We All Won – The OGL Three Years Later

[cranberry]

So why bother using AI then? Why not just “everybody knows”. Your personal experience is only anecdotal, but it’s still a more credible source than AI. That list undermines your point, as it’s so obviously nonsense. No list would have been far more convincing.

(I just asked ChatGPT and got an entirely different list)

Yea, I'm so used to people responding "source?", that I automatically include something.

 

[Morrus]

Yea, I'm so used to people responding "source?", that I automatically include something.

Well, glad that worked out for you!

 

[Scribe]

- What do you want?

For Wizards to diminish in terms of how the community perceives it, to fall from the Industry Assumption, to just another option.

 

[SlyFlourish]

Are you going to update your candles metric?

They haven’t really changed recently so not really.

 

[SlyFlourish]

IMO, anyone who trust WoTC at this point in time, is setting themselves up to be screwed.

That’s the question. How?

 

[cranberry]

That’s the question. How?

Well, I just don't have that sort of mindset/world view, so I'm unable to "step in their shoes" and figure out ways to screw people.

I worked for a venture capitalist for 3 years, and the stuff they did just turned my stomach. Especially when they asked me to be creative with the numbers.

But I'm sure there are plenty of people out there with creative ideas on how to screw people, and having no trouble sleeping at night. And WoTC seems like the kind of place that would welcome such ideas.

 

[SlyFlourish]

Well, I just don't have that sort of mindset/world view, so I'm unable to "step in their shoes" and figure out ways to screw people.

I worked for a venture capitalist for 3 years, and the stuff they did just turned my stomach. Especially when they asked me to be creative with the numbers.

But I'm sure there are plenty of people out there with creative ideas on how to screw people, and having no trouble sleeping at night. And WoTC seems like the kind of place that would welcome such ideas.

Having talked to several of them, I don’t think that’s true but I often worry that the current team isn’t the future team — which is exactly how we got the attempted OGL deauthorization. Thinking how we can protect our own hold on the hobby is something I think a lot about. Having so many great games in paper and pdf is a great way. Open licenses are another. What else?

 

[Argyle King]

I think focusing on the OGL is too small of a view. Yes, it was a contentious issue, but it was only one piece in a string of questionable decisions that fumbled the brand.

At roughly the same point in time, D&D brand had a best selling video game, a critically acclaimed TV show featuring the product, and a big anniversary date to celebrate. For once, there even managed to be a pretty good D&D movie as well.

Yet, despite all of that, virtually none of that was turned into goodwill with the customer base, better brand identity, or better community engagement. The proverbially stars were aligned, but virtually nothing happened. In some cases, worse than nothing happened; choices were made that snuffed out all of the positive momentum and fostered negative sentiment among the customer base.

For specifically the OGL, I don't know who "won: or "lost." In the end, WotC still did essentially what they wanted to do anyway, but the path the company took to get to the same location involved a lot of unnecessary turns that squandered what had previously been overwhelmingly positive brand visibility and momentum.

I think, if anything, the main change over the past few years has been people being more aware of and more willing to try other ttrpgs. Obviously, WotC's D&D is still the industry leader. But I still think how WotC went from all of the positive momentum they had to where they're currently at should be studied as an example of what to avoid doing as a brand.

 

[cranberry]

Well, glad that worked out for you!

And I have been thoroughly shamed into never mentioning or using AI ever again.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I do appreciate a positive outlook. I'm cynical, so ... I need some good news, especially nowadays, even if it's only for my primary hobby/source of income. Appreciate this look back at the OGL debacle and where we are now. Still cynical about the walled garden

I'm just happy I moved to Level Up before the OGL Debacle, and also that A5e is based on 5.0 rather than 5.5.