OGL Why I'm not boycotting the movie, video games, comic books or novels over the OGL scandal, just D&DB & hardcovers.

[Umbran]

They walked back nothing. 1.0 is still revoked

Well, no. Not yet, anyway. They haven't actually released a new license that tries to do so.

Flip side - even if they had said they weren't going to revoke 1.0a, we could not depend on that until we saw what they actually released. Press releases are not legally binding, after all.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

Yes, they said they'll remove some odious conditions from the new OGL, but they were silent on other big questions. They absolutely have not killed it off entirely, as they indicated in their announcement a couple days ago:



"It is coming." And so it's still possible that there will be bad news, including the status of future OGL1.0 materials, which was one of the things they were silent on and that happens to be important to me.
.

Give it time, pressuring is coming from multiple directions. It's not coming, at least not in any form that isn't neutered, I don't care what they say, I care what they do and I care about the surrounding context, they are losing, they are trying to save face, that is all this is at this point.

D&D Beyond cancellations and other issues are increasing, WotC is in open revolt at this point, they can't win.

It's already over, they just don't want admit it to themselves.

 

[MarkB]

I disagree, the Forgotten Realms has never been covered by the OGL, same with Eberron, DL, Ravenloft, Exandria, Spelljammer, Planescape, Theros, or Ravnica, even stuff like Radiant Citadel isn't, so Paramount doesn't care about the OGL, neither does Larian Studios, the new OGL is entirely about One D&D and D&D Beyond for different reasons. This was never about the multimedia empire, all the stuff draws from actual settings, it's not impacted by OGL at all.

They're not marketing the movie and TV shows as being specific settings, they're marketing them as D&D. And they'll do everything they can to close the loopholes on peoples' ability to publish anything D&D-related without going through them.

Why else do you think they were so hot on limiting the new licence to printed and PDF materials?

 

[Bolares]

They're not marketing the movie and TV shows as being specific settings, they're marketing them as D&D. And they'll do everything they can to close the loopholes on peoples' ability to publish anything D&D-related without going through them.

Why else do you think they were so hot on limiting the new licence to printed and PDF materials?

Yeah, I doubt we will hear "forgotten realms" anywhere in this movie

 

[J.Quondam]

Give it time, pressuring is coming from multiple directions. It's not coming, at least not in any form that isn't neutered, I don't care what they say, I care what they do and I care about the surrounding context, they are losing, they are trying to save face, that is all this is at this point.

Absolutely. The movie doesn't come out for a few months, and presumably (hopefully!) we'll know the actual terms of the new license by then.
If I like them, i'll see the movie. If not, I'll pass. No need for a final decision until all the information is out there.

(And honestly? I really, really, really hope my pessimism proves wrong, because I do want to see this movie!)

 

[DMZ2112]

Honestly, I have hopes for this film for one reason.

Oh, and just to be clear, if the reference to 'authorized versions' hasn't been removed from Section 9 of the OGL, and an irrevocability clause hasn't been added by opening weekend, I won't be seeing the movie in the theater.

My choice. No judgment on anyone else, whatever they decide. It's just not as important to me.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I disagree, the Forgotten Realms has never been covered by the OGL, same with Eberron, DL, Ravenloft, Exandria, Spelljammer, Planescape, Theros, or Ravnica, even stuff like Radiant Citadel isn't, so Paramount doesn't care about the OGL, neither does Larian Studios, the new OGL is entirely about One D&D and D&D Beyond for different reasons. This was never about the multimedia empire, all the stuff draws from actual settings, it's not impacted by OGL at all.

Even assuming this is true, if you pay for the media and not the game, you're absolutely sending them the message that their branding is more important than the game the branding comes out of.

Maybe that's true for you. Maybe that's true for most people. Maybe that's why they don't care if the OGL nukes the 3PP industry. They're not worried about it affecting their bottom line.

 

[Bolares]

Even assuming this is true, if you pay for the media and not the game, you're absolutely sending them the message that their branding is more important than the game the branding comes out of.

well... the brand IS more important than the game.

 

[mamba]

They're not marketing the movie and TV shows as being specific settings, they're marketing them as D&D. And they'll do everything they can to close the loopholes on peoples' ability to publish anything D&D-related without going through them.

Why else do you think they were so hot on limiting the new licence to printed and PDF materials?

so VTTs are excluded. I do not see them being able to close a ‘loophole’ on fantasy movies here, and I am not sure your ‘D&D related’ isn’t just that

 

[gamerprinter]

I don't boycott (nor "buycott") anything ever. On the other hand, I never planned on seeing the D&D movie, but then I haven't gone to the theater in 10 years, so I don't go see any new movie, until it makes it to TV or online, and even then, I just don't watch movies much anymore (and never TV). I haven't looked at nor purchased any comic book since I was 10 years old, and I only purchased horror comics like Vampirella, Uncle Creepy, Cousin Eerie, I never got into Superhero comics (just not my thing). The last novels I read were Game of Thrones and that's been almost a decade ago. I play and publish for Pathfinder/Starfinder, and even though I am currently nearing release for a Spelljammer supplement I'll be selling at the DM's Guild (content has been approved for publication with full permissions). I purchased the 5e Spelljammer 3 book set, and that has been the only D&D 5e books I've ever purchased, and ever likely to purchase. So while I don't plan to support D&D 5e in any way beyond the release of single supplement that I publish, the lack of support isn't based on some misguided animosity due to the OGL fiasco, rather I would normally not do those things that support D&D, beyond possibly playing their game (that's the only RPG support I ever do). I don't use VTT, I only play at a live table.

 

[DMZ2112]

Even assuming this is true, if you pay for the media and not the game, you're absolutely sending them the message that their branding is more important than the game the branding comes out of.

Maybe that's true for you. Maybe that's true for most people. Maybe that's why they don't care of the OGL nukes the 3PP industry. They're not worried about it affecting their bottom line.

I can see a future where Hasbro creates a D&D Cinematic Universe and ends up licensing the brand and product identity to an Onyx Path analogue for future TTRPG development a little too easily.

I'm tempted to say it's not a terrible outcome?

 

[Scribe]

D&D Beyond cancellations and other issues are increasing, WotC is in open revolt at this point, they can't win

They win if the movie is a success.

 

[Bolares]

They win if the movie is a success.

you’re going to hear people say that they won, and we lost . Those people will only be half right. They won—and so did we.

 

[Scribe]

you’re going to hear people say that they won, and we lost . Those people will only be half right. They won—and so did we.

And if the movie is a success, this lie will actually become true.

 

[Scars Unseen]

I'm not boycotting the D&D movie because I think Hasbro sucks and is targeting the industry that helped make D&D as big as its gotten. I'm skipping the movie because it looks like trash. I don't want a "har har, it's like they're from an actual gaming table" movie. That was one of the big problems with the movie 20 years ago. I'd much rather they treat it the same way the better novel authors do, and actually write a story that explores the setting, builds upon lore (canon or otherwise) and develops the protagonists as something other than one note joke characters.

 

[Remathilis]

I'm going to see it because if I know what Disney is capable of and still go and watch MCU movies, this isn't a hill I'm going to die on either.

 

[Lanefan]

If you intend to go see the movie but don't want WotC to make as much from it, here's a tip:

I don't know the specific percentages (if someone does, please chime in!), but as a movie stays longer in theaters the studio's cut of the ticket price goes down and the theater's goes up correspondingly.

So the tip: don't go on the first weekend, or even the second weekend. Be patient!

That way, you still get to see the movie on the big screen while still - gently - kicking WotC/Hasbro where it hurts.

 

[Remathilis]

If you intend to go see the movie but don't want WotC to make as much from it, here's a tip:

I don't know the specific percentages (if someone does, please chime in!), but as a movie stays longer in theaters the studio's cut of the ticket price goes down and the theater's goes up correspondingly.

So the tip: don't go on the first weekend, or even the second weekend. Be patient!

That way, you still get to see the movie on the big screen while still - gently - kicking WotC/Hasbro where it hurts.

Good to know. I usually never see movies the first weekend anyway; it's too people-y there.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

They win if the movie is a success.

They don't win at all. Paramount wins if the money succeed,which it will either way.

 

[Scribe]

They don't win at all. Paramount wins if the money succeed,which it will either way.

I cannot imagine a mindset, that doesnt see a "D&D" brand name movie, have blockbuster numbers, as anything but a huge win for Wizbro.

Like, I cannot fathom, the mental gymnastics involved.

Enjoy the movie, I wont pay to see it.