Suffice to say, I have some insight. This is very reminiscent of the flailing practices of a corporate license whose owners have no idea what to do with. “Puzzling” is far too charitable. However, like the Microsoft Business model, with built in obsolescence and brute force being the key, Hasbro can continue to do as it likes with its intellectual property, despite critique from all sides.

Filesharing is going to become MORE of a problem, not less with these policies. Many hope that through this novice ineptitude with a market it increasingly fails to understand, Hasbro will in its ignorance declare their Wizards acquisition or at least D&D specifically a “failed venture” and sell it to more capable hands.

Given the gross ignorance and shortsideness in question, I think it far more likely they will cling to the property and sink the ship to the depths of economic jeopardy.

That being said, the 3.0 and 3.5 editions of the game, under their old open game license, will allow publishers like Paizo to continue as they are, selling updated and customized settings.

As usual with industry-related practices of the “gaming” niche, there are those who can create content, such as Monte Cook with Malhavoc and Paizo with their Pathfinder editions and tons of other independent publishers, and then there are those who simply sling some money around to buy a franchise, and thus with ownership, believe they know better how to appeal to consumers of an extremely mishandled product and market.

I think the coming years are going to show us very interesting developments in the economic crisis and the value of intellectual property and DRM, and who is really going to support which corporate culture.

The hypocrisy of this behemoth is amazing.

WoTC brazenly violated the copyrights of hundreds of artists (myself included) that they ripped off when they reproduced all of the DRAGON magazine issues on CDROM several years ago, WITHOUT PAYING THE ARTISTS FOR NEW USAGE/PUBLICATION AS THEY WERE CONTRACTUALLY BOUND TO DO and even though they were ASKED TO DO SO (under contracts negotiated, originally, with TSR–so either they should’ve honored the contracts, or they are guilty of theft of intellectual property and copyright infringement at the very least–hundreds of times over).

But they have money and lawyers, and plenty of people willing to keep buying their products, enabling them to do whatever they want to do and shaft whoever they want to shaft.

IDIOTS