Are reviews of older books useful?

[Crothian]

As long as you're not only doing old reviews, Crothian, it'd be splendid to see some reviews of old stuff (as Turanil pointed out, this is best for PDFs - but older books can often be found for a discount, so even reviews of old printed books wouldn't be entirely useless).

My focus for reviews is always going to be PDFs. But doing a few other products here and there sometimes helps keep me sane. I have a responsibility to both the publishers and the fans, so every now and again I like to test the waters so to speak.

 

[Crothian]

certainly. some of us prefer the older material.

Ya, but I'm not going that old. Just d20 books that I happen to have lying around.

 

[Orius]

I suppose yes might be a good answer, since one can always get a copy of an older book on eBay, discount shelves at the FLGS, etc.

 

[IronWolf]

I certainly think reviews of older books are useful. Sometimes when a book first comes out I may not have a real need for it. 6 months to a year later though a campaign may hit a place where the book fits in better, so a review is always helpful.

 

[Crothian]

I suppose yes might be a good answer, since one can always get a copy of an older book on eBay, discount shelves at the FLGS, etc.

well, either could be a good answer as it is opinion based. But the used market of these books seems to be out there and most of them can be found, so I figured I'd look into if people want that.

 

[Trickstergod]

You know, this made me consider how much more important reviews might be for older books, anyway; I think someone purchasing something new is less likely to read a review on it, in part because it's new and won't have many reviews, in part because they're willing to just go ahead and buy something right around when it comes out.

Conversely, someone picking something up months after the fact might be more inclined to read a review; it might be because of a tighter budget or perhaps a willingness to wait and see how well-received a book is before picking it up, both of which make for an individual more likely to read a review.

So, yes, I find reviews of older books useful. Generally speaking, I don't buy books when first they come out. I'd prefer to wait until there's a bit of a buzz about them, whether it's people discussing the book after they've bought it on a messageboard or reading a few reviews of the books in question. In the case of older books, it's usually easier to find a review than a discussion.

So, yeah, reviews of older books matter. Possibly just as much or greater than with new books.

 

[Ryltar]

Excellent idea, Crothian. Do so. Definitely.

Now.

Seriously: I've nothing to add to what Whizbang posted earlier.

 

[Crothian]

Excellent idea, Crothian. Do so. Definitely.

This isn't just for me, like all things there is a hidden agenda

 

[talinthas]

Yes. D&D has always been about mining information from all kinds of sources, and there's always something somewhere that can be salvaged from an older book for a campaign. If nothing else, it provides a target for later conversion =)

 

[Krieg]

Absolutely yes they would be useful.

Especially when the review is being done from a contemporary standpoint. Some of the 3-4 year old books that were highly regarded at the time have not weathered the test of time as well as others. It would be nice to have a newer perspective on their longevity.