Corporate Sheep

[Absentminded_Wizard]

I figured it would be efficient if we had one place to list all companies that have signed onto WotC's GSL and speculate about what the hell they were thinking. So, here's the list to date, AFAIK:

Dias Ex Machina, a company converting its precious original setting to 4e. I can only assume they blew all their money on artist commissions and thus couldn't afford a lawyer.

RedBrick, Ltd., current makers of Earthdawn, among other RPG properties. No word on whether any of their existing settings are going 4e. My guess is, probably not, since they're licensed from other companies, which would make things really complicated.

It also seems, according to this Paizo thread, that Mongoose has signed on, too. This is interesting, since they have a few OGL product lines. Though they're making a completely new setting for 4e, they could be victims of a quick license change.

[Koumei]

I wonder if Mongoose will elect to continue making things with no consideration towards game balance. I mean, the Scion PrCl (for Clerics, mainly. Gain 1/day "Tell someone what they rolled." (Save vs Death. Never mind, you roll a 1. Die."), full caster progression, stat boosts, 1/2 Fiend/Celestial template for free, all good saves, gain all domains, limited spontaneous casting...) was awesome, and generally considered broken.

If they do that with 4E, well... something interesting might accidentally happen in it?

[Leress]

Emerald Press

[Zherog]

Goodman Games is publishing 4e stuff, though speculation is they plan to use the OGL to do so. They definitely aren't using the GSL, since they plan to release products for August.

Necromancer Games will be publishing 4e stuff under the GSL, but will not be converting Tome of Horrors to 4e because they want to be able to continue to sell the OGL version.

[Jerry]

Necromancer Games will be publishing 4e stuff under the GSL, but will not be converting Tome of Horrors to 4e because they want to be able to continue to sell the OGL version.

Tome of Horrors forever!

I wonder if Mongoose will elect to continue making things with no consideration towards game balance.

I don't buy books from that company for game balance; I buy it for reasons like an all-drow city setting (Sheoloth) and Macho Women with Guns.

[Absentminded_Wizard]

Goodman Games is publishing 4e stuff, though speculation is they plan to use the OGL to do so. They definitely aren't using the GSL, since they plan to release products for August.

I decided to leave Goodman out of the OP because (AFAIK) they still haven't mentioned signing the GSL, even though they have 4e products listed on their website.

Necromancer Games will be publishing 4e stuff under the GSL, but will not be converting Tome of Horrors to 4e because they want to be able to continue to sell the OGL version.

Have they ever officially come out with new plans after the release of the GSL? Last I heard, 4e Tome of Horrors was definitely out, and they were up in the air about what, if any, 4e products they were going to do.

[Amra]

I wonder if Mongoose will elect to continue making things with no consideration towards game balance.

[...]

If they do that with 4E, well... something interesting might accidentally happen in it?

I doubt that very much, given that WoTC retain power of veto over any and all 4e products. If someone goes and produces a book that actually gives you interesting things to do and WoTC don't, they're going to lose customers to the people writing the interesting stuff. As soon as they notice, they'll get them to pull the product; which under the GSL they can do without fear or favour.

That said, we can hope.

[Absentminded_Wizard]

Oh yeah, there is that clause which makes WotC everybody's game developer for GSL products. One more reason to hate the GSL.

[Absentminded_Wizard]

Goodman Games is publishing 4e stuff, though speculation is they plan to use the OGL to do so. They definitely aren't using the GSL, since they plan to release products for August.

I decided to leave Goodman out of the OP because (AFAIK) they still haven't mentioned signing the GSL, even though they have 4e products listed on their website.

It looks like it's official. RPGNow is doing a 50% blowout sale on Goodman modules.

LAST CHANCE! Later this year Goodman Games will be discontinuing the 3.5 Dungeon Crawl Classics product line. The End is Near! Until that point they are offering the entire line at 50% off. Buy now while you still can!

So it looks like they signed the GSL and negotiated a side deal with WotC to publish before Oct. 1. Presumably, everybody's keeping quiet because they don't want to advertise this sweetheart deal and they think everybody's so stupid they won't figure it out.

[Maxus]

I've seen some of the GG designers talking about Dragonmech and 4e on the board. I mentioned that Dragonmech, to do it justice, should be in a more flexible system, where it's easy to create your own mechs and steampowers. One of the designers said he was getting the same feeling.

So, I dunno what the status is on that particular branch of Goodman Games. Mostly, they've been about their Mech Battles miniatures game that they're working on, and it seems like they'll decide the future of the setting after that.

[Zherog]

Necromancer Games will be publishing 4e stuff under the GSL, but will not be converting Tome of Horrors to 4e because they want to be able to continue to sell the OGL version.

Have they ever officially come out with new plans after the release of the GSL? Last I heard, 4e Tome of Horrors was definitely out, and they were up in the air about what, if any, 4e products they were going to do.

Yeah, Clark has posted on the WotC forums about his planned 4e products. I'll see if I can dig up a link later.

[Angry_Pessimist]

Of course WotC cares about the moolah! They're a big corporation, and what with D&D being a popular game among nerds, they can still make a profit off of fan-boys by doing as little work as possible.

That sounds like a dream; sit around all day and get paid for it. Man, I envy them.

[Absentminded_Wizard]

RedBrick, Ltd., current makers of Earthdawn, among other RPG properties. No word on whether any of their existing settings are going 4e. My guess is, probably not, since they're licensed from other companies, which would make things really complicated.

Apparently, they're making a version of the Earthdawn setting for 4e.

http://www.ageoflegend4e.com/

And it looks like there's still some doubt about whether Goodman's going GSL, even though they're discontinuing their 3.5 modules.

Of course WotC cares about the moolah! They're a big corporation, and what with D&D being a popular game among nerds, they can still make a profit off of fan-boys by doing as little work as possible.

That sounds like a dream; sit around all day and get paid. Man, I envy them.

Except the odd thing is that their license seems calculated to keep people from accepting it. In fact, right now there are only 2-3 companies that are confirmed to have accepted it. It looks like a lot of people would rather take their chances trying to skirt the copyrights.

[Leress]

Apparently there are some that are releasing 4E stuff without agreeing with the GSL

Adamant
Kenzer & Co
and maybe Skortched Urf' Studios

[K]

Based on my knowledge of the way that intellectual property works, I don't think they can actually stop people from making 4e material as long as those people don't use actual copyrighted material like beholders, Greyhawk, or illithid. The actual mechanics are simply ideas, and ideas can't be copyrighted (though they can be patented if they are considered novel, but prior art in this matter makes that issue null).

At best, they can't get these small companies into court and cost them a lot of money, which is usually enough of a threat to intimidate people.

I'm only a law student, so take anything I say with a grain of salt. Until I pass the bar, I'm not actually competent.

[Angry_Pessimist]

I'm only a law student, so take anything I say with a grain of salt. Until I pass the bar, I'm not actually competent.

Don't worry; law student or no, I take everything anyone says here with a grain of salt.,

[Absentminded_Wizard]

There's been a lot of discussion about these kinds of IP issues since the GSL came out, and actual lawyers have posted in various places that it's possible to legally publish 4e-compatible material without the GSL. The major conditions are (as K mentioned) not using any trademarked words or phrases and not copying WotC's presentation of anything too closely.

Now, because WotC's probably willing to drag anybody to court over this, and because it's hard to tell how closely is too closely for a judge, this is really only an option for the bigger 3rd-party companies who can afford lawyers.