Updates on Lawsuits?

[Thelandrin]

This is a completely stupid thing to do. They cut themselves off from future profit of PDFs, ensure that the only legal trade in their books is via long-OOP paper editions and generate tons of ill-will. This is the same thinking that led to the justly reviled GSL and will not bode well for Wizards.

[SirRobin]

I expect they will change their minds once they get the "let's sue everyone" out of their system. Well, that or whoever buys the rights after Wizards go under will adopt a more online friendly product format. Once they do go online though I'm betting it will be an "inhouse" operation, probably subscription (annually) based, in addition to individual purchase costs. Also any prior purchases from third parties, like mine, will still be s.o.l.

The golden age of P&P, pen and paper, is over. If Wizards wants any proof they should look at what newspapers and magazines are going through. I am a little shocked that Wizards is in denial. Stereotypically are not "geeks" among the first to adopt new technologies?

Honestly I didn't think there was anyone left who had not accepted that online was the way to go. My last company played the "internet won't last" mind game and they lost millions in potential market growth plus are, still, spending millions trying to catch up.

I am a bit suspicious that what Wizards is really up to is just "clearing the field" of any, legal, competition before unveiling their own pdf's for sale... Only through their website of course.

[Birthright-L]

At 09:00 PM 5/13/2009, SirRobin wrote:

>Well there was D&D for a couple of years before TSR became TSR.

Just to clarify for those who might not be up on the ancient history
of gaming. Tactical Studies Rules (abbrev. TSR, Inc.) became TSR as
a sort of acronym that stood for nothing at one point between
editions of D&D (1st & 2nd officially, but that depends on how one
cares to count them.) "TSR" became like "Kodak" -- a brand that
wasn`t supposed to come from anything in particular... even though it
did, originally, come from something at one point. It`s kind of like
Tina Turner becoming just Tina after her divorce or Prince becoming
that fish hook-looking symbol, then The Artist Formerly Known as
Prince then The Artist and now Prince again, I guess. We can think
of this process in gaming as Gygaxions or Arnotanymores.

G

[Sorontar]

You mean like QANTAS can no longer be thought of as Queensland And Northern Territory Aerial Services.

And KFC no longer lays any claim to Kentucky.

Sorontar

[SirRobin]

And KFC no longer lays any claim to Kentucky.

Sorontar

Well, I wouldn't want people know I had anything to do with Kentucky either.

[Birthright-L]

At 09:51 PM 5/14/2009, Sorontar wrote:

>And KFC no longer lays any claim to Kentucky.

Do they still claim their product is chicken?

The other thing to remember about the whole TSR thing is, of course,
that WotC dropped the title entirely once they bought the company, so
the abbreviation that stood for nothing, but did have some name
recognition within its market just went away altogether.

In any case, we`ll just have to wait and see if the current bout of
legal snarkiness turns out to be anything more than maneuvering
performed in order to maintain their copyright. Personally, I`m
confident that things will turn around as soon as they get a handle
on the fact that they are swimming against the tide on this one. But
we`ll see.

Gary

[Thelandrin]

Since when has big business, especially ones with lucrative and popular stock, ever paid attention to swimming against the tide?

[Green Knight]

In the meantime we can take comfort in the fact that the files exist; and if you don't have them, maybe your good friend will let you look at his set?

[Mirviriam]

If you've been watching the cartoons you know WoC won't fold for awhile... unfortunately there's just too many ties ins from the post Digimon/Pokemon area to keep them going for at least another 5-10 years.

[Mirviriam]

Anyone know where sierra's IP ends and the rights for PBEM begin? Not talking $ or w/e - just how close are we treading with PBEM's or play by posts?

Think we'd jump over the line with automated PBEM's with webpage logins?

I'm not sure who to ask about this so....