WotC puts a stop to online sales of PDFs
For my money, if this move does end up being part of legal gamesmanship- for example, to show actual damages, loss of goodwill, and so on in court- I'll be sorely disappointed.
Maggan
Writer for CY_BORG, Forbidden Lands and Dragonbane
This might be of interest to some:
Wizards Community - View Single Post - WotC halts sales/downloads from rpgnow.com
DTRPG weighs in with some more info.
/M
Wizards Community - View Single Post - WotC halts sales/downloads from rpgnow.com
DTRPG weighs in with some more info.
/M
tomBitonti
Adventurer
A thought ...
At what point do the printed books (and corresponding PDFs) become unnecessary?
Here I am viewing the printed books as an assembly of D&D information that is printed out. A PDF may be viewed similarly as an assembly of D&D information that is placed into an electronic document.
I think that we are in the midst of a fundamental shift of how D&D information is provided to customers. The older style is to provide books (and by extension, PDFs). A newer style is to have the information available as an assembly in only the DDI. The only printed materials will be on-demand subsets of the information. That is: scenario printouts, character sheets, power cards with complete information for a single power. The most that will be printed for rules information will be small primers to get started with.
Under the new scheme, the only access to the complete rules is by subscription.
The new scheme has the benefit that all assemblages of D&D Information other than the DDI are copyright violations. Period.
That is consistent with the sparseness of the MM and PHB: These are light scrapings of the DDI information to get folks into the game, and as a transition to the new DDI format. A point-in-time sampling of the newest material, and nothing more.
If all assemblages are copyright violations, then a transition will be necessary where these are removed from the market.
Note that if assemblages are copyright violations, that makes detecting violations rather trivial.
At what point do the printed books (and corresponding PDFs) become unnecessary?
Here I am viewing the printed books as an assembly of D&D information that is printed out. A PDF may be viewed similarly as an assembly of D&D information that is placed into an electronic document.
I think that we are in the midst of a fundamental shift of how D&D information is provided to customers. The older style is to provide books (and by extension, PDFs). A newer style is to have the information available as an assembly in only the DDI. The only printed materials will be on-demand subsets of the information. That is: scenario printouts, character sheets, power cards with complete information for a single power. The most that will be printed for rules information will be small primers to get started with.
Under the new scheme, the only access to the complete rules is by subscription.
The new scheme has the benefit that all assemblages of D&D Information other than the DDI are copyright violations. Period.
That is consistent with the sparseness of the MM and PHB: These are light scrapings of the DDI information to get folks into the game, and as a transition to the new DDI format. A point-in-time sampling of the newest material, and nothing more.
If all assemblages are copyright violations, then a transition will be necessary where these are removed from the market.
Note that if assemblages are copyright violations, that makes detecting violations rather trivial.
Could you post the list over here? I can't get there from here, but am burning with curiosity.
-O
Wizards Community - View Single Post - WotC halts sales/downloads from rpgnow.com
SYB said:
Wizards Community - View Single Post - WotC halts sales/downloads from rpgnow.com
Steve Wieck of drivethrunow said:
CleverNickName
Limit Break Dancing
Actually....in sales and marketing, that is an eternity.
I agree. This whole thing has felt very unprofessional, from a consumer's point of view anyway. It makes me wonder what's going on higher up the ladder.
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Lonely Tylenol
First Post
Wait a minute. Are you sure you've worked in the gaming industry for as long as you claim to? What have you done with the real Charles Ryan, you cad?
SteveC
Doing the best imitation of myself
I really suggest that people read this linked post...it explains a lot. I daresay that if this level of communication had come from WotC we could have avoided about 90% of the problems that have emerged. Seriously.
--Steve
Hussar
Legend
This quote just needs repeating:
But, but, that means that ... WOTC isn't the evil bastards that everyone keeps repeating that they are. That means, err, *shudder* someone made a mistake and WOTC had nothing to with it. Naw, can't be. You can't fool me. WOTC is just out to screw gamers and make a quick buck in the meantime. It's not like anyone would try to cash in on the ill will generated to make a quick buck, would they?
But, but, that means that ... WOTC isn't the evil bastards that everyone keeps repeating that they are. That means, err, *shudder* someone made a mistake and WOTC had nothing to with it. Naw, can't be. You can't fool me. WOTC is just out to screw gamers and make a quick buck in the meantime. It's not like anyone would try to cash in on the ill will generated to make a quick buck, would they?
