D&D Insider - Pay tomorrow for what you get today for free?
- Thread starter Whizbang Dustyboots
- Start date
Saddened
There's very little of D&D Insider that appeals to me, so even if the subscription fee was ridiculously low (like $20 US for the year), I doubt I'd be interested.
It does sound like most of the currently free content will be privatized (including the D&D University, which sounds an awful lot like the online D&D class I took through Barnes & Noble University earlier this year) in the desire to squeeze out some extra profit. In particular, I dislike the idea of making the Web Enhancements paid, as I always saw them as advertising for the core product. If I liked what I saw in the Sandstorm WE, I'm that much more likely to pick up that book.
It also seems anti-intuitive to move to a subscription based model. AOL has watched it's user base erode to the point where they had to convert and are now a free service generating income via ad revenue.
If MMORPGs or XBOX live are serving as the inspiration for a monthly subscription business module, then WotC is way off base. Those other businesses are based on real-time interactive play. The only thing that comes close to that is the Digital Gaming Table, but at 3 times per month (and how long per session, 4 hrs?), that doesn't even come close to the 2-3 hrs per day some people play MMORPGs. And if all people must be subscribers to play at the DGT, I see it almost impossible to transfer a current pen and paper game to the DGT, you will probably need to field a new group of players.
Just my thoughts...
There's very little of D&D Insider that appeals to me, so even if the subscription fee was ridiculously low (like $20 US for the year), I doubt I'd be interested.
It does sound like most of the currently free content will be privatized (including the D&D University, which sounds an awful lot like the online D&D class I took through Barnes & Noble University earlier this year) in the desire to squeeze out some extra profit. In particular, I dislike the idea of making the Web Enhancements paid, as I always saw them as advertising for the core product. If I liked what I saw in the Sandstorm WE, I'm that much more likely to pick up that book.
It also seems anti-intuitive to move to a subscription based model. AOL has watched it's user base erode to the point where they had to convert and are now a free service generating income via ad revenue.
If MMORPGs or XBOX live are serving as the inspiration for a monthly subscription business module, then WotC is way off base. Those other businesses are based on real-time interactive play. The only thing that comes close to that is the Digital Gaming Table, but at 3 times per month (and how long per session, 4 hrs?), that doesn't even come close to the 2-3 hrs per day some people play MMORPGs. And if all people must be subscribers to play at the DGT, I see it almost impossible to transfer a current pen and paper game to the DGT, you will probably need to field a new group of players.
Just my thoughts...
Yair
Community Supporter
I have no problem with a company doing what it does for profit. At least, I have no problem with a company not investing in paying for website content out of good will.Kamikaze Midget said:
But I don't think it's good buisness. On the one hand all the buzz will be diminished and players find less of interest in the game - and that's just bad business.
The sad thing is that ENWorld is not viable, Morrus is losing money on running it (at least directly). I think it's sad that we, as a community, cannot muster the funds to support ourselves, relying instead on him to cover the losses. :looks at bank account: I really should be making another donation.
Yair said:The sad thing is that ENWorld is not viable, Morrus is losing money on running it (at least directly). I think it's sad that we, as a community, cannot muster the funds to support ourselves, relying instead on him to cover the losses. :looks at bank account: I really should be making another donation.
Actually, we're OK these days. We went through a really bad patch for most of last year, but things have improved a lot since then. Part of the problem was a long, long hiatus in EN Publishing, and part of the remedy was the GameStore. Which, I'm pleased to say, turned us around and put us back on track.
delericho
Legend
Not happy about this.
The online character generator might be worthwhile - if it provides access to all the WotC books, and allows DMs to customise it for their groups, and is quick and intuitive to use. I expect no more than two of those to be true.
The digital gaming table would also be worthwhile, provided they have a sufficiently large playerbase, provided there are enough open groups that you can pretty much find a game whenever you want to game, and provided they get rid of that 'three games a month' limit.
The rest? No, I won't pay.
I also think it's a big mistake the make some of the articles, particularly Previews and Web Enhancements pay-only. Previews are essentially advertising. Make them pay-only, and people don't see them, so what's the point? Does anyone use the excerpts in their games without also buying the book in question? And likewise, there have been times I have bought books on the strength of the Web Enhancement. Make them pay-only, and that's fewer books I buy.
However, I don't expect any company to do anything more than they choose for free, so I have no great problem with the doing this.
Oh well. The net result is that I lose access to "Design & Development", which was the only column I actively waited for. The rest I would read if I had nothing better to do.
The online character generator might be worthwhile - if it provides access to all the WotC books, and allows DMs to customise it for their groups, and is quick and intuitive to use. I expect no more than two of those to be true.
The digital gaming table would also be worthwhile, provided they have a sufficiently large playerbase, provided there are enough open groups that you can pretty much find a game whenever you want to game, and provided they get rid of that 'three games a month' limit.
The rest? No, I won't pay.
I also think it's a big mistake the make some of the articles, particularly Previews and Web Enhancements pay-only. Previews are essentially advertising. Make them pay-only, and people don't see them, so what's the point? Does anyone use the excerpts in their games without also buying the book in question? And likewise, there have been times I have bought books on the strength of the Web Enhancement. Make them pay-only, and that's fewer books I buy.
However, I don't expect any company to do anything more than they choose for free, so I have no great problem with the doing this.
Oh well. The net result is that I lose access to "Design & Development", which was the only column I actively waited for. The rest I would read if I had nothing better to do.
wedgeski
Adventurer
I think you'll find that the community has repeatedly mustered *significant* funds to keep ENW alive.Yair said:The sad thing is that ENWorld is not viable, Morrus is losing money on running it (at least directly). I think it's sad that we, as a community, cannot muster the funds to support ourselves, relying instead on him to cover the losses. :looks at bank account: I really should be making another donation.
That said I'm glad to hear that the site is currently in the black.I'm sure that WotC know what they are doing, even if some guys on the internet would have adopted a different business model.
Wait and see - it might be a great new service and well worth what they charge for it. If not, don't pay for it. It'll be a shame to lose some free stuff, but WotC has no obligation to provide anything for free if they think its not in their interest to do so.
Wait and see - it might be a great new service and well worth what they charge for it. If not, don't pay for it. It'll be a shame to lose some free stuff, but WotC has no obligation to provide anything for free if they think its not in their interest to do so.
Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
Really? Based on what? The fantastic track record of RPG makers in general?amethal said:
