Now WotC has taken Dragonlance (merged)

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

They've also eliminated all "official" competition in the adventure market.

Kalamar is alive and kicking.

 

[Joël of the FoS]

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".

Same bland comment from both parties when RL and GW returned to WotC.

Joël

 

[ThirdWizard]

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?

The Digital Initiative is 4e!!!

You heard it here first, folks! Tell your friends and spread the word!

 

[Vocenoctum]

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".

It's always like that, they don't need to burn any bridges. "and then will step back from our association with Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro." doesn't sound like they wanted to lose the license, but we'll most likely never hear any real details.

 

[MerricB]

Already happened thanks to Glut which had nothing to do with WoTC no?

During the glut (pre 3.5e mostly), Wizards were really not printing much D&D at all.

Cheers!

 

[Steel_Wind]

Ok - disclosure: I've been a huge DragonLance fan in the past and my company was even approached about doing a licensed DragonLance computer product in the not too distant past.

I'm actually not upset by this - nor am I surprised.

While it is possible to see this as part of some great conspiracy to bring back licenses within WotC - I don't think that overall plan need necessarily be so. It could be, I'll grant you - but there are other issues here.

You need to appreciate that there is something very major which separates DragonLance from Ravenloft: it's called a forthcoming movie with anticipated sequels.

It's pretty odd for WotC to be in a position where the Dragons Of Autumn Twilight movie is coming out this fall and the license rights for the PnP game are held by Margaret's company.

At the same time, Margaret's ongoing involvement with DragonLance isn't something that's ever going to end unless she wants it to.

Together with Tracy - she's the heart and soul of the brand.

As a fan - I don't see this as a disaster. Sov Press did as much with the license as could reasonably be expected. Apart from the remaining two modules in the classic campaign (which may end up being finished within the year) and the Races of Ansalon book.... well.... they've had a good run with the license and created a vast majority of what fans of the setting could ever want for D20. It's all been high quality stuff for the most part too.

So really - this is not the doom and gloom associated with Dungeon and Dragon and I don't at all think that this need be seen as part of some menacing uber plan.

As a fan, I'm grateful for the license that has been extended to date and the great products that have been created under it.

So from my perspective sitting in the bleachers, this is not a dire thing at all.

 

[TheYeti1775]

Like I said before, (not an advocation) but I hear thousands of limewire and bit torrent accounts spinning up their downloads.

 

[dargoth3]

The 54,000 question is what are they going to do with it once Dragonlace is back in Wizards hands? Are they going to start making Dragonlance products or are they just going to sit on the licence so theres less compition to their own product lines.......

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

What really blows about this is that they were only halfway through re-releasing the classic DL Chronicles series of adventures. Dragons of Winter is due out in August but will we ever see the final part of the trilogy, Dragons of Spring ? ...

 

[Khairn]

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".

If it looks like a duck ...
and sounds like a duck ...

I know we have no definitive proof, but to me the lack of any WotC statements over the last 6 days, despite all the outpouring of emotions speaks more to this subject (for me) than anything else.