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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Voadam" data-source="post: 4168239" data-attributes="member: 2209">Regardless of whether 4e is a success or not, WotC's handling of the GSL/OGL has been poor.First they said it would be open. Then they said publishers who pay would have stuff by January to begin making support stuff and others wouldn't get to do anything for months later so smaller publishers (like many pdf ones) won't be able to do 4e stuff at launch. Then they said on reconsideration they were not going with the OGL but a more restricted GSL with hinted content and even type of support product restrictions. They announced 4e will not be as open as 3e was. They announced there will be no srd online where you can look up the rules, just a DDI thing for copies of books bought. Then the dates WotC said stuff would be available for these publishers to begin their work were missed and months go by with the only statement being they are "revetting their open gaming policy" and they are frustrated it has not been resolved yet.The longer they delay the less likely the big 3rd party publishers will be able to justify paying for the early opt in meaning fewer quality 4e support things published to start. Those who were more committed to doing 4e stuff and on hold until details are finalized are still in a position of economic uncertainty and I expect are facing opportunity costs due to the delays. Goodman is a full time publisher and stated they were strongly planning on going with 4e from the beginning and stopped making 3e stuff with a few statless ones to bridge the expected gap. That gap will now be longer and I expect them to be hurt by this.Others (Paizo) have already decided that the delays have made early opt in not the choice for them and they have committed to ongoing 3.5 instead of 4e support during 4e's launch. I don't expect there to be many 4e modules available at launch, the WotC one, internet fan ones based on pre-release preview info, and possibly Necromancer getting out a conversion of the Necromancer's Amulet on their website.In addition all these 3.5 internet publishers can keep putting out new 3.5 stuff supporting those who stick with 3.5 instead of supporting those who transition to 4e.Overall the handling of all this has not been positive for WotC. They have created some bad buzz, had to go back on plans they openly made with licensees because of internal issues within their own control, and not done right by the licensees they wanted to work with.The licensing issues are issues entirely within their own control and could have been internally decided before openly engaging in licensing discussions.Whatever WotC hoped to gain from open licensing and the GSL it has not been helped by their delays in figuring out how they want to handle licensing.</blockquote>

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