Got D&D Insider; Don't need books

[Doc_Klueless]

I find D&D Insider has greatly reduced not only my need but my compulsion to buy 4e books. Don't need 'em. I can look at all the new stuff right though DDI. Anyone else find they're feeling the same way?

I wonder how much DDI has affected the sales of D&D books. I don't think WotC's bottom line will be much affected by it if the books are being replaced by a monthly/yearly subscription to DDI.

DDI places hundreds of rituals, thousands of powers, thousands of magic items and thousands of... er... other stuff right at my fingertips.

I also wonder if other game companies are paying attention to the draw that DDI has on the 4e crowd including those who might otherwise drift off to other game systems if it wasn't for the fantastic usefulness of DDI. It's almost a chore to do up characters in 3.5 or Pathfinder after cranking out some using the wonderful Character Builder. It's not, really, but the contrast between using computer assistance vs. not and having a character generator that keeps pretty much up to date vs. one that may or may not be updated in a timely manner.

I wish Mongoose would make something like that for RuneQuest II.

I wonder these things when I should be paying attention in my Master's level Anatomy and Physiology classes. Especially during my pharmacology lectures when the instructor is droning on about volitile inhalation anesthetics.

(Please excuse any typos. I'm too relaxed to get up and find my reading glasses.)

 

[Festivus]

I only buy adventures now... and then only when they have a good poster map.

 

[OverloadUT]

I am completely confident that the existence of DDI has increased the sales of books.

There are plenty of people like you who get DDI and feel confident that they don't need any of the books because between the compendium and the character builder, they have no need.

But on the other hand there are plenty of people who love the feel of a physical book. This will never go away. My friends and I all have DDI but we all still love to get the physical books. There is something nice about sitting down on the couch one evening and just flipping through one of the new books.

But why do I say it increased sales, when what I have said so far would only be evidence that they stay the same, at best? Because DDI allows new players to get in to the game very easily. Because of the online content and specifically the Character Builder, people who are hesitant about getting in to D&D can learn a ton about it with very little effort. It also keeps people interested in the new content! By giving people monthly access to all of the new information in the previous month's books, people can easily keep up with what is new, which keeps them interested in the game.

The perfect example is the fact that Magic Online, which allows you to play Magic without ever buying a single physical card or leaving the house, increases the sales of physical cards. And that's because Magic Online helps people stay hooked on the game. And because of that they'll talk to their friends about Magic, and want to do an occasional draft with their friends. Maybe they'll go to real life draft events at their local game shop.

 

[Doc_Klueless]

But on the other hand there are plenty of people who love the feel of a physical book.

I see your point. For the other three systems that I love (Savage Worlds, C&C and RuneQuest), I get a viseral rush from just handling the books (especially the new leatherbound RuneQuest II book. Love the feel!).

But why do I say it increased sales, when what I have said so far would only be evidence that they stay the same, at best? Because DDI allows new players to get in to the game very easily.

I see where you're coming from on this account too. I never thought of that.

Taking that to other game systems, do you think their sales would increase if they offered a comparable service? Could this be the wave of the future? DDI-ish computer/online support, I mean.

 

[Tale]

They're probably making more out of the subscription model than they are on books per individual. I'd wager it's so.

Your typical player probably only has one group and only has 2 or 3 books released any given year he's interested in, if that. If they bought a full year's subscription to DDI, WotC is probably seeing more money than they would from the three books.

 

[jaerdaph]

Out of curiosity, if WotC decides to pull the plug when 5e comes out in a couple of years or so and you only purchased DDI access to 4e (not actual books), are you SOL, or do you have some sort of "backup" like a PDF?

 

[MerricB]

Out of curiosity, if WotC decides to pull the plug when 5e comes out in a couple of years or so and you only purchased DDI access to 4e (not actual books), are you SOL, or do you have some sort of "backup" like a PDF?

All the online magazines will be on my computer as PDFs.
The Character Builder and Monster Builder will still work on my computer (no new updates, of course).
I would lose online access to the Compendium.

Cheers!

 

[jaerdaph]

All the online magazines will be on my computer as PDFs.
The Character Builder and Monster Builder will still work on my computer (no new updates, of course).
I would lose online access to the Compendium.

Cheers!

Thanks for the info!

 

[Festivus]

All the online magazines will be on my computer as PDFs.
The Character Builder and Monster Builder will still work on my computer (no new updates, of course).
I would lose online access to the Compendium.

Cheers!

That last bit is a big one... that's all the monsters. There is no offline database of monsters currently, right?

 

[Ourph]

At this point, I am only buying the DMGs and adventures. DDI is awesome-sauce.