Is it ok to be mad at Wotc?

[Retreater]

I'm a little miffed at WotC. Dungeon, Dragon, DragonLance ... yeah, those are all reasons, but not the biggest thing. I've been a subscriber to Dungeon for only a year, and I've purchased intermittant issues since 2nd edition. Dragon, I've purchased only a single issue for the 18 years I've been playing. DragonLance, I've never read a novel nor played in the campaign setting.

So why did I vote that it's okay to be mad, and why am I a little mad? It's due to the success of the product, which is a good thing for WotC. It's the complete predominance of WotC's brand of fantasy game over the field. It's my local store carrying only official D&D products, and telling me that if I don't want to play d20, then I should just play a board game.

Now with the death of Paizo and Weis's contracts to create official products, that's just giving WotC more control over the entire RPG industry.

I hope WotC takes this opportunity to really wow us with some material that's different. Everything is the same. I'm looking for some modern, sci-fi, horror, etc. It's just bland, blah-blah sameness over and over.

Retreater

 

[Jemal]

Of course it is. That's what Free Will is all about. You can get mad at ANYONE about ANYTHING. Just be careful what you DO/SAY about it.

Anyone who got angry about the cancellation of the magazines needs to grow a pair. The vitriol is stupid and misplaced. You sound like children being denied seconds on dessert. No one has been deceived or betrayed. (I understand that current subscribers get some kind of consolation prize or whatever; haven't bothered to follow that up) And Paizo is the winner here, because I had never even heard of them before they got the magazines, and now they are being painted as the poor victim...with tons of press, brand recognition, website traffic, etc.

I have a rather nice pair, thank you, and I (As well as everybody else here) can get angry about and complain about whatever the hell we want... Just as YOU, my friend, have the right to be angry that WE are angry. You also have the right to IGNORE us, just like we have the right (Which I'm currently waiving) to ignore you.

As to why you never heard of paizo before they got the magazines, I BELIEVE that's b/c they were created as an off-shoot of wizards specifically FOR the mags in the first place (correct me if I'm wrong, please, someone).


I'm personally a bit saddened by the going of the Magazines, just as I would be sentimental about loosing a pet. Sure it can be replaced, but will it ever be the same? Will it hold the same memories?

EDIT : Also, I like pie.

 

[Crothian]

So why did I vote that it's okay to be mad, and why am I a little mad? It's due to the success of the product, which is a good thing for WotC. It's the complete predominance of WotC's brand of fantasy game over the field. It's my local store carrying only official D&D products, and telling me that if I don't want to play d20, then I should just play a board game.

That sounds like a bad gaming store and not Wizards' fault.

 

[Jemal]

That sounds like a bad gaming store and not Wizards' fault.

Yeah, my city used to have 2 gaming stores. One went under for exactly that reason, and the other holds all sorts of gaming related materials(Including Board games, thank you very much), and has been operating very well for as long as i can remember (they even had to expand to a larger building a few years ago).

 

[Ghendar]

Personally I think they have did more for the game then TSR.

I'm having trouble following this. Without TSR, WotC would never have been able to buy D&D. Without TSR (and its predecessor(s)) D&D wouldn't even exist.

Overall, WotC has done some nice work and gets kudos for "saving the game", but to say that they did more for the game than TSR is, well.................

Nevermind, to each his own. Don't feel like getting in an argument over opinion.

 

[Alnag]

To answer the question in the name of the topic... Is it ok to be mad at WotC? Yes. YES! And Ryan Dancey will tell you why, better than I would be able...

We're not telling anyone what game to play. We are telling the market that we're going to actively encourage our players to stand up and demand that they be listened to, and that they become the center of the gaming industry - rather than the current publisher-centric model. Through the RPGA, the Open Gaming movement, the pages of Dragon Magazine, and all other venues available, we want to empower our customers to do what >they< want, to force us and our competitors to bend to >their< will, to make the products >they< want made.

Part of his explanation after and about buyout TSR. (Source)

So if the customers demand something and the WotC behave like they follow the same old publisher-centric model, I think that anybody has right for madness. I really miss this early WotC approach and I think, I am not alone.