Should the VEKN officially sanction printed proxies?

brettscho wrote:

5) Negotiations for POD are ongoing, but on “hiatus.” Here is a direct quote from the NC minutes:
- talks with CCP regarding the WOD license are on hiatus.
- CCP did however, indicate that they are not interested in licensing a VTES-compatible game that cuts out Wizards.
- still no word from Wizards.
- Design Team developed a boxed set of Sabbat-themed pre-con starters for OneBookshelf, with the idea that it would be the primary Kickstarter product in a 2015 release. If no movement by Wizards or CCP by the end of the year, the VEKN will release the new cards from that set as a Sabbat mini set.

Actually this right here basically can boil down to "We don't want to get into a fight with Hasbro over old IP. So VTES stuff that doesn't involve Hasbro risks us.

Solution: Build a game similar to VTES, but not VTES, to avoid Hasbro IP entirely. CCP would seem open to that solution.

Juggernaut1981 wrote:

Solution: Build a game similar to VTES, but not VTES, to avoid Hasbro IP entirely. CCP would seem open to that solution.

That CCP have said they're not interested in a V:TES-without-Hasbro option doesn't mean that they're open to your solution. It could just mean that someone - OneBookshelf, V:EKN etc. - pressed specifically on "Would you licence this if Hasbro don't agree?" and CCP said no, without enumerating all the other things they might say no to.

Consider the FFG LCG V:TES story that came and went fairly quickly. From what we've heard, it appears that it would have been a V:TES-ish game, but not V:TES. What was the blocker? Could have been commercial terms, could have been FFG's proposal, could have been a personality clash, or whatever. But it could also be that they don't want to do it, for whatever reason. Maybe they want to offload all the WoD IP in one go, without extra dangling bits. Maybe they don't want to annoy Hasbro (e.g. for any future possible arrangements between them), even if what is suggested is done in a totally 100% legally watertight fashion. Given FFG's good track record with licensing IP and putting out games, including games based on some extremely valuable and high-profile IP, you'd reasonably assume that they weren't complete bozos when approaching CCP - and, if so, what was the problem that stopped them coming to an agreement on a WoD-ish/V:tM-ish LCG?

Open to the idea... Not necessarily "all over the idea and keen to put something out there".

I am basically reiterating with a different focus. CCP won't touch a VTES print that doesn't include Hasbro.

So, they may consider a non-VTES but VtM/VtR-themed game that doesn't have the Hasbro IP built into it.

self wrote:

Juggernaut1981 wrote:

Deathly silence around this forum on a big topic like "Are we going into print?" and with the VEKN in general is rarely a great sign.

while I agree that it doesn't bode well, the VEKN IC is also somewhat notorious for not always communicating effectively. There may still be "nothing to report."

Be assured we will inform players of any "final" step (whichever direction it is).
We are still looking for solutions, be they proxies, or other publisher, or anything else. It's just that we don't really consider it important enough to let you know things like "Johannes sent an email and is waiting for an answer" (plus, some discussions might be under NDA).

If someone decided to publish another Vampire the Masquerade based card game, it is highly possible that even though I'd check the new core box I'd most likely wouldn't start playing it. As it ain't VTES.

Be assured we will inform players of any "final" step (whichever direction it is).
We are still looking for solutions, be they proxies, or other publisher, or anything else. It's just that we don't really consider it important enough to let you know things like "Johannes sent an email and is waiting for an answer" (plus, some discussions might be under NDA).

I feel like all signs point to the ( ) text explaining everything. This is the third post that I've read that points towards an unpublicized discussion occurring. Couple with a strong interest in re-promotion, I almost wonder if this topic was even worth discussing.