Uniting All Players: Dragon and Dungeon magazines online viewing?

[JoeGKushner]

One of the things I've speculated about in the past, is that eventually, WoTC will make the magazine something that can only be viewed online.

This technology apparently exist as there are several comic companies that already do it.

But what if, in their desire to bring the edition to all gamers, WoTC went a step futher and actually brought ALL issues of Dragon and Dungeon magazine online, even with a view online only limit to them?

Would that be a plus or a negative?

 

[Dice4Hire]

Certainly a plus, for the DDI folks.

Put older editions up the same way. I fully support it.

I will not be buying into it, though. Jsut not into subscription services.

 

[Nivenus]

One of the things I've speculated about in the past, is that eventually, WoTC will make the magazine something that can only be viewed online.

This technology apparently exist as there are several comic companies that already do it.

But what if, in their desire to bring the edition to all gamers, WoTC went a step futher and actually brought ALL issues of Dragon and Dungeon magazine online, even with a view online only limit to them?

Would that be a plus or a negative?

Being as I am an archivist-kind of guy who collect information from everything, that would just be awesome in my book.

Seriously, I'd love the opportunity to download all of the pre-4e Dragon and Dungeon issues, as strange as that may seem to some people.

 

[Almacov]

If I can't at least own a digital copy of something, I'm not going to pay for it.
This is why I stopped subscribing when the Character Builder and Monster Builder went online only.
(The fact that they no longer compile issues is also gross.)

I have a hard enough time wanting to purchase something that's not physical as is - renting it is an extremely difficult sell for me.

[Also, I want to be able to read it on an internet-less island in the middle of nowhere if I wish, dagnabbit! Or, y'know, any other place I may not have connectivity...]

 

[Dire Bare]

Certainly a plus, for the DDI folks.

Put older editions up the same way. I fully support it.

I will not be buying into it, though. Jsut not into subscription services.

Pricing is a separate issue than having older material, magazines and rpg books, available through a browser-based viewer (which is what Joe is talking about). WotC could go the subscription route, microtransactions, or even both.

I use Comixology to purchase digital comics (DC, Marvel, IDW and others), and I can only view my comics when I'm connected to the internet through a browser-based application. Comixology also has iPad and iPhone apps (and I think Android) for the same purpose. No subscriptions, I pay a small fee for each comic I wish to "purchase" ($0.99 - $4.99 for most comic issues).

I cannot download comics to my hard drive for offline viewing or archiving. Which works well for me, and I'd be pretty stoked if WotC ended up doing something similar.

Marvel makes their comics available on Comixology, but they also run their own digital subscription service . . . so at least one existing company gives their customers both options.

 

[Vayden]

Putting all the old archives online sounds good. Does Paizo still have the rights to their run?

 

[Dire Bare]

Putting all the old archives online sounds good. Does Paizo still have the rights to their run?

Paizo is still selling physical back issues that are left in their warehouse, and (I think) you can still download various magazine "web enhancements". But I'm fairly sure Paizo has no lasting rights to the magazines at all, WotC can republish them digitally without Paizo's consent and without compensating them. The only problems I think WotC would have is really old issues of the mags, some of the articles did not come with "work-for-hire" contracts and the original authors still retain their rights.

 

[tomBitonti]

Paizo is still selling physical back issues that are left in their warehouse, and (I think) you can still download various magazine "web enhancements". But I'm fairly sure Paizo has no lasting rights to the magazines at all, WotC can republish them digitally without Paizo's consent and without compensating them. The only problems I think WotC would have is really old issues of the mags, some of the articles did not come with "work-for-hire" contracts and the original authors still retain their rights.

That's my understanding. I can't remember where I read it, but for many of the the early issues, only very specific and limited rights were obtained. (Back then, certain rights didn't even exist.) Even for Hashbro, putting all issues, including both art and text, online would require obtaining the necessary rights to do so, and given the many many different artists and authors involved, a difficult task.

At least, that is my understanding.

Thx!

TomB

 

[JoeGKushner]

That's my understanding. I can't remember where I read it, but for many of the the early issues, only very specific and limited rights were obtained. (Back then, certain rights didn't even exist.) Even for Hashbro, putting all issues, including both art and text, online would require obtaining the necessary rights to do so, and given the many many different artists and authors involved, a difficult task.

At least, that is my understanding.

Thx!

TomB

I think that barricade was shattered with the CD release back in the day. I know Kenzer received some benefits from it.

 

[thedungeondelver]

I think that barricade was shattered with the CD release back in the day. I know Kenzer received some benefits from it.

Yeah, there were a ton of issues (no pun intended) with the DRAGON magazine archive; IIRC there are lots of people who wrote on spec single articles, and their contracts back in the 70s, 80s and even the 90s had no "reproduce electronically" permissions clause in the release.

KENZER & CO. are really the only ones to my knowledge who stepped up, but I cannot imagine that a second time around others wouldn't.

With that said I could see segments of the issues being posted: covers, major articles by easily contacted (and negotiated with) authors, letters, and so forth.