D&D Insider - Pay tomorrow for what you get today for free?

[Mark CMG]

Thats true, then again Wotc could always just put the clamp down like Magic the gathering did. For a number of years there was lots of software you can use to play magic online, but slowly and surely most of them began to disappear as WOTC began pursuing the legal corners.

Are you predicting that WotC will pursue legal means to disallow other online tabletop software that is used for D&D games online?


I sure hope this isn't a route they choose, and doubt they would.

 

[DonTadow]

Care to name some sites that successfully do this? The newspaper industry, by and large, has found the model to be a complete bust, and even ones that formerly charged for all the good stuff have gone back to an advertising-supported model.

??? Sorry still affiliated with the newspaper industry and it's actually rebounding those newspapers who have switched to exclusive content. Two sites I've already named are NY Times and espn.com. Other sites include cnn.com fox.com, msn.com chicago-suntime, and soon to be free press and detroit news. As a matter of fact, most of my former colleagues believe that in 7 to 15 years this model will be the exclusive content for media news.

 

[DonTadow]

Are you predicting that WotC will pursue legal means to disallow other online tabletop software that is used for D&D games online?


I sure hope this isn't a route they choose, and doubt they would.

I"m saying that Hasbro is a big company with smart executives and they know good and well that the easiest way to corner the market is to make sure you are the only game in town. They'll have some hurdles with this edition but maybe not the next.

 

[The_Gneech]

Eh, I've put enough time, money, and effort into E-Tools that it does pretty much everything I want from a character generator, or at least one that uses the D&D ruleset; so nothing for me there.

I don't want to game online; so nothing for me there.

Although I've read a lot of the website content, I've never actually used any of it; so nothing for me there.

So ... nah. But thanks for offering. On the whole, I'd rather have CMP keep working on E-Tools.

-TG

 

[KB9JMQ]

I only go to Wizards for book errata as it is, and only after I see it mentioned on the news here.
I can't imagine they could offer anything I would pay for that they are offering now.

As for a character generator. Why would I believe they could offer one worth paying for that works online and stores my characters when they can't build a stand alone one now?

I have eTools but I don't use if for keeping track of PCs. I just use it to make one shot NPCs. I use Heroforge for character tracking/upkeep. WoTC has licensed out their electronic character generators because they can't do one themselves. They have never been on the ball on the electronic front and I cannot believe they will be with this.

 

[heirodule]

I'm intrigued by the RPGA oriented parts, where you get "fast-track" registration and such. The RPGA used to be a paid membership and you got polyhedron. Then it went free. Going free took away one of the aspects of RPGA membership, which was that you felt a sense of control as a paying member. You paid, you should have some say in decisions)

Now it seems that paid RPGA membership is coming back in a new form. Will a sense of entitlement return?

 

[bytor4232]

Two factors would motivate me:

1. Price. I'm already purchasing books at 30 bucks a pop, as well as dungeon and dragon at 10/month. I'm not in a hurry to pay more money out for D&D.

2. Functionality and Content. How good is the content? Is the software something I can live without? Is the tabletop going to be the next killer app in RPGs?

So, like everyone here, im in a wait and see mode.

 

[Gotham Gamemaster]

If the proposed D&D Insider contains all the information listed, I can't wait to get a subscription.

At the prices mentioned, I'm paying as much for Dragon magazine and getting less out of it.

Peter

 

[TroyXavier]

I'm in the if they'er going to get my money, they're going to have to do better articles group. Lately, their stuff has just been so boring for the most part. If they have better articles and a fairly low fee, I'm interested. If not, I'm not.

 

[Dykstrav]

Thats true, then again Wotc could always just put the clamp down like Magic the gathering did. For a number of years there was lots of software you can use to play magic online, but slowly and surely most of them began to disappear as WOTC began pursuing the legal corners.

This would be the worst possible idea. Anyone remember the T$R days? When the internet started being really available in the mid-90's, people's homebrew 2E material started showing up on the internet. TSR took legal action against gamers (unsuccesfully, I might add) that were posting fanfiction and their own materials for 2E and putting them on the internet. Although the quality of their products was waning at this time and the CCG market was still very hot, many people cite this as one of the big reasons that TSR lost alot of its fan support. The old TSR fought amongst not only themselves but against their own customers.

This was one of the big motivating factors in making the OGL. Besides the business factors, it was a way for WotC to put out an olive branch to all the D&D players that TSR alienated in their final days.

If WotC actually got their legal department to chase down gamers that were running online games, I seriously doubt they would "win" in any sense. Even if they shut down such sites, these players wouldn't be inclined to use WotC services or products and the negative word-of-mouth generated from such tactics would be Phyrric.