[Prometheus] - Comments wanted

[Planesdragon]

The Free Gaming Association is proud to announe the relaunch of our website, http://www.theFGA.com/

In addition to our new look, we have the first public-comment draft of the Prometheus Compatability Logo License (or "PCL") avaliable. A direct link follows.

http://www.thefga.com/index.php/articles/9

Comments are welcome, and questions (in public or private) will be answered.

 

[Strutinan]

I have been following this for quite a while now, and I am EXSTATIC about using this license!

Unfortunately, the links on the page do not work. All I get is "file not found" images.

 

[Planesdragon]

PCL 0.4 Combined Draft.

I have been following this for quite a while now, and I am EXSTATIC about using this license!

Unfortunately, the links on the page do not work. All I get is "file not found" images.

Odd. They work for me. Can you provide your browser and OS, so we can look into the matter?

Here's the combined draft, as a ZIP'd RTF.

 

[jaerdaph]

Customer picks up book from FLGS shelf.

Customer looks at Yet Another Logo #3398761. A logo without the marketing investment and brand recognition of the d20 Logo.

Confused customer says, "d6? But my group uses the d20 System from Dungeons and Dragons."

Customer puts book back on shelf.

 

[Planesdragon]

Customer picks up book from FLGS shelf.

That is all we need to do. No one picked up Everquest,looked at it, and then put it back because it didn't have the d20 logo. No one didn't pick up Mutants and Masterminds because it didn't have the same logo as the d20 books it was shelved next to.

Four years ago "d20" was meaningless. Given significant critical mass, "Prometheus" will have just as much meaning--although it will mean something ever-so-slightly different.

The draft PCL is just the first step towards critical mass.

 

[Nellisir]

Customer picks up book from FLGS shelf.

Customer looks at Yet Another Logo #3398761. A logo without the marketing investment and brand recognition of the d20 Logo.

Confused customer says, "d6? But my group uses the d20 System from Dungeons and Dragons."

Customer puts book back on shelf.

Man wakes up, and says, "Today I will change the world".

Man looks out door, and says, "But if it won't happen right away, why bother?", and goes back to bed.

You can put both logos on a product.

Nell.

 

[jaerdaph]

That is all we need to do. No one picked up Everquest,looked at it, and then put it back because it didn't have the d20 logo. No one didn't pick up Mutants and Masterminds because it didn't have the same logo as the d20 books it was shelved next to.

Four years ago "d20" was meaningless. Given significant critical mass, "Prometheus" will have just as much meaning--although it will mean something ever-so-slightly different.

The draft PCL is just the first step towards critical mass.

Two points:

People picked up Everquest because Everquest was already an established multi-million dollar SONY brand that didn't need a d20 Logo.

d20 became popular over the last four years because it was marketed by a multi-million dollar company. Does the Free Gaming Association have the millions of dollars to do that? And if you do, are you hiring

Seriously though, I'm not trying to make fun of you or anything - I'm just parroting what I've seen the major d20 third party publishers say about the issue over the last few weeks. And hey, if you pull it off, good for you, and I'd be the first to say I was wrong.

 

[jaerdaph]

More questions that legitimate publishers are likely to ask before they adopt this logo:

What are your marketing and advertising backgrounds, and your graphic design backgrounds, if any?

Are you a group of established industry professionals or a group of fans? The truth is, I've never heard of this organization or any of you (which doesn't necessarily mean anything, so please don't be offended) before this week.

Are you a not-for-profit organization? If so, why do you have a .com instead of a .org then? Do you have a 501(c)(3) letter?

Who's supposed to pay to promote this logo? The big name d20 publishers, and everyone else gets to ride on their coat tails?

This all looks very "grass roots" (not that there is anything wrong with that necessarily), and the reality is, the odds are stacked against your duplicating the success of the d20 System Logo without the same level of financial investment made by somebody.

I also want to say something positive here to so you don't think I'm a jaded and sarcastic moron - I think the logo looks good - it's clean, classy and well done, as does your Web site. That is a definite plus.

It's certainly a much more professional logo than what certain boobs who shall remain nameless were posting on the WotC message boards.

 

[Strutinan]

My specs? Win98se and IE 4.0

Just about as generic in this day and age as is possible, lol

BTW, I just tried again, still only that funky "File not Found" graphic :s

 

[jmucchiello]

This all looks very "grass roots" (not that there is anything wrong with that necessarily), and the reality is, the odds are stacked against your duplicating the success of the d20 System Logo without the same level of financial investment made by somebody.

I'm not part of that group. But let me point out something. You never heard of the logo before today. In fact, you haven't seen it on a book yet. But when you do, you will know what it means. And if you are in the store when someone goes "what's this supposed to mean?" You may even explain it. Even if you don't. You are one gamer down, several million to go in terms of getting the message out. And it didn't cost FGA a cent to get the logo to you.

Yes, that's very grass rootsy. But as they say, "Rome was not built in a day." With any luck, they will get done what they seek to do without making too many costly mistakes. Four years ago, there was no d20 market. And 30 years ago, there was no RPG market at all.

Will they succeed? Time will tell. Give them time.