with prices ranging from $4.99 to $7.96 so anyone that doesn't think they're going to fully monetize the new VTT hasn't been paying attention to what they're currently doing..

 

[jerryrice4949]

I plan to take a brake. Both WoTC actions and really many of the subsequent responses have drained my enthusiasm. I have a lot of books so when I start back up I don’t need to buy anything. Though if I am honest with myself I will likely consider D&D One.

 

[dave2008]

I was responding to the inaccurate claim that WotC is unable to take advantage of recurrent spending because of the OGL by...

But that was not the claim. The claim was that other companies are/where able to take advantage of recurrent spending because of the OGL, not the other way around. You completely misunderstood @TheSword's point I believe

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I don't think the OGL 1.1 is related to microtransactions or the clearly delineated path to make a billion dollars through video games, movies, tv shows, t-shirt. No. Why would anyone?

I am 99.9% certain one of the primary reasons the new OGL specifically calls out not being able to use it for apps is because of the many many spellbook and character sheet apps available for phones.

I believe one of their first moves is going to be to tell Apple/Google to remove all those apps so people are forced to use DDB.

Not technically a micro transaction, more of a strong armed recurring income stream.

 

[The Scythian]

But that was not the claim. The claim was that other companies are/where able to take advantage of recurrent spending because of the OGL, not the other way around. You completely misunderstood @TheSword's point I believe

If that was TheSword's position, then writing, "There is plenty of recurrent spending none of it goes to WoTC though because of the OGL," doesn't seem to make sense, unless we're talking specifically about TheSword's Roll20 and Patreon subscriptions not going to WotC, or I'm missing something.

If I did misunderstand, then I apologize.

 

[dave2008]

If that was TheSword's position, then writing, "There is plenty of recurrent spending none of it goes to WoTC though because of the OGL," doesn't seem to make sense, unless we're talking specifically about TheSword's Roll20 and Patreon subscriptions not going to WotC, or I'm missing something.

If I did misunderstand, then I apologize.

It made sense to me...unless I'm wrong!

I took Sword to mean that WotC doesn't get a piece of those transactions because the OGL allowed other companies to make those services without paying WotC. If not for the OGL, a company would have to get a bespoke license to provide those functions. Any such a license would probably involve some compensation.

 

[Rogerd1]

I just wanted to try something different like 5e, Modern Age, M&M etc, but I have made easy conversion workarounds to Lords of Gossamer now that importing to it is a cinch.

So now I plan to go back to the Lords of Gossamer game for a while, and adding powers and stuff is really simple.

 

[TheSword]

I think it's simpler than that: when you want to charge somebody a monthly subscription price to play via VTT, you want to be sure that your VTT is great AND that you are the only VTT option available. Hasbro appreciates the concept of "Monopoly"!

From that central commercial objective, all else follows. Other changes to the OGL become a shopping list of druthers and add-ons. Important, sure, but not THE REASON.

So just for the record it’s not a monopoly when there is a choice of product. Nobody is making you play the RPG sold by Wizards of the Coast called Dungeons and Dragons.

Just like MacDonalds is not a monopoly because it’s the only place you can get a Happy Meal is MacDonalds.

Netflix is not a monopoly because it’s the only place you can watch the Witcher

PlayStation Xbox isn’t a monopoly because it’s the only place you’ll be able to play the new Elder Scrolls game.

The sense of entitlement in this discussion is immense. It’s almost as if we assume the IP doesn’t belong to WotC in the first instance and who the dickens do they think they are for trying to assert that ownership.

 

[dave2008]

The sense of entitlement in this discussion is immense. It’s almost as if we assume the IP doesn’t belong to WotC in the first instance and who the dickens do they think they are for trying to assert that ownership.

I am finding myself in a really odd situation: the more this goes on, the more I start to see Hasbro/WotC's point in doing it!

 

[Mort]

I am finding myself in a really odd situation: the more this goes on, the more I start to see Hasbro/WotC's point in doing it!

One thing I don't see being discussed much. WoTC (and Hasbro) is likely not that concerned about the small publishers or even decent sized ones like Paizo. With the movie coming out, the TV show and the expansion of D&D Beyond etc. they are concerned about the truly big players like Disney.

That they get on Disney's radar and then DIsney decides to use the OGL for something like Kingdom Hearts and to use it for way beyond print - that is what I'm sure concerns them.