Pathfinder 1E Paizo sets price of Pathfinder RPG PDF at $9.99!!!!!

[Obryn]

I likely won't buy it - but this is excellent for consumers. More companies should move towards joint digital and non-digital distribution of their content, IMO.

-O

 

[Dire Bare]

I just feel like it bears repeating (although no game shops have complained... it is a good point). We released the Beta pdf for free and the printed book sold out faster than any other product in Paizo history (to the best of my knowledge). Most of those went through distribution (hence game stores).

While there are some that prefer pdfs only for their game needs (and we are happy to give the a break), most gamers I know still prefer a hard copy to read and use at the table.

Just thought I would reiterate that...

Rational brick & mortar store owners with good business sense will realize that the $9.99 price of the Pathfinder core book will actually help increase their sales of said book and probably other Pathfinder products as well. A wise store owner would stock up on copies of the core book and accessories.

However, I have met very few store owners with much of a business sense, yet plenty of nerdrage at perceived injustices.

 

[Qualidar]

$10 says you will still see it pirated.

If you have $10, you won't need to!

 

[Treebore]

$10 says you will still see it pirated. At the page count, I want a hardback anyhow.

Yeah, it will still be pirated, but I think by fewer people. Granted a certain segment of "pirates" does it simply because they want everything free, but I think another segment does it simply because they think the price point is too high. I think that segment of the "piracy" going on will actually pay for this PDF simply because, for once, it is a fair price point.


As for LGS', I have no sympathy for them. They were going out of business in droves before PAizo started doing their PDF's deals, and ALL solid evidence suggests that PDF sales are nothing in comparison to print copies of the same product. So Paizo isn't putting anyone out of business with their PDF deals, online discounters and bad LGS business practices are doing it just fine.

Besides, my LGS cries about Paizo, and even Goodman, but he doesn't even stock them in the first place. He claims he wouldn't be able to sell them if he did. Right. He didn't sell ME any because he didn't have them, so I ordered from Amazon or Paizo. He lost those sales, not Paizo, or even Amazon. He did it all on his lonesome.

 

[Erik Mona]

Just a question as well for Erik or the other Paizo watchers. At what point will the subscription be PFRPG modified? I know it is compatible with 3.5 but there are changes. At launch, at the next AP start, before the main book launch with the rules already pretty much fixed...?

I _think_ I understand your question. Everything switches over to PFRPG in August, which is when we coincidentally launch the Council of Thieves Adventure Path, which is the first AP to use the final PFRPG rules.

Pretty much everything comes out the first day of Gen Con. Of course, you can pretty easily use older 3.5 stuff (published by Paizo or otherwise) with the PFRPG with simple "on the fly" conversions, as many folks are already doing.

--Erik Mona
Publisher
Paizo Publishing, LLC

 

[Cadfan]

Rational brick & mortar store owners with good business sense will realize that the $9.99 price of the Pathfinder core book will actually help increase their sales of said book and probably other Pathfinder products as well. A wise store owner would stock up on copies of the core book and accessories.

However, I have met very few store owners with much of a business sense, yet plenty of nerdrage at perceived injustices.

That only works if the other Pathfinder products and accessories are some or all of the following:

1. Better suited to hard copy purchases instead of further electronic copy purchases,
2. Not significantly cheaper in electronic copy than in hard copy, or
3. Not conveniently purchased online by mail order.

Also, this might lead people to Pathfinder Subscriptions in a way that trades off negatively with game store sales, or it might trade off with whatever game the customer might otherwise be playing in a way that results in fewer dollars spent at the gaming store.

I don't begrudge Paizo this in ANY WAY. See post 36 for reference where I detail, extensively, why not. I'm just highly skeptical that this has an upside for game stores. It might, maybe, possibly, have an upside for sales of certain Paizo products at game stores, but that doesn't mean its a blessing overall.

 

[Qualidar]

That only works if the other Pathfinder products and accessories are some or all of the following:

1. Better suited to hard copy purchases instead of further electronic copy purchases,

All books are better suited to hardcopy purchases. There's a reason PDFs haven't supplanted (or even dented) book sales: for all the convenience of pdfs, most people prefer real books.

2. Not significantly cheaper in electronic copy than in hard copy, or

If someone prefers electronic, the only way to make them buy another format is to prohibitively price the electronic version. I think when you look at the number of people that were not going to play the game, but will pick it up out of curiosity because it's affordable, you'll find that the segment that actually starts buying product outnumbers the segment that gave up on a physical product for an electronic one for price issues. Who does that anyway? Who, having made up their mind to buy a book, decides to get an electronic version instead just because the price is $15 less than most others would price their PDF?

3. Not conveniently purchased online by mail order.

Almost every book is conveniently discounted on Amazon, which is the real problem for the FLGS.

 

[Obryn]

I honestly don't know why I should care much about whether or not this has an effect on (F)LGSs's. In my mind, the center of the gaming universe has moved far away from them already. Honestly, the effect of a cheap PDF compared to the effect of online sales in general (either at Amazon or Paizo's own site) is likely minimal at best.

As far as I'm concerned, getting a complete rulebook in PDF form for $10 is awesome. I won't buy it* - but others will, and it's a good marketing strategy. It's expensive enough to give perceived value to it (something you don't necessarily get with a free product), but cheap enough that it's easily approachable.

I also think it's a good alternative for players. I'm a fan of the split DM and Player Books model of RPGs, since I don't want my players to spend their cash on stuff only I need. But this is a low-price alternative to a full book, so they can just print the important sections they need.

I'm not exactly Paizo's biggest cheerleader, and I haven't been their customer for a few years now, but this is purely good news for their customers and savvy business sense, as far as I'm concerned. (Then again, I think the DDI is great news and savvy business sense, too, and for similar reasons - so depending on your own opinions, my perspective could be totally meaningless!)

-O


* There's a strong chance I won't buy Pathfinder at all, but if I do, it will be in book form like I've been doing for 25+ years. I don't like screen reading for anything longer than an article. It's still steep for a game I likely won't play and already own most of the rules for, but I've spent more on other games I've never played!

 

[The Black Kestrel]

Just a question as well for Erik or the other Paizo watchers. At what point will the subscription be PFRPG modified? I know it is compatible with 3.5 but there are changes. At launch, at the next AP start, before the main book launch with the rules already pretty much fixed...?

AP 5 launching in August is PFRPG. I'd imagine that all the other lines will follow suit immediately as well.

 

[Hunter In Darkness]

I think it is the simple realization by Paizo and its fans that they don't really NEED the gamestore. Basically, the health of the game store should not be a factor in pricing etc.

Have to love your hyperbole here. Paizo sales alot of stuff though stores. Selling a cheap pdf is all likly hood will sell more of everything. Sure not everyone will buy the core book, but people will buy mini's paints, flip mats, cards, AP's mods and so on.

If I had a LGS I would buy the core book there, I have zero interest in driving 120 odd miles to the nearest one however. I do have a bookstore 22 miles out that might...might order me the book if I pester them long enough.

So no I have very little sympathy for folks that DO NOT want my money