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<blockquote data-quote="Korgoth" data-source="post: 4428902" data-attributes="member: 49613">Looks like most people don't understand the point of the OGL: all non-WOTC rpg sales would ultimately make money for WOTC. Why? Because as the hobby in general thrives, D&amp;D thrives. If people are brought into the hobby via some other game, they usually try D&amp;D at some point. So D&amp;D will get some sales. Even if they tried D&amp;D and then went to something else, they still &quot;speak D&amp;D&quot; and are a potential market. As the hobby grows, however it grows, the D&amp;D brand will prosper. And everyone will feel right at home with the core mechanic... people will mostly speak the same language and D&amp;D will stand as a game that is easy to learn, easy to play and has quality products (and this is where WOTC initially fell down in implementing the OGL: they made a game which was actually too complicated, slow and unfamiliar and their quality was spotty).If the OGL is biting WOTC now, it's mainly because they opted out of it (instead of just making sure that they had a truly entry-level rpg with high quality product support, which they easily have the resources to do). They decided to take their game in an entirely new direction. Those who did not want to go that direction were even sneered at publically by WOTC staff. So they did the exact opposite of what the OGL was trying to do: they went back to the &quot;Tower of Babel&quot; business model where everybody speaks a different rules language. With the GSL they even force you to sit under a contractual Sword of Damocles if you want to intone the sacred syllables of the 4E rules language.The only embarrassment to the OGL as far as Paizo (and a few others) is concerned is that a bunch of rebel farm boys can consistently turn out higher quality products than a corporate empire with a bazillion dollars. But that's not a problem with the theory of the OGL, that's a problem with WOTC/Hasbro's use of their own vast resources.If the OGL has a flaw, it's the assumption that the company with a bazillion dollars will natuarally turn out a better product than the amateur with five dollars. But in any event, that's not a flaw from the standpoint of the consumer, who gets to enjoy a quality product from whichever merchant of whatever means actually produces it.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Korgoth, post: 4428902, member: 49613"] Looks like most people don't understand the point of the OGL: all non-WOTC rpg sales would ultimately make money for WOTC. Why? Because as the hobby in general thrives, D&D thrives. If people are brought into the hobby via some other game, they usually try D&D at some point. So D&D will get some sales. Even if they tried D&D and then went to something else, they still "speak D&D" and are a potential market. As the hobby grows, however it grows, the D&D brand will prosper. And everyone will feel right at home with the core mechanic... people will mostly speak the same language and D&D will stand as a game that is easy to learn, easy to play and has quality products (and this is where WOTC initially fell down in implementing the OGL: they made a game which was actually too complicated, slow and unfamiliar and their quality was spotty). If the OGL is biting WOTC now, it's mainly because they opted out of it (instead of just making sure that they had a truly entry-level rpg with high quality product support, which they easily have the resources to do). They decided to take their game in an entirely new direction. Those who did not want to go that direction were even sneered at publically by WOTC staff. So they did the exact opposite of what the OGL was trying to do: they went back to the "Tower of Babel" business model where everybody speaks a different rules language. With the GSL they even force you to sit under a contractual Sword of Damocles if you want to intone the sacred syllables of the 4E rules language. The only embarrassment to the OGL as far as Paizo (and a few others) is concerned is that a bunch of rebel farm boys can consistently turn out higher quality products than a corporate empire with a bazillion dollars. But that's not a problem with the theory of the OGL, that's a problem with WOTC/Hasbro's use of their own vast resources. If the OGL has a flaw, it's the assumption that the company with a bazillion dollars will natuarally turn out a better product than the amateur with five dollars. But in any event, that's not a flaw from the standpoint of the consumer, who gets to enjoy a quality product from whichever merchant of whatever means actually produces it. [/QUOTE]

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