D&D General D&D Book Prices Are Going Up

WotC announced today that D&D books will be increasing in price this year.

Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants will be $59.99 as a preorder and $69.99 thereafter. These will apparently come as physical and digital bundles, so you won’t need to buy the D&D Beyond version separately.

This space is dedicated to communicating clearly and transparently with our players- even when the topic isn’t particularly fun. Since the release of the 2014 D&D core rulebooks, we’ve kept book prices stable. Unfortunately, with the cost of goods and shipping continually increasing, we’ve finally had to make the decision to increase the price of our new release print books. We're committed to creating high-quality products that deliver great value to our players and must increase our prices to accomplish that.

This will go into effect starting with Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants and new releases after Glory of the Giants. Digital pricing is unaffected by this MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) increase, as digital products don’t need to be printed or shipped. The increase also doesn’t impact backlist titles. While we can’t promise that there will never be a change to the prices of digital products and backlist titles, we have no plans to increase either.

Players who purchase the Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants digital-physical bundle through Dungeons & Dragons store can get the bundle for $59.95 for the entire preorder window, which is consistent with our current digital-physical bundle pricing. After the preorder window closes, digital-physical bundle prices will go to $69.95.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Point is, they've said they were going to do it. Then all the WotC fans came rushing to their defense saying "it's too hard to figure this out."
Yeah. I get that they don't want to do it.

They also never said they couldn't, or that they changed their mind. They stopped talking about and hoped no one would bring it up. Its not lying, but it is deceptive.

 

[JEB]

Also Goodman Games sells books with a code sticker in them for the PDF from Drive Thru. However it means the books are shrink wrapped.

None of the 5E Goodman Games products available in my area have been shrinkwrapped, but they did have the code in them. Is that a recent development? Or have all my local stores been unwrapping them?

 

[Clint_L]

Is Wotc announcing that they are also raising the pay of their employees, and freelancer's by 20% to cover their inflation driven cost of living increases as well?

No, they are not.

(Because if any corporation did such a thing they would sing about it louder than Julie Andrews in the Swiss Alps...)

That's ridiculous. Almost certainly they raise their employees pay, generally in line with inflation. This isn't Paizo we are talking about (rimshot).

But more significantly, cost of pay increases are pretty standard in business and are not something you issue a press release about because it would make you look stupid, like it's a big deal to do something that is standard in business. I get one every year; I suspect most folks who work for a corporation or company do, unless the business is in financial trouble or doesn't care about losing talent.

You're just speculating without any basis.

 

[darjr]

None of the 5E Goodman Games products available in my area have been shrinkwrapped, but they did have the code in them. Is that a recent development? Or have all my local stores been unwrapping them?

I don't know. My store has them shrink. Now I wonder if it's my store that does the shrink wrapping?

 

[Velderan]

I don't know. My store has them shrink. Now I wonder if it's my store that does the shrink wrapping?

Are you referring to DCC books or all Goodman Games books? I've bought a few OAR books that didn't come shrink wrapped. Temple of Elemental Evil was shrink wrapped but it also was a slipcase so makes sense for that.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Funny thing is, it's also the reason they don't give you a free pony when you buy a book. They simply don't WANT to.

Well, sure. But if they had a pony-selling side-business, & they were trying to get everyone into pony riding because it's more profitable, AND giving you your first pony for free didn't cost them much....

You'd really wonder where your free pony was at.

 

[Retreater]

My local game store puts all their RPGs in shrink wrap. You can't flip through a darned thing. You want to see what's in the book - you buy the book!
They also shrink wrap dice sets, WizKid blisters, Citadel paint pots, and their employees.
(I don't like shopping there.)

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I don't know. My store has them shrink. Now I wonder if it's my store that does the shrink wrapping?

I'd tell you, but I haven't personally sold a Goodman Games book or looked at one lately. I DID order a bunch for a guy recently, but I didn't unpack them or ring him in. Never actually SAW the books myself. I'll try to remember to look.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

My local game store puts all their RPGs in shrink wrap. You can't flip through a darned thing. You want to see what's in the book - you buy the book!
They also shrink wrap dice sets, WizKid blisters, Citadel paint pots, and their employees.
(I don't like shopping there.)

Sounds like someone who bought a shrink wrapper and then felt the need to justify the expense!

 

[codo]

Sounds like someone who bought a shrink wrapper and then felt the need to justify the expense!

To be fair. It's really fun to shrink wrap stuff.