No longer a fan

[Morne]

This is my one and only post I'll make about this. Steve Jackson messed up by mass submitting DCMA takedown requests to tabletop simulator mods. That's his right but he hurt his fans and customers more than anything. Munchkin is my first REAL board game and opened my eyes to a hobby I've since fallen in love with, but I will never again purchase another product because of this.

Have a nice day.

[Mister Ed]

I want to make sure I understand this correctly. These Tabletop Simulator mods, they allowed people to play Munchkin any time they want without actually purchasing it, right? If that's correct, I have a hard time figuring out how anybody could be offended enough by the company that sells Munchkin objecting to this to refuse to buy their products.

SJGames, as evidenced by their rather extensive Men-In-Black program, clearly has no problem with people trying their games before they buy them. But I'm unclear how one would ever expect them to be OK with people acquiring their games permanently without having to pay for them.

If I'm misunderstanding how these mods work, and they actually don't represent permanent, free, usable versions of the games that SJGames is trying to sell, then obviously the calculation might be a bit different (even if their legal right to object might not be any different).

[Andrew Hackard]

Our policy has been consistent and clear: people who want to create digital versions of our games must obtain a license to do so. I'm sorry that you feel this is disrespectful to our fans and customers. We feel exactly as disrespected by people who use our content without our permission.

[trechriron]

I think you knew what you we're doing was wrong to begin with. I imagine your indignity is in direct proportion to your guilt (your feelings of such, not a legal condemnation).

1) Companies make money by selling products and/or services.
2) Companies not only have the right to protect their IP, copyright and trademarks but have a duty to do so, less they open the floodgates for anyone to infringe on them because they failed to enforce their claims.
3) Real fans (people who are fanatics, those who appreciate and support something) buy the products/services of those they are fans of. They also do NOT waste a company's money and time infringing on their IP, copyright or trademarks.
4) Professionals who wish to do business with another business generally engage them in several steps in order to establish a working relationship. This generally starts with a proposal to gauge interest. SJGames has clearly outlined the process of engaging them, in what circumstances you can use their IP and trademarks, and even what they are looking for. This is a very friendly, fan-focused, customer-focused approach.

Standing up a digital product that allows someone to play a game without purchasing said game is clearly stealing that game from the publisher. If you took the time to create such a thing, why not demo it to SJGames and make a proposal (like a subscription model via W23? or download codes via W23?)? Not only did you jump the shark by releasing it without exploring the business possibilities but this post clearly shows you would make a bad business partner (in my opinion).

What a missed opportunity...

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by trechriron

I think you knew what you we're doing was wrong to begin with. I imagine your indignity is in direct proportion to your guilt (your feelings of such, not a legal condemnation).

...

If only. Most thieves of physical property don't feel guilt, let alone information pirates.

[Sarge]

Originally Posted by trechriron

What a missed opportunity...

You know what opportunity continues to be missed? No PC or mobile versions of any of the SJ Games that people can purchase legally.

"King Digital Entertainment Plc, which makes the Candy Crush Saga game, raised $500 million in its sale in March..."

I'm not saying that what the OP did was ok, because I don't believe that it is. I am saying that there's a ton of money to be made by offering SJ Games or mods for PC and/or mobile gaming. It almost seems like SJ Games doesn't want more money.

[Schilcote]

Originally Posted by Sarge

It almost seems like SJ Games doesn't want more money.

Well, it takes money to make money, and sometimes even if you stand to make a profit you just don't have the capital to get into something. I dunno what SJG's financial situation is, but video games are friggin' expensive. It's likely just not worth the risk.

I can't help but wonder if this might have all been averted if the maker of these things just called up the company and said "hey, I made this thing, do you guys mind if I distribute it"? Even if they didn't want him handing it out for free, I imagine they could have done something through e23 to restrict it to people who have actually bought the cards.

[RevBob]

Originally Posted by Sarge

You know what opportunity continues to be missed? No PC or mobile versions of any of the SJ Games that people can purchase legally.

There are mobile versions of Zombie Dice and Dino Hunt Dice. They didn't spontaneously spring into being; people had to put in hours (and get paid for them) to make those apps. The company has numbers on how much revenue those have brought in, how much was spent to earn it, and that yields some pretty solid answers to "is this something we should do more of?" We've also pursued the possibility of Munchkin as a console game.

Originally Posted by Sarge

It almost seems like SJ Games doesn't want more money.

Quite the opposite. If a company has X man-hours available and can choose between spending it on one project to make Y dollars, versus another project to make 4Y dollars, the smart choice is the second option.

There are reasons why this company's been around for over thirty years...

[Sarge]

I did not realize that. I do remember Dr. Kromm mentioning that SJ Games didn't have anyone that was doing Apps. Perhaps I misunderstood what he said.

Thanks correcting my faulty info. Now where's my online multi-player PC version of Car Wars? :)

[Flyndaran]

I had to come to the realization that the products I want most would be foolishly unprofitable to produce. We don't always get want we want, and it's no one's fault.