RPG Business Model -- Keep it Free

This entry is a response to the Greyhawk Grognard's post RPG Business Models

Before I go on to say what I feel compelled to say, I'm going to first affirm that people who create cool stuff should be rewarded for it.

Having said that, RPG's, the core rules, should belong to those who own it. Who are they? They are the ones who play it.

I find it appalling that games like AD&D are no longer in print. Fans of the game have to play knock offs of the original to keep a thriving community.

AD&D is a great example of a community driven game. Many still play the game, and even more would if acquiring it wasn't so difficult. Why was the game successful? Was it because the rules were so unique and perfect? No. Was it because there was a community of players who made as much contribution to the games as the "originators"? You bet. They played and they told their friends and their friends told their friends. Look at Fiend Folio, it's a great book of ... FAN created creatures.

These games should be free and distributed under a copy left licence similar to the GNU/GPL. I've written about this topic before. I'm writing about it again because I still feel the same way about it. Checkout the Gods and Monsters game license. Compare it to the so called "Open Gaming License".

I hope the author of Gods and Monsters prints copies up and distributes them through game stores. I'd buy one and so would many others. The cool thing is if the author gives it up, we, the community of players get to keep it forever just the way it is today -- FREE.

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