D&D 5E The cost of D&D 5E (it ain't so bad!)

[Umbran]

And, of course, WotC are harmed by any strategy that relies on them treating their #1 big seller (possibly their only big seller) as a loss-leader.

Psst! Delericho! You seem to have forgotten that WotC sells Magic: The Gathering, and that the RPG line is a small part of their overall business.

 

[ShadowDenizen]

I agree with you in theory, I just don't think $20-25 is realistic in this day and age. You're basically asking them to sell their biggest seller for less then they've ever sold it for. Even the introductory rate of $20 for 3E translates to $27.50 today, not to mention rising printing costs which make the real inflation more like $30 (I'm guessing).

I'd be OK with a "$30 for a year" deal, too. (The idea being that WotC offers some sort of "deal" to the fans to entice patronage.)

Not to change the subject, but my favorite loss leader idea for WotC would be to bring back a print Dragon. It won't happen, I know, but I think it was a mistake getting rid of it and that some sort of print magazine is crucial to unite the community. Or maybe I'm just a child of the 80s and nostalgically miss biking down to the game store to buy the latest issue of Dragon...

Agreed. (Or, if not Dragon, Dungeon. I thnk Dungeon is arguably more useful in a print format.)
But this ties into the old chestnut of "As the INdsutry Leader, how obligated is WotC to be the Standard-Bearer for the Community"?)

And, of course, WotC are harmed by any strategy that relies on them treating their #1 big seller (possibly their only big seller) as a loss-leader.

Isn't "Magic: The Gathering" their biggest seller? And it wouldn't be a permanent loss, just a short-term investment toward future successes. (But point taken.)

 

[TwoSix]

The Starter Set is already a loss leader. To ask the core trinity--their biggest cash cow--to be a loss leader as well is asking too much.

Anyhow, the PHB is now $30 on Amazon - that's close enough to your figure, I think.

$30 was definitely the magical price point for me. Starter Set and PHB pre-ordered. I'm thinking the Starter Set will be a good way to teach my almost 8-year-olds to play.

 

[delericho]

Psst! Delericho! You seem to have forgotten that WotC sells Magic: The Gathering, and that the RPG line is a small part of their overall business.

Fair point. I should have said "WotC-D&D", or something along those lines.

 

[Elf Witch]

This was a big sticker shock for me and lead me to the decision not to buy the books and stick with what I have for now. I am on a fixed income that has not kept up with true inflation so I have to budget very carefully.

Comparing it to other entertainments rarely makes much sense to me because it assumes that you spend that kind of money. For example I no longer got the movies like I used to and I go to a matinee. My local big chain theater has 6.00 dollar tickets on Saturday morning. I don't buy snacks and I rarely pay for 3D. I eat out very rarely and when I do I don't buy drinks, appetizers or desserts. I will say this I do believe if you play the game then it could be considered an investment which is how I look at my 3E collection.

I pre ordered the core books of 4E and in the end I regretted it for me it was a total waste of money. Because of that I won't ever buy a new game system sight unseen.

The starter set sounds like a good idea for someone like me who wants to check a game out before laying out big bucks.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

By the way, the Player's Handbook is now at $29.97 on Amazon. I haven't checked the others.

Yeah, but what I find curious is that the MM and DMG are currently $40.55 and $38.86 respectively yet all three books have the same list price, and are essentially the same length and material input. Intentional pricing on WotC's part, or volume-based supply-demand at Amazon?

 

[Cybit]

This was a big sticker shock for me and lead me to the decision not to buy the books and stick with what I have for now. I am on a fixed income that has not kept up with true inflation so I have to budget very carefully.

Comparing it to other entertainments rarely makes much sense to me because it assumes that you spend that kind of money. For example I no longer got the movies like I used to and I go to a matinee. My local big chain theater has 6.00 dollar tickets on Saturday morning. I don't buy snacks and I rarely pay for 3D. I eat out very rarely and when I do I don't buy drinks, appetizers or desserts. I will say this I do believe if you play the game then it could be considered an investment which is how I look at my 3E collection.

I pre ordered the core books of 4E and in the end I regretted it for me it was a total waste of money. Because of that I won't ever buy a new game system sight unseen.

The starter set sounds like a good idea for someone like me who wants to check a game out before laying out big bucks.

$30 for the PH is too much? Ouch.

 

[billd91]

Yeah, but what I find curious is that the MM and DMG are currently $40.55 and $38.86 respectively yet all three books have the same list price, and are essentially the same length and material input. Intentional pricing on WotC's part, or volume-based supply-demand at Amazon?

Something related to the latter, no doubt. Amazon does some complex stuff with pricing. Some of that may become visible as the following two volumes near release date.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

$20 starter and a 50pg free PDF printed by stars and bound for like $8 makes a 30$ price point to run... Sounds better to me already

 

[billd91]

Well, I succumbed. I would like to offer more support to my FLGS (Pegasus Games on Odana Road, Madison - for those of you who are within shopping distance), but I couldn't pass up the Amazon price. At about $30, I am willing to check out the 5e PH sight unseen. And my experience with it will determine whether or not I invest in the rest (as I chose not to for 4e).