WotC pulls PDFs...

[Steel General]

WotC = "Washington's Overly Tyrannical Company"

[Gamerprinter]

I've heard it always as "Wot See" because it rhymes with what the Third Reich political party named themselves...

GP

[jfrazierjr]

I have said it before and will repeat.. I really don't think the rank and file guys at WotC are the evil people here. Remember that they(WotC when they were not a subsidiary company) are the ones who in the late 90s/early 2000s opened up the vast part of the rules in the OGL. I highly expect that the Hasbro bean counters are the ones who are pushing this whole thing, trying to wring every last nickel out of turnip so to speak...

[Karro]

I'd be inclined to agree with Joe. Corporate overlords rarely have the best interests of the public and/or rank & file in mind or heart. Theoretically, the bottom-line is the be-all-end-all, and I wouldn't even be bothered by that so much, but these days it's really all about the C-level paycheck and C-level ego.

I should know, I'm one of the cogs in their machines. (To clarify: not WotC/Hasbro's machines, but the corporate machines in the general sense.)

[Sigurd]

I have said it before and will repeat.. I really don't think the rank and file guys at WotC are the evil people here. Remember that they(WotC when they were not a subsidiary company) are the ones who in the late 90s/early 2000s opened up the vast part of the rules in the OGL.

I completely agree. I think that the people who took over after TSR, Monte Cook and many of the writers, really understand gaming. The D20 license gave them the whole box store market. I don't think the GSL and 4th edition operates under the same conditions or with the same appeal.


Its one of the those things where if you hold it too tight you lose it. I don't think they see that. Its also entirely possible that a game, even one as big as D&D, can't sustain a company of the size wizards has become. With a recession in the works I imagine its very very tempting to blame anything and everything else.

That is why I find it so sad.

Sigurd

[Redstar]

I completely agree. I think that the people who took over after TSR, Monte Cook and many of the writers, really understand gaming. The D20 license gave them the whole box store market. I don't think the GSL and 4th edition operates under the same conditions or with the same appeal.

I agree, and that is why I went where folks like Monte Cook and others went: Paizo. In response to the WotC pulling PDFs, Paizo is having a month long, 35% off sale, on their PDFs. In response to the GSL fascistic clauses, they've put out the OGL which captures the original spirit of the D20 license. They have better artist, better writers, and better game designers hands down.

The actions by WotC have p*ssed a lot of people off. I hope that more people consider the PFRPG. 4e isn't worth the hassle

[Turgenev]

The actions by WotC have p*ssed a lot of people off. I hope that more people consider the PFRPG. 4e isn't worth the hassle

It isn't just Pathfinder that might enjoy some of the benefits of WOTC/Hasbro's PR nightmare - I've seen some people coming back to the older editions or their various free simulacrums (ie Labyrinth Lord, OSRIC, Basic Fantasy, etc - all based on the OGL).

Eventually down the line, I wouldn't put it past WOTC/Hasbro's to pull the D&D RPG line and try to re-launch the brand as some other variation of miniature or card game. <insert evil smilie> Or come out with a 4.5 or 5th edition to try to increase revenue again.

[thebax2k]

I'm having bad memories of the bad ole T$R days of the early 90s. At least Hasbro isn't going after fan made works that contain smidgets of copyrighted materia and artworkl....yet.

I did have one minor quibble with something Gamerprinter said--"as it must be proven that they've actually profited from distributing their material, there is almost no case for punitive damages." That's true as regards to punitive damages, but not statutory (mandatory disclosure, IANAL). According to the No Electronic Theft Act of 1997 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NET_Act) the infringers (at least in the US) can be hit with up to 5 years in prison and $250,000 in fines, even though they did not profit from the infringement (ah, the joys of being big content and having congress in your back pocket).

I wholeheartedly agree with the rest of what Gamerprinter said--punishing your customers wholesale in an clumsy attempt to stop piracy does not strike me as a wise business plan.

[Redstar]

It isn't just Pathfinder that might enjoy some of the benefits of WOTC/Hasbro's PR nightmare - I've seen some people coming back to the older editions or their various free simulacrums (ie Labyrinth Lord, OSRIC, Basic Fantasy, etc - all based on the OGL).

That's true. I'm just partial to PFRPG cause I really got into D&D around the time of 3e, so for me, PFRPG is like the revival of an edition that I really like. But I totally agree: other editions and systems who all benefit from not having to deal with WotC/Hasbro!

Eventually down the line, I wouldn't put it past WOTC/Hasbro's to pull the D&D RPG line and try to re-launch the brand as some other variation of miniature or card game. <insert evil smilie> Or come out with a 4.5 or 5th edition to try to increase revenue again.

Hahaha... seriously.

[Gamerprinter]

I have said it before and will repeat.. I really don't think the rank and file guys at WotC are the evil people here. Remember that they(WotC when they were not a subsidiary company) are the ones who in the late 90s/early 2000s opened up the vast part of the rules in the OGL. I highly expect that the Hasbro bean counters are the ones who are pushing this whole thing, trying to wring every last nickel out of turnip so to speak...

I most certainly agree, its Hasbro as the bully, not WotC. I am sure the whole GSL mess is Hasbro legal team and not WotC itself either.

GP