Good choice.
Note on Hasbro selling WotC, AFAIK Hasbro has NEVER sold an IP. They will let it sit on a shelf for years or decades before bringing it back out.
I feel I should point out - Extensions = RISK - as per my paragraph in all my extension page 1's. Read the .txt file that comes with them BEFORE you buy as it covers any additional risk on compatibility with other extensions that may use the code I reference that is "copied" not "overriden, while calling the original code still". I don't know of incompatibilities but I do know there are so many extensions out there - they will be there if we share the same "there can be only one" code. At that point the loadorder will determine who's code actually gets run.
Sorry to be on a soapbox there - but its a "thing" with me and warning about extensions :)
My guess based on 5 years of experience with DMs Guild (AND THIS IS BY NO MEANS OFFICIAL, it's just a guess) is that DMs Guild will implement a rule and disallow any FUTURE .ext publications, but they will forego the EXTREME nightmare of nerfing anything already published.
Although it is bonkers (IMO) for WotC to shoot themselves in the foot (financially and PR-wise) to not allow sales of .ext files (for whatever reason), I don't think they want to upset a strong subset of the community by taking away files already on the server. I would imagine that would cause even a GREATER uproar than the small one happening now. Imagine a corporation receiving complaint after complaint from people who purchased an item and it no longer receives support or access to download it. I mean it COULD happen, but I would think they wouldn't want the trouble.
Again, I must stress, this is just my GUESS as to what they will (not?) do...
Based on what ddavison said (thank you for those details!), it sounds like a "we don't understand this, shoot it!" type of knee jerk out of WOTC.
Side note: I hope the new Forge isn't built off of the current FG Store framework. I'm sure it's just me but I find the FG store a bit painful to find things and to browse compare to just about any online store on the internet. It feels like there is more packed into that store then it was originally intended to hold.
I doubt Hasbro/WotC care for the .ext .mod under DMG. It is something hard to control from end to end. They already went the slippery slope without way back with the removal of races and other things...
Sounds to me like they only want 5e D&D stuff on DMSGuild and so have put an end to sales of FG extensions. Simple enough and it gives the control and sales of extensions to Smiteworks (eventually) where they should be. Then Smiteworks gets a cut and we get a better product with the extra money they have. Win win.
Exactly. It is no more complicated (or nefarious) than this.
It was never intended to be a marketplace for "All things digital /VTT" and this is a correction back to that intended purpose. I was always surprised SW *ALLOWED* extensions to be sold period. But that's a separate conversation. It makes complete sense to me that WotC is not interested in providing a marketplace for third party "expansions" for a software they don't own, and that does not related to their IP.