Notes from Green Ronin seminar

[Ranger REG]

(2.) If WotC announces that 4e will not be OGL 5 months before it is published, most companies will not have time to adjust, and will go under.

Not many companies have adjusted to 3.5e, and they had more time. AEG pondered and decided that the 3.5e SRD and the MSRD are not something they want to adjust their fast-selling Spycraft toward.

 

[Akrasia]

Not many companies have adjusted to 3.5e, and they had more time. ...

Not many companies adjusted to 3.5 because they either went under or withdrew from the d20 market. And they didn't have more time -- 3.5 was published only 6 months after it was announced.

AEG's actions are in line with those of GR and Mongoose -- diversify away from d20.

 

[Ranger REG]

AEG's actions are in line with those of GR and Mongoose -- diversify away from d20.

Which is probably their Master Plan all along.

1. Publish good d20 products until you are recognized and build up your company's cred.

2. Then offer good standalone game products without the d20 labels.

Savvy?

 

[Turjan]

Many companies are afraid that a closed 4e will mean folks move to those systems, so they're making people move systems now, instead of in this eventually maybe closed 4e timeline.

"We think houses are going to be destroyed, so we're razing them all now to prepare for it."

A lot of these Alternate systems are just fragmenting the fanbases now, instead of when WotC may eventualy do something in the future sometime.

Yes, but there's no alternative. As WotC fails to commit themselves to the OGL model - they just don't say anything in this regard - it's lastly their failure. Companies like Mongoose or Green Ronin do the only thing that's prudent in this situation.

 

[Staffan]

Really? I hadn't realized that -- that's a strange way to set up the license, IMO.

There are two licenses to consider. One is the Open Gaming License. Once something is released under the OGL, it's Open Content forever, and you can use it with any version of the OGL (in case WOTC releases a new version of it).

The other is the d20 System Trademark License. This is more restrictive (it's the one that says you can't change certain game definitions, can't have "objectionable content", and can't have character generation and advancement rules), can be pulled by WOTC at any time, and allows you to use the d20 logo as well as some phrases (e.g. "This product requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook").

 

[Ranger REG]

Green Ronin, et al., may not be buying Ferraris, but they're doing well enough to keep on producing more material, so someone's buying that stuff and, presumably, enjoying it.

That's because Green Ronin don't have corporate-size upkeeps to maintain.

One other thing... "Ferrari?" Who in WotC's payroll purchased a Ferrari with their salary there? Mind you, I said WotC not Hasbro.

 

[Krug]

That's because Green Ronin don't have corporate-size upkeeps to maintain.

One other thing... "Ferrari?" Who in WotC's payroll purchased a Ferrari with their salary there? Mind you, I said WotC not Hasbro.

Peter Adkinson?

After Pokemon and MtG maybe...

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

There are two licenses to consider.

Yes, I know.

It's still a strange business decision to make the OGL license forever.

 

[Ranger REG]

Peter Adkinson?

After Pokemon and MtG maybe...

He's not on the payroll. He makes the payroll for his subordinates.

That and having sold his company to Hasbro for a hefty price tag, he can afford 100 Ferraris.

 

[Ranger REG]

Yes, I know.

It's still a strange business decision to make the OGL license forever.

Well, it was modeled after that open source license for computer programming. (GPL? GNU?) Why, do those licenses have expiration dates?