Uniting All Players: Dragon and Dungeon magazines online viewing?

[Zaukrie]

I do think that something could be done with Dungeon and Dragon to bring people together more. The magazines really could be used to bring people into different parts of the game, but I don't think it will ever happen again. Magazines are a pain to produce, as Paizo has told us.

I don't think WotC has the rights to put all of the old stuff on line. I do think it would be a good idea, though.

 

[JoeGKushner]

And let's be honest, WoTC has proven that if they WANT to do something, they do it. There were several legal issues TSR had and WoTC made them go away.

 

[Dire Bare]

I think that barricade was shattered with the CD release back in the day. I know Kenzer received some benefits from it.

"Shattered" as in, bad move for WotC? Then, yes. WotC got burned by digitally publishing the articles they didn't have solid rights to, and the Kenzerco case is the most visible result of that. Good for Kenzer, bad for WotC. WotC won't repeat that mistake.

I don't think WotC has the rights to put all of the old stuff on line. I do think it would be a good idea, though.

WotC has full rights to all of the published D&D game books, except for licensed properties such as Conan, Lankmar, Diablo, Wheel of Time, and Call of Cthulu (did I miss any?). They have MOST of the rights for the runs of Dragon and Dungeon magazines, it is only the very earliest issues that are problematic, and then not necessarily every article in each early mag issue.

They may not have all the rights for everything they've published, but that's no reason for them to digitally publish what they DO have the rights for, which is an awful LOT of material.

And let's be honest, WoTC has proven that if they WANT to do something, they do it. There were several legal issues TSR had and WoTC made them go away.

The WotC that saved TSR was a different corporate beast than the current subsidiary of Hasbro. But, we'll see what WotC WANTS to do to coincide with their release of D&D Next!