Anyhoo, just some random thoughts...
"My philosophy is 'you don't need me to tell you how to play -- I'll just provide some rules and ideas to use and get out of your way.'"
-- Monte Cook
"Min/Maxing and munchkinism aren't problems with the game: they're problems with the players."
-- excerpt from Guardians of Order's Role-Playing Game Manifesto
A GENERATION KIKAIDA fan
DISCLAIMER: I Am Not A Lawyer
I was prepared for it, when WotC acquired LUG back then.
I still do.
Part of Mishler's article got it right about 3e and d20 OGL ... though I'm skeptical about it being a bust. To this day, I pride myself being an d20/OGL gamer than a D&D gamer (I haven't bought ANY 4e Dungeons & Dragons).
And you're right, when it comes to product licensing. IP owners want to make a profit when they "leased" their brand to you for a time. They're not doing this for the benefit of their fans. They also want to milk their IP for whatever their share of the revenue the licensees can produce.
Anyhoo, just some random thoughts...
"My philosophy is 'you don't need me to tell you how to play -- I'll just provide some rules and ideas to use and get out of your way.'"
-- Monte Cook
"Min/Maxing and munchkinism aren't problems with the game: they're problems with the players."
-- excerpt from Guardians of Order's Role-Playing Game Manifesto
A GENERATION KIKAIDA fan
DISCLAIMER: I Am Not A Lawyer
__________________________
Robert -- San Francisco, CA
Visit my blog, Groknard - A Retrospective of Star Trek RPGs
CBS runs the Star Trek IP for purposes of licensing. They have their hands full on a big Star Trek project that requires them to vette data daily... the Star Trek Online MMORPG.
According to the developers, even screenshots posted on Cryptic Studios' website must be vetted and ok'd by CBS. Every story in the timeline between 2379 and 2409 (where the game starts) must be pre-approved... so, pretty much the energy is tied-up where the money is... in a MMORPG, not a pen and paper RPG.
"Everything happens for a reason..."
Maybe it's just me, but why doesn't CBS just start it's own RPG line and they could sell it as a pdf to keep costs down.
Heck they could buy the rights to LUG and revise it to include the stuff from ENT, and I hope the extra info from the novels (such as the Andorians having four genders).
I woudn't even mind if they put out a NuTrek sourcebook, I might not play it, but I might buy it just the same.
"Star Trekkin' across the universe, On the Starship Enterprise, Under Captain Kirk.
Star Trekkin' across the universe, Boldly going forward 'cause we can't find reverse."
Star Trekkin' by The Firm.
RPGs aren't that profitable. They are a niche market and CBS would be foolish to invest in developing a RPG line. If they want a RPG they license it out to an existing company, but I suspect that they see the MMORPG as a much more effective, and profitable route.
I just don't see a Trek RPG coming out any time soon. It just isn't in the cards. Also if there is a tabeltop RPG then it will probably be based on the MMORPG, silly, but I could see that happening as it would consolidate the work for CBS.
I guess that's true, but I'd still rather sit in a room with actuall people than in front of a computer to play Trek.
"Star Trekkin' across the universe, On the Starship Enterprise, Under Captain Kirk.
Star Trekkin' across the universe, Boldly going forward 'cause we can't find reverse."
Star Trekkin' by The Firm.