Interview with Scott Rouse, Chris Perkins & Bill Slavicsek

[Mouseferatu]

Yeegads, they can't win, can they? If they say they don't need input, they're ignoring the fans, but if they ask for input, they don't know what they're doing.

Yep. Much like they're evil if they don't provide answers right now, but then when they do so, it's corporate spin/empty PR. :\

 

[JVisgaitis]

Thinking on this, I wouldn't be surprised if there are two different type of subscription models. "Dragon" being a more general type of subscription and a focus for Players and "Dungeon" being a subscription focused on DMs.

 

[Grimstaff]

Yeegads, they can't win, can they? If they say they don't need input, they're ignoring the fans, but if they ask for input, they don't know what they're doing.

And then people wonder why they're not hanging out around here.

Yeah, but aren't those questions you ask before making a decision? Why not ask those questions before the whole licenses issue came up? It's kind of like rather than asking you "chicken or fish?" they just bring you the fish and then ask what you'd like on it.

Let's face it: Business is hard. When you make a controversial decision that upsets the people you depend on for a paycheck, you have to justify that decision. I can't imagine that WotC would intentionally take the position "If you don't like it, then don't buy it, we don't need you", because they do need us.

They certainly can win, and that's by getting fans to trust them again. The decision to yank Dungeon and Dragon was about more than a magazine, it was about WotC demonstrating to their customers that they can pull the rug out any time they feel like it. The deciding factor is whether or not they can justify it. It's going to be very hard for them to make money, especially on a subsription basis, if the customer base feels they can't trust the folks they're paying in advance for their product.

 

[Odhanan]

Morrus: Thanks for the good work.

Scott, Bill, Chris: Thanks for your participation.

I'm still not interested by DI, and I specifically did not like the way you turned the question around about what "we" would like to see (I really do appreciate the communication initiative - but that wasn't the moment to turn the tables around). Either you have a plan that justified to kill Dragon and Dungeon, or you don't. If you do, explain to me. Then I can make a decision as a customer. Thanks.

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

Yep. Much like they're evil if they don't provide answers right now, but then when they do so, it's corporate spin/empty PR.

I don't think anyone has called them evil. Maybe I skimmed past that bit. Is there a paladin in the thread?

 

[Mortellan]

Good interview. I have an 'I'll believe it when I see it' attitude over this.

 

[Odhanan]

Yep. Much like they're evil if they don't provide answers right now, but then when they do so, it's corporate spin/empty PR.

Get down your high horse, Ari. Please. You know that anything that you'll say about the topic will be associated with the fact you've been/are writing for WotC. Bottom line: WotC has failed its PR strategy as far as I'm concerned. Indeed, from now on, that's damage control and a sort of lose/lose situation. The people working on the PR are responsible of this crap, not the people who react to the PR.

Note that I for one am not calling anyone evil.

 

[MerricB]

Good interview. I have an 'I'll believe it when I see it' attitude over this.

Good attitude to have, from my point of view. Not enough information for a good decision, but a lot of emotion - rightfully so. I like Dungeon magazine!

Cheers!

 

[Imaro]

You know the more I think about this interview, the more I feel like it would've been a great opportunity to showcase something, anything, even if it wasn't the total package. Instead I get a very "up in the air" type vibe about this project, yet Scott Rouse and others claim they are very excited about it. Well show us something to be excited about. Nothing in the interview made me more interested in the least bit about this and I feel it might be a failed opportunity. My general feeling as of right now is just...Meh.

 

[rom90125]

These answers did absolutly nothing to sway my opinion that this was a terrible decision. Nor did it offer any concrete reason why the printed magazines could not have continued along with the DI.

I gotta be brutally honest. Sounds more like a late-night infomercial disguised as an interview.

I totally agree....a whole lot of nothing...aka...corporate speak poured over by the lawyers. My disappointment with WoTC deepens.