D&D 4E 4E DnD Insider Moving; No Longer Available To New Subscribers

I don't know it that was already the case, but they no longer accept new subscribers.

Edit: My post doesn't make much sense, now that the OP has been promoted to news and edited to include more information.

 

[Jer]

Almost as if they making way for something new...

More like finally moving them off the main site because 4e is now over a year gone and is no longer supported by them outside of the digital tools.

 

[Paraxis]

The old offline character builder with the CBloader hack is way better anyway and free.

 

[ZE_Lumis]

I see people complaining about Fantasy Grounds, but my group uses it to play Out of the Abyss and it has been nothing but smooth sailing. I love it. Much better than Roll20 so far.

 

[Jester David]

That's unfortunate.
While moving might make it easier to find, blocking new subs makes it harder for people to re-up to scratch their 4e itch for a one-shot or mini-campaign. It means a slow loss of subs with no way of replacement. It seems like they're trying to kill the program.

 

[MwaO]

That's unfortunate.
While moving might make it easier to find, blocking new subs makes it harder for people to re-up to scratch their 4e itch for a one-shot or mini-campaign. It means a slow loss of subs with no way of replacement. It seems like they're trying to kill the program.

There are a number of strange things going on there, but I suspect the following two things are true:
Non-core(aka 4e digital services) costs are borne by D&D, but the revenues falls under other. And sub acquisition is likely the most expensive aspect of DDI because they need their account set up. So every new sub puts the D&D profit margins in the wrong direction. There just isn't enough momentum or cost to justify completely killing it right away.

Some brainiac figured out there probably isn't much of a market for Dragon/Dungeon magazines at $3 a pop at the various online stores if you can just become a sub for a month and download them all.

 

[werecorpse]

Darn it, only ever played 4e once (not my cup of tea) but I kept meaning to sign up to download the dungeon magazines to mine for adventures to convert to other systems. Is that still doable?

 

[Nibelung]

The old offline character builder with the CBloader hack is way better anyway and free.

The main reason I still keep a DDI subscription is not the builder (I agree, the CBloader hack is better. Specially because I can add house rules via xml edit), but the Compendium. That one is absurdly valuable when you scratch your head and want to see if there is a "undead elite brute that resist cold" or something like that. Or checking for a feat that "modifies Cleave" or "give something else to use your opportunity actions" or "synergizes with high Wisdom".

The magazines were cool when they were being released. The Compendium is the real gold of DDI after the system was done.

 

[Evenglare]

I really wish they would make all of this stuff OGL. I get it's their IP, but if they aren't going to do anything with it, then they should just release it into the wild. It's akin to a child not playing with their toy, but yet doesn't want anyone else to play with it. Yeah, okay, it's theirs but if they don't care about it, why do they not want others to get enjoyment out of it? Yes, it's the law, but not all laws make sense all of the time. /2cents

 

[The Fighter-Cricket]

I really wish they would make all of this stuff OGL. I get it's their IP, but if they aren't going to do anything with it, then they should just release it into the wild.

I wish the same, deeply and sincerely. But companies are not about granting wishes - they do bznz. And when they take out DDI and bury it under a huge boulder of ready to use cease-and-desist forms then maybe some of the heartbroken 4E players will try to cure their grieve with some 5E.

It's akin to a child not playing with their toy, but yet doesn't want anyone else to play with it. Yeah, okay, it's theirs but if they don't care about it, why do they not want others to get enjoyment out of it?

I don't want to get too political here but, you know, that's the usual way our economical system works. *capitalism* *cough* It shouldn't be too much of a suprise for all of us really.

 

[Manchu2]

I have a ddi account, but I lost the password and username and haven't logged in for two years, but it just renewed and charged me... argh.