Now WotC has taken Dragonlance (merged)

[JeffB]

How is it possible to be sooner than we think, when half the board thought it would be out in 06?

LOL...well I wasnt around the boards here for a few years.

What I mean is the "we aren't working on 4E" comments are... untruths

 

[Nyeshet]

WotC views FR and DL as the two great IP creation successes. I'm astonished they ever let DL go in the first place and am not surprised they want to bring it back in-house.

If anything, it might be a result of the sales of Eberron. The Setting Search that produced Eberron was an attempt by WotC to engineer the kind of success they had with FR and DL, and never had with Dark Sun, Planescape, Birthright, et al.

If Eberron underperformed, it would be natural for them to say "let's get DL back in house." It's one of their huge hits.

The only problem I see with this is that any books they create for DL will inevitably be compared to those priorly released for 3.5e - and unless they are excellent to a degree not yet seen from WotC they will at best hold even - and make the players and DMs angry at having to, in effect, re-buy all the DL books all over again. It will be like the switch from 3e to 3.5e and having to re-buy the core 3 books again, but unlike then one can not wait around for the SRD to be posted, for the rules will almost certainly be different in some respects (if only to force the players and DMs to actually buy the books, as the former books will not be compatible with the new WotC books). I can see a lot of people just not buying them - at first, but once the former ones are both no longer published and no longer readily found, they will have little choice if they want new material.

I can't see WotC being so foolish as that, and I can't see them taking on the cost of re-publishing the current DL books so as to appease players - especially since some negotiations with their creators might be in order if they were to think to do so.

All in all, I can't see WotC re-releasing the DL setting. More likely, I can see them having an Expedition book (as occurred with RL), and - perhaps - having some occasional articles and crunch on whatever digital thing they are working upon.

To go from the quality books once enjoyed to a single (albeit hopefully very good) adventure and some occasional articles (if that) seems a rather poor exchange to myself and many others. It is possible they intend to re-release the series, but most of us just don't see it as likely, and anything less seems a poor reason for clipping the wings of the current (3.5e) version of the setting.

 

[Joël of the FoS]

Didn't WW chose not to renew Ravenloft and Gamma World because the product's sales did not return the revenue they expected (over the years they had the license) and therefore did not want to continue paying the yearly license fee any longer? If I remember reading correctly from WW own boards.

That is fan speculation. No data or info from WotC or WW confirms this.

Joël

 

[Nyeshet]

The only time I've seen moves like this as 'classic' in corporations is when they're trying to trim the fat and make things a nice digestible package for sale.

:blink: :blink:

So, you think that perhaps Hasbro is preparing to sell WotC to the highest bidder?

That's an interesting idea, but I can't quite see it at the moment. Not that it is impossible, but I still find it rather unlikely. At least not unless Hasbro can think of a way to keep MtG while also offering up the rest of WotC to the bidders. (Minis might bring in some money, but I somehow doubt it brings in as much as MtG.)

 

[Riley]

If there are adventures that get slammed more than the original DL adventures, they're called things like "Terrible Trouble at Tragidore".

The original DL adventures were a serious railroad, but they included some of the coolest locations in the history of D&D. The sunken city on the edge of a cliff, the giant gate, the dwarven mountain, the floating tomb, Icewall, the really tall tower/seige, and the city with the erupting volcanoes are all really potent images. Can't remember the names of these places - and I hated the books - but I've raided the original Dragonlance modules for maps and inspiration over and over.

I'm not moved one way or the other by WOTC reclaiming the DL license. Seemed odd to have spun it off in the first place. Of course, it seemed odd to have spun the peiodicals section off as well. I wouldn'tve cared about that one as much, either, if they'dve promised to keep publishing the magazines.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

Imagine the shape of the RPG industry if the d20 license gets pulled. Companies that are d20-only would be in dire straits unless they have proprietary or non-d20 OGL products lined up.

 

[thedungeondelver]

Not to sound hysterical or anything, but is this all the pre-cursor to an all out assault on D20, OGL, and the SRD in preparation for 4th Ed?

Yes.

 

[AllisterH]

This may sound silly, but reading the explanation from Weis, it's not clear whether or not, WOTC didn't not to offer the license again or if Weis et al decided not to bother paying the license again.

All she says is, "Our agreement has come to term and is not being renewed".

 

[JoeGKushner]

Imagine the shape of the RPG industry if the d20 license gets pulled. Companies that are d20-only would be in dire straits unless they have proprietary or non-d20 OGL products lined up.

Already happened thanks to Glut which had nothing to do with WoTC no? Are there any pure d20 publishers in print these days? Most are PDF/POD thanks to the low entry cost and those that are d20 have a lot of OGL fires in the oven.

 

[Joël of the FoS]

I'm thinking they are shrinking the market to FR and Eberron. Period.

People have expressed their hope that Paizo might get the license for Greyhawk, given Erik Mona's talent with this realm. Dream on, I think. Not gonna happen...

Am usually optimistic, but not today...

Joël