The DMsGuild website operates under a separate license and different set of rules.alhoon wrote: ↑Mon Jan 09, 2023 12:54 amAre we though? There are tons of Ravenloft products marketed in DMGuild. Same with Eberron, Mystara, Darksun, Dragonlance etc. For Dragonlance and Ravenloft with the campaign lines, there are a great many products. And Forgotten Realms? Easily in the thousands fan-made products that are marketed for profit using the DMGuild.Jester of the FoS wrote: ↑Sun Jan 08, 2023 9:48 pm That said, while we're not violating copyright we ARE violating their trademarks. Like... constantly. Terms like "Ravenloft" and the like are trademarked and the property of WotC and we're using them without permission.
It doesn't use the OGL and nothing on their is open under the OGL. The rules there are much less restricted because it was designed for fans to create content rather than 3rd Party Publishers, so there's less of a legal document to sign. But the content there is limited to the DMsGuild and can't be sold elsewhere.
You can use all monsters from the Monster Manual and any opened setting, which currently includes Dragonlance, Ravenloft, the Forgotten Realms, Eberron, and Spelljammer. But fans can't make content for other settings, like Dark Sun or Greyhawk.
Hasbro is also a separate company. They can only excerpt so much control over WotC without micromanaging. The managers there all have their own divisions to run. If they wanted to run WotC as well, they would have absorbed the company rather than keeping it separate.DustBunny wrote: ↑Mon Jan 09, 2023 7:07 amD&D (and WotC) is, but its owner - Hasbro - is bleeding money. A fair number of questionable business decisions means their stock is not doing well. Throw in the current economy (people willing to spend less on overpriced plastic toys) means investors are getting antsy. At their last Q3 report they were not happy.Jester of the FoS wrote: ↑Sun Jan 08, 2023 9:39 pm Actually, D&D is doing quite well. Recent books have still been selling out and D&D has been on a streak for the last few years. If 2022 was a slump, it was only because 2021 and 2020 were D&D's best years ever. (Even including the height of D&D in 1983-84!)
Hasbro has a lot of debt and its stock is plummeting. But that really seems to be the result of inflation and people choosing necessities rather than toys. As inflation stabilizes, their revenue should increase. Especially with a new Transformers movie coming.
That'd likely be the new management at WotC rather than Hasbro. Cynthia Williams was hired as President of Wizards of the Coast in February of 2022, with the former Wizards head becoming the CEO of Hasbro. You can bet a lot of the recent initiatives started with her.
They're partnered with Amazon to make a cartoon, so WotC probably won't go after that. But it's not like they can't go after CR itself.DustBunny wrote: ↑Mon Jan 09, 2023 7:07 amOh you can bet their eyes lit up brighter than the sun at the thought of getting their paws on that CR action. However I think CR is somewhat owned/partnered with Amazon - who has lots of lawyers. But if they cripple Paizo in the meantime, I doubt they will shed any tears.I imagine this is less them trying to kill 3rd Party Publishers and more trying to get a piece of the Critical Role action. Crit Role has made millions included an animated series, books, comics, and the like off of WotC's game and IP.