Kickstarter's Director of Games on Why The Platform Attracts Lower OGL v1.1 Royalties

Jon Ritter, Kickstarter's Director of Games, clarified why creators making over $750K using the new Open Gaming Licence v1.1. will only have to pay WotC 20% royalties on revenue over that $750K instead of 25% like they do on other platforms.

Kickstarter was contacted after WoTC decided to make OGL changes, so we felt the best move was to advocate for creators, which we did. Managed to get lower % plus more being discussed. No hidden benefits / no financial kickbacks for KS. This is their license, not ours, obviously.

When asked whether he was aware that those royalties would cut out the majority of most successful Kickstarter profit margins, Ritter acknowledged this with the words "Very much aware of the numbers."

The OGL -- Just What's Going On?

D&D fandom is in uproar again about purported upcoming changes to the Open Gaming License, and rumours are flooding social media regarding WotC's intentions to 'de-authorize' the existing Open Gaming License in favour of a new one. What's the OGL? The Open Gaming License is a share-a-like...

www.enworld.org

 

[GMforPowergamers]

interesting... somehow Kickstarter had the power to force a 5% discount. WotC must see Kickstarter as a major outlit

 

[Scribe]

interesting... somehow Kickstarter had the power to force a 5% discount. WotC must see Kickstarter as a major outlit

I admit I dont watch this stuff closely, but have the other crowdfunding sites had projects pull over a million USD?

When we look at the cut off of $750K, and the percentage Wizards is after, it all just reeks of squeezing blood from the stone. Kickstarter making themselves the best option, just brings more dollars into their channel, and if its already the default biggest/best, its an easy win for Wizards as well.

 

[Zehnseiter]

In fairness, it would presumptuous for Kickstarter to negotiate something for Indiegogo, for example.
Perhaps you should direct your sarcasm to other funding platforms and encourage them to negotiate.

I am kind of interested what the response of EU based platform like for example gameontabletop is here. EU laws are different then US ones and have different customer protections. The "We have money and so can sue anybody to the ground even before there is court date" game isn't as easy in the EU.

 

[bedir than]

If they start losing all those sweet OSR campaigns, that'll certainly hurt their bottom line.

No, they're worried about losing things like "Let's make a Vox Machina cartoon" and "Here's another MCDM book" and "Tome Beasts 72"

Things that make real money

 

[darjr]

interesting... somehow Kickstarter had the power to force a 5% discount. WotC must see Kickstarter as a major outlit

I’d love to see the full contract.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I’d love to see the full contract.

not so much the contract (although that would help) I mostly wonder if Kickstarter had to agree to something for this.

 

[darjr]

not so much the contract (although that would help) I mostly wonder if Kickstarter had to agree to something for this.

Yes. I’d hope they’d say.

 

[Grendel_Khan]

I am kind of interested what the response of EU based platform like for example gameontabletop is here. EU laws are different then US ones and have different customer protections. The "We have money and so can sue anybody to the ground even before there is court date" game isn't as easy in the EU.

As far as I know there hasn't been a large 5e-related campaign on Game On Tabletop so far, so I doubt it's even really on WotC's radar. Despite all that talk of RPG creators moving away from Kickstarter (especially over blockchain stuff) it seems like most everyone's slinking back, but especially anyone who might hit that $750k+ mark.

 

[darjr]

Ryan Dancy will be in the show! At roll for crit


@Morrus

 

[timbannock]

No, they're worried about losing things like "Let's make a Vox Machina cartoon" and "Here's another MCDM book" and "Tome Beasts 72"

Things that make real money

Considering how much money Gavin Norman has raised there and how about 90% of Zine Month is OSR games, I think there's an argument that they stand in that group too. Not by any one single campaign, but all of them combined.

But the point is: sure, yeah, that too!