D&D Insider: Losing your toys

[malraux]

Coming from a software dev. background, I don't have a problem with this model. Subscription based "software as a service" has been around for a long time, and it's these questions have already been discussed and hashed out. This model has survived and we are actually seeing more and more of a trend to it.

My only comment on that is that while there certainly is a trend in favor of the SaaS model, I don't know that the popularity is from the consumers as much as from the businesses. So while the businesses have pretty uniformly decided to favor it, that doesn't necessarily mean that consumers are happy about it, or that the consumers got much of a say in the discussion. (see mandatory binding arbitration for similar sorts of cases)

All that said, WotC is clearly being very friendly on the matter. No onerous DRM or subscription check, fairly broad ability to install on multiple computers, concurrent logins, etc. Any place where the tech has seemed to force a choice between being restrictive and being friendly, they seem to have chosen being friendly.

 

[Scribble]

In my opinion, as far as the CB software is concerned, you're paying for WoTC to keep track of the new rules available to your character, as well as keep track of changes to the rules, as opposed to paying for ownership of the actual rules text. (If you want that, then you should purchase the books or PDFs.)

It's a question of what is your time worth. Sure, you can keep track of all that stuff yourself, but for some 5 bux a month isn't a lot to have some other shlub do it for em.

So to me DDI is both a product and a service. I pay for the service of keeping my game up to date without a lot of extra hassle on my part. I pay for the product of monthly pdfs full of game goodness.

The fact that after I cancel I can't update my CB again with the latest rules doesn't effect me. I'm no longer paying for that service. I still (unless I was stupid and didn't DL all my pdf content) have all my pdf game goodies.

 

[Umbran]

<tongue-in-cheek> Wow, I bet you built every last screw and bolt in your car, huh? No? I guess you don't own it then. </tongue-in-cheek>

Well, the point I was trying to (and failing) to make is thus: if you had written the code yourself, you'd have some claim to ownership. Otherwise, just because you pay someone money, doesn't mean you own it - your rights are determined by the agreement you make with the people who take your money.

<serious question> Wouldn't it bother you if your car stopped working the moment the warranty expired? How is this different? </serious question>

Serious question, but really bad analogy. Horrible, actually. This is nothing like a warranty.

The proper analogy is between buying a car, and leasing one. If I lease a car, I do not own it. My rights with respect to its use are given in the lease agreement. And, darn straight, if I stop making lease payments, I expect to lose use of the car.

 

[Halivar]

That said, I'd still strongly prefer that the Character Builder was available as a stand-alone, non-subscription product. I think $30-50 for the application and the PHB, DMG, and MM 1 data would be appropriate. I have to admit that, if the DDI didn't have plenty of subscription-appropriate content, I wouldn't even have tried the CB on principle alone.

CB wins with SaaS because it provides profit incentive to WotC to keep it continually up-to-date. Shrink-wrap software suffers from stasis because the producer has no good reason to create value-add for folks who have already given them money.

 

[Rechan]

In my opinion, as far as the CB software is concerned, you're paying for WoTC to keep track of the new rules available to your character, as well as keep track of changes to the rules, as opposed to paying for ownership of the actual rules text. (If you want that, then you should purchase the books or PDFs.)

Not to mention having a comprehensive searchable function (Compendium) or doing all the math for you ahead of time (Character Builder).

 

[Mercule]

You can. Pay $10 for the one-month sub then go hog wild in your cabin forever.

Oh, I know. I was more thinking in terms of a re-install disk.

 

[Spatula]

But would you want the game to stop working on your home PC when you stop subscribing? There's just no technical or economic reason for that.

For the dozenth time, it doesn't stop working when you stop subscribing.

 

[Prism]

CB wins with SaaS because it provides profit incentive to WotC to keep it continually up-to-date. Shrink-wrap software suffers from stasis because the producer has no good reason to create value-add for folks who have already given them money.

This is IMO the most important point. Under this model Wizards has a huge incentive to keep the product up to date monthly. If they had released a product for sale with the 3 core book data sets they would front load the price and have far less reason to keep things updated as quickly. How many of us would continue to buy both books and data sets every time even if they were available on time? If wizards lapse with the character builder updates they are likely to lose a good deal of ongoing custom

To be honest, if wizards dropped the service next month and somehow removed all access to character builder (even though we know thats not possible the way it currently works) then I would be fine with it. I'm not buying a product, simply the ability to use the tool each month I subscribe. If I don't want it anymore I don't pay - and equally don't regret paying a stack of cash up front for something I no longer need

 

[WotC_Chuck]

Hey guys, I just wanted to jump in and clarify the way the Character Builder interacts with your subscription. Anyone can download and use the Character Builder as a demo at any point. If you are a current subscriber you can run the update and get all the most recent information and open up all 30 levels of play. If you stop being a subscriber you are no longer able to get new updates but it does not change what you already have access to. If you need an update or lose your copy you can always subscribe again and get a fresh update.


- Chuck

 

[Mercule]

Massively Multiplayer Online RPGs have functionality that doesn't require a connection? I think that goes against the stated definition of such software...

Which is why I listed it with things like email and IM that, by their very nature, require Internet connection.

What was your objection to what I said?