Does anyone know when it's set to expire? I thought it was 2015 or 2016. Just curious, I seriously doubt they will be getting it renewed.

I don't think ddo will want to renew or cost to much too renew, since DnD has changed Timelines and went way into the future of the realms. Not saying they couldn't but figured since DDO is so downscaled atm, it wouldn't be worth the renewal cost.

Crotch,
None of us know for sure when or what it means for DDO.

We have discussed and speculated on here before.
I'm on my phone so can't be bothered googling a link or two sorry.

Search DnD licence or WOTC or Hasbro.

I think we agreed on failing to renew the licence would not see the end of DDO.  They likely could use whatever content they had created up to that point, but would have to go generic thereafter.

As to when, I've heard 2016, but have no reference.
Will they or won't they.  Who knows.

Big companies would rather shit out utter garbage than lose a license. For an example, think of Sony and The Amazing Spider Man.

Meursault wrote on May 11^th, 2015 at 8:10pm:



This assumes they are competent enough to actually know it is garbage.

As long as the cost to run and maintain the game up added to the cost of the yearly licence fee is above zero you can be sure that the game servers will be kept running.

We might see a soft merge in the not too far future ( though I'm not certain... D&D licence is cheaper than the Middle Earth one, as WoTC/Hasbro is not a purely IP entity... while Saul Zaentz ( aka Tolkien Enterprise, aka Middle Earth Enterprise ) is definitely on the scrooge side of business. ).

For  WoTC/Hasbro : every year there's the licence fee coming in. That's a stable revenue stream, they are not going to kill it without a very good reason.
( even a DDO2 wouldn't kill it, it's basic corporate management : as long as it brings money with no effort, keep it running ).

For Turbine : as long as the first line I typed above is true, they have no reason to kill it either... As it's a revenue stream too.
they might ( and probably will ) streamline the expenditures to maximize the revenues ( less servers, less support, less development, maintenance mode, ... ) for as long as possible.
They will kill the game only when all the upkeeps are costing them more than what they can earn.

It's a clear case of Win-Win situation... Both WoTC/Hasbro and Turbine/WB wins from keeping the game alive as long as economically possible.

I agree with the embarrassment part, ToEE was kind of like Egg in the face.

But yeah I was just wondering since again 5e is so much different and DDO unlike the other games "tries/tried" to be loosely based on 3.5..

And my thought line was, cancel the license for DDO/Turbine, re-release a new one to another game company and follow 5e rules which are probably easier for a game to follow. Or maybe even cancel this license and give it back to turbine for another like DDO 2.0 (But god I hope they dont, I'm sick of turbines idiot management team)

Crotch Goblins wrote on May 12^th, 2015 at 10:43am:


You are assuming that WoTC wants another MMO platform that is 5e based.   A lot of it might depend on what they want to do with NWO.  Right now they have two MMORPG's.  Do they need a third?  Do they need to kill one of the ones that is making them money and replace it?  Hard to say.  We don't have any data that they would be looking at.

OldCoaly wrote on May 12^th, 2015 at 11:33am:


What is wrong with Cordovan's game play and dialogue?

When did Paiz say that their business model was to "shit out results that foster animosity"?  I've read a lot of producer letters and never saw that one.  Was it in a WikiLeaks email to a Sony exec?

Asheras wrote on May 12^th, 2015 at 11:40am:


Cordovan is a terrible player, and should not ever set foot in a twitch arena. He makes poor wording choices and either people are just laughing at him or are irritated with him.

And noone had to say it, it's just what history keeps showing us.

You should go to the MB's and join up with the rest of the Paladins.

Back in 2013 I remember a bird with fans telling me the license ended in 2015 and that there was a very slim chance for renewal due to other providers using the IP.

Given the recent updates I am suspecting that the license was renewed, but probably on a yearly basis instead.

Crotch Goblins wrote on May 12^th, 2015 at 12:58pm:

I was waiting for that. 

Either join the mob mentality or get labeled a Paladin/fanboi.  There is no room here for conversation or alternate points of view. 

I said several times in this thread alone that I think Turbine is doing a poor job and that, as a player, I am disappointed in their performance.  Not sure how that makes me a Turbine Paladin. 

I guess because I didn't just blindly agree with you.  Sorry.  Let me change my point of view:

You are right.  Turbine sucks so much ass and eats so much cum that WoTC must be totally disgusted by them and will definitely refuse to take their calls, let alone renew the license agreement.  WoTC may even drive over to Cordovan's Mom's house and slap her face for giving birth to him because his game play is an atrocity and embarrassment to D&D.  WoTC will most likely decide to license another developer to build a new (3rd) MMO just 2 years after the release of their last MMO.  It will probably be based on 5e. 

Is that better?  Did you get the validation you so desperately are seeking?

Asheras wrote on May 12^th, 2015 at 2:13pm:


Yeah, sorry. 

Cordo, you are not a good moderator, and I mock your value system.