Re: Adventures in Licensing...

From: "Chris Williams" <williac6@rjrt.com>

Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 00:00:00 +0000

Wow... um, ok. Thanks Steve.

Sounds like you didn't have a very good time of it. That's a shame,
hopefully my experience will go better. I'm in discussions over a small but
successful game. I don't feel comfortable saying who at the moment, but
there will be much hooha on my part if it goes through.

As a player in your game, I would agree that you have certainly done well
without any external licenses. I hope I have as much success as you and Hugh
(AG) have had creating your own games.

So... has anyone had any positive licensing experiences?  :)

Chris

MadCentral <madcentral@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20000512104954.28977.00002255@ng-fk1.aol.com...
> >>Have any of you seasoned GMs ever licensed an existing setting (i.e. the
way
> GURPS does sourcebooks) to make into a PBM?
> (I'm sure some of you have...)<<
>
> Several times.
>
> >>How did it go? <<
>
> Give it up before you even start.
>
> >>Specifically, what are some (if any) of the obstacles you
> have had to overcome?<<
>
> I could go on all day.
>
> >>Was it a worthwhile endeavor?<<
>
> Absolutely not.
>
> >> Was it too much hassle?<<
>
> Absolutely.
>
> >>What's a fair share for the person you are licensing from?  30%, 50%,
etc?<<
>
> It doesnt matter whats fair and what isnt.  The licensee will always think
you
> are about to make your first million on their name and will want license
fees
> to reflect that nonsense.
>
> >>Cash up front, plus a percentage?
>  (I know it depends on a bunch of things, but let's keep it somewhat
> general)<<
>
> With names that nobody really knows you might get a deal, but why bother?
With
> any of the big names you'll be paying an exhorbitant fee, you'll have your
> accounts under constant scrutiny, they might take back your license at the
end
> of any (usually short) contractual period and leave your investment dry,
they
> wont be willing to give you any reasonable concessions to help you promote
the
> game, you will have to deal with *miles* of pages of complex contracts,
which
> will mostly completely fail to understand what PBM even *is*, and you'll
spend
> more money on lawyers for that than you'll *ever* earn on the game.
>
> >>How much help/support (if any) did you get from the people you licensed
> from?<<
>
> We have been granted the license to AD&D, Champions, we nearly had Gurps
at one
> point, and we have been offered a number of others.  In *every single
instance*
> the help we got was just enough for them to ask us ''Will you earn us a
fortune
> in the first three months'' and *nothing more*.
>
> >>I'm really interested in this (and other) information.<<
>
> Dont waste your time, is my advice, but good luck if you give it a try.
Its a
> tiring (and boring) road that I never want to travel again.  In the end, I
> opted for creating my own 'epic' game and stuff the lot of them. <grin>
>
> Steve T.
>

References

Adventures in Licensing...
"Chris Williams" <williac6@rjrt.com>
Fri, 12 May 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Adventures in Licensing...
madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)
Fri, 12 May 2000 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Adventures in Licensing...
"Chris Williams" <williac6@rjrt.com>
Fri, 12 May 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Adventures in Licensing...
madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)
Fri, 12 May 2000 00:00:00 +0000