Updates and non-compliance

[jeffh]

So over on the WotC boards, someone - a minor publisher who I just noticed also has an account here, in fact - is trying to tell me that when the changeover to 3.5 happened, publishers were no longer allowed to sell 3.0 publications and they had to be returned or destroyed, stores were expected not to sell them anymore, etc. I see no evidence of this and recall hearing nothing of the sort at the time.

Any comments one way or another?

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

100% untrue; no such thing happened when 3.5 came out. Publishers opted to convert to 3.5 to serve the market, but not because of a mandate.

With 4e, it will be a bit different in that the d20 logo will cease to be allowed, so all d20 System-branded products will most likely have to cease being sold. Publishers are quite free to continue to publish 3.5 material if they choose.

 

[jeffh]

Thanks. Anyone else (especially the more notable publishers, if any can spare a moment) want to chime in and either confirm that or explain where the misconception might have come from?

 

[Psion]

1) I have seen no evidence of this in any way.
2) There are actual 3.0 books that were put out after 3.5 by publishers with big manuscripts that didn't want to update them or scrap them (Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary comes to mind.)

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Thanks. Anyone else (especially the more notable publishers, if any can spare a moment) want to chime in and either confirm that or explain where the misconception might have come from?

Who the hell knows where gamers get their "FACTS."

Squashing gamer misinformation could be a full time job.

 

[Arnix]

100% untrue; no such thing happened when 3.5 came out. Publishers opted to convert to 3.5 to serve the market, but not because of a mandate.

With 4e, it will be a bit different in that the d20 logo will cease to be allowed, so all d20 System-branded products will most likely have to cease being sold. Publishers are quite free to continue to publish 3.5 material if they choose.

Correct.

We had our first for sale product coming out (read finalized) right before 3.5 released. We opted to get the 3.5 material and do a conversion/update. No mandate, just good business sense. Mind you, we also put 3.0 compatible stuff in the product and labeled it "3.0 compatible".

 

[Raven Crowking]

So over on the WotC boards, someone - a minor publisher who I just noticed also has an account here, in fact - is trying to tell me that when the changeover to 3.5 happened, publishers were no longer allowed to sell 3.0 publications and they had to be returned or destroyed, stores were expected not to sell them anymore, etc. I see no evidence of this and recall hearing nothing of the sort at the time.

Any comments one way or another?

If you're looking to buy 3.0 materials, I still have some in stock.....

 

[Morrus]

So over on the WotC boards, someone - a minor publisher who I just noticed also has an account here, in fact - is trying to tell me that when the changeover to 3.5 happened, publishers were no longer allowed to sell 3.0 publications and they had to be returned or destroyed, stores were expected not to sell them anymore, etc. I see no evidence of this and recall hearing nothing of the sort at the time.

Any comments one way or another?

The publisher is incorrect.

How amusing - did this publisher actually destroy all of his/her 3.0 inventory?

 

[jeffh]

The publisher is incorrect.

How amusing - did this publisher actually destroy all of his/her 3.0 inventory?

He claims to have done so and to know of "a great number" of others who did, the latter of which was the single strangest-sounding thing he said.

But I think we're in the electronic rather than print realm here, so that might only have consisted of withdrawing a few links from a Web site. So in that sense it might not be as funny as it sounds.

 

[jaerdaph]

Well, I know of one publisher who was required to destroy some of their 3.0 stock by WotC, but not because of the 3.0 to 3.5 update. They used WotC copyrighted material (most notably the name Drawmij) that was not in the SRD. Eventually they folded. It was sort of sad because there were some old school TSR greats involved with that company, but their understanding of d20 rules didn't include any regard for game balance.