Are we fair to WotC?

[Dannager]

You can imagine a world where wizards shoot lightning at dragons using their spellbooks, but not one where real people use real books to play rpgs indefinitely?

I cannot imagine either of those things happening in real life.

 

[Wicht]

"(Television) won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night." - Darryl Zanuck, 20th Century Fox founder, 1946

And yet television did not completely replace theater either. The two have learned to coexist, though television is obviously dominate.

While I can easily believe that electronic media will continue to grow in popularity, I do not believe it will ever eliminate print. This is not the view of a luddite, but rather that of a bibliophile. The printed page has an allure and convenience all of its own. And books never need batteries.

In a related field, I would point to the surge in popularity (and sales) of physical board games in recent decades, despite the growing sophistication of computer games and apps.

 

[Wicht]

I cannot imagine either of those things happening in real life.

Really. I think its quite easy to imagine people sitting around the campfire rolling dice and checking out the rules long after our civilization has collapsed and mutants and roving biker gangs dominate the wastelands beyond the darkness.

 

[Dannager]

And yet television did not completely replace theater either. The two have learned to coexist, though television is obviously dominate.

I think it's safe to say that, at some point, a theater owner probably thought to himself, "Man, I wish I were in film right now."

I don't know that physical books will ever disappear entirely. There may always be a niche market for them. But it will be a niche market, eventually. Digital products and services will become the primary focus of most print companies.

While I can easily believe that electronic media will continue to grow in popularity, I do not believe it will ever eliminate print. This is not the view of a luddite, but rather that of a bibliophile. The printed page has an allure and convenience all of its own. And books never need batteries.

Neither does my Kindle. I plug it into the wall for a few minutes once a month or so. I'm sure what you really mean is that they don't require power, which is mostly true (they require light, which is only available without power for part of the day), but e-readers require so little of it as to make that a trivial issue in anything but a post-apocalyptic scenario.

In a related field, I would point to the surge in popularity (and sales) of physical board games in recent decades, despite the growing sophistication of computer games and apps.

I think this is more a reflection of the burgeoning nature of game design, a field that barely existed more than a few decades ago. All forms of games have surged in popularity in the last few decades.

 

[Wicht]

Neither does my Kindle. I plug it into the wall for a few minutes once a month or so. I'm sure what you really mean is that they don't require power, which is mostly true (they require light, which is only available without power for part of the day), but e-readers require so little of it as to make that a trivial issue in anything but a post-apocalyptic scenario.

You have a good kindle. My kindle fire runs out of power after about eight hours of use.

But reading on the kindle just is not as pleasant as reading a book, no matter how I slice it. Electronic stores easier, but books are just nicer in multiple ways. Books are easier to hold and manipulate, easier on the eyes, easier to find the passage you want when you want it. Easier to read while lying in bed, or out of doors. I don't have to worry about dropping the book and being out of a couple hundred dollars, or worry about people sitting on it. And, when the power is off for two or three days in a row, my books are still there for me. Besides which they look nicer on a shelf.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I think it's safe to say that, at some point, a theater owner probably thought to himself, "Man, I wish I were in film right now."

I think it's safe to say that, at some point, a film actor probably thought to himself, "Man I wish I was in theater right now."

Digital products and services will become the primary focus of most print companies.

Even if that were true, the notion of subscription services does not necessarily follow. I can still buy and own one book on a Kindle.

I think this is more a reflection of the burgeoning nature of game design, a field that barely existed more than a few decades ago. All forms of games have surged in popularity in the last few decades.

Well that reasoning is...creative. I think it indicates that some people see value specifically in low-tech entertainment.

 

[Dannager]

Books are easier to hold and manipulate,

Books come in basically every size format imaginable. e-readers, on the other hand, are designed for ergonomics. I'm not sure how you can make this claim, at all.

easier on the eyes,

Use e-ink.

easier to find the passage you want when you want it.

e-readers automatically save your progress, without the need to stick a bookmark in.

Easier to read while lying in bed, or out of doors.

Again, e-ink.

I don't have to worry about dropping the book and being out of a couple hundred dollars,

My Kindle has a full leather case. Dropping it only makes it stronger.

or worry about people sitting on it.

It wouldn't be as comfortable as a chair, but it also wouldn't be damaged by the occasion.

And, when the power is off for two or three days in a row, my books are still there for me.

Again, e-ink. The Kindle Fire is a tablet, not a dedicated e-reader. Regular Kindles hold their charge forever because they do not require power except to change what is displayed.

 

[Wicht]

Books come in basically every size format imaginable. e-readers, on the other hand, are designed for ergonomics. I'm not sure how you can make this claim, at all....Use e-ink....e-readers automatically save your progress, without the need to stick a bookmark in....My Kindle has a full leather case. Dropping it only makes it stronger...It wouldn't be as comfortable as a chair, but it also wouldn't be damaged by the occasion.

You seem to have a hard time believing that people's opinions or experiences can be different than yours. I accept and am not offended by the fact they you obviously prefer the electronic format. Why do you question my experiences or the validity thereof? People are allowed to think books superior to e-readers. Its a legitimate opinion.

As for comfort, to be specific - I find the average paperback book to be easier on my thumbs than the average reader. The paperback books tend to be lighter in weight and thus easier to hold. I also do not enjoy repeatedly running my finger tips across the screen after a certain length of doing so. I find it physically annoying. I also can't do it with one hand, such as I know how to do with turning a page while holding the book with one hand. All in all the use of a paperback book is more physically enjoyable for me than the tablet and it causes my thumb joints less pain in extended hours of reading.

As for finding your place - sure the e-reader starts where you left off, but the act of finding a particular passage when you are done is more difficult than just turning to the spot in the book where you know the quote to be. Thus books, once known, are to me, faster than the e-devices in looking up relative passages. The exception to this is the engines formatted expressly to find passages or places quickly, such as biblegateway.com or the like.

And while I am glad that you are unafraid of electronics breaking, I have seen multiple tablets, i-pads, and the like broken by being sat on, dropped, or otherwise harmed. Its a legitimate concern. Books are far cheaper to replace.

 

[I'm A Banana]

....no DRM, no spying, ownership instead of licencing, no worry about connectivity, super easy to share, a more robust technology....

Yeah, I'd have to say that this "e-books are the future, adapt or die!" talk sounds pretty myopic to me. There's pretty obviously a role for e-stuff to play, even a major role, but folks near big urban/tech hubs (a la several areas in Cali and the Seattle area) can sometimes forget their geographic (and frequently economic) privilege. The "average consumer" isn't someone who has reliable 24/7 connectivity and a handful of touchscreens near them at most times. For the next decade or so (ie: for the next edition), you're not looking at an electronic revolution. A steady evolution, probably. Tools. Enhancements. Useful things. Things those early-adopters on the densely-populated fringes can grab. But probably not a sea change. That's my prognostication, anyway.

 

[Warbringer]

.. and I'm sure we can find a way to blame WoTC for e-readers, deforestation and stupid airline policies that make us turn off our tablets and phones on take off..