I might have missed what you are saying. Yes, it is true there are non-d20, non-OGL products out there.
But distributors know what is up, to some extent. They know their market. And non-d20 OGL stuff that isnt licensed content (a la Babylon 5) or from an established publisher isnt selling crap right now. Distributors wont all of a sudden forget what these products are. They know that the market for them sucks. Clark --- Steven Trustrum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Except this argument ignores the fact that other > companies still manage to > sell distributors on their products without them > even using the d20 logo or > OGL. There is an entire aspect of the gaming > industry that goes through the > three tier system and has nothing to do with the > discussion here because > they have nothing to do with the OGL system. The new > branding would > basically be a marketing tool for the consumer, so > if the distributor > doesn't recognize its value the publisher still has > the same chance of > pushing his product to the distributors as some guy > who is bringing his own > unique products to the market. Yes, the whole "ride > the authenticity of d20" > aspect would disappear, but that's not even remotely > the same as opportunity > disappearing entirely. > > Regards, > > Steven Trustrum > President For Life (or until the money runs > out) > Misfit Studios > > http://www.misfit-studios.com > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 416-857-2433 > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On Behalf Of Clark > Peterson > Sent: Sunday, August 13, 2006 4:35 AM > To: ogf-l@mail.opengamingfoundation.org > Subject: RE: [Ogf-l] RE: OGL Logos > > You guys are forgetting the real market force here: > distributors. > > (though some of the arguments are the same) > > Your products dont get to the fans unless the > retailers buy them from distributors. > > Distributors bought d20 at first. But "d20" as a > whole > was a disaster. Lots of people got stuck with "d20" > products. What distributors and retailers learned is > taht there are a few companies (regardless of logo) > that make products that sell through. > > That is what a distributor wants. > > You can make as many freaking logos as you want. > > If you dont get to put the "official" logo on your > product (or in the case of d20, the official > non-official logo) distributors are going to be WAY > less interested. > > It doesnt matter if you make the connection with the > purchasers. I agree with the posters who said there > is > only a small chunk of OGL saavy purchasers and they > know what it is without the logo. What matters is if > you make the connection with the distributors. > > If there is no logo like the d20 logo for 4E (ie if > the d20 license is yanked) then my uneducated (ok, > slightly educated) guess is that distributors will > have little love for unofficial support. They arent > that thrilled about d20. They like Green Ronin and > White Wolf and Malhavoc and Necromancer, etc. But we > have proven those things as companies, not logos. > Sure, we used the logo to get in. But, even having > established a track record of sales (we've done over > 40 books now I think and only 1 lost money--and it > didnt lose much. now if you are a distributor that > is > a track record you want to jump on) I still dont > know > how excited distributors will be to carry my stuff > if > it isnt more official. > > My guess: When 4E hits, if the best we can do are > "OGL" products to support it, I think that means > trouble. Not so much from the fans. I mean from the > distributors. > > Clark > > --- Roger Bert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > If 4E is not licensed then you can't brand your > OGL > > products to D&D or d20 > > for that matter. The d20 System Trademark license > > and licensees will likely > > be rescinded by WOTC. Who are you going to be > > branding too? > > > > Perhaps today a little "OGL" logo means it is > > compatible with D&D more or > > less for the very few purchasers who know what the > > OGL is or even notice the > > logo. But this will be meaningless when the logos > > disappear from the real > > D&D books. > > > > If your product is not meant to be played with D&D > > than using a logo is > > really meaningless even now. Gamers want a fun and > > useable game and they > > could care less if publishers can re-use their > > material. Gamers can reuse > > anything they want! > > > > And, to be blunt, most of the publishers are not > > re-using material from > > other companies. Sure, there has been a little. > But > > like I said the people > > who could reuse the material already know what to > > look for. > > > > There is no need for an OGL logo and this is > > especially true if 4E is not > > released under the OGL. > > > > Product branding, artwork, and any logos should > > relate to the product (and > > publisher) and not to the OGL. > > -Roger > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Behalf Of Steven > > Trustrum > > Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2006 8:32 PM > > To: ogf-l@mail.opengamingfoundation.org > > Subject: RE: [Ogf-l] RE: OGL Logos > > > > > > Roger, marketing isn't just about what currently > > works under an existing > > system but also what can be made to work under a > new > > framework. If 4e is > > released and isn't licensed, alternatives will > > become necessary to anyone > > looking to continue their OGL lines with any sort > of > > non-WotC related > > branding. That too, is (as you put it), a fact. > > > > Regards, > > > > Steven Trustrum > > President For Life (or until the money runs > > out) > > Misfit Studios > > > > http://www.misfit-studios.com > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > 416-857-2433 > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > On Behalf Of Roger Bert > > Sent: Saturday, August 12, 2006 8:24 PM > > To: ogf-l@mail.opengamingfoundation.org > > Subject: [Ogf-l] RE: OGL Logos > > > > I can't believe that everyone is so interested in > > someone else's logos and > > willing to debate it so much. > > > > Here is the fact: The only logo that means > anything > > is the d20 System logo. > > > > It means something to most D&D players out there. > It > > means something to them > > because Wizards of the Coast spent a lot of > > marketing dollars on it and it > > is seen on every D&D book. Heck, even all the 3E > D&D > > player's haven't even > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Ogf-l mailing list Ogf-l@mail.opengamingfoundation.org http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
