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Wednesday, January 16, 2008

January 16th, 2008: Mike Sugarbaker says...
D&D Minis updated for 4e compatibility, rulebook now online

So just how many hands does WotC have, and do any of them know what even one of the others is doing? I mean, not to say anything bad about making the new, updated-for-4th D&D Minis rulebook free online - that’s lovely and thoughtful. What’s odd is that they’d release minis rules that have been adjusted for 4e compatibility and not even seem aware of how the 4e rules are still secret, available only for 5 large and an NDA, and madly speculated-about. Naturally, the minis rules are probably not a rosetta stone of 4e insights; they’re only going to create confusion, and WotC must know this. Hell, is that their goal at this point? Jeez.

Posted in D20, Dungeons & Dragons, Industry, Miniatures Games, Roleplaying Games | 7 Comments

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

January 15th, 2008: Mike Sugarbaker says...
True20 goes free, FATE still standing there clearing its throat loudly

Green Ronin has announced that its True20 system, already an OGLv1 product but subject to licensing fees for logos and branding language, will be getting a new license in ‘08 (to go with a slightly revised new edition of the core rules) that frees the logo somehow. No details have been released on the new terms but I’d wager they will be D20 System Trademark License-ish. The differences will, of course, be telling, and probably more charged than usual given the recent D&D4 announcements.

Fred Hicks of Evil Hat would also like to remind you that the Spirit of the Century SRD is totally OGLv1, and while they don’t allow free use of the SOTC brand (but do make deals for it), the FATE brand is as free as it’s ever been. I repeat this here because so many D20-tied campaigns and settings are crying out for some FATE love in my opinion. (*cough*Iron Kingdoms*cough*)

Posted in Dungeons & Dragons, Industry, Roleplaying Games | 8 Comments

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

January 8th, 2008: Mike Sugarbaker says...
More OGL follies in the run-up to D&D 4th Edition

WotC is apparently so jumpy at the prospect of anyone making a D&D4e-compatible product that doesn’t meet their standards that they aren’t settling for the lack of an actual D20 license (which will go a long way to restricting the audience for third-party products to gamers in the know) - they’re charging a $5,000 cover charge for access to 4e rules before D&D 4’s street date. I guess that’s not unreasonable for advance copies of the crown jewels, really, and it’s worth remembering that before 3e was released, nobody got jerk for any price. So, while this news will likely rankle many folks, there isn’t much of a reason to be rankled. What bothers me is A) this sort of stuff is taking the place of a steady flow of competent preview marketing on WotC’s part, and B) stuff like this, from the bottom of the FAQ: “We are making the OGL stronger by better defining it. We’re rolling certain elements that used to be in the d20 license into the OGL, things like community standards and other tangible elements of the d20 license.” Uh huh. Whatever you think of that, it’s a recipe for further atomization of D&D designs and dilution of the brand. I almost wish they’d cancel the 4e SRD release altogether and just sell $5,000 licenses. Why keep taking half measures?

Posted in D20, Dungeons & Dragons, Industry, Roleplaying Games | 26 Comments

Monday, December 24, 2007

December 24th, 2007: Allan Sugarbaker says...
2007 OgreCave Christmas Gift Guide - pt 4

Just under the wire, the final installment of the 2007 OgreCave Christmas Gift Guide is here. This final list is our traditional “Eleventh Hour Special” - that is, downloadable gift suggestions, cutting that all-inhibiting shipping time delay right out of the equation. Only hours remain until folks start opening gifts, so have a look, and quickly download a gift or two, if you have the need.

That wraps up this year’s OgreCave Christmas Gift Guide (pun not intended, and stubbornly ignored). If you’re still stuck for ideas, feel free to peruse our lists from years past, our Ogre’s Choice Awards lists, or listening in on a few episodes of the OgreCave Audio Report. There, I’ve run out of things to shamelessly plug, so I’m off to bed. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Posted in D20, Dungeons & Dragons, OgreCave, Roleplaying Games | Comments Off

Friday, December 21, 2007

December 21st, 2007: Allan Sugarbaker says...
2007 OgreCave Christmas Gift Guide - pt 3

Yeah, I know: there’s hardly any shopping time left before Christmas (the only thing that saved me from getting sick with the rest of the family was all the extra hours at work), but we’re still plowing ahead with our annual OgreCave Christmas Gift Guide! In our third list of 2007 gift suggestions, we’ve gathered Twelve Games Under the d20, our choices of the best products for fans of the waning d20 System. With just a few days left, we hope you’ve already finished buying gifts, but in case you’re still playing catch-up (like us), we hope our gift picks will help out - or provide ideas to aim your post-holiday gift certificates toward. Naturally, our previous lists are still full of worthwhile suggestions, so have at them!

We’ll have one more list - the last minute, downloadable products - in a day or two. As long as we aren’t waylaid by anything else, that is…

Posted in D20, Dungeons & Dragons, Roleplaying Games | Comments Off

Thursday, December 20, 2007

December 20th, 2007: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Peter Jackson to Ring in two Hobbit films

Famed director and geek-icon Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame has finally reached an agreement with New Line Cinema to be involved in creating two prequel films to the J.R.R. Tolkien movies. It was announced earlier today that Jackson will serve as executive producer for two movies based on The Hobbit, which sets the whole Golem/Frodo/Sauron dynamic into motion. Production could begin as soon as 2009, with the movies tentatively set to release in 2010 and 2011. Now if we can just get the Hollywood writers’ strike settled, maybe things will get underway.

Posted in Dungeons & Dragons, Roleplaying Games | 2 Comments

Friday, November 30, 2007

November 30th, 2007: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Audio Report - Serving up hate with gravy

Turkey day and the resulting family obligations pushed this Audio Report episode back a bit, so we’re happy to get this one out there. We got some serious hate on for WotC’s Dungeon Survival Guide and the overall flawed 4th Edition preview marketing approach thus far. Miniatures throwing gang signs, Scandanavian LARPs, and Keira Knightley all may or may not be significant to the rest of the episode, but we certainly pimp the 2007 OgreCave Christmas Gift Guide. Have a listen, and tell us what you think.

Posted in Computer and Console Games, Dungeons & Dragons, Industry, OgreCave, Roleplaying Games | 6 Comments

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

November 28th, 2007: Allan Sugarbaker says...
State of the Mongoose ‘07: aggressive and hungry

For everyone’s safety, we try to keep tabs on any snake-eating mammals lurking nearby, and come to grips with what Mongoose Publishing plans to unleash on gamers in the year ahead. The traditional State of the Mongoose address was posted today, this time as a temporary forum, and so far, we’ve learned the following: Read More…

Posted in D20, Dungeons & Dragons, Gamebooks, Industry, Miniatures Games, Roleplaying Games | 5 Comments

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

November 14th, 2007: Mike Sugarbaker says...
D&D senior brand manager confirms: no D20 License for D&D 4

This news is a few days old, but as OC’s Senior Licensing Analyst (I will kidneypunch anyone who takes that seriously), I should weigh in. D&D brand manager Scott Rouse has confirmed at ENworld that the D20 System phenomenon as we know it (by which I mean the D20 System Trademark License) will be a thing of the past as of D&D 4E. There will be the OGL and there will be Wizards’ own official D&D projects, and that will be it. To be perfectly clear, this won’t take away any options as far as what mechanics third-party designers have access to (4E will have a System Reference Document that is available under the OGL, just like 3E, so far as I know), nor will it impact existing products with the D20 logo… I think. I’ll have to reread the D20 STL, but it may even remain legal for publishers to keep putting the D20 label on 3E material. (Also, in case it isn’t obvious, I am not a lawyer.)

So how does this change the landscape for third-party publishers in the 4E era? As a poster in the ENworld thread notes, there will be no easy way for third parties to quickly and clearly identify their products as D&D-compatible. This will have no real effect on the cognoscenti, who know to look for codewords like “world’s most popular fantasy RPG,” which leaves the mass market - people who go to Barnes and Noble and such - and those two dozen or so independent retailers who still care about being able to move third-party D&D supplements to non-initiates. Those markets just got virtually impossible for indie publishers, excepting the three or four biggest fish. Of course, given the hardships of distribution if you aren’t the size of Green Ronin or Mongoose, these markets and most others were already virtually closed to you.

I look forward to seeing what happens with this. In essence, publishers are being kicked out of the nest: maybe a few will fly with the OGL the way a few of us hoped back at the very beginning. Maybe original independent systems will start coming back as a mainstream-RPGs factor. Hell, maybe Evil Hat will make a FATE System Trademark License and everyone will jump on that, I dunno. But it’s the definitive end for the D20 market as we know it, as opposed to the actual end, which was a while back for most meaningful senses of the word.

Posted in D20, Dungeons & Dragons, Industry, Roleplaying Games | 13 Comments

Monday, November 5, 2007

November 5th, 2007: Allan Sugarbaker says...
Audio Report - Uneasy about the approach

Marketing - or to be more specific, the D&D 4e marketing approach thus far - is one of many things we dive into this episode. The death of Dreamblade, unlife of Zombie Fluxx, and everlasting love of ThunderRoad make appearances this show, as well. Plus, in his OgreCave Audio Report debut, Lee Valentine of Veritas Games Company joins in to throw some elbows with the rest of us.

Posted in Board Games, Card Games, Computer and Console Games, D20, Dungeons & Dragons, Industry, Miniatures Games, Roleplaying Games | 4 Comments

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