$5 4E PHB @ GenCon!

[AllisterH]

Seriously, didn't WOTC/TSR always used to have some sort of special deal at Gencon?

I distinctly remember my friend picking up C&T for free at a Gencon because he bought another Player's Option product and another got sweet booster box deals anytime he goes by the WOTC booth....

Am I totally out of my gourd here to think this is "standard" Gencon operations for WOTC?

You know what...here's a question. What's WOTC doing for M:TG at Gencon?

 

[AllisterH]

Sure. So, you're making comment that the loss in profits is spread over two books? Essentially, in your opinion, they either feel that the other books can't perform well on their own or have printed extra copies for this specific promotion? I don't know. This seems more oriented toward moving PH1s, specifically. Your post does also raise the question of whether or not this promotion will be shared with retailers.

Given that it only extends to the days that Gencon is running, I don't think it would work for retailers. Would take too long to setup for too little gain.

Another reason why I don't think it is targetted at paizo is simply how late this announcement came. Gencon starts August 13th and we are now hearing about this.

Unless you're always on enworld, you wouldn't know it and it is too late to change your plans just to go to gencon to get a book.

p.s. So what's the ulterior motive for making the compendium free during Gencon?

 

[Mark]

Despite some of the above posts, I doubt it is a good idea to make comparisons between the business decisions of privately owned (and run into the ground) TSR and corporate, Hasbro-owned WotC.

p.s. So what's the ulterior motive for making the compendium free during Gencon?

What's that cost them? What's the PH1 unit cost?

 

[ggroy]

p.s. So what's the ulterior motive for making the compendium free during Gencon?

Free advertising?

 

[ProfessorCirno]

The fact that WotC waited till now to announce it and that it's only at Gencon (AFAIK, the PF pdf price is staying the same for a while if not always) is what makes it seem like just a cheap gimmick and last ditch effort to steal some attention away from Paizo. Which is smart from a business sense, I'm not going to criticize them for doing it, even though I think it's rather pathetic and more aggressive action than I care for (did Paizo do anything to try and steal some thunder from WotC at the first GenCon to have 4E?). I'm also not going to commend them for doing it. Paizo's actions make it clear they want to provide affordable pdfs and products for their customers, at least taken as a part of their larger attidtude and actions overall. WotC's move stands out in contrast to everything else they've done lately and should not and will not garner the same positive feelings. Well, they did mail out freebies to registered DMs, so I guess this isn't an entirely unique circumstance.

Just my thoughts.

Pretty much my thoughts.

If this was announced earlier, or if it was more then just a "Only at gencon!" thing, then I would feel differently. As it stands, it seems needlessly aggressive and reactionary, and very much a "Oh crap, Pathfinder is popular - QUICK STEAL PEOPLE FROM THEM!"

Maybe it makes good business sense, but it's a complete dick move.

 

[Herremann the Wise]

I'm not too sure how bigger deal this is. For D&D to grow, WotC need as many PHB I handbooks in use as possible. This seems a clever move on the surface, but how much are they de-valuing the long-term value of the Flagship book? Once $5 has entered the collective mindset for the PHB, how willing are consumers going to be to pay 5 times that amount again and more? I suppose the lack of exposure and specificity of this deal will mean that the devaluing effect won't be that great... but I'm not too sure.

I'm also surprised people have mentioned the $10 Paizo pdf, which does not appear to be a discount, temporary or otherwise. Apples and oranges I think.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Maybe it makes good business sense, but it's a complete dick move.

Thank you for so succinctly summarizing what I was trying to say.

 

[ST]

Am I totally out of my gourd here to think this is "standard" Gencon operations for WOTC?

My wife works in publishing, so I hear a lot about conventions and expo's. This kind of thing isn't anything a publisher would go "Wait, what?" to as far as convention promos go. Don't get me wrong, they're offering a great deal, but publishers do these kinds of things.

For example, it's common to see firesale prices on books at the last day of an expo, since making even a little off the book is better for the bottom line than shipping it back and risking it getting back to the warehouse in an unsaleable condition. Bigger companies like Wizards don't have to worry so much about stuff like that, maybe, but they've got a promotional budget and it's there to be spent.

 

[billd91]

Seriously, didn't WOTC/TSR always used to have some sort of special deal at Gencon?

I distinctly remember my friend picking up C&T for free at a Gencon because he bought another Player's Option product and another got sweet booster box deals anytime he goes by the WOTC booth....

Am I totally out of my gourd here to think this is "standard" Gencon operations for WOTC?

I think you are. This isn't standard Gen Con operations for WotC. They have given away a lot of free product in the past, but it's usually been in return for sitting in on a lot of their demos and then cashing in your chit to spin a wheel of prizes.
Massive discount of core rulebooks isn't something they've routinely done. Certainly not for the duration of the convention. TSR did it once for some huge warehouse overstock of 1e hardcovers ($2 each compared to their list $15) years ago.

 

[Obryn]

This is no more a dick move than White Wolf giving away PDFs of Exalted after WotC pulled their PDF shenanigans. Or Paizo putting everything on sale afterwards.

When you see an opportunity, you go for it. Do you think a smarter move on WotC's part would be to say, "Oh, yeah, just don't really TRY to get any convention buzz!"

This is business, folks. And it's not like it will keep Paizo from selling out on the first day.

-O