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

[Parmandur]

They're giving me something I will likely never use because I have no desire to ever use a VTT again. It's a bit of advertising like the free toy you used to get in cereal boxes back in the day. I cannot think of how this could be predatory DLC. Will they sell extra special minis? Of course, they sell boxes of minis now. I don't see this being any different.

Shoot, as a TotM player, plastic or metal minis are already kind of intense.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

This is just a symptom of the whole rot late stage capitalism has brought. Either prepare to amputate the gangrenous limb or enjoy the time you still have left.

brb, setting up a subscription service for guillotines with lots of pre-order bonuses.

 

[occam]

It will never not be sad to see so many praising a corp for their capitalism.

Explains a lot of the world actually.

It isn't praise to accurately describe a situation.

WotC sells books. They've been selling books for decades. Now they also sell books online. It is neither praise nor criticism to say that.

If someone wants to claim that this is the start of a slide towards some capitalist hellscape, well... they can do that, of course. But I would claim that such an opinion is not just misguided, it is entirely without basis in fact.

 

[occam]

I don't hate capitalism. But capitalism takes many forms and there is place for being a moral and ethical company while getting paid. It doesn't have to be an endless chase of growth and profits for profits sake.

Agreed! So what I want to know is, what, exactly, is it about the image you posted to start this thread that says WotC is engaged in "an endless chase of growth and profits for profits sake". Other than, you know, selling books as they've always done? I really would like to understand what you found so disturbing about it.

 

[Oofta]

Shoot, as a TotM player, plastic or metal minis are already kind of intense.

Times change. I kind of feel bad for reaperminis, but now I have a 3D printer, heroforge and subscribe to a guy that does models for all the published monsters.

But in exchange for less money than most people pay for a fancy cup of coffee I get exactly the mini I want at a price only slightly higher than my metal figs.

So if I were to use a VTT and had an option to create a custom mini for my PC? Yes I'd consider it, there are worse things to spend my money on. Like a fancy cup of coffee.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Agreed! So what I want to know is, what, exactly, is it about the image you posted to start this thread that says WotC is engaged in "an endless chase of growth and profits for profits sake". Other than, you know, selling books as they've always done? I really would like to understand what you found so disturbing about it.

This has been asked and answered several times on this thread.

He works in the videogame industry and this is how it started at his company and competitors before sliding into absolute enshitification and it's giving him flashbacks.

If you don't think it'll inevitably go that way, great, but he's been through it himself before and the chart he posted is making him feel like he's about to watch it happen again.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

lol yikes.

This is right up there with another comment I saw on this forum about "a world of Post Literacy is good cuz youtube."

You all can enjoy having nothing and being happy about it, I'll be on my property, relaxing with the people I enjoy, and the things no corp can take away because well..I own them.

Yeah, no thanks.

I will own an actual book. This just invites work arounds that the company does not profit from.

Then again, you only need enough buyers to make up for the losses.

Can you scan a book for personal use if you own it?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Can you scan a book for personal use if you own it?

A huge ongoing battle in Congress, actually.

 

[Scribe]

Can you scan a book for personal use if you own it?

Sure, who's going to stop you.

 

[Warpiglet-7]

This has been asked and answered several times on this thread.

He works in the videogame industry and this is how it started at his company and competitors before sliding into absolute enshitification and it's giving him flashbacks.

If you don't think it'll inevitably go that way, great, but he's been through it himself before and the chart he posted is making him feel like he's about to watch it happen

Sure, who's going to stop you.

Because f this! Renting an idea? No thanks.