Chris DeLisle wrote:
> It's a bold and scary move on their part and I give them props for taking
> it. I am not so naive as to believe that there is any altruism on their
> part in making this decision. They are a business and as such are out to
> make money. What they are doing that is different from many other gaming
> companies is to apply sound business practices to their company rather than
> following poor policies which have led many a company to financial ruin. I
> have seen a lot of prejudices and petty jealousy from other companies and
> gamers alike towards WotC. WotC catches the flack for their success form
> both sides and has gained a unfounded reputation for being an evil empire
> bent on dominating the gaming industry. Sure, they want to dominate the
> industry, any company that doesn't isn't going to make any money, but that's
> a fact of life in a business setting. I had the chance to listen to, talk
> with and observe several members of the WotC staff and it has become
> painfully obvious to me they are all avid gamers with a great love for the
> games they product. WotC has gone to great lengths in an attempt to heal
> the wounds caused to the gaming community by TSR's campaign of online terror
> against their customers. This is the greatest strength I have seen from
> WotC, they understand that customer service is the key to survival. After
> seeing what they are giving back to the gaming community with the OGL, I
> can't help but be pro-WotC.
Thanks for the clarification, everybody.
Like you, Chris, I recognize that if the brass at WotC was looking for money
and money alone, they would not have come into the gaming business. I'm not sure
if I said something that suggested I was anti-WotC, but that was not my intent.
I was a demonstrator for WotC South at GenCon and had to calm a few visiting
gamers over the course of the convention. D&D3E and the OGL will serve to bring
more people and more business into the hobby. That's a victory to the industry
and to WotC. As I see it, WotC wants a healthier marketplace to make sure that a
company of their size can stay fed. This will also serve to validate the hobby,
earning it respect in business and everyday life. Contrary to popular opinion,
if WotC were to become the only company in the market, it would still starve.
More to the point: I was at the WotC Party after GenCon. Only a company of
genuine gamers would name drinks at their open bar after their game.
word,
will
p.s. I knew a fellow at GenCon who was still summarily against WotC because of a
statement made one or two years before by a commoner in the company. That
statement was decidedly *not* in the interests of Customer Relations. I think
it's that sort of "street level" appearance that the company needs to be wary
of. Any sort of CR-intensive company (WotC, Starbucks) must be.
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