GSL update

[Paul Hedges]

sorry i dont know who to link correctly
http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=230941

[David Marks]

Paul Hedges wrote:

sorry i dont know who to link correctly

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=230941

There you go

Edit: Having read the Rouse's post, I begin to see why the GSL took as long as it did. R&D, Brand management, AND legal, in the same room, arguing over what IP to leave in and which to take out ...

Owww ... my head hurts thinking about that ><

[Pete Apple]

IP Lawyers make the big bucks for a reason, yah.

[Charles Evans 25]

For those unable to link:

Spoiler:

Scott Rouse wrote:

OK so here is the deal.

The GSL is done. This is the license with all the legal language (FWIW this was the most difficult of the documents to write).

The compatibility logo is done. This is the logo that publishers will use.

The Statement of Acceptance (aka Confirmation Card) is done.

The FAQ is done.

The SRD is written but needs a final round of review.

This was the second most difficult document to write. The text was more straight forward compared to the license but it was longer and required more formating. As it stands now it is 72 pages long (it's no OGL SRD by any stretch of the imagination but it is still a weighty tome).

To give some insight into the process of writing the SRD: We started with a vision of what we wanted the document to be. As stated before, the vision was to create a reference document with terms, tables, and templates that would allow publishers to make 4th Edition compatible products. We went through every page of the 3 core books and included pretty much everything that was a term, table, or template and put it into the document. Late last week we decided to add additional content from books that won't be out as I mentioned in a post earlier this week.

So what's the delay?

Well we need to go through and make a final review and do some final go/no go decisions on certain content (Beholders for example). I have my recommendations already highlighted and submitted but this decision can not be made in a vacuum. For this we need all the stakeholders in the room at once (key reps from Brand, R&D, and Legal) with highlighters and red pens in hand. Two key people are out today so we have a series of meetings on Monday to do this final work. I believe that baring some natural disaster, this truly is the home stretch.

So why can't we post what we have ready now? Answer is we need to wait to release the whole document (license and accompanying appendix SRD) together.

Again thanks for your continued patience, understanding, and good vibes (they really help me to keep plugging away ).

I'll post another update (or the docs) on Monday 6/16.

My view on this latest news is that (depending on how long the 'review' process takes) if 3rd party publishers are lucky they might see the 4E GSL before the end of next month. Unless, of course, someone supposed to be involved at Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro goes on holiday in the meantime, causing yet further delays.

[David Marks]

Charles Evans 25 wrote:

My view on this latest news is that (depending on how long the 'review' process takes) if 3rd party publishers are lucky they might see the 4E GSL before the end of next month. Unless, of course, someone supposed to be involved at Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro goes on holiday in the meantime, causing yet further delays.

When you have a major bureaucratic process involving several different branches of lawyers all taking vacation in a semi-random staggered order, things tend to drag out ... forever.

Ugh, just reading this process makes me feel terrible.

[Charles Evans 25]

David Marks wrote:

Charles Evans 25 wrote:

My view on this latest news is that (depending on how long the 'review' process takes) if 3rd party publishers are lucky they might see the 4E GSL before the end of next month. Unless, of course, someone supposed to be involved at Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro goes on holiday in the meantime, causing yet further delays.

When you have a major bureaucratic process involving several different branches of lawyers all taking vacation in a semi-random staggered order, things tend to drag out ... forever.

Ugh, just reading this process makes me feel terrible.

If the scenario you outline happens, it seems to me that it could easily be September before the 4E GSL comes out.

I think I'll concur with that 'ugh'. :(

Edit:
On behalf of all those third parties who had been hoping to go 4E, I hope that it doesn't get that bad.

[Forgottenprince]

David Marks wrote:

Charles Evans 25 wrote:

My view on this latest news is that (depending on how long the 'review' process takes) if 3rd party publishers are lucky they might see the 4E GSL before the end of next month. Unless, of course, someone supposed to be involved at Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro goes on holiday in the meantime, causing yet further delays.

When you have a major bureaucratic process involving several different branches of lawyers all taking vacation in a semi-random staggered order, things tend to drag out ... forever.

Ugh, just reading this process makes me feel terrible.

"Branches of lawyers?" That's new... I'll have to remember that one...

Alternative fears that could prove true in delaying the GSL based on this tidbit:

1) Someone gets new marching orders from higher ups in Hasbro about how to treat category "x" products, which unfortunately includes D&D, which starts a new round of in-fighting.

2) Rouse was... overly optimistic about the current status and/or people change their mind over the weekend and they begin again.

[Dragnmoon]

Why do I have to go to ENworld to get this news?... Why don't they post the details on their own web page?...

[Vic Wertz]

Dragnmoon wrote:

Why do I have to go to ENworld to get this news?... Why don't they post the details on their own web page?...

Rouse also mentions on that thread that "When I print [the GSL] in 12pt font it is just over 5 pages."

The current OGL is roughly 2 pages in 12-point font (assuming fairly common margins and line spacing and such). We manage to fit that into about 1/3 to 1/2 of a page of tiny text in our products. I sure hope they're not requiring publishers to include the full GSL text in every product, because that would mean that fully a page—two for some publishers—would be taken up with the license.

Hopefully they just have a paragraph that references the full text at some URL....