D&D (2024) D&D Pre-orders; this is sad

[UngeheuerLich]

Except they can and add extra digital incentives. Like FREE VIRTUAL MINIS AND DICE!

Shame on them.

Oh wait. You can buy bundles where you get both early access and a book later.

I also got my digital version of A5e LevelUp way before I got my printed copy. And while I backed it up, I got some extra boons.
And patreon is not that different from preordering.

 

[Umbran]

The image above? It's exactly the first step into the same model.

It is unclear what you find to be such a death-knell. The fact that they give you a discount if you buy all three? That they give you some digital art bits along with if you're using D&D Beyond?

Note that they aren't offering different playable content in different tiers. The benefits are getting at it a little early (as if that matters - you hope folks play for years, a week one side or the other ain't a thing), and having some bits to spruce up your digital characters sheets.

Or, is it the fact that they have digital offerings at all? If so, with respect, this is the 21st century.

 

[Morrus]

This is the program they've announced. Say whatever you want about WotC, but they're trying to give FLGS something.

Local Game Store Early Access for D&D Book Sales | WPN

Local game stores will now have early access to sell major tabletop book releases from Dungeons & Dragons, in-store only.

wpn.wizards.com

Or… they’re delaying access to non-Americans. You can spin this a million different ways.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I couldn’t quite parse that. Could you rephrase?

When you have a finalized pdf, uploading it for digital release is way faster than sending it to the printers and distributing it to FLGSs.

 

[occam]

What, exactly, is the problem? It makes me feel a little crazy that several people have already posted and seem to agree on the existence of some problem, but no one, including the OP, has clearly expressed what that is.

 

[Quickleaf]

This is the program they've announced. Say whatever you want about WotC, but they're trying to give FLGS something.

Local Game Store Early Access for D&D Book Sales | WPN

Local game stores will now have early access to sell major tabletop book releases from Dungeons & Dragons, in-store only.

wpn.wizards.com

Thanks for posting that, Velderan!

I'm not clear on how exactly the D&D Beyond releases relate to this early access for FLGS.

For example, their site says the FLGS early release is "May 7, ahead of the global release of the book on May 21.

But are the D&D Beyond 1-week early / 2-weeks early meaning "1 or 2 weeks before global release"? Or something else?

 

[UngeheuerLich]

It is unclear what you find to be such a death-knell. The fact that they give you a discount if you buy all three? That they give you some digital art bits along with if you're using D&D Beyond?

Note that they aren't offering different playable content in different tiers. The benefits are getting at it a little early (as if that matters - you hope folks play for years, a week one side or the other ain't a thing), and having some bits to spruce up your digital characters sheets.

Or, is it the fact that they have digital offerings at all? If so, with respect, this is the 21st century.

And it is also not something they do just so. With preorders for print versions, they can better estimate how big the initial print run has to be. They also get paid in advance, which is better than being paid afterwards. So giving some bonuses for preorders seems fair.

 

[payn]

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Is the issue the bonuses that you get if you pre-order rather than waiting until the product is out to buy?
So people are encouraged to purchase early rather than when reviews and such are out?

I think that I understand the concern.
I have seen enough about the 2024 version to be satisfied that it is an improvement, and I know that I will be using it. So I will probably be taking advantage of one of the pre-order offers. (Since I'll be buying at least the PHB anyway, and hey, free stuff!)
Others will of course have to make their own minds up about how they want to spend their money.

In terms of the company: Definite money now is considerably more valuable than possible money in the future from a corporate perspective. Therefore it is logical to encourage early purchasing , even by giving a discount, or additional goods that could have been sold in the future if the difference in value justifies it.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

We dont even have the cool cuber. It's just all dystopia.

The Cybertruck has entered the chat