Open-source RPGs? Who cares? When I used to play RPGs (late 70s - early 90s) I played games I enjoyed. I wasn't really concerned about the price. My point is that I wouldn't choose a game system based on price differences (which in the Grand Scheme of things are pretty trivial - not like "do I buy the Porsche or do I buy the Hyundai?") and then spend weeks/months/years playing a campaign with that system. If I like the mechanics of a $50 Runequest game system more than a $40 AD&D game I'd certainly just spend the extra $10 and enjoy playing Runequest for the next year or two - without crying about the extra $0.0003 per minute it's costing me.

I've also found that the people who get into RPGs for the long-term enjoy tinkering with complex systems too much to lock themselves down into a single generic system. Games and companies come and go but they KEEP coming and going. Hasbro/WOTC isn't the first company with slick packaging and a big advertising budget.

Don't get me wrong, I own Hasbro and have great long-term expectations (once the next "baby boom" kicks in full speed) but I don't expect them to corner the market on creativity and RPGs.

BTW, I've been to the WOTC corporate building. It looks like it USED to be a fun place to work - but the marketing person I talked to didn't even PLAY any of the games. Pathetic. I wouldn't be suprised if some of the free spririts there bail to form yet another game company...