Who ELSE buys PDFs?

[reddist]

Okay so WE might buy PDF books, and some of US might be interested in WotC's Complete Warrior as a PDF book, but who else would?

I mean, we've already established in numerous other threads that ENWorlders are a select few, when compared to the vast majority of gamers. We're "in the know," so to speak, about online offerings such as PDF books or supplements. So who else is buys them? How many PDFs will WotC have to sell to make it worth their time and effort?

One reason I ask is a current thread mentioned the desirability for a compilation of material from the Complete seires. I doubt very much WotC will ever make such a thing available in print. PDF seems a perfect way to release "annuals" or spell complilations or whatever. But is it worth so much effort if the market is so small?

Do any of you know anyone who is NOT "internet savvy" and NOT a visitor or luker in communities such as ENWorld, RPGnet or the WotC boards, yet STILL buys PDFs? Or is it just US that PDF publishers pander to?

-Reddist

 

[GlassJaw]

Before I would ask who buys pdf's, I would ask who actually knows you can buy pdf's. Most of the non-EN Worlders I game with probably have no idea they are even available. Honestly, most of them would probably be surprised there are so many gaming/d20 companies beyond WotC.

I think your typical D&D'er buys WotC stuff only and little else. To them, role-playing = D&D = WotC. Maybe it's a question of advertising.

 

[eris404]

However, I wouldn't discount the number of people who get their RPG information from sites like this one. For every person who posts regularly, there's at least one person who simply reads the posts and "lurks." I can't imagine how many people visit sites like this on a daily basis.

Second, print magazines like Dragon have advertised, reviewed or otherwise mentioned PDFs from different publishers, so even if a player isn't online much they might have had some exposure to PDFs.

Also, word of mouth is pretty powerful. Many people in my group aren't as crazy about PDFs as I am, but I'm not shy about telling them about a cool PDF I bought the other day. I have even bought PDFs for other people because I thought they would like them and use them. I'm not the gaming world at large, but I do my part.

 

[Crothian]

what would actually be interesting is if RPGNow could tell us how many individuals have bought PDFs from them in the apst month.

 

[Woas]

Sure, I buy PDFs. Only the free ones though.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Okay so WE might buy PDF books

Speak for yourself. I wouldn't buy PDFs.

 

[Psion]

I buy PDFs.

I won't buy PDFs for printed price, though.

 

[Crothian]

I buy PDFs.

I won't buy PDFs for printed price, though.

Ya, not even close to printed price........

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Speak for yourself. I wouldn't buy PDFs.

Why not?

You can buy a PDF and print it off at Kinkos for less than the cost of the book. Plus, its on your computer for when you're at work not home.

 

[reddist]

Speak for yourself. I wouldn't buy PDFs.

Actually I don't buy PDFs. I tried using PDFs a few times, but I find printing them a hassle, protecting them afterward bothersome (binders or folders, etc.) and using them straight from my laptop or PC inconvenient. I far prefer the durability and "flip-ability" of printed books.

The only thing I regularly use straight from my laptop is my hyperlinked HTML SRD.

-Reddist