Kyle Brink (D&D Exec Producer) On OGL Controversy & One D&D (Summary)

The YouTube channel 3 Black Halflings spoke to WotC's Kyle Brink (executive producer, D&D) about the recent Open Game License events, amongst other things. It's an hour-plus long interview (which you can watch below) but here are some of the highlights of what Brink said. Note these are my paraphrases, so I encourage you to listen to the actual interview for full context if you have time.

OGL v1.1 Events

• There was a concern that the OGL allowed Facebook to make a D&D Metaverse without WotC involvement.
• Re. the OGL decisions, WotC had gotten themselves into a 'terrible place' and are grateful for the feedback that allowed them to see that.
• The royalties in OGL v1.1 were there as a giant deterrent to mega corporations.
• Kyle Brink is not familiar with what happened in the private meetings with certain publishers in December, although was aware that meetings were taking place.
• When the OGL v1.1 document became public, WotC had already abandoned much of it.
• The response from WotC coinciding with D&D Beyond subscription cancellations was a coincidence as it takes longer than that to modify a legal document.
• The atmosphere in WotC during the delay before making an announcement after the OGL v1.1 went public was 'bad' -- fear of making it worse if they said anything. The feeling was that they should not talk, just deliver the new version.
• Brink does not know who wrote the unpopular 'you won but we won too' announcement and saw it the same time we did. He was not happy with it.
• 'Draft' contracts can have dates and boxes for signatures. Despite the leaked version going to some publishers, it was not final or published.
• There were dissenting voices within WotC regarding the OGL v1.1, but once the company had agreed how to proceed, everybody did the best they could to deliver.
• The dissenting voices were not given enough weight to effect change. Brinks' team is now involved in the process and can influence decisions.
• The SRD release into Creative Commmons is a one-way door; there can be no takeback.

One D&D

• The intention is that all of the new [One D&D] updates they are doing, "the SRD will be updated to remain compatible with all of that". This might be with updted rules or with bridging language like 'change the word race to species'.
• Anything built with the current SRD will be 100% compatible with the new rules.
• Brink does not think there is a plan to, and does not see the value, in creating a new OGL just for One D&D. When/if they put more stuff into the public space, they'd do it through Creative Commons.
• WotC doesn't think of One D&D as a new edition. He feels it's more like what happened with 3.5. They think 5E is great, but coud be better and play faster and easier with more room for roleplay, so there is stuff they can do to improve it but not replace it.

Inclusivity

• WotC is leaning on the community to discourage bad actors and hateful content, rather than counting on a legal document.
• They are working on an adaptable content policy describing what they consider to be hateful content which will apply to WotC's work (no legal structure to apply it to anybody else).
• They now have external inclusivity reviewers (as of last fall) who look over every word and report back. They are putting old content through the same process before reprints.
• Previously cultural consultances were used for spot reviews on things they thought might be problematic, but not everything (e.g. Hadozee).
• The problematic Hadozee content was written by a trusted senior person at WotC, and very few people saw it before publication.
• 'DnDShorts' video on the internal workings and management culture of WotC is not something Brinks can talk on, but it is not reflective of his team. Each team has its own culture.
• In the last couple of years the D&D team hiring process has made the team more inclusive.
• When asked about non white-CIS-men in leadership positions at WotC, Brinks referred to some designers and authors. He said 'guys like me, we're leaving the workforce, to be blunt' and 'I'm not the face of the hobby any more'. It is important that the creators at WotC look like the players. 'Guys like me can't leave soon enough'.

Virtual Tabletops (VTTs)/Digital Gaming

• Goal is to make more ways to play ('and' not 'instead') including a cool looking 3D space.
• Digital gaming is not meant to replace books etc., but to be additive.
• The strategy is to give players a choice, and WotC will go where the player interests lie.

​

 

[wingsandsword]

So what is your alternative? Force people that you won't want to play with to play a game that they are explicitly saying they don't want to? This is an exceptionally silly hill to fight over.

I'm not proposing any alternative, I'm just calling out some silly behavior when I see it. People are free to do ridiculous things, just like people are free to call out absurd behaviors by others.

 

[Umbran]

coming from a white male like your self of course, i on the other hand am a mix race person and can say factually that it was never an issue until you people made it one.

I'm sorry, but we have more folks of minority groups telling us it is necessary and called for than not.

 

[Sacrosanct]

coming from a white male like your self of course, i on the other hand am a mix race person and can say factually that it was never an issue until you people made it one.

I don't speak for all white people, so I assume you don't speak for all mixed race people? (You certainly don't speak for my son, who is mixed race). So you can't really "say factually" anything about your own perception.

What we do know, is that a whole lot of minority groups are telling us we need inclusivity, so it bears listening and considering, right? Even outside of that, it seems we have actual data and studies that show diversity and inclusivity are good things that make things better.

 

[mamba]

I am actively working to keep the amount of cynicism in life down to a functional minimum.

this forum is not helping in that regard I assume

 

[Haplo781]

this forum is not helping in that regard I assume

I assume moderating any large message board involves copious amounts of vodka

 

[Dausuul]

I can absolutely believe that upper management at WizBro is ignorant enough to think Mark Zuckerberg cares about their IP.

It's quite possible that he does, though. "Rings of Power" owes its existence largely to the fact that Jeff Bezos is a big Tolkien lover; and "Meta" is taken from the Metaverse in Neil Stephenson's "Snow Crash." A lot of Silicon Valley bigwigs have strong connections to geek culture.

If I were a Wizards exec, the possibility that some tech kingpin with an enormous platform might decide to throw billions at a quixotic D&D project would be a risk I'd need to at least consider. Zuck is a bit too young to have caught the initial D&D craze, but he's old enough to have grown up before MMOs went huge -- he could be a fan.

 

[mamba]

It's quite possible that he does, though. "Rings of Power" owes its existence largely to the fact that Jeff Bezos is a big Tolkien lover; and "Meta" is taken from the Metaverse in Neil Stephenson's "Snow Crash." A lot of Silicon Valley bigwigs have strong connections to geek culture.

even if I took this threat seriously, I am not so sure that trying to revoke 1.0a helps at all.

Worst case he creates a clone in ‘his’ own words and waits for the copyright lawsuit. It’s probably even better because it let’s them use the term D&D

But ultimately Hasbro would probably simply be bought

 

[dave2008]

I think the misunderstanding we're having here is that Kyle doesn't seem to consider one D&D as needing an entirely new SRD. So he's referring to the existing SRD.

But I do think you and I have adequately demonstrated that the point needs clarification

AD

However, as he noted - OneD&D is not finished yet. He can't know what needs to be done with the SRD at this point. So clarification is going to be real hard beyond what he said.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I recognize that I'm not ready to accept WotC's attempt at an apology. Especially when he's digging at people like me for not being the face of the hobby and not looking like what they want their fans to look. "We can't get out soon enough."
Despite me purchasing nearly every book they've released for 5e. Despite me teaching new generations of players. Despite me championing the hobby in schools and libraries. Despite me running 3 games every week.
Honestly, I can get out starting today.

I mean that isn’t what he said but okay. Sounds like your mind is already made up.

 

[dave2008]

never mind