From: seebs@plethora.net (Peter Seebach)
Subject: WOTC bought by Steve Jackson Games
Date: 2000/04/01
Message-ID: <38e65b9f$0$23080@news.plethora.net>#1/1
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I just received the following email.  I promised to keep it quiet, but I
was typing with my fingers crossed, so this is okay.

	From: skreyn@example.com (Shawn Kay Wrenolds)
	To: seebs@plethora.net (Peter Seebach)
	Subject: Re: WOTC rumors, true or false?
	Date: Fri Mar 31 23:59:59 GMT 2000

	I'd like to know what your sources are, Peter, because they're
	awfully close.  We are, indeed, being bought by Steve Jackson Games.
	Apparently, now that we have the new "D20" universal gaming system,
	they felt they could migrate our ruleset into GURPS.  In fact, this
	has resulted in some last-minute changes to the Player's Handbook,
	and we're now going to be pushing the Open Gaming "3D6" system.

	For a long time, a lot of us in the office have felt that WOTC would
	be better suited to a focus on worldbooks and supplements, instead of
	our previous plan for world domination.  We're going to be phasing
	out "subliminal" Magic cards, and Ryan Dancey is migrating to a
	position of VP of Evil Research and Development at Microsoft, where he
	is planning to release Windows under a new "Open Pay Us" license,
	where anyone is allowed to pay them for their software, whether or not
	the software is being used.

	Anyway, I'm pretty sure my job is secure, because Steve Jackson has
	expressed a lot of interest in the research we did for Slavers; I'm
	not sure exactly what he has in mind, but I expect it'll be a lot of
	fun.

	I wouldn't expect any immediate changes to the GURPS&D system, as
	we're calling it; dragons will still have really large HT, the hit
	location tables you're familiar with will be unchanged, and D&D will
	still be based on character points and skill levels.

	Thanks for your interest in SJGOTC.

	"Veggie Boy"

I'm not sure what to make of this; it sounds like they're not changing
anything, but then anytime they talk about what's not changing, it's as if
it's changing a lot.  Can anyone help me understand this?

-s
-- 
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