NEWS: OGL and SRD dates/info announced

[BadMojo]

My impression is that most of the "glut" came from companies who were well positioned in the distribution system to take advantage of the gold rush. I never saw a whole lot of "Mom and Pop" d20 stuff in my local store. Just a few recognizable names.

Yeah, it is kind of ironic. I remember two specific companies with more money than talent who just released glossy, hardcover crap at an amazing rate. One of them actually seemed to have open disdain for the concept of the D20 STL and Wizard's PI.

It's a little disappointing, as a consumer, that it really feels like the first few months of 4E are going to be sparse as far as the choice of different stuff available. Hopefully Goodman Games will bring the DCC line to 4E in 2008. As good as the WotC adventures may be, it would be nice to have some other choices as far as adventures are concerned.

 

[CaptainChaos]

Sorry, I'm just very disappointed in WotC's decision in this. It very much strikes me as a "the rich get richer" thing, since big publisher's are far from immune from producing crap products.

Quite true. In fact, this new arrangement does nothing to impede the biggest contributor to the d20 glut: Mongoose. If they start crapping out a ton of new d20 stuff, that'll defeat the seeming purpose of this new scheme.

 

[GMSkarka]

My assumption, and I could well be wrong, is that the "small publishers" are chiefly people for whom publishing is a secondary calling, not a primary source of income. They have a "day job" and they also publish as a sideline.

Not true. There are small publishers (like me, for example), for whom this is a full-time job.

I wonder how man small and mid size publishers this will outright kill?

A very good question, since not paying the $5K means sitting for 5 months with almost no sales, while everybody spends money on "the new hotness" that is 4th Edition.

Because if you are doing this as a full time job (only bread earner)and yet cannot afford a $5000 expense (that happened once in 8 years) I find it hard to believe you are earning enough to survive and make enough money to earn a living.

Think of it this way -- are YOU able to take an entire months' income and pay it up front, on demand? How about 2 months? Leaving nothing else for rent, food, utilities... much less freelancers or production costs?

 

[mhensley]

And compare that to what are the biggest successes of d20: Necromancer, Green Ronin, Malhavoc, and Mongoose -- all of which started out as 2 person operations.

Add Goodman Games to that group as well.

 

[Rechan]

Phase Two folks get access to the rules when they buy the core rulebooks at a store in June. They will then have access to the above SRD online, which tells them what part of those books they can use. They start writing product, and are allowed to publish it on Jan 1, 2009.

So after June, Joe Gamer who wants to see if 4e D&D is worth his time by clicking on the SRD, or Stan Diceroller, D&D gamer online, won't be able to read the fluffless rules online?

That's going to bite. Simply because I run a lot of online games, and having the d20SRD at my fingertips when I need to look up a quick rule is so convenient.

 

[2WS-Steve]

Add Goodman Games to that group as well.

Sorry! And most definitely!

 

[EricNoah]

Well this is where D&DI comes in -- if you care to pay the monthly fee (plus a little more for each book you buy? Can't remember if that's the case) you get access to an e-version of your paper product.

 

[Raven Crowking]

As I have no intention of converting to 4e, I will remind publishers that 3e will still have a market for the foreseeable future.

RC

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Think of it this way -- are YOU able to take an entire months' income and pay it up front, on demand? How about 2 months? Leaving nothing else for rent, food, utilities... much less freelancers or production costs?

If you really loved the game, you'd sell a kidney to come up with the fee.

 

[JohnSnow]

They could do something as simple as making it so you can't publish the combat resolution chapter under 4e. Similarly, they could make the power design Open, but the powers themselves closed. That way, nobody can republish the rules that are unique to the PHB. Referencing the rules may be fine, but publishing them probably isn't.

You can come up with your own powers, your own classes, your own feats, and your own talent trees, but under this theory it would be impossible to reprint all the rules in the PHB.

For example, I don't actually need a PHB when I'm playing an Iron Heroes or Arcana Evolved game. All the rules for combat resolution and the like are

That would require someone to have the 4e PHB.

I'd also like to point out that if it weren't for the "I'll just wait until they publish the free SRD" crowd, WotC might not have had to take this step.

I imagine various larger companies might pony up the dough and draft smaller parties to write content. Necromancer, Green Ronin, White Wolf, and Paizo, for example, might be interested in that. Maybe even a company as small as Fiery Dragon (who publishes Iron Heroes for Adam) would be interested.

So Wulf, what does this mean for you?