If WoTC were to give up on making DnD RPGs..

[Relique du Madde]

Since half of the internet is thinking about doom and gloom, if WoTC was giving up on making D&D RPGs, do you think it be likely that they would kill off GSL then turn 4e ruleset over to the OGL? Or is that a pipe dream?

If they DID decide to make 4e OGL, would that save the system?

 

[prosfilaes]

Since half of the internet is thinking about doom and gloom, if WoTC was giving up on making D&D RPGs, do you think it be likely that they would kill off GSL then turn 4e ruleset over to the OGL? Or is that a pipe dream?

Yes, that's a pipe dream. They're owned by Hasbro; Hasbro would either try and sell them, or mothball them in hopes of staging a comeback later. As a publically traded company, they're not going to do anything that doesn't have expectations of making them money.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Yes, that's a pipe dream. They're owned by Hasbro; Hasbro would either try and sell them, or mothball them in hopes of staging a comeback later. As a publically traded company, they're not going to do anything that doesn't have expectations of making them money.

At worst they will mothball D&D.

If WOTC stops making RPGS then it will be a boon to the 3PP people out there, and it could be a good thing.

Most likely there would be a resurgence of older editions and support for them also. A lot of money goes to WOTC now, and I think a lot of that would go elsewhere. Except for supporting ENworld (and I just started that) my money goes to WOTC. If WOTC was not making stuff it would probably go elsewhere.

 

[Nagol]

No percentage in it for them to "open" the game if thhey decide to mothball it.

Such a move would reduce external interest in the property without adding any profit.

More likely, they'd simply ramp down the production of new material to nothing and continue to use the IP in other products -- board games, novels, movies, etc. while keeping a little bit of stock on the essential (note the little 'e') base product for as long as it keeps turning over.

In a decade or two, they'd test the waters to see if there was enough latent demand to bring the base game back.

 

[kitsune9]

I agree with Nagol. Even with the actual pen-and-paper gone, the IP would still be used in other media.

 

[Stormonu]

I don't think it would be realistic to ever see D&D go OGL again, while under corporate ownership.

 

[ggroy]

If they DID decide to make 4e OGL, would that save the system?

I suspect this will be another case of "too little too late".

Once burned, twice shy.

Besides, even the "king" of 4E 3PP (Goodman Games) has been changing course and moving in the direction of their own DCC rpg game system. This is after producing 30+ books for 4E.

 

[Stoat]

"Pipe dream" doesn't come close. Under those circumstances, it would be more likely for WotC to give everybody a free unicorn for Christmas.

If D&D was in such bad shape that WotC gave up on it, WotC wouldn't spend the time or money to "kill off the GSL and make 4E OGL."

 

[Stormonu]

"Pipe dream" doesn't come close. Under those circumstances, it would be more likely for WotC to give everybody a free unicorn for Christmas.

Oooh! They're going to finally do the "My Little Pony" RPG?

 

[amnuxoll]

As far as OGL, I think the cat is out of the bag. Copyright covers the text and images they've created for 4e but *not* the game mechanics. If WotC suddenly vanished, the good parts of 4e would be cycled into a third party d20 SRD derivative that combines the best of both editions.

...In fact, that may have already happened (*whistles innocently*).