DriveThruRPG Exclusivity

[Bagpuss]

What gets me as well (as the fact that a PDF isn't really in competition with print product for a number of reasons) isn't the shelf life of an RPG product (particular D20 supplements) pretty short? If it doesn't shift in the first few months then it could stick around on the shelf for a long, long time. Don't the sales figures for RPG products reflect that? IE: Big money (well for RPGs) in the first couple of months then the sales crash dive.

Surely it would make sense to sell PDF's of older products at a discount, since by then they aren't really in competition with products on the shelf, as their sales have died off.

For example Dragonstar was raved about on the boards before it came out, I'm sure most folks that wanted it will have rushed out and bought it straight away, now months (or is it years) on from release its sales (at least of the core books and early releases) must have trickled to a low ebb.

If the PDF of the core books was release at a decent discount or for free, you would likely see the following.

First you get another chance to do a press release and get the rumour mill working for you on the messageboards and EN-World's RPGNet, etc. front page. This could renew interest in the print version as well (more money for retailers)

Second you would get folks that bought the original books buying the PDF thanks to the lower price, and the additional utility of having the books in electronic format. (More money for you)

Third folks that haven't bought the original book due to limited budget or not wanting to spend so much on something they might not like, will pick up the cheaper PDF. (More money for you)

Fourth some folks that buy the PDF may want to pick up the print version, as its better quality than a laser print. (more money for retailers)

The book probably wasn't selling so well so long after its release date anyway so you aren't in competition with its sales so the retailer can't complain, and the renewed interest might actually help sales of the print version.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

I've been thinking about this and keep coming up confused over Clark's reasoning. You shouldn't give in to a vocal minority, but that is exactly what he is doing only the vocal minority is overseas customers who can't get print copies. Additionaly the overseas market he is targeting is not bound by the DCMA and people can both easily and legaly remove the protection on his files. Also in many of these countries it is also perfectly legal to place those very same files up on P2P networks to be shared. So the vocal minority that Clark is listening to right now are the hardcore pirates that provide the casual pirates with their ilegal copies in the first place.

 

[Bagpuss]

So the vocal minority that Clark is listening to right now are the hardcore pirates that provide the casual pirates with their ilegal copies in the first place.

Funny I thought the vocal minority he was listening to was the distributers hence his prices were so high. Also I don't think all the folks living outside of the USA and its dranocian DCMA law are hardcore pirates, like you seem to imply.

 

[Dinkeldog]

I have, in fact, had folks from Europe or South America email me several times, asking for an electronic version of my products, and the answer is always, "Sorry, no." I like to be a nice guy, too, but not at the cost of relinquishing control of my digital files.

My parents, actually, probably would be interested in a pdf if there were some on topics that interested them. They're great at adapting to technology, they just need to be told there's something that can help them. Like most people out there. You should see my dad with the digital camera now. He's figured out how to hook it up to the DVD.

 

[johnsemlak]

Thing is, though, this isn't really the target market. How many totaly computer illiterate people do you think are interested in RPG PDFs?

Computer illiterate people probably woudn't buy PDFs. But I certainly am an example of someone not particularly competent with computers who has bought a large number.

Adobe is an easy program to use, and available widely. I've got no idea what percentage of PDF customers are 'techies', but certainly a large number of people who surf the net, read EN World, and play D&D (i.e. potential PDF customers) aren't.

Cracking PDF files certainly takes a great deal more effort and/or competence.

 

[BryonD]

Cracking PDF files certainly takes a great deal more effort and/or competence.

No, it doesn't.

If you can install reader by yourself, you can crack pdfs by yourself.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

Funny I thought the vocal minority he was listening to was the distributers hence his prices were so high. Also I don't think all the folks living outside of the USA and its dranocian DCMA law are hardcore pirates, like you seem to imply.

The distributers are the reason the prices are so high, and they could contnue to be high even without DRM. As for pirates, well I don't think all the folks who live in the US are casual pirates, but that is the assumption made by imposing DRM. Since DRM is imposed because some people in the US are casual pirates, I just thought I would point out that the people overseas are more likely to be the hardcore pirates since actualy under their laws they are not pirates at all. I'm sure many of the people overseas are very nice and will not post cracked PDFs on p2p networks. But just as DRM was imposed because some people in the US pirate stuff, it is hard to imagine that you would impose this on the US folks while making the decicion to release PDFs at all because of overseas demand where it is more likely that your stuff will be legaly pirated for the world.

 

[johnsemlak]

No, it doesn't.

If you can install reader by yourself, you can crack pdfs by yourself.

Maybe you can, but how many poeple would really bother?

As I said, Adobe is extremely easy to use. You don't need to go searching for it. Any site offering PDF products has the link directly to adobe.com. A lot of casual internet users would be aware of of that software. And the installation is simple.

Now, I'll accept it's elementary to crack a PDF file, though I probably couldn't do it without more effort than I would care fore.. But I think anytime poeple are forced to go and search for something, there's a reduced possibility they'll do it.

 

[Tsyr]

Maybe you can, but how many poeple would really bother?

As I said, Adobe is extremely easy to use. You don't need to go searching for it. Any site offering PDF products has the link directly to adobe.com. A lot of casual internet users would be aware of of that software. And the installation is simple.

Now, I'll accept it's elementary to crack a PDF file, though I probably couldn't do it without more effort than I would care fore.. But I think anytime poeple are forced to go and search for something, there's a reduced possibility they'll do it.

This is something I can't seem to explain.

You don't have to search for it.

If you use OSX, you have the tools on hand.

If you publish PDFs yourself, you have a good chance of having the tools on hand.

 

[BryonD]

Maybe you can, but how many poeple would really bother?

As I said, Adobe is extremely easy to use. You don't need to go searching for it. Any site offering PDF products has the link directly to adobe.com. A lot of casual internet users would be aware of of that software. And the installation is simple.

Now, I'll accept it's elementary to crack a PDF file, though I probably couldn't do it without more effort than I would care fore.. But I think anytime poeple are forced to go and search for something, there's a reduced possibility they'll do it.

People right now bother to sit and scan printed books page by page.
Are you saying people who will do that won't do this?

99.9999% of people who would bother to pirate a book can and would bother to crack a pdf.

How does a technology stop piracy if it is easier to pirate materials with this technology? (Necromancer products will be easier to pirate now that you can just crack the pdf, rather than the old scan the book method).

Your argument gets back around to DRM treats honest people like criminals while doing nothing to criminals. Not exactly a strong endorsement.