Chaosium being picked apart slowly...

[Rurik]

There seems to be truth to this:

http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=291800

First RQ (I know, they didn't own RQ anymore, but MRQ is a direct competitor to DBRP - if it ever comes out), then it looks like they are giving up some or all of the Moorcock License.

Now Cthulhu.

Ouch.

 

[Alric]

After reading through Simon's (pres of Pelgrane Press) blog, he says that it is a license. So Chaosium hasn't lost or sold CoC. It's probably a deal like the one that allowed WotC to publish d20 Cthulhu.

 

[Loz]

First RQ (I know, they didn't own RQ anymore, but MRQ is a direct competitor to DBRP - if it ever comes out)

DBRP is reaching the end of a very thorough playtest. It will come it, although no release date has been set, and will be a very complete set of rules allowing BRP to be applied across a range of genres (with copious notes and ideas for how to make it work in different settings).

 

[soltakss]

But, that's business. Nothing lasts forever.

 

[Rurik]

DBRP is reaching the end of a very thorough playtest./quote]

Pushing 30 years now. :wink:

I eagerly await it.

I hope the new CoC is a good thing for Chaosium, but get worried that now pretty much every one of their major licenses is about to be published by someone else. It doesn't necessarily mean they are about to stop publishing themselves - but you can't blame a guy for being a bit concerned.

 

[Mac V]

I truely love the CoC game. I really like the folks at Chaosium as well. But, I can't really say that the release schedule over there has really inspired me. I know they had money issues, but I sometimes wonder what it would be like if they sold CoC offto a larger company.

Hite and Laws, I'll check it out for sure.

 

[Loz]

I truely love the CoC game. I really like the folks at Chaosium as well. But, I can't really say that the release schedule over there has really inspired me. I know they had money issues, but I sometimes wonder what it would be like if they sold CoC offto a larger company.

It would leave them without the brand name with which they're synonymous, without a major revenue stream, but maybe with a big cash injection. That would give them the opportunity to develop some new ventures based around DBRP, but is almost like starting from scratch. Could be a Good Thing; would most likely be a struggle and a huge risk; but ultimately could be good for Chaosium.

Sublicencing CoC and the EC lines is kind of a half-way house; get some cash; get a cut of licenced revenue; retain the property; invest modestly in other areas.

I've often wondered if CoC, in its existing form, hasn't been taken as far as it can go, and even if it's outstayed its welcome. Most aspects of the horror genre have been explored in the CoC format, in one form or another, and most areas of the Mythos too (with varying degrees of success). In many respects I'm surprised CoC has remained as popular as it has for as long as it has - but perhaps that's all down to the inherent nature and intrigue of the Mythos itself.

I'm please to hear it's a licenced venture rather than direct competition. It'll be interesting to see what the GUMSHOE system has to offer.

 

[duncan_disorderly]

DBRP is reaching the end of a very thorough playtest.

I hope the new CoC is a good thing for Chaosium, but get worried that now pretty much every one of their major licenses is about to be published by someone else. It doesn't necessarily mean they are about to stop publishing themselves - but you can't blame a guy for being a bit concerned.

Remember that the whole idea of getting AH to publish RQ3 was to free Chaosium up from being publishers to allow thm to be designers... (WEG's D6 System, as used in Star Wars originates in the Ghostbusters game that Sandy Peterson/Chaosium designed for them).

It always makes me wonder though, when people say, as they have elswhere on this forum, that they "need" an OGL version of Cthulhu, given that Chaosium have always been happy to licence the game to allow others to publish for it (Games Workshop, Grenadier, TOME, Pagan Publishing, WotC...)

 

[iamtim]

they "need" an OGL version of Cthulhu, given that Chaosium have always been happy to licence the game to allow others to publish for it

1) OGL version/public domain Lovecraft content: no licensing fees. Licensing CoC from Chaosium: licensing fees.

2) For six months I tried to get Chaosium's attention to license some of the Cthulhu properties for an expansion to an upcoming game line we're developing. I got no reply: nothing. At all. Ever. That's not a company that's "happy to license the game".

I'm not trying to be contrary, mind you, just provide an alternate viewpoint.

 

[Loz]

2) For six months I tried to get Chaosium's attention to license some of the Cthulhu properties for an expansion to an upcoming game line we're developing. I got no reply: nothing. At all. Ever. That's not a company that's "happy to license the game".

No, that's a company that's crap at responding to enquiries; not necessarily a company that's unhappy to licence the game. Did you email or call? Calls are sometimes better where Chaosium's concerned.

But I agree: ignoring a politely made enquiry, whatever the medium is not good. I actually emailed you several weeks ago when you were asking for people interested in contributing RQ material to Seraphim Guard products and still haven't had an acknowledgement.... :wink:

 

[homerjsinnott]

2) For six months I tried to get Chaosium's attention to license some of the Cthulhu properties for an expansion to an upcoming game line we're developing. I got no reply: nothing. At all. Ever. That's not a company that's "happy to license the game".

No, that's a company that's crap at responding to enquiries; not necessarily a company that's unhappy to licence the game. Did you email or call? Calls are sometimes better where Chaosium's concerned.

But I agree: ignoring a politely made enquiry, whatever the medium is not good. I actually emailed you several weeks ago when you were asking for people interested in contributing RQ material to Seraphim Guard products and still haven't had an acknowledgement.... :wink:

E-mail isn't a form of communication it's a form of being ignored.

Seriously, e-mail is at the bottom of the communication hierarchy, maybe even below texting (but text isn't communication just a waste of thought).These two are below phone calls and a phone call is usually forgotten about once someone puts down the receiver, so imagine how much attention people give to text and e-mails. :? :?

 

[Loz]

E-mail isn't a form of communication it's a form of being ignored.

That depends purely on the recipient. Any business (or person, come to that) worth its salt doesn't ignore ANY form of communication. The channel used should be irrelevant. And if you invite email as a form of communication (often as the only form of communication), you'd better have a very, very good reason for ignoring it.

Seriously, e-mail is at the bottom of the communication hierarchy, maybe even below texting (but text isn't communication just a waste of thought).These two are below phone calls and a phone call is usually forgotten about once someone puts down the receiver, so imagine how much attention people give to text and e-mails. Confused Confused

Sadly, you're probably right. Enlightened businesses know and value the power of good communications, but enlightenment is rare, when really it's a case of just plain, old fashioned courtesy and common sense - even if the answer is 'No Thanks'. That little bit of common sense and courtesy can go a long way in the respect and loyalty stakes.

Oh, I'm a communications consultant by profession, BTW, so this is a subject very dear to my heart.

 

[mthomason]

Well I kinda rely on email for all kinds of things. It's the perfect form of communication when you and the other person aren't both available at the same time. People can ask me questions, and I can reply in as much detail as is necessary.

As for the phone, I have an answering machine on that because I find it too much of an intrusion to have to keep answering it at inconvenient times, only to find that nine times out of ten it's someone trying to sell me double glazing. Pretty much everyone who knows me knows that the best way to get in contact with me is in an email. It also means I have time to think about my reply and write something that makes sense instead of babbling over the phone because my mind is on something else at the time...

 

[Rurik]

Sadly, you're probably right. Enlightened businesses know and value the power of good communications, but enlightenment is rare, when really it's a case of just plain, old fashioned courtesy and common sense - even if the answer is 'No Thanks'. That little bit of common sense and courtesy can go a long way in the respect and loyalty stakes.

Enlightenment is Chaos, and the enlightened must be destroyed.

 

[Archer]

First RQ (I know, they didn't own RQ anymore, but MRQ is a direct competitor to DBRP - if it ever comes out)

DBRP is reaching the end of a very thorough playtest. It will come it, although no release date has been set, and will be a very complete set of rules allowing BRP to be applied across a range of genres (with copious notes and ideas for how to make it work in different settings).

The ten billion dollar question for me would then be, will it be OGL or not?

 

[Dr. Halflight]

First RQ (I know, they didn't own RQ anymore, but MRQ is a direct competitor to DBRP - if it ever comes out)

DBRP is reaching the end of a very thorough playtest. It will come it, although no release date has been set, and will be a very complete set of rules allowing BRP to be applied across a range of genres (with copious notes and ideas for how to make it work in different settings).

With Chaosium, I think DBRP will be finished. But to emphatically say it will come out is presumptious. With products like Pulp Cthulhu, nothing is written in stone with Chaosium.

 

[Loz]

Whilst it's true that there's never any certainty with any company over what it releases, I don't think it's too presumptious to say that DBRP will appear. Pulp Cthulhu was hampered by manuscript difficulties; DBRP is very nearly complete (in both senses of the word), and, although things can, and do, happen that might mean DBRP doesn't appear, there's a very high chance that it will. The market is there; the MSS is there; and Chaosium needs a release like this.

Presumptious? A little perhaps. Optimistic? Very. Of course when it will appear is another matter entirely - for a book like this, timing will be everything, and that's why Chaosium haven't made any official announcements about it yet. After all, they don't want a Pulp Cthulhu repeat.

 

[iamtim]

I actually emailed you several weeks ago when you were asking for people interested in contributing RQ material to Seraphim Guard products and still haven't had an acknowledgement.... :wink:

Replied via PM.

 

[Rurik]

I actually emailed you several weeks ago when you were asking for people interested in contributing RQ material to Seraphim Guard products and still haven't had an acknowledgement.... :wink:

Replied via PM.

I sent you rabid hate mail through a bogus e-mail account several weeks ago and still havn't heard back either.

 

[Loz]

I actually emailed you several weeks ago when you were asking for people interested in contributing RQ material to Seraphim Guard products and still haven't had an acknowledgement.... :wink:

Replied via PM.

And much appreciated.