WotC puts a stop to online sales of PDFs

[warlordgdx]

I just scanned through the last page of these comments, so I'm sure my two copper have been covered ad-nausea, but here goes

At first I was reluctant to immediately bash WotC for their choice - I try not to fall into that group of folks who are immediately biased against the company because WotC represents the 800 lb. Gorilla of the industry. More specifically, the designers/developers at WotC seem like genuiently great guys and enthusiastic game makers - i.e. they are NOT the business execs at Hasbro or down the line at WotC that make boneheaded decisions like this.

After thinking about it for a bit however, I've really got to agree with the fire branders on this one. This is a decision that will not disable PDF piracy of their products in any capacity (on the contrary, I think this kind of 'grab your ball off court and take it home' approach will actually encourage piracy due to the anti-corporate revolution that seems to be a core tenet of piracy). Not to mention that this may have HUGE ramifications for companies and/or individuals who depend on gaming PDF sales for income. Those WotC PDFs were a big draw for RPG customers to sites like RPGnow.com, which could then be turned into potential customers for indie publishers and the such. So what happens now that WotC eliminates a huge chuck of customer traffic for PDF publishers?

This strategy is regressive (being that paperless medium is going to eventually be the de facto standard of consumption), dismissive of other business partners (i.e Paizo, RPGnow), and is just plain old anti-technology (RIAA anyone?).

Sounds to me like the suits envolved in making this decision probably didn't understand how important it is to have a digital medium, or at least don't know how to wrap a business model around it. Shame that the customers have to be punished for it.

EDIT: I understand that WotC is going to be working on an alternative for digital downloads - let's hope that it's sooner than later.

Also, I'll continue to buy the 4E stuff just simply because I don't want to punish the game designers for their bosses decisions. They make good gaming products and work hard to do so - if only I could determine how much of my $20-30 went to R&D

Warlord GDX

 

[wedgeski]

If Apple didn't permit this occasionally, I would be stunned. If your claim is that Apple doesn't permit this, I really have to ask for some evidence, because I simply don't believe it. Denial of reasonable requests like this would be horrible business practice, and while I don't own an iPod or download from iTunes, it doesn't strike me as inept segment of Apple's business.

Well I can't give you anything more than anecdotal evidence, because I didn't keep any of the 'proof'. There is no provision for multiple downloads built into iTunes and it took two calls to customer support before they (begrudgingly) gave me a one-time re-download. They left me under no illusions as to whether they would do it again. Ultimately, that experience, and the general package of DRM/authorisation/max downloads/max burns/etc. that comes with buying music from iTunes turned me off the service altogether.

 

[wedgeski]

As a former member of Applecare (worked for them at two different periods over the past 12+ years), I can tell you that not only does Apple allow for a repeat download, they have a process and policy for it, as well as online documentation that anyone can access and follow the instructions on how to do this process.

See my previous post, but I have to tell you that the 'process', when I endured it a year or so back, was neither documented nor straightforward. The only way I even found out that it was possible (directly *contrary* to the content of emails from Apple) was Googling other people who had made a point of phoning and demanding a re-download.

It's quite possible it has changed in the interim, I don't shop with iTunes any more so I wouldn't know.

 

[CharlesRyan]

As a PDF user myself (PDF + iPhone = always having D&D with me!), I'm surprised and saddened by this news. But what's really floored me is all the melodrama on this thread.

WotC took some old products off the market, and eliminated the availability of products in a particular format. Companies do that all the time. But you'd think WotC had been setting people's cats on fire.

But Piracy Can't Be Stopped!

That's probably true. And piracy has been around since before the first D&D PDF was released, and WotC has always known about it. (I'm the guy that launched the first current-edition PDF sales, so I know what I'm saying here.)

It's pretty clear to me that what WotC is reacting to is a trend in piracy. Based on these events, I'm guessing there's been a pretty dramatic increase in piracy, particularly of key titles. WotC may not be able to put an end to piracy, but that's not likely the goal. The goal is to change the trend.

Also, a lot of people are comparing WotC to TSR, in a disparaging, "They Sue Regularly" sort of way. But lawsuits are expensive, and it hasn't been my experience that WotC likes to spend its profits on heavy-handed action unless it has a really good case. (Seriously, have you really observed WotC suing lots of people?) I think this is a situation where WotC legitimately believes they can substantially affect specific piracy activities or a current trend.

But 4E Has Already Been Pirated!

Yeah, it's too late for the PHB, MM, DMG, and PHB2. But it's not too late for the MM2, the PHB3, or any number of other strong titles. It's still early in the 4E life cycle. (Some people have tried to tie the timing of this into other things, like the Hasbro quarterly report (Really? You do have an active imagination!)--the strongest connection I see is to the imminent release of MM2.)

But I Didn't Get to Download My Purchase Five Times!

It's been less than 24 hours since this was announced, and clearly it took the resellers by surprise. Take a deep breath. I'd bet money that they and WotC will make a good effort to reimburse anyone who wasn't able to download their purchases or redownload a lost file. WotC obviously did this because they had big fish to fry--not because they want to steal your pennies.

But Bad WotC Didn't Give Us Any Warning!

I'm not a legal expert, and I have no special info on this issue, but I bet it's no coincidence that this happened within hours of the lawsuits being filed. I bet WotC needed to get all their ducks in a row--and all their court summons served--before tipping their hand to organized pirates. The lack of warning was probably a specific tactical move--not a PR fumble. That might suck for us, but it's no reason to heap vitriol on WotC.

I Like PDFs, So Now I'm Not Going To Play D&D!

Really? The format is more important to you than the game?

But . . . But . . . I Like PDFs!

Yeah, me too. But in the grand scheme of things-I-want-to-buy-that-are-no-longer-sold, this is really not that big a deal. Seriously, would you really react like this if you went into The Home Depot for a string trimmer and found out it wasn't sold any more? Those evil bastards at Black & Decker! They've lost this customer forever!!!

 

[Gorrstagg]

I'm going to be blunt as a customer. They can take their ball away from other companies, that's fine and its totally within their rights. I'm not even getting into that aspect, from a perspective of whom they hurt as a result of this action on the reseller's end. Those companies agreed to some contract that apparently allows this choice to occur. Fine, that is their perogative. (Yes it obviously affects me as a customer of RPGNOW or what not, and I now no longer have my 4 downloads due to catastrophic incidents. But that's another story.)

My complaint. They are getting rid of a modern version of our game. I do NOT want to lug around 10 frakking books anymore. Or as it's slowly turning out, another book each month.

They even used it as a Major sales option. (As presented in that 4E release youtube video a page or so ago.)

And I really bought into it. I'm gung-ho on .pdf's.

But don't yank it away and not provide me a real method for buying them. Let me buy it and stop trying to punish ME. I didn't pirate, and as everyone who's got any lick of sense will tell you, the only people you've harmed is the just. The unjust are not going to stop. They won't be deterred. And you've taken away a method for your actual customers. The people who pay your wages, with our hard earned money in this economy.

Stop being boneheaded. Learn how to do business in an ethical manner. Stop treating me as a criminal. I'm not going to boycott you, at this time. This is the game in one form or another I've been playing for 26 years.

I want you to look at a calender, notice the year, and stop. Realize that almost everything is digital now. Book on .pdf's. Get back in the game, and sell them ASAP. And I mean there needs to be a legal option that isn't intrusive to my using of the products in question and it should be available by the time Arcane Power is to be released.

And Jeff Leed's, really, really needs to take a good close look at the havoc that's been caused by this gunshot to the head reaction, they've taken.

We are your customers. Once we get past the boycott histrionics, look at us. We give you money. Give us your product in the method and manner we want. Realize your excuse of fighting pirates is so ephemereal, that no one is buying it.

A pirate doesn't take money out of your hand. They weren't going to buy it. But taking a method of purchase out of our hands. IS money out of your hand.

This choice was not rational.

 

[jgbrowning]

Seriously, would you really react like this if you went into The Home Depot for a string trimmer and found out it wasn't sold any more? Those evil bastards at Black & Decker! They've lost this customer forever!!!

I'm pretty sure WotC has actually lost some customers forever over this. Whether or not that's "foolish" doesn't really matter, IMO. The money from foolish customers spends just as well as the money from smart ones.

joe b.

 

[Bagpuss]

Unfortunately, due to recent findings of illegal copying and online distribution (piracy) of our products, Wizards of the Coast has decided to cease the sales of online PDFs. We are exploring other options for digitial distribution of our content and as soon as we have any more information I'll get it to you.

I cannot believe this is true, it was well known that even before WotC entered the PDF market that their books were available on file sharing sites, often well scanned with OCR.

Part of the reason they went into the market was because customers were demanding the service so they didn't have to be criminals in order to have books in PDF format. By removing the only legal source of WotC PDF, they are just making criminals of people again.

They can't pretend that they have suddenly discovered that piracy exists.

I really suspect that real the motivation behind this is tied to this court case. Since in order to defend a copyright you have to demonstrate you are making efforts to protect it. I would not be surprised if they had not been advised by lawyers that this will help their case.

If piracy was really effecting sales would the PHB2 be up on the top sellers lists? Would it selling better than expected?

Charles Ryan checking into why Amazon.co.uk is delayed shipping.

"OK, here's the scoop: Demand for this book has exceeded supply. The book channel in particular has had unforeseen levels of demand. Amazon.uk may well be out of the PHB2 (we don't have point of sale data on it yet, so I can't confirm that); if that's the case, it will likely be several weeks before they have more."

So piracy of the PHB2 has lead to a loss of sales? Maybe it has lead to a loss in sales of the PDF version of the book, but as we have seen WotC isn't interested in PDF sales at all.

 

[mach1.9pants]

Woah, Deja Vu... I am sure I just read that post somewhere else... freaky...

 

[Samuel Leming]

Since in order to defend a copyright you have to demonstrate you are making efforts to protect it.

That's certainly true in the case of trademarks, but I don't think you're correct about copyright. Copyright law IS the only thing you have for protecting your copyrights.

 

[Bagpuss]

Woah, Deja Vu... I am sure I just read that post somewhere else... freaky...

Yeah but you know some people only visit one board.