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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
 Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 22:29:18
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I found this on Enworld but since some people don't go to that site, I decided to post it here.
On Gleemax.com, Randy Buehler, Vice President of Digital Gaming at Wizards of the Coast, has announced a new project, involving personal pages, new content, advisory boards and online games:
Wizards of the Coast is building nothing less than the Home for Gamers right here on this URL. Gleemax.com will be an online strategy gaming destination built on three important pillars: Community, Content, and, of course, Games. But before I get into the "what," I want to talk a little about the "why."
Wizards has always done the majority of its business through a core network of hobby stores and the communities those stores create. When my friends and I got into gaming, we walked into a hobby store and found a world of awesome games, a guy behind the counter who knew everything about them, and a bunch of people just like us who wanted to play. I've sat at enough gamer-tables at weddings to attest to the fact that those are the friends you hold on to.
But times change. Today, that hobby store and all its wonders is still there, but we see an opportunity to engage more budding gamers and ultimately drive new traffic to those stores. The key to growing the hobby gaming industry and making sure it continues to thrive for years to come is to recruit the next generation of gamers into our culture. And what about gamers who want to play, but don't have the time, or don't know where to find other gamers anymore? How can we make it easy for all these would-be gamers to start -- or return to -- gaming?
The answer, we believe, is Gleemax. It's a massive expansion of our web presence, designed to give gamers a place online where they can hang out, play games, and most importantly, find other gamers. We see this as a natural extension of things that Wizards has stood for since the early 90's and here's how we're going to do it:
Community
We want to give all gamers their own personal pages with tons of features that make it convenient to talk about games, find people to play games with, and get more out of the games they choose to play. We're not just talking about Wizards of the Coast games either. We see this project as an investment in growing the entire strategy gamer culture. There will be features aimed at existing Wizards customers (ways to show off your D&D character, your warband, or your deck, etc.) and there will be plenty of tools that fans of other games can use as well. We also want to give retail stores their own pages where they can promote their store, talk about store events and organized play programs -- events that will then automatically appear on the calendars of local players who care about those games. Our goals are to make sure the tabletop gamer has everything he or she could possibly need from a website and also to turn our attention to the online strategy gamers who want the same sorts of game play but prefer to play on a digital platform.
Content
We already have lots of great content on our website, from articles about our various games to behind-the-scenes peeks. But we can do even better. With Gleemax, we'll be deploying many of those same tactics, except we'll be talking about gaming in general and digital gaming in particular. You can expect a ton of blogs from Wizards insiders and a real dialog between us and our fans (that would be you). And like I said before, this isn't just about our games. It's about all games, so you'll be able to talk about anything you want.
Games
And, of course, we're going to have games. Lots of them. I don't want to give too much away yet, but imagine an Indie Strategy Games Portal filled with the coolest independent games, vetted by us, and given the Wizards Seal-of-Approval for fun, strategic game-play. Then think about a Board Game Portal featuring classics from our Avalon HillTM catalog, as well as new games we don't even know about yet! Plus Magic OnlineŽ and our original computer game Uncivilized: The Goblin GameTM (take a peek: www.wizards.com/goblinz). And that's just a start.
We think Gleemax is the right thing to do for Wizards of the Coast, the right thing to do for the tabletop hobby gaming industry, and the right thing to do for a sizable group of digital gamers who are being ignored by the mainstream computer gaming industry. We want to build a home that all three groups can feel comfortable in and I think it will change the face of the hobby gaming industry forever. If we pull this off (and believe me, we intend to), then Gleemax will become the center of the online strategy and roleplaying gaming universe.
Advisory Board
There is one other thing I want to talk to you about. Because we're interested in building something that serves the needs of the entire community and not just Wizards, we want everyone reading this to help us get it right. Gleemax has to be a collaboration between us and our community. To that end, we are developing an Advisory Board.
We will invite thought leaders from both the tabletop and digital gaming industries to serve on this board. The idea is to bring folks together several times a year to tell them about our plans for the future, and ask their advice. We want to know where they think we got it right and what they would do differently.
In addition (this is important), we will reserve multiple seats on the Advisory Board for gamers like yourselves. Because Gleemax is everyone's community, we want to make sure you have the chance to tell us in person precisely what we need to do to make it a place you will want to use. Stay tuned to this site to find out how you can become one of the chosen board members.
So there's the pitch... that's what we're up to. There's more, of course, much more. But that will all come in time. Meanwhile, I'll be posting weekly updates with more detail on each of the aspects of Gleemax.
Coming next week: Open Casting Call. Be sure to tune in to find out how you can prove yourself the most worthy to sit on our Advisory Board in our Ultimate Gamer contest. Don't miss out. I'll see you on the message boards!
And an interview about it:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/10687.html |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 12 Jun 2007 23:04:08 |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jun 2007 : 22:57:35
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But for anyone that went to the Gleemax site and was a bit concerned, this bit, from the second part of the interview, is intriging:
quote:
Will the online initiatives that are replacing the print magazines be part of Gleemax?
Not directly. We have a lot of really good ideas that I'm aware of, but we're not ready to talk about them yet. I can clarify a little bit about the relationship between Gleemax and D&D and Magic. In 6 months, 12 months, people will look at WotC as having three big brands, we've got Magic, D&D, and we've got Gleemax. Gleemax is its own separate brand; it's a product created by Wizards of the Coast. It's a little different in that this product supports the Magic player and the D&D player and it's full of a bunch of features and tools sets that support gamers of all shapes and sizes, but it is its own brand and its own product produced by Wizards of the Coast. That's the relationship. D&D will still have its own web presence, D&D will still do its own thing, but there will be a lot of cross references with Gleemax. We'll be trying to drive Gleemax customers over to the D&D Website, and we'll be trying to drive D&D players over to the Gleemax Website, but they're not the same thing--they are distinct initiatives.
So Gleemax is part of WOTCs overall Digital Initiative, but not the D&D aspect of it, per se. It may serve as a good indication of what they want to do with the "D&D side" of things though. |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6654 Posts |
Posted - 13 Jun 2007 : 05:30:52
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Roleplaying Myspace. Interesting. But will it take off?
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
Edited by - George Krashos on 13 Jun 2007 05:31:17 |
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Purple Dragon Knight
Master of Realmslore
Canada
1796 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jun 2007 : 04:58:20
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Sheesh... I went over to that Gleemax website and my first reaction was: wtf?
What a mess this is! either that, or I'm not as computer/Internet savvy as I thought I was (I guess I hit the thirties last year, so I must be afraid of the future or adverse to technology now that I'm slowly climbing down from my peak... :P )
Regardless of what the function of this website is supposed to be, it would surely benefit from a cleaner look. There is much to be said about clarity... |
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Randal_Dundragon
Seeker
USA
95 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jun 2007 : 23:01:55
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In regards to gleemax.com... "wow" i feel very underwhelmed. Hopefully theres more to it then what i found perusing the web site.
And i will miss both Dragon and Dungeon magazines, hopefully ill be able to download all the issues im still missing without to much trouble. |
Its simple really, Your an idiot and I'm simply a figment of your imagination |
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Randal_Dundragon
Seeker
USA
95 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jun 2007 : 23:03:10
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In regards to gleemax.com... "wow" i feel very underwhelmed. Hopefully theres more to it then what i found perusing the web site.
And i will miss both Dragon and Dungeon magazines, hopefully ill be able to download all the issues im still missing without to much trouble. |
Its simple really, Your an idiot and I'm simply a figment of your imagination |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36784 Posts |
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Dhomal
Senior Scribe
USA
565 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jun 2007 : 02:50:47
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Hello-
I dont know how much a change of mind this is - its only waht - 2 months longer? Its through Jan '08 - and I thought the original end date was November....
Dhomal |
I am collecting the D&D Minis. I would be more than willing to trade with people. You can send me a PM here with your email listed - and I can send you my minis list. Thanks!
Successfully traded with Xysma! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jun 2007 : 07:26:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Dhomal
Hello-
I dont know how much a change of mind this is - its only waht - 2 months longer? Its through Jan '08 - and I thought the original end date was November....
Dhomal
Aye, it hasn't changed all that much... and looking at the product listing, the third Leaves tome is still scheduled to be the last DL product published under this current license.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jun 2007 : 11:10:21
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| Yeah, at the DL boards it was more or less posited that this extention was to make sure that all of the projects that were already in the works managed to get out the door. WOTC actually extended Paizo's license by a month or so to make sure that the Savage Tide adventure path finished up before the magazines ended. |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2007 : 16:38:54
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So it looks like WOTC is keeping the Dragon/Dungeon name.
However, the new guidelines are posted:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/news/20070711a |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2007 : 16:54:16
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| I thought they might be, as the guys at Paizo started referring to the online content specifically as the online version of Dungeon and Dragon. |
Edited by - KnightErrantJR on 11 Jul 2007 16:59:46 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
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George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6654 Posts |
Posted - 11 Jul 2007 : 22:56:14
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
I don't think I'll have to wait for another 60-day article submission response, somehow. 
How come?
-- George Krashos
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"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 12 Jul 2007 : 00:54:49
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It's more of an assumption, really -- rather than something actually based on fact. I'm assuming I won't have to wait because my article was still being held in "decision limbo" at the time of the actual announcement regarding the end of the published DRAGON/DUNGEON Magazines. I was told to expect an update in the coming weeks, once the new format for the magazines had been made public.
Then again, there's probably a whole new department for this sort of thing, now that submissions are to be included online at WotC. So maybe I will have to see my article through another 60-day submission period.
Regardless, I have an email contact who may know more.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Mkhaiwati
Learned Scribe
USA
252 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2007 : 06:37:01
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I am not sure if this is the correct location, but it seems WotC has also pulled it's affiliation with KenzerCo's Hackmaster game. I am not sure if it is a KenzerCo or WotC decision, however.
from gaming report http://www.gamingreport.com/article.php?sid=23865 |
"Behold the work of the old... let your heritage not be lost but bequeath it as a memory, treasure and blessing... Gather the lost and the hidden and preserve it for thy children."
"not nale. not-nale. thog help nail not-nale, not nale. and thog knot not-nale while nale nail not-nale. nale, not not-nale, now nail not-nale by leaving not-nale, not nale, in jail." OotS #367 |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2007 : 18:15:45
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Wasn't sure where to post these two news articles, so I stuck them in this thread.
The first one has me concerned because of the legal problems that this might cause so I'll give warning about anything that is republished from the Compendium, because we still publish it on the net and thus it is published. So, since Gleemax is going to change their ToS, I'm a bit concerned about material showing up over there because the ToS says anything published over there cannot be published elsewhere.
http://www.gleemax.com/articles/announcement010.html
Second news: A clip of the Dlance movie will be showing at Gencon and the actor that is Tasslehoff's voice is going to be with Margaret and Tracy at their booth. So those who are going to Gencon and like Dlance, go check it out! |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2007 : 18:26:23
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quote:
Originally posted by Kuje
Wasn't sure where to post these two news articles, so I stuck them in this thread.
The first one has me concerned because of the legal problems that this might cause so I'll give warning about anything that is republished from the Compendium, because we still publish it on the net and thus it is published. So, since Gleemax is going to change their ToS, I'm a bit concerned about material showing up over there because the ToS says anything published over there cannot be published elsewhere.
http://www.gleemax.com/articles/announcement010.html
Second news: A clip of the Dlance movie will be showing at Gencon and the actor that is Tasslehoff's voice is going to be with Margaret and Tracy at their booth. So those who are going to Gencon and like Dlance, go check it out!
Good catch Kuje . . . I don't know if I'd be moved to ever post my work there, but this would definitely move me to think that I wouldn't, since I'd rather know that my own, for free, work can show up where ever I want it to. |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 04 Aug 2007 : 18:34:49
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quote:
Originally posted by KnightErrantJR
Good catch Kuje . . . I don't know if I'd be moved to ever post my work there, but this would definitely move me to think that I wouldn't, since I'd rather know that my own, for free, work can show up where ever I want it to.
Indeed. :( Especially if, like most of us, we use the FR IP. WOTC could reprint anything we publish over there if it was under the FR IP. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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Dragon to cease publication and the DL license end
