NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Azgulor" data-source="post: 4675181" data-attributes="member: 14291">In order for me to agree with the above, I would need to understand the timing involved -- and I'll state up front I don't.If WotC announced/advertised their own purchasable power card decks, whathave you before the site went live then the following paragraph is null and void:If the site in question has been in operation for some time preceeding WotC's announcement of purchasable power cards, then WotC when debating about making such a product, would have to know that "unofficial" versions would be on the web, just as there are with character sheets.  At that point, it's a CHOICE whether to ignore or take legal action to remove the free stuff.Which leads me to what  is probably my biggest gripe against some of the more, shall we say, emphatic WotC defenders: the "Might makes right" argument.  Just because WotC can charge for something doesn't mean it should.  I'm a sales engineer, so I've seen where a "value-add" given for free engenders customer loyalty and where charging for a value-add pisses a happy customer off.  I mean, are the potential revenues for power cards really that great?  If they are, then WotC made the right move - for WotC.One of the greatest, yet most highly sought, intangibles of any business is customer loyalty.  Often, competition forces a business to provide value-adds for discounted prices or for free where they would otherwise charge for them.  This is good - for the customer because they're paying less money.Now as I said, I don't know the timing involved, nor do I know the market demand for power cards, or what price point that market will bear - so I'm not blaming WotC or accusing them of anything.  It is what it is.But one of the most perplexing things about 4e, the edition wars, etc. is the seemingly slavish loyalty whereby some people appear to applaud WotC's choices that arguably only benefit WotC.  WotC took back the Dungeon/Dragon/DragonLance license --> "Why not, it's within their right to do so!"  No OGL or d20 system license equivalents for 4e, only the GSL --> "Why would WotC want competing products" (although this one is almost immediately followed by how insignificant 3PPs are to WotC's revenues...), etc.  BTW, these are examples of arguments I've seen and/or participated in, I'm not looking to rehash them.Now all of the above may be the best possible move for WotC.  Business is business and if I were on their side of the table, maybe I'd make the same decisions.  But as a gamer, a GM, and a customer, some of these moves decrease choices and add expense (if I choose to purchase, of course).  That's just an objective fact - whether it's good or bad is left to each person to decide.  WotC doing something just because they can due to their size, market share, or brand recognition seems like poor reasons for a customer to justify such actions, IMO.If Power Card revenues will rival that of a rulebook, then maybe it's worth it.  But if they didn't come up with the idea until after fans posted homemade ones on websites...well just because they can doesn't necessarily mean they should.BTW, none of the "Might makes right" discussion is directed at Dire Bear, only my comments about the timing.  The whole situation reminded me of the "might makes right" phenomena I'm referencing.</blockquote>

Verification