D&D (2024) Early access to 2024 books in DnDBeyond is tied to subscription tier.

[darjr]

I have no idea how that is the same thing or how this relates to the two cases in my post, so I guess as I said, I am not sure what to tell you now

All I can say is that I never got it in advance from Amazon so that I still do not do so is not a change there, while no longer doing so on the DDB side is

Oh you’re talking about the change in policy. I wasn’t.

 

[darjr]

Also here is the blog entry talking about early sales for WPN stores.

https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1684-local-game-store-early-access-program-for-major-d#:~:text=This%20early%20sales%20program%20is,find%20and%20contact%20your%20distributor.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

@FitzTheRuke is this the way up where you’re at? The early window?

Yeah, we had that going on for a long time, then they took it away and replaced it with variant covers, and now they've given us both perks.

 

[The Firebird]

Such as? I mean, you need a free subscription to access some stuff but other than a minor benefit of earlier access what have they put behind the subscription that you actually pay for?

Right now it is a pretty minor benefit. I assume if they consider this "early access" to be a success, they'll continue it with future books. It's not a huge step from there to subclasses being released months ahead of time, for subscribers, as they are completed, and only later compiled into a book. It's not a huge step from there to subclasses being released which are never released in a book.

My concern isn't that their practices now are so bad for the consumers; they are minor, they leave a bitter taste, but nothing to get worked over. But, it could presage some worse practices in the future.

The only reason to order the combined bundle is the discount. The early access does not matter. The $60 discount does.

The early access is a nice to have but I looked at none of the benefits except that discount.

I don't get the discount. Hardcover price is $50. Digital is $30. Hardcover + Digital is $60, which they sell as "$20 off for digital". Hardcover + Digital for three books gives you $180.

So there isn't really a bundle discount; it's just the "hardcover + digital" discount you get for each book individually.

Worth noting that the norm among other RPG publishers is to give PDFs free of charge with all physical purchases. I get that "digital" with D&D Beyond gives you more than a pdf would. But I don't game online and won't use any of that. I would use a PDF. I don't like that I'm expected to pay extra. (It is forgiveable given the low cost of the print book...although I still don't get what "Digital" means. Is it a PDF or D&D Beyond access only?)

I am not saying it is, I am disagreeing with those that try to spin it as a new benefit for subscribers.

They did not add a benefit to subscribers that those did not have before, they took a benefit away from anyone who is not subscribing

Correct. As WotC shifts from primarily selling print products to selling print/digital and subscriptions, they will make changes to favor the new business model at the expense of the old one. That isn't ideal for people who like the older model. (It doesn't make WotC evil, before anyone reads that into my post).

 

[Scribe]

Yeah, we had that going on for a long time, then they took it away and replaced it with variant covers, and now they've given us both perks.