"Mark, you missed what I was trying to say. Let me try to clarify."
Didn't miss a thing. I just don't agree.
"I'm not saying the logo should say in text "hey, we're compatible
with the d20 system!" I'm saying the logo you presented fails because
VISUALLY it doesn't have anything that will flip a switch in the
customer's mind for them to draw a connection to d20/OGL material on
their own. I'm also not disputing that it conforms to section 7."
(. . .)
"For example, Eden has used a logo that is a d20 with the word
"Modern" under it on their Revised AFMBE corebook. Such a logo has
sufficient elements to clue in a customer that the product is
compatible with d20 modern and yet the logo is not in violation of
section 7."
You're saying the same thing a lot of people say, or that they try not
to say while still trying to get the point across. I don't feel
comfortable with that level of winking.
"Another good example is the recognizable and simple OGL logo Mongoose
puts on its OGL corebook line and on its Conan books."
That might be a better example of what might be useful but I am not
sure what price comes with it. Is there a license of which I am
unaware or is that their's alone? It may be, however, a bit too broad
for some people.
But to this point -
"What I'm saying is that it simply doesn't meet the requirements of a
replacement branding option because customers simply can't draw any
visual conclusions from that logo as to what it is meant to entail."
- and -
"Your logo has no such visual connection and thus will fail as a
marketing and branding tool as a d20/OGL replacement logo unless you
are able to put sufficient marketing strength behind it, (. . .)
- I can only say that a logo, any logo, means absolutely nothing until
it has been pushed forward and pointed up as something. Any logo
would require a concerted and sustained marketing effort, as well as a
great deal of exposure beyond simply being on any products. In this
industry, getting enough people together to such an end would be nigh
impossible. This is why I believe you (or anyone who is not WotC)
can't put forth a logo that requires a license beyond the OGL or that
would be governed by any particular company or group interest.
"( . . .) such as by getting some big names already associated with
d20/OGL to also use it and there by create a connection on the merit
of their coat tails. (. . .)"
There are no really big names besides WotC in this business that could
give any logo the kind of clout you seem to require one to have to be
anything of value. Before you trot out a list, let me repeat, that
there are no really big names besides WotC.
"If not, the customer simply doesn't have any clue what it is meant to
indicate and your logo just ends up being a graphic element the
average customer can't figure out the purpose for."
*If* the customer knows what the OGL is, and *if* they have a general
understanding of how it works, and *if* they look at the section 15,
then they *do know* that the logo is OGC and will recognize it from
that point forward as meaning - "if it appears on a product, the
product uses the OGL, because it must to show that logo or any
variation of it."
*That* is all I believe you can ask of a logo from the outset.
Let's not forget that if you really think it needs to be different to
do its job, you can take it and change it because it is OGC and that's
the only thing about it that is never going to change. The "winged
key" has been released and is freely available to anyone who wishes to
use it in conjunction with the OGL, as the logo is or as anyone
believes the logo should be.
It's possible anyone could use the "winged key" and replace the text
with whatever text they thought best suited their situation, whether
that just be the letters "OGL" (which I think most people feel is too
broad) or the initials of their own company's system, for which they
would have permission from themself to do. However, as a piece of
derivative artwork they would be opening up version of a "winged key"
with their own system's initials as OGC, in effect allowing other
companies to utilize it and possibly be indicating compatibility with
their company's system, creating a pseudo-license by simply creating a
derivative logo. They would be, in effect, granting permission
through the release of that piece of OGC for others to avoid a
violation of the OGL's section seven. It's possible there could be
dozens of systems that had their own version of the "winged key" with
various game system initials within the box, all recognizable as
supporting the OGL community but all variations on how it is used.
Of course, it requires a level of trust and commitment beyond what has
come in the past so it is unlikely to happen too soon, if at all.
As always,
Mark Clover
www.CreativeMountainGames.com
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