DDI for $7.95

[SSquirrel]

Does us paying for it mean less time between articles hitting the web? I think it's a fine price for the level of quality of recent Dungeon and Dragon. I'll admit I only rarely bought Dungeon but Dragon certainly cost me more than $5/mo. I hope that if we haev already paid in advance of certain features coming out that we get them for no additional charge throughout that subscription. Unless they don't drive up the price as more things come online

EDIT:Yay! Thanks Charlestan for answers while I was busy posting

 

[Mistwell]

First, this is a bargain price. I will pay the yearly fee without question. It's essentially like one full free module a month plus Dragon magazine for significantly less than the cost of a single paperback module. The magazines were always a bargain, and this makes them even more affordable.

Second, there is no way this is comparable to the prior free content for 3.5, or even 3.0. The prior free content, while good sometimes, was just never close to the quality or quantity that we have seen so far from the free sample magazines they have put out since 4e started. Nor is it really relevant if something used to be free and now is not, if the something is WORTH the amount being charged. It used to be free to go to all national parks for example, and now major national parks charge an entrance fee (up to $25 for the "iconic" ones), but pay national parks are still a bargain. That seems pretty similar to these magazines (only the magazines, as I said, are WAY better in quantity and quality than the free stuff from earlier IMO).

Third, the quality of the free mags we have seen so far is, in my opinion, equal to the quality of the Paizo-published issues, on an average basis. It's been really good stuff, and if folks doubt that but have not fully read it yet, I strongly urge you to give it a try before casting judgment on it. Of course a long term comparison isn't available yet. But from what we've seen, the quality is top notch.

 

[the Jester]

I can't complain about the price, which is actually quite good. But for me, the killer app was always going to be the Virtual Tabletop. Without that, I'm just not interested, at any price.

Yup. I've hardly looked at Dungeon and Dragon, since I can't carry them with me or put them in the bathroom.

The price sounds decent, but if there's no free trial period for the tools, that's a deal-breaker for me.

 

[charlesatan]

Below is a chart of instances on when I think a PDF would be preferable (left side) and when a print product is advantageous (right side). Of course it bears noting that not everything is rated equally and some people will prioritize one item over another. Not included is the quality of the content since this will vary from one person to another and may change over time--but it is a factor when making a decision whether to purchase the magazine (print or otherwise). Feel free to add or dispute the items listed below.

1. You don't llke ads vs. You like ads
2. Lack of quick/cheap access to the print magazines (i.e. a foreign country) vs. Having quick/cheap access to the print magazines (i.e. U.S.)
3. Selectively using the material in a game (i.e. printing out only the portions you need) vs. Using all the materials in a game
4. Uses a laptop during a game vs. Using pen-and-paper tools during a game
5. Doing pre-game work on a computer vs. Using a notebook and pen to do pre-game work.
6. Don't have access to a vehicle for a game* (carrying a heavier load to the game) vs. Having access to a vehicle/hosting the game in your home
7. Used to reading text on a screen vs. Used to reading on paper
8. Content on a weekly basis (instant gratification) vs. Content on a monthly basis (delayed gratification)
9. Do-It-Yourself freebies (i.e. you have to print out those maps/counters) but potentially an unlimited amount (i.e. print out as many maps/handouts/counters as you need) vs. Tactile freebies but finite in number

*Dependent on actually having access to a computer at the venue

 

[Amphimir Míriel]

When is this happening?

I am pretty sure I will end up subscribing for at least the "web content" package.

However, reading the announcement, I didn't see the date they will start charging... Any info?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

However, reading the announcement, I didn't see the date they will start charging... Any info?

No. At least one free month is to be expected, but that's it.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Considering the state of the UK pound against the US dollar at the moment, $4.95 a month sounds like a bargain.

I'll wait and see what the other stuff is like for now, and what feedback other users give it, before going all-in for the full package.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

News item here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/insidernews/20080806

Web-Content Only Subscription Package:
12 Months = $59.40 ($4.95 per month)

That sounds like a reasonable price. The only other product I can compare it with is Pyramid Online, which costs $20 per year and has about 3-4 articles per week (and archives going back to 1998...).

I'm not sure if I'm actually going to subscribe to this as well, as I have difficulties catching up with all the articles in Pyramid. But maybe I'll give it a try for a shorter time...

 

[Hussar]

Don't get me wrong...that's about the right price point for e-versions of the mags with a few bells and whistles, but it does really cheese me that essentially they killed the print mags so that they could charge for slightly more content than what they used to have for free.

Regardless, I'm not going to be subscribing anyway...at least not until I actually have a group. I'll be moving to a less out of the way area in October, though, so maybe I'll have more luck then.

That's not really true though. While they did put up a module every few months, they hardly put up three professional quality modules every month. Nor did they put up 70+ pages of Dragon material a month either.

Yes, they did move some of the free stuff into Dragon, that's true. But, this is a steal price. Particularly for any of us who sub'd from outside the country.

 

[questing gm]

Any word on how international subscribers can pay for DDI?
Credit card? Paypal?