Planescape Adventure Atlas: The Mortuary, on DnDBeyond and a WotC video.

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

"Dragon magazine was a microtransaction" has to be one of the most "Wha???" inducing takes I have encountered in recent memory. I mean,I k ow people on ENWorld like to completely invent new meanings for words, but holy wow folks.

I'm not saying a subscription to a magazine is a microtransaction. However, people saying this article is one is misusing the term to the extent that it would be considered one. I put quotation marks around the word "microtransaction" for a reason. The term has been so ridiculously misused on this site since the whole "undermonetization of D&D" fiasco.

My point was that paying a smaller amount of money for a smaller amount of D&D content than is normally found in a full release is not new to 5e or D&D as a whole.

 

[dave2008]

"Dragon magazine was a microtransaction" has to be one of the most "Wha???" inducing takes I have encountered in recent memory. I mean,I k ow people on ENWorld like to completely invent new meanings for words, but holy wow folks.

I am pretty sure you understood the analogy backwards. The point is that Dragon magazine is a much a microtransaction as this Adventure Atlas is, i.e. they are not microtransactions.

 

[Reynard]

I am pretty sure you understood the analogy backwards. The point is that Dragon magazine is a much a microtransaction as this Adventure Atlas is, i.e. they are not microtransactions.

Literally people in this thread called Dragon Magazine microtransactions. You can read the posts.

I think there is an argument to be made that this particular product qualifies as "DLC" for the Planescape book, as opposed to just some random additional content. I think that is intentional. WotC wants people looking to Beyond for more extra stuff, not least because if people know that is coming they are more likely to just buy the initial thing on Beyond in the first place. No printing fees. No cut to Amazon or other distributors. It makes sense.

No one has a problem with supplements, even purely digital ones.we have been buying PDF only "books" for literal decades at this point. But WotC has a toxic relationship with digital releases of its current products, locking them behind subscriptions and bespoke platforms. I don't think it is unreasonable for us to assume that WotC will continue that trend as it monetizes Beyond. They are a publicly traded corporation and their goal is always first and foremost increasing returns for shareholders.

And mostly I wouldn't care except I think they are going to try and silo off D&D to WotC controlled platforms. Their releasing the 5.0 SRD into CC was not a gift it was a strategy. It doesn't matter if D&D is open if the primary delivery menu is a WotC product and 3PPs need special invitations to join in.

Here's something to think about: no major 3rd Party Publishers utilized DMsGuild, even though a "Kobold Guide to Cormyr" (or whatever) would certainly have been a phenomenal best seller for DMsGuild. Why do you think that is? When WotC makes offers to specific 3PPs for Beyond access, the terms are going to exist solely to empower and enrich WotC. And D&D without 3PP support is actually pretty bland.

 

[Parmandur]

But WotC has a toxic relationship with digital releases of its current products, locking them behind subscriptions and bespoke platforms.

There is no subscription required to get on Beyond. You not personally liking a particular platform doesnmake it toxic (as someone who doesn't use it myself)

Their releasing the 5.0 SRD into CC was not a gift it was a strategy.

Well, obviously. Just as the original OGL was a strategy to build shareholders value, so is the CC release and anything else they do. That's just life. This approach seems to work better for the market than the OGL shenanigans, so it is a better strategy.

 

[dave2008]

Literally people in this thread called Dragon Magazine microtransactions. You can read the posts.

The person you quoted "liked" my post, so I think I was closer to the mark. In fact, their reply in post #101 confirms I was correct. Now you may have been responding to some general trend in your mind, IDK, but you quoted a specific post and that is what I clarified (from my understanding) and I turned out to be correct.

Sorry, I didn't read the rest of your post.

 

[mamba]

Indeed, with the Tal'Direi book being on Beyond and the hint thst one Kickstarter may go up, probably WotC is going to turn Beyond into the industry standard marketplace.

what is ‘industry standard’, 5e or TTRPGs in general (like Steam for computer games)?

If I were WotC I’d aim for the latter, but I am not sure they even aim for the former (ie a DMsGuild replacement)

 

[Parmandur]

what is ‘industry standard’, 5e or TTRPGs in general (like Steam for computer games)?

If I were WotC I’d aim for the latter, but I am not sure they even aim for the former (ie a DMsGuild replacement)

I think itnwould be smart to do the latter fully, but I doubt they would. Cynically, doing the former is mostly doing the latter, anyways. And not many small companies will turn their noses up at the market potential.

 

[mamba]

Note that Glory and Phandelver are both selling worse than Tiamat and Sword Coast Adventurers Guide. I think the back to back releases hurt these books. I think it points to a higher release rate hurting sales of many books.

different audiences I assume, whoever buys SCAG or Tiamat now is probably relatively new, so they have thirty or so books to choose from and go with what interests them. I can see a book on giants having less interest than a lot of other books…

Amazon discounts might have something to do with it too, SCAG at $25 or so, while Phandelver is $40

 

[Eyes of Nine]

It’s $42 on Amazon. Where I make the comparison.

View attachment 311387

How much is SCAG and Tiamat for you right now? I'd expect them to be much lower... SCAG for me is $19.99 on AMZ

 

[Remathilis]

I think there is an argument to be made that this particular product qualifies as "DLC" for the Planescape book, as opposed to just some random additional content. I think that is intentional. WotC wants people looking to Beyond for more extra stuff, not least because if people know that is coming they are more likely to just buy the initial thing on Beyond in the first place. No printing fees. No cut to Amazon or other distributors. It makes sense.

Disney put several series of TV shows in the MCU on their premium streaming service, some of which introduced whole plot points and new characters referenced in later movies. (Wandavision and Dr Strange, Ms Marvel and the Marvels). Essentially, it's DLC for the MCU.

This is no different. The Mortuary is literally the first place you wake up in the included module. They overdeveloped the area due to that and rather than let it go to waste, they put it on Beyond (as in extra, it's in the name) and opted to make a few bucks off it.

Frankly, this is a nothingburger. It's some extra material for anyone who wants some additional material. The problem people are having is that WotC didn't give it to them for free and they didn't get it in the format they wanted. Guess what? I didn't get to watch Wandavision free on ABC TV either.