WotC Replies: Statements by WotC employees regarding Dragon/Dungeon going online

[lkj]

The more I think of it, the more I think it was handled as a "death announcement" to avoid the accounting and date entry hassles with subscription transfers - with all its attendant database transfer and product roll-out deadlines too.

While I expect it was not an entirely selfless act, the more I think of it, it may well be that WotC has just taken a huge PR hit and given Paizo a chance to survive by permitting them to transfer subscription money to Pathfinder / store credit - instead of transferring cash to WotC.

Don't know why I, a habitual ghost on these boards, am posting in this chaos. Must be late and my judgement poor.

But, the same thought had occurred to me. While I agree that it's unlikley to be an entirely selfless act (perhaps a deal of some kind?), it did occur to me that if Wizards had rolled out their full plan at the time of the announcement, it would have put Paizo's efforts a bit more in the shadows. This way Paizo gets a smooth transition and the opportunity to snag a bunch of customers. Erik did suggest somewhere in here that Wizards had allowed them to print more issues to allow them to finish up Savage Tide. Perhaps this is more of the same?

On the other hand, it strikes me that Wizards is just ending licenses as they come up (CMP's Etools license for instance). If that's the case, then the timing of the end of Dungeon and Dragon may have a lot less to do with the launch of the DI as it does the end of the license. Perhaps it's not worth the hassle to them to arrange interim licenses to fill the gap.

Of course, the fact is there's a lot we don't know. Certainly it seems a bit odd not to let Etools limp along until they have a replacement, cuz it seems pretty likely there won't be a replacement for it in the near future. I don't know.

Anyway. Just some thoughts.

Cheers,
AD

 

[Nightfall]

lkj,

My thoughts: I need to keep posting. I'm almost catching up to Thanee!

 

[Agamon]

Aggy,

It's definitely option 2 in some ways BUT also think it might happen with option 1 IF I ever hit a billion posts.

Crap. I was hopeful with 20k, 'cause that's an ascension I'd like to witness!

 

[Nightfall]

Nah, I'll just be epic when I hit 20K. A billion is godlike.

 

[Agamon]

Nah, I'll just be epic when I hit 20K. A billion is godlike.

But Godlike is a different game (yeah, there was a d20 version, but it blew). How about Immortal? Not 3E, but at least it's D&D....

 

[Nightfall]

Aggy,

Okay about Endless. Cause I don't feel like I'm ready to scream "There can be only one!"

Not yet anyway.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

There was a D20 version of Godlike?

 

[Nightfall]

Danny,

I guess. I wouldn't know since I don't play much d20 beyond d20 fantasy.

 

[Alnag]

I've just wake up and read about the WotC stuff unwilling to write here. I would like to add my semi-profesional comment on this. First of all, you can definitely see a strong emotional response to the situation. This proves the commitment of the community to the game and its symbols.

Symbols - although the magazines might not be key in economical way, they were definitely important in the symbolic way. Let's say I would pull down the Statue of Liberty or Eiffel tower. It would not harm US (or French) economy much. But it would hit their patriotism very deeply. This is exactly what happened.

Silence - at the moment of announcement there was no one to calm the situation down. Absolutely unprepared community hitted like in 9/11. The reaction (in smaller scale) is pretty similar. Shock. Disbelief. Anger. Sadness. And no one to offer acceptable alternative, no one to offer support. This deepens the reaction to the point of distrust.

Distrust - you remember the early arrival of D&D 3.5 Since than most of the people are obsessed with 4e like chiliastic movment. Why? Because they became to believe in the "evil tyrant Hasbro" milking gamers of their money. The less and less designers communicating with community, the more and more "WotC ivory tower" feeling. This also add to current Magz effect.

I hope that WotC will learn from this lesson. To communicate. To inform. To support. To react in time!

The solution is nor ignoring the fans neither banning them from the board (although I understand the reason why it seems like acceptable solution). The manifested anger will disapper pretty soon. The moods don't hold for a long time. But the true test is the believes that will stay. And they will stay despite ignoring or banning. The only way to overcome tham is to be there and accept the anger. To understand.

So for any or all the WotC stuff. This is my view of reality. You are in very hostile situation which desperately needs solution. I hope you will not continue the current way and choose the right path.

I wish D&D brand, game, designers and fans all well. I am just sceptical to current situation.

Alnag

 

[Agamon]

There was a D20 version of Godlike?

Well, not a version, so to speak, but the game had a chapter on running it as a d20 game.