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

 

[Ruin Explorer]

My point was that this incident hasn’t dented Hasbro’s stock. Quite probably because investors know that regaining control over the IP is good for the company.

You are vastly overestimating how well investors understand this issue. The idea that investors will even understand these SECRET UNTIL FRIDAY moves at all is laughable. The idea that they not only understand them, but understand them specifically as "Protecting the IP" is absolutely ridiculous.

It hasn't dented the stock because it's a complicated nerdy issue and WotC's response isn't set in stone yet, and even when it is, D&D losing even 50% of it's revenue could easily be made up for by other factors.

In fact there's an enormous factor you haven't mentioned - two actually - firstly, D&D:HAT movie, which will benefit Hasbro and the D&D IP if it's anything be absolute trashfire. Secondly, the eOne sale. This is huge. Even if D&D lose a ton of sales, selling eOne and the associated IPs that they're not retaining could easily make up for it in the short term, and when you're looking at stocks, that short-term is what matters.

Those two factors alone make a huge difference here.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I don't think 4e dented hasbro stock either.

That is correct. Hasbro stock bumped around a bit but overall trended upwards pretty hard from 2008-2011.

 

[Jack Daniel]

Jimquisition (a channel almost entirely focused on criticizing the video game industry) has covered the OGL:


Makes me wonder if any other former Escapist personalities will cover the story — probably not Zero Punctuation, but Movie Bob might and Extra Credits almost certainly will.

 

[darjr]

The Fool

A Big Change Could Be Coming for Hasbro: Should Investors Worry? | The Motley Fool

Hasbro's D&D division is big business, accounting for up to 72% of company profits -- and it's in trouble.

www.fool.com

 

[darjr]

CNBC.

Has this been posted yet?

Dungeons & Dragons open game license update delayed following fan backlash

The attempt to create a new D&D OGL comes as Hasbro's Wizards of the Coast unit looks to capitalize on a surge in Dungeons & Dragons' popularity.

www.cnbc.com

 

[darjr]

Ha looks like I posted it.

dang it's been a long few days.

CNBC obtained copies of Hasbro’s reformed licensing agreements — OGL 1.1 and an FAQ section for OGL 2.0. According to the documents, Hasbro had sought to require independent publishers and content creators to report financial data directly to the company’s Wizards of the Coast division, which includes D&D. At a certain threshold, the revised agreement would have forced independent creators to pay significant fees.

 

[The Stray]

Ha looks like I posted it.

dang it's been a long few days.

CNBC obtained copies of Hasbro’s reformed licensing agreements — OGL 1.1 and an FAQ section for OGL 2.0. According to the documents, Hasbro had sought to require independent publishers and content creators to report financial data directly to the company’s Wizards of the Coast division, which includes D&D. At a certain threshold, the revised agreement would have forced independent creators to pay significant fees.

Well, you posted about it. But now we have a link!

 

[The Stray]

Dungeons & Dragons fans were ready to roll for initiative against Hasbro after the company attempted to rewrite its two-decade-old open game license in order to boost revenue.

sigh

 

[Kinematics]

Ars Technica posted a follow-up article, discussing the ORC and publishers' reactions:

Game makers stage mass exodus from Dungeons & Dragons’ “open” license

WotC is "an existential threat to our game," one publisher says.

arstechnica.com

 

[Orius]

Found this story on FOX Business over on Dragonsfoot:

Hasbro delays update to Dungeons and Dragons open game license as fan base revolts

Hasbro, the owner of Dungeons and Dragons, rolled a "natural one" to convince fans that rewriting its two-decade-old open game license was about anything but boosting revenue.

www.foxbusiness.com