Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
How Long Before the Digital Dam Breaks?
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 7745338" data-attributes="member: 3285"><p>The recent crash in pricing for digital comics provides a data point for the future of electronic versions of tabletop books, 3D-printed miniatures, and terrain. How long can retailers keep their price points for physical product before the dam breaks?</p><h3><strong>The Line is 99 Cents</strong></h3><p>Many businesses are being upended by the move to online sales, as products transform from physical to a digital format. <a href="http://archive.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free?currentPage=all" target="_blank">Chris Anderson at Wired</a> explains why Web content continues to get cheaper and cheaper:</p><p></p><p>This is the challenge facing the comics industry today. Comics in digital format is not new, but as the market has matured some patterns are emerging. For one, the massive back catalog of comics are plentiful, such that anyone seeking to jump into comics no longer has to worry about the significant barrier to entry of hunting for a comic. One side effect of the availability of these digital comics -- and the desire to bring fans up to speed quickly on hot properties as they are launched in films and TV series -- was deep discounting. According to <a href="https://icv2.com/articles/columns/view/39926/what-are-digital-comics-good-anyway" target="_blank">ICv2 columnist Rob Salkowitz</a>, this has had the unintended effect of normalizing consumers' perceptions of what a comic should cost:</p><p></p><p>Role-playing games have also been sold in Humble Bundles. Salkowitz points out that there are benefits to this kind of deep discounts:</p><p></p><p>The concern is that consumers will not buy new products at full price. After all, today's comic book is tomorrow's deep-discounted back issue. Will fans stop buying?</p><h3><strong>Digital and Tabletop RPGs</strong></h3><p>PDFs of tabletop role-playing game rules and adventures share a lot of similarities with comics. They have a finite lifespan but are still accessible later, and as future editions of RPGs are released, the back catalog loses its appeal at brick-and-mortar outlets, often ending up deep discounted to clear shelf space. The digital space is where a back catalog can thrive.</p><p></p><p>It's also where a lot of innovation takes place, unrestrained by production and distribution barriers that would normally prohibit a creator from launching a product. OneBookShelf's (OBS) consolidation of digital gaming products (DriveThruRPG absorbed its rival, RPGNow, back in 2006 and now manages DM's Guild) draws a parallel with the dominance Amazon's Comixology in digital comics. So far, DriveThruRPG has resisted deep discounting on the scale of Comixology, perhaps because the price point is set by the creator, not by OBS. </p><p></p><p>OBS' management of its channels provides a path forward for companies like Wizards of the Coast, who shifted from <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?2980-D-D-Does-Digital-Part-III-PDFs" target="_blank">removing all of its PDFs online in 2009</a> to partnering with OBS to <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?480792-Can-Wizards-Avoid-Another-OGL-Glut" target="_blank">create a DM's Guild</a> in which creators can leverage WOTC's own content to create new products. This shift was likely influenced by the <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?3314-What-Will-Become-of-the-FLGS" target="_blank">decline of bookstores</a>, a major channel for RPG distributors.</p><p></p><p>By all accounts, the digital market for comics (and books in general) has stabilized. Reference books in particular lend themselves to digital distribution. Given that tabletop gaming books are often purchased for reference during play, they can be even more useful in electronic format when indexed and searchable. The same can't be said for 3D models however.</p><h3><strong>Digital and Miniatures</strong></h3><p>Miniatures have slowly fallen out of favor among companies like WOTC, who once offered pre-painted randomized miniatures, only to abandon the product after the Great Recession in 2008 made the price of production and shipping unfeasible. WizKids picked up the slack, acting as a consolidator for multiple companies' plastic miniature lines, WOTC included. </p><p></p><p>WOTC has paid careful attention to 3D products on sites like Shapeways, a platform WOTC's parent company Hasbro has an existing agreement with. With a few exceptions, most D&D models are free to download and print. Games Workshop, on the other hand, <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?2936-How-3D-Printing-is-Upending-the-Miniature-Industry" target="_blank">went after a creator on Thingiverse</a> for creating a Warhammer-style figure back in 2012. </p><p></p><p>Cool Mini or Not (CMON) has adopted a Minimum Advertised Pricing Policy (MAPP) for <a href="https://cmon.com/mapp" target="_blank">advertising of its games</a>:</p><p></p><p>CMON's MAPP focuses primarily on advertising vs. the actual price of the product (in CMON's case, products cannot be advertised lower than 15% of the standard retail price). A MAPP's attempt to "reduce counterfeiting" may not be comprehensive enough. Six years later, any concerns about keeping counterfeit and copycat products off digital shelves are quickly dispelled by browsing Thingiverse.</p><p></p><p>There are miniatures for just about every game imaginable on Thingiverse and Shapeways. Warhammer-compatible models are ubiquitous on Thingiverse (<a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/tag:warhammer" target="_blank">over 1,700 models</a>). Don't like the Robotech miniatures from Palladium's recent Kickstarter? <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=robotech" target="_blank"> You can print them yourself</a>. Missing a ship for X-Wing? <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/search/page:2?q=x-wing" target="_blank"><u>Print it yourself</u></a>. Fans who have a 3D printer can even make their own terrain with <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=openlock" target="_blank">OpenLock</a>, a rival to DwavenForge's terrain. </p><p></p><p>The hobby market will likely shift its strategy from providing printed products to providing <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/advanced?state=live&term=3d+printable&woe_id=0&sort=magic&seed=2541860&page=2" target="_blank">high-quality digital files</a> (indexed PDFs, high-quality 3D models) that can't be purchased for free online. One thing's for sure: if Thingiverse's catalog is any indication, the price of digital products in the 3D space have already been socialized well below digital comics' $0.99.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="talien, post: 7745338, member: 3285"] The recent crash in pricing for digital comics provides a data point for the future of electronic versions of tabletop books, 3D-printed miniatures, and terrain. How long can retailers keep their price points for physical product before the dam breaks? [HEADING=2][B]The Line is 99 Cents[/B][/HEADING] Many businesses are being upended by the move to online sales, as products transform from physical to a digital format. [URL='http://archive.wired.com/techbiz/it/magazine/16-03/ff_free?currentPage=all']Chris Anderson at Wired[/URL] explains why Web content continues to get cheaper and cheaper: This is the challenge facing the comics industry today. Comics in digital format is not new, but as the market has matured some patterns are emerging. For one, the massive back catalog of comics are plentiful, such that anyone seeking to jump into comics no longer has to worry about the significant barrier to entry of hunting for a comic. One side effect of the availability of these digital comics -- and the desire to bring fans up to speed quickly on hot properties as they are launched in films and TV series -- was deep discounting. According to [URL='https://icv2.com/articles/columns/view/39926/what-are-digital-comics-good-anyway']ICv2 columnist Rob Salkowitz[/URL], this has had the unintended effect of normalizing consumers' perceptions of what a comic should cost: Role-playing games have also been sold in Humble Bundles. Salkowitz points out that there are benefits to this kind of deep discounts: The concern is that consumers will not buy new products at full price. After all, today's comic book is tomorrow's deep-discounted back issue. Will fans stop buying? [HEADING=2][B]Digital and Tabletop RPGs[/B][/HEADING] PDFs of tabletop role-playing game rules and adventures share a lot of similarities with comics. They have a finite lifespan but are still accessible later, and as future editions of RPGs are released, the back catalog loses its appeal at brick-and-mortar outlets, often ending up deep discounted to clear shelf space. The digital space is where a back catalog can thrive. It's also where a lot of innovation takes place, unrestrained by production and distribution barriers that would normally prohibit a creator from launching a product. OneBookShelf's (OBS) consolidation of digital gaming products (DriveThruRPG absorbed its rival, RPGNow, back in 2006 and now manages DM's Guild) draws a parallel with the dominance Amazon's Comixology in digital comics. So far, DriveThruRPG has resisted deep discounting on the scale of Comixology, perhaps because the price point is set by the creator, not by OBS. OBS' management of its channels provides a path forward for companies like Wizards of the Coast, who shifted from [URL='http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?2980-D-D-Does-Digital-Part-III-PDFs']removing all of its PDFs online in 2009[/URL] to partnering with OBS to [URL='http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?480792-Can-Wizards-Avoid-Another-OGL-Glut']create a DM's Guild[/URL] in which creators can leverage WOTC's own content to create new products. This shift was likely influenced by the [URL='http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?3314-What-Will-Become-of-the-FLGS']decline of bookstores[/URL], a major channel for RPG distributors. By all accounts, the digital market for comics (and books in general) has stabilized. Reference books in particular lend themselves to digital distribution. Given that tabletop gaming books are often purchased for reference during play, they can be even more useful in electronic format when indexed and searchable. The same can't be said for 3D models however. [HEADING=2][B]Digital and Miniatures[/B][/HEADING] Miniatures have slowly fallen out of favor among companies like WOTC, who once offered pre-painted randomized miniatures, only to abandon the product after the Great Recession in 2008 made the price of production and shipping unfeasible. WizKids picked up the slack, acting as a consolidator for multiple companies' plastic miniature lines, WOTC included. WOTC has paid careful attention to 3D products on sites like Shapeways, a platform WOTC's parent company Hasbro has an existing agreement with. With a few exceptions, most D&D models are free to download and print. Games Workshop, on the other hand, [URL='http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?2936-How-3D-Printing-is-Upending-the-Miniature-Industry']went after a creator on Thingiverse[/URL] for creating a Warhammer-style figure back in 2012. Cool Mini or Not (CMON) has adopted a Minimum Advertised Pricing Policy (MAPP) for [URL='https://cmon.com/mapp']advertising of its games[/URL]: CMON's MAPP focuses primarily on advertising vs. the actual price of the product (in CMON's case, products cannot be advertised lower than 15% of the standard retail price). A MAPP's attempt to "reduce counterfeiting" may not be comprehensive enough. Six years later, any concerns about keeping counterfeit and copycat products off digital shelves are quickly dispelled by browsing Thingiverse. There are miniatures for just about every game imaginable on Thingiverse and Shapeways. Warhammer-compatible models are ubiquitous on Thingiverse ([URL='https://www.thingiverse.com/tag:warhammer']over 1,700 models[/URL]). Don't like the Robotech miniatures from Palladium's recent Kickstarter? [URL='https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=robotech'] You can print them yourself[/URL]. Missing a ship for X-Wing? [URL='https://www.thingiverse.com/search/page:2?q=x-wing'][U]Print it yourself[/U][/URL]. Fans who have a 3D printer can even make their own terrain with [URL='https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=openlock']OpenLock[/URL], a rival to DwavenForge's terrain. The hobby market will likely shift its strategy from providing printed products to providing [URL='https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/advanced?state=live&term=3d+printable&woe_id=0&sort=magic&seed=2541860&page=2']high-quality digital files[/URL] (indexed PDFs, high-quality 3D models) that can't be purchased for free online. One thing's for sure: if Thingiverse's catalog is any indication, the price of digital products in the 3D space have already been socialized well below digital comics' $0.99. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
How Long Before the Digital Dam Breaks?
Top