Your Bet on Licensing

[Delta]

I find the shift pretty remarkable as well. Do you think WoTC does 'Guerilla Marketing' on these boards? I have noticed that a lot of the anti-OGL/pro-Hasbro posts come from accounts with very low post counts, which have recently become extremely prolific. And when I look at the posting history, it's defense of 4E and nothing else.

You know, now that you mention this, I am in fact seeing this a lot. Why would someone make an account solely to comment on some really arcane aspect of WOTC's licensing or web setup, and nothing else? That's actually kind of disturbing.

 

[Orcus]

But more than likely, if 4th Edition is not OGL, my top favorite publisher Necromancer has already said in clear terms that they are closing their doors..

Woah!!!!! Hold up, cowpoke!

If 4E isnt OGL we are definately not closing our doors. Necro will carry on. And even if it isnt open, I have some confidence that I might be able to work out some other licensing arragnement. We have certainly not "said in clear terms that [we] are closing [our] doors" if 4E isnt OGL.

But, I do have a strong confidence that 4E will be open in some way.

Clark

 

[dmccoy1693]

The rest of the publishers, the really small ones, are already dying and who know who will be left whatever WotC decides.

I don't know which small publishers you're talking about but I know several that are taking the opportunity to expand into other systems (OSRIC, Pathfinder, RuneQuest, True20). Some have been working on their own system for a while and its nearing launch time (Bards and Sages' Karma system*). And some are doing just fine with their 3.5 sales and are not switching.

With the exception of Goodman and Necro, I don't know any company that is planning on going 4E anymore.

disclaimer, I am writing for B&S's 3.5 lines

 

[Vigilance]

The rest of the publishers, the really small ones, are already dying and who know who will be left whatever WotC decides.

Well I consider the publisher I work for really small, though we're a top 10 total sales vendor on RPGNow, so take that for what you will.

But I don't see any evidence that business is rotting on the vine. Since we released Modern20 early this year, we've had some of our strongest sales in 5 years.

I think the only vendors getting a lot of agita from 4e are those whose primary business was fantasy.

But even that might be a mistake, I'm just trying not to look outside my own personal experience. From the standpoint of a company that does Modern/Supers/historical fantasy/Post Apocalypse books, business has been pretty good.

Not 2002 good, but better than this time last year.

 

[DaveMage]

And even if it isnt open, I have some confidence that I might be able to work out some other licensing arragnement.

Of course, if the speed at which their lawyers seem to work is any indication, you will get your license in 2012.

 

[Greylock]

Woah!!!!! Hold up, cowpoke!

If 4E isnt OGL we are definately not closing our doors. Necro will carry on.

Well, in that case I consider myself corrected. And it is welcome news. Necromancer has gotten more of my gaming dollars by far than anyone else the last four or five years. I must have seriously misinterpreted some of your comments elsewhere in the last few weeks, but to be honest a couple of my friends made the same error.

 

[Vigilance]

With the exception of Goodman and Necro, I don't know any company that is planning on going 4E anymore.

Wow, this seems to be the thread for wild statements.

Any link for all these companies that WERE going 4e but not anymore, other than Paizo?

(Who still haven't ruled out 4e 100% to the best of my knowledge).

I for one would still love to write 4e material, assuming the GSL is something I can afford and/or live with, and Chris Davis, owner of RPGObjects, felt the same the last time we discussed the subject.

I'd also like to see an actual list of all these dozens of companies apparently going under, cause I haven't really heard of that many d20 shops closing their doors.

 

[Bacris]

Well, depending on licensing, we still plan to support psionics in 4E... So wild speculation it is!

 

[dmccoy1693]

Wow, this seems to be the thread for wild statements.

Any link for all these companies that WERE going 4e but not anymore, other than Paizo?

(Who still haven't ruled out 4e 100% to the best of my knowledge).

I'll admit, I phrased what I wanted to say poorly (I didn't edit my forum post). What I wanted to say was, "I don't know any other publishers, besides Necro and Goodman, that pledged undying support of 4E, rules sight unseen, license sight unseen."

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=222882

 

[mhensley]

tick, tock...

So much time has gone by since we've heard anything good that I'd like to change my bet to no outside licensing whatsoever.