OGL-Gate & Mainstream Media: The Guardian Weighs In

With The Guardian picking up the story this morning, here's a list of media outlets covering the Open Gaming Licence controversy.

The initial story came from Gizmodo/iO9, which recieved a leaked copy of the OGL v1.1., and YouTube channel RollForCombat.

• The Guardian: ‘People are leaving the game’: Dungeons & Dragons fans revolt against new restrictions
• Vice: Dungeons and Dragons Is Jeopardizing Its Greatest Strength: Its Ubiquity
• Electronic Frontier Foundation: Beware the Gifts of Dragons: How D&D’s Open Gaming License May Have Become a Trap for Creators
• Comic Book Resources: How New Changes to D&D's Open Gaming License Will Impact Other TTRPGs
• Forbes: What’s Happening With The Dungeons & Dragons Open Gaming License?
• Ars Technica: RPG fans irate as D&D tries to shut its “open” game license
• NME: D&D content creators outraged over licensing changes, demand the game remain “open”
• Polygon: D&D’s stricter licensing rules might impact some beloved RPGs
• Law Insider: Wizards of the Coast Open Game License
• Financial Times (behind paywall): Dungeons & Dragons & fear & loathing: When Wizards go rogue

 

[BMaC]

Sh£$%$ about to get real!

‘People are leaving the game’: Dungeons & Dragons fans revolt against new restrictions

Wizards of the Coast, which owns the game, is preparing to change longstanding licensing rules

www.theguardian.com

 

[humble minion]

That's a weird, badly-researched, and unhelpful article that addresses almost none of the genuine issues. And talking up defunct piracy sites as a demonstration of how innovative D&D fans are to pursue their hobby is ... certainly an interesting journalistic line to take.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

That's a weird, badly-researched, and unhelpful article that addresses almost none of the genuine issues. And talking up defunct piracy sites as a demonstration of how innovative D&D fans are to pursue their hobby is ... certainly an interesting journalistic line to take.

The point imho is not the journalistic quality, but that the debacle is flagged and commented in mainstream media.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Forbes and the Guardian has the story, now Hasbro is really screwed because casuals and investors know what's going on.

 

[ilgatto]

That's a weird, badly-researched, and unhelpful article that addresses almost none of the genuine issues.

Well, at least D&D is making it into the mainstream media these days. Only took them 50 years...

The Guardian (1)
The Guardian (2)

And talking up defunct piracy sites as a demonstration of how innovative D&D fans are to pursue their hobby is ... certainly an interesting journalistic line to take.

Isn't it!

 

[dave2008]

Well, at least D&D is making it into the mainstream media these days. Only took them 50 years...

Where have you been the last 5+ years! D&D has pretty regularly been in the mainstream media since shortly after 5e took off.

 

[SAVeira]

I believe that it is more important to see what kind of follow up the mainstream media does. An one off story will not really move the needle in the end. Looking to see journalists press Hasbro on why they thought this was good idea and how did they not realize that would harm their brand/bottomline.

There is a story here of basic mismanagement, which cost a number of suits, their jobs at Hasbro/WotC.

 

[ilgatto]

Where have you been the last 5+ years! D&D has pretty regularly been in the mainstream meeting since shortly after 5e took off.

Ah, yes... erm... I suppose I was reading papers instead of being in the mainstream meeting.

 

[Sidhanei]

Where have you been the last 5+ years! D&D has pretty regularly been in the mainstream meeting since shortly after 5e took off.

I don't know about 'shortly'. 5e was released in mid 2014, and I remember it being very quiet. There wasn't a great deal of content published (it didn't release with the OGL, which came later in 2016 with the DMsGuild launch), as it was more of a "back to basics" vibe.

Anyways, I agree that is a strange approach to researching the article for it the Guardian chose. I have noticed, though, that the more mainstream publications are leaning nicer to Hasbro/WotC's position compared to industry-related publications.