Just a few observations from my perspective:
1. I didn't like the "unprofessional" swipe at RPGnow. It’s way off the mark and is inflammatory.
2. I tried to visit the DTRPG site and it was very slow, then it crashed (page not found errors)
3. I completely agree with Chuck's observation that they are trying to appear as the elite in the e-publishing arena (the cool kids). However, I think this is a bad business move for them. For one thing, SV Games is relegated to a distant second place in the e-publishing world and they have been actively trying to recruit publishers. DTRPG is trying to be the "cool kids" and will find that's not very cool at all. Either they plan to offer agreements only to those publishers who can prove themselves on RPGnow, or they don't plan to invite anyone else at all. Either way, I don't think it will work.
4. My assessment of their business model is generally negative. I think the DRM issue will create too many hurdles for buyers. For example, I use MSN. I have Adobe reader 5.0 and I don't know the first thing about an MS passport or whatever, and I don't intend to learn. I have too many other things to do with my time, and I don't like signing in/using passwords etc all the time anyway. Security, if it is to be used, must be transparent or you will lose customers. Also, the sign up process on DTRPG is something I don't want to do. That's a hurdle I'm not going to jump over unless Monte or some other publisher writes a book that I REALLY want. Also, having the DRM limit the cut and past to 10 times in 10 days is a big negative. Cut and paste is one of the most commonly used features of PDFs.
They do have a very aggressive marketing strategy, I just think their service is lacking.
The idea of having exclusive distribution deals with the publishers is also a bad move. I understand that it is important for the DRM to be effective, but there are a lot of publishers who sell their stuff on multiple sites. Not only can you sell PDFs on RPGnow and SV Games, you can also sell them through Pay Pal's e-delivery system and half-a-dozen other e-book web sites. A lot of publishers won't be interested just because of that (that is, IF DTRPG does intend to offer agreements to other publishers in the future). So they will be stuck with a small pool of "top notch" publishers, which, in the long run, isn't a great deal in my opinion.
Why?
Well, for one thing "top notch" is largely a matter of opinion. I've seen several people say they don't like Malhavoc's stuff because it is too "weird." Personally, I’ve bought a lot more stuff from RPGObjects and other “3rd tier” publishers than I have from Necromancer, Malhavoc, and Fiery Dragon.
Why?
Because anybody can write game material. I don’t see as much value in the company’s name as I do in the product concept. I’m more likely to buy a King Arthur supplement regardless of who wrote it, than some “homebrew” setting supplement, regardless of who wrote it. At this point I’m more likely to buy a book full of d20 gun stats than a book full of d20 spells, regardless of who wrote it because that’s what I’m interested in right now.
Furthermore, I think other people think the same way. One need only look at the continuously strong sales of my
22 Talent Trees to see that it is “concept" that sells a book, not publisher name recognition.
And guess which distributor has the widest range of supplements to choose from? There is simply no way that DTRPG, with their small pool of writers will ever be able to produce a range of material as broad as that carried by RPGnow. Again, The “small band of elite publishers” idea isn’t a good idea for a distributor. For a publishing company with a good market plan, maybe that’s a god idea. But if you are trying to compete with RPGnow you are going to need a wide range of products and be extremely user friendly. DTRPG doesn’t have either of those things.
5. I agree that piracy is a bad thing, but this isn't the way to fight it. Positive reinforcement will work better than widespread negative reinforcement.
6. Clearly, some of the vendors on DTRPG don't understand pricing of PDFs.
7. RPGnow has a long list of positive qualities, not the least of which is the name recognition and primacy effect of being first in the industry. They are also a lot more user friendly to the vendors and the customers than either SV Games or DTRPG. They also have a mountain of good will built up in the community.
Therefor, I predict that 1-year from now RPGnow will still be at the top of the industry. DTRPG will be a distant second and SV Games will be in 3rd place, fighting for the scraps.
RPGhost said:
No doubt they have learned a lot directly from my mouth as well as my cusomter polls.
I don't know. Seems to me that anyone reading those polls would know that limiting the cut and paste feature is a big mistake.
BTW James, kudos for not selling out.
