Home
Creators
Search Recent Random
Posts
Search DMs Popular Hash Lookup Tags Random
Importer
Import FAQ
Register Favorites Keys Review DMs Logout
Community
Telegram ThePornDude
Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

WoTC Wants Mercer to Pay! (Extended) (Patreon)

Published:
2022-12-30 00:49:27
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:
haven't archived this post yet. have a subscription? use the importer!

Videos

Content

PDM talks about OGL 1.1 and analyzes WoTC's recent moves. This video airs on YouTube next Tuesday. If you have trouble viewing this content, try a different device or OS. 


Files

Previews only

Matt Mercer Must Pay!.mp4

Comments

Bagel-Man

Excited to watch this when I get home!

MagicMurlo

Well if the poll I took is any indication, I know where this channel is going.

Bryan Stephens

Ok watched. Spot on, Sir. It is like you are in my head on these things.

Matthew Crismali

Another great video. Happy New Year to you too PDM.

Jim Van Cura

Thinking more about your poll, I would mostly like to see OSR content, but I would also love to watch you take the gloves off and rip WOTC every now and then. However, I can see it getting ugly in legal terms if they attribute revenue losses to your channel. That may give them standing.

Elvis Ramone

That Moses picture. How about the Dungeon23 thing that has received a bunch of traction?

Gregory Helding

This feels like 4.0 all over again. They are trying to turn D&D into a type of game that it isn't.

Adrian Webster
>>98507176

Perhaps, but the timing may be right this go around. Netflix tried to kill its dvd business too early, but they were right about streaming taking a bigger part of their future market. WOTC seems to be making a similar bet about trends in the ttrpg space.

Brian Leet

Hasbro: determined to prove that time is a flat circle.

Kevin Beck

I'm not looking forward to this change. I don't like the microtransaction model for computer games so I can't believe I'll like it much more for D&D.

Garnett

Why is it that the business of D&D is always such a $hit-show?

Flowers

Discourse Minis pretty much nails it

Jay

What? A soulless corporation draining every last penny from anyone they can get their claws on while there is a economy with a looming catastrophic recession hanging over us. Say it isn't so...Is anyone really surprised? Futhermore, The DM's Guild should change the name to the Game Masters Guild. WoTC can kick rocks!

knghtbrd

This is a mistake on Wizards'/Hasbro's part. I said that Wizards would not make the same mistakes TSR did back in the day, but they would probably make all new mistakes. Dammit I hate being right. If they were EVEN SLIGHTLY less greedy about all of this, they'd have been able to do just about all of it and make a truckload of cash with players mostly pretty happy. But they had to try and squeeze the last few cents out of players and it's managing to alienate a LOT of people. On the heels of what they did to MTG, it's a bad look and it'll bite them hard. It won't affect people like us here—there's so much OSR stuff, so many hacks and homebrews, and most of us have 5E stuff digitally so when our books all fall apart and become scarce and hard to replace, we'll still have them. No big deal, right? But it's going to hurt popularity with the casual crowd. The people who came from Stranger Things, etc. Too bad, Hasbro. You had to squeeze, didn't you?

robert fransgaard

Great video. You were asking whether people would buy into a grid-based online game vs a social experience around the table in a post-covid world. I think there is a third option if you look at two macro-changes in society following covid: 1. Post-covid is likely to drive people to search for social in-person activities. e.g. going back to stores vs shop online. 2. New work-patterns are forming such as remote work and hybrid work where some employees work from home som of the time. e.g. most meetings will have one or more staff dialling in. I think a third option is "lo-tech" hybrid gaming where you retain the social and tactile aspect that welcomes both online and at-table players at the same time. Our D&D setup is an example of this. it was a result of Covid, but also Brexit, which spread our gaming group across 3 countries. We have both players at the table and players and it works. I don't know how to add an image, but here's a link to a picture of the setup we use http://scrollmaster.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Photo-07-09-2022-19.53.33.jpg

Stephen Forshaw

Even numbered editions never seem to work out for D&D. Let's see if this follows the trend.

Jay
>>98515002

Hmm...Maybe Dungeon University or Professor Game Master? Scotty should Change to The GMs Craft. Others will be affected as well.

Jay

IMO, what people should be more concerned with is how more business models are going this route. If you consider Monthly and Annual bills along with subscription based models things really add up. The WEF was correct in stating "You Will Own Nothing and Like it." Some of these bills include Microsoft Office subscription, Amazon Prime subscription, Chewy.com auto delivery for Pets, Car Insurance, Health Insurance, College Tuition, Gas, Water, Electricity, Mortgage, Rent, Cable, Internet, Cell Phone Service, Vehicle Payments, lawn services, and dozens of other bills the everyday person has to pay to get the things they either need to live their lives or want for some form of enjoyment. This is how you have a population of wage slaves who will seek out government aid to solve their problems. However, anyone with any insight knows both sides of the isle do not have the publics interest in mind. Again, my two cents for what that is worth.

knghtbrd
>>98517177

It really is! Even if you were myopic enough to suggest that the creativity is heavily borrowed from elsewhere, you'd still be forced to acknowledge the love of and passion for the game is there in spades. What was the last thing Wizards released that felt like there was love OR passion involved in the endeavor? I don't think I could say I ever have. Probably the last releases that did were TSR's products in the era of Moldvay. Perhaps some of the campaign sourcebooks in the 2E days still had soul in them, but the products were already becoming lifeless. Which isn't to say that a product cannot be "professional" and reflect a "polished" editing style… More than a couple of sourcebooks well into the 2E era still had life in them and they were all polished and carefully examined to ensure they didn't have anything too offensive in them. The sad thing is that I know some people at Wizards and they DO love the game, and they DO care about the game and its players. I don't know at what point the soul gets sucked out of their work, but it seems to happen consistently. Your poll is telling you where your viewers are, I think: We're not interested in going where Wizards is taking us. And while you said it'd be hard not to move to 6E if our friends are all moving to it … but I don't think they are going to do that. People don't like feeling exploited when they have viable alternatives. And they do.

Dice Born Worlds

I expect a number of third party publishers, out of CR, to start to diversify their offerings while also working with WOTC. It would be a careful balance to avoid paying royalties while still bringing in that revenue stream which they can flip into other company's content.

Jeff Krus

I thought PDM said he was moving to OSR side in a pervious video or was I mistaken. .

Graham Kane
>>98512541

Yes. Her videos are far more informed and insightful than video titles would have you believe. She says herself that she deliberately uses clickbait titles to increase views. I believe she actually has a legal background so she tends to do her homework. Plus she’s Irish, so what’s not to like?😂

MrGunn
>>98534036

Edgar Friendly agrees with you Jay. Do not even get me started on property taxes, how can you own something if you perpetually have to pay taxes on it and the gubment can take your home if you cannot pay!

MrGunn

Discourse Minis has new site and a new video... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ0pXlp88Yo&lc=Ugzcyv-Dycu7i9DC_pt4AaABAg.9kGOyWHcCus9kIucZF1_Z0 My comment on her new video below: Discourse, you lament the monetization of D&D, yet you are huge collector of GW products and have Youtube and Patreon channel dedicated to Warhammer. GW are pioneers of squeezing their customer's out of their money. I do not see this as a radical shift for TTRPGs, we have MMORPGs today like, Neverwinter, which as far as I can tell are fully 'monetized' and one step above what WotC is planning. All companies look for ways to increase revenues. You as a consumer have choices. Your best way of voting is with your pocket book. You don't have to buy loot boxes or skins or GW games and minis, buying those things are a choice. Yet lamentably it seems a lot of people have chosen, they want those loot boxes and skins and GW minis. So far the YouTuberatti class have 'sounded the alarm' which mostly seems born out of the desire for clicks, regardless, we have not seen the final product, nor have we seen if Hasbroceana's digital strategy is going to work. I honestly don't feel gamers will have much if any input, so whinging about it will do very little if any good. The machinations of the Lidless Eye are set, the wheels are in motion, and the Nine ride openly again... In the end gamers and TTRPGs will be just fine, the D&D rules are out there for anybody to do as they wish with them, there are tons of alternatives using those. If you want to play Newspeak Dungeons & Diversity in Hasbroceana's fey furry walled gaming utopia, go for it, but there is still a whole grim dark world outside the walled garden.... THX1138 is leaving the dystopia.

Jay
>>98534036

Agreed. Never trust a politician especially one who has been in office for several terms. Taxation without representation happens all the time. Then there is Imminent Domain. Yeah, some people have enough common sense and life experience to see the BS and can see the American Dream is rigged against us. Anyway, Happy New Year!!! lol

MrGunn

PDM, my apologies, but I am starting to grow weary of the YouTuberatti class opining on D&D 6. The main interest of these folks is to stir the pot and get clicks so they can get paid, perhaps a conflict of interest? Is anything Hasbroceana doing such a radical shift. Companies look for ways to increase their revenues all the time. Discourse ranted on about how terrible WotC was to want to get paid and so have I. But, however huge McDonald's is, there is always another burger franchise being started and when people tire of burgers they eat pizza. Paizo springs to mind... All companies seek ways to increase their revenues. You as a consumer have choices. Your best way of voting is with your pocket book. You don't have to buy loot boxes or skins or D&D digital games or apps, buying those things are a choice. Don't like the direction of D&D, don't buy WotC products. So far the YouTuberatti class have 'sounded the alarm' but we have not seen the final product, nor have we seen if Hasbroceana's PayOGL and digital strategy is even going to work. Will Hasbro's efforts fall flat or will they have created the next best thing since the icosahedron. If it falls flat, will Hasbro's activist shareholders win the day and spin off WotC, who knows? In the end, gamers and TTRPGs will be just fine, the D&D rules are out there for anybody to do as they wish with them, there are tons of alternative TTRPGs using the OGL, and new games and mechanics being created all the time: Numenara and 2D20 spring to mind. You want to play Newspeak Dungeons & Diversity in Hasbroceana's fey furry walled gaming utopia, go for it, but there is still a whole grim dark world outside the walled garden. As to my opinion on what your channel should do: I did not vote in the poll, I did not like the binary choice, I feel you should keep doing you. You reached 100K subscribers because of what you do and how you do it. You obviously enjoy doing this and I assume like helping others in the hobby. Don't turn this into a second job, do what you love, I'll keep watching, until I want a pizza... ;)

Chris Baker
>>98567518

But I think Discourse Miniatures has a point in that if you wait until the final product is out, it's too late. It's clear Hasbro put out their statement due to all the speculation of the OGL. They were listening. Now is the best time to pressure them. Even if you don't play D&D, WOTC's choices will cause a ripple effect in RPGs.

Maatlock
>>98567518

MrGunn, agree that there's a lot of ranting and click baiting going on... but I try not to fault content creators for that too much as that is literally what the YouTube algorithm forces them to do in order to stay viable. That said, where there's smoke there's fire... and yes, to your point, a company will do what's in its best interest (i.e. what increases profit), and I don't begrudge WoTC chasing profits. #OpenDND is indeed trending due in part to click bait pot stirring... but it's also trending because there is substance there. I for one do NOT want to see this hobby infested with microtransactions / NFT BS or have only one VTT option and a much less rich ecosystem of third party content. So until WoTC proves otherwise , I'm assuming the worst (i.e. that their end goal is to squelch all 3rd party content AND other VTTs AND yoke their player base under microtransactions)... and using this opportunity join with the community and voice my concern / displeasure in the hopes that it mitigates that potential dystopic future. And hey, if it all turns out to be a giant nothing burger, then so much the better. It's a little Pascal's wager in a way. :) PDM, keep fighting the good fight, click bait and all.

Jay
>>98571667

That's right Corbin Dallas...MULTI-PASS! The tyran....uhh...I mean your loving wife needs one. Mine got hers last month. lol :)

Gregory Helding
>>98507176

There may be enough of an audience for the new digital game to make them more money than ever. There is definitely a split in the TTRPg space coming.

MrGunn
>>98567518

Ok, I updated my comment slightly. It is a better IMO, also longer, b/c more is more.

MrGunn
>>98523754

Interesting idea, hybrid gaming, not sure I agree. It strikes me the folks in person will get far more fidelity out of the session than those on-line. However, if it is working for you and your group, fantastic, I applaud your resourcefulness.

MrGunn
>>98505805

Great question Spencer! PDM the sooner you fix this the less pain and suffering you will endure in the long run. Let us know how things turn out.

MrGunn
>>98507053

Uggh, Dungeon23, gods help us... another fad whose time has come. I didn't do that thing with ice and buckets, I don't do that thing with nutz in November and I won't be doing this.

MrGunn
>>98508423

I think the expression you are looking for is: What is old is new again or back to the future! :D

MrGunn
>>98509830

Totally agree, I don't play 'free to play games' nor do I do micro-transactions. It is like advertising at the movie theater, I already took out a personal load to pay for the movie tickets and buy the over priced snacks, now I have to sit through f'ing ads too. I should have stayed home, where the popcorn and sodas are cheap, I have a designated parking spot, I can pause the movie anytime, there are no lines for the loo and I don't have to wear a mask to avoid Covid.

MrGunn
>>98517177

"And while you said it'd be hard not to move to 6E if our friends are all moving to it … but I don't think they are going to do that. People don't like feeling exploited when they have viable alternatives." Sadly people zombie right over that cliff all the time, Games Workshop springs to mind, their products are stupidly over priced, and their games are so so, yet people flock to them like seagulls to a trash heap.

MrGunn
>>98567518

[moved incorrectly posted response to proper thread] MaatLock I don't think we have much of a voice, not really, WotC is going to do what they want. XBox got snapped on the snout over the Sony DVD game trading brouhaha, yet most games are now sold on-line, as Microsoft originally intended. The machinations of the Lidless Eye are set, the wheels are in motion, and the Nine ride openly again... You are correct about Hasbroceana, the ultimate goal of all corporations is to create a vertically integrated monopoly so they can charge as much as they want. I mean look at Apple, the amount of money they make is astounding and they removed chargers from the box b/c "it was good for the environment", bull excrement, it probably saved them $3-$5 dollars per unit in materials and reduced shipping weight charges, and now they can charge $20 for a part that costs them $2. Talk about your lifestyle branding... crap I said LSB, now I have to kick a puppy.... ;P.... In the end some will stay underground in the perfect world of D&D 6.0. Myself, I am headed to the unknown grim dark surface with THX1138. Full disclosure, I was recently forced at gunpoint to get an Apple iPhone, my wife demanded our phone upgrade be an iPhone and I like to sleep with both eyes closed. Zorg was right, now I have buy all the associated bits and bobs to get it to work, as well as learn a new OS and use that gods awful IOS keyboard. F'ing Mult-pass!

MrGunn
>>98567518

JAY Wrote: "That's right Corbin Dallas...MULTI-PASS! The tyran....uhh...I mean your loving wife needs one. Mine got hers last month. lol :)" Thanks Jay, loved your comment, I deleted the misplaced post and moved it back under the orginal.

Jeff Krus
>>98550626

Thanks... Have a Happy New Year... I am trying to psych myself up for school.. I go back Monday, and students come back Tuesday...

Jeff Krus

Also, I agree with you on One D and D. I am not interested in it and the fact there are other platforms that do almost the same thing, like character changes, looks, i.e. World of War Craft, mobile games, etc.... I, like yourself, find OSR much more fun, personable, and easier to learn and play...

robert fransgaard
>>98523754

We've been doing this for a couple of years. Regarding fidelity, you can adjust. UDT is a great way of simplifying the board. Having 2-3 players also make it more manageable. Whether it will catch on at scale, no idea. But it retains a tabletop feel rather that becoming a video game

Maatlock
>>98567518

Spot on comments. Also I too just made the switch to iPhone because I was tired of my colleagues, family, and friends complaining that my emoji responses duplicated texts on their iPhones. So yeah... I'm fully expecting a similar phenomenon as OneDnD becomes real (i.e. that people will switch over for convenience, even grizzled refusers like myself). But... but... I haven't quite yet lost the spark of hope yet, mostly because the backbone of our hobby is made up of independent, creative types who are both clever and ideals driven. We've already seen that WoTC is listening... if anything, we can continue to use our voice to at least make it not as bad as it otherwise would be. (Though... I have no illusions. For all my idealism, I'm fully aware that the ending is likely to be along the lines Winston in 1984... how's that for depressing?)

Jared Davis

I hope you will embrace what I believe are the roots of your channel: simplified homebrew D&D. That’s what attracted me to your channel. I had found that game systems had become too crunchy and computational. Concepts like cinematic advantage and minimalistic stat blocks tie back to your earliest videos. The secret is that the DM can just make it up, and everyone still has a great time together. Expanding on concepts of creating conflict, character development, open matrix plot design, and evoking the appropriate mood during a game session are what you do so we’ll that makes you more than just another YouTuber commenting on whatever Critical Role or WoTC are doing. Good fortune to you in 2023!

MrGunn
>>98614620

Jared, I absolutely concur; you articulated many of the thoughts I was struggling to express, great summation!

MrGunn
>>98567518

Maatlock wrote: (Though... I have no illusions. For all my idealism, I'm fully aware that the ending is likely to be along the lines Winston in 1984... how's that for depressing?) No worries, for a slightly less depressing ending, you will want to watch the movie Brazil. O_o ;P :D

Bill Griggs

I'm pretty happy with my D&D setup. Most games I play now use zoom and something like Owlbear Rodeo for a map, though the map is just for a visual idea (we don't count squares). Most of the games I play are OSR. The thing I really like about playing games online is the variety of people I can play with. Nothing can replace sitting around a table with people, but I have one game, for example, where you've got myself and the DM in Virginia, one guy in New York, one guy in Canada, one guy in the UK, and one guy in New Zealand. Used to have a guy in Columbia playing, but haven't heard from him for a bit. My point is that I would never be able to play with most of these people if it wasn't for the internet.

Ghetto Gepetto

I didn't vote in the poll because I think it's a false dichotomy. Don't you already split your time between the 5e community and the OSR community? Why would you need to make a decision for 5.5/6e/whatever the hey-diddle-diddle it is?