Future of WotC PDFs: Unofficial Sneak Preview?

[EugeneZ]

So I got an e-mail a few days ago telling me my DDI subscription would expire in a month or so, and there was a link I was supposed to click after it expired in order to renew it. I thought that was kind of a weird way of renewal, and figured I'd try to renew now. I click the link and am taken to the digitalriver site, the site that does the merchant processing for WotC online transactions.

There are five options on this page (see screenshot #1), three normal subscription options, one weird subscription option that says this isn't the right place and I'm going to be redirected in ten seconds, and a... broken image with something about PDF written next to it.

Before I can figure out what that last one is all about, I get redirected. So I go back to the link, wait until the redirect fires, and click the Stop button in my browser. I'm looking at a purchasable item called "Test PDF" with description "Dungeons and Dragons Series XXXXXXXXXXXXXX eBook".

Anyone ever see this before?

Of course I had to click "Buy Now." Second screenshot show purchase confirmation. It then allowed me to download a file called FakePlayersHandbook.pdf, which contained a very low-resolution image of the PHB cover and nothing else.

Just thought I'd share, incase this was a recent test by WotC of their newfangled PDF system or whatever. If it is, it's a bit insulting, because it implies their pulling out of PDFs in the first place wasn't related to piracy (which we've all seen, their move to not produce PDFs hasn't helped) but to competition from vendors that sold their books.

If this is old news or isn't indicative of anything interesting, I apologise.

 

[Nyronus]

Just thought I'd share, incase this was a recent test by WotC of their newfangled PDF system or whatever. If it is, it's a bit insulting, because it implies their pulling out of PDFs in the first place wasn't related to piracy (which we've all seen, their move to not produce PDFs hasn't helped) but to competition from vendors that sold their books.

If this is old news or isn't indicative of anything interesting, I apologise.

I honestly find your insinuation to be insulting. You have no real idea whether or not this new system will have better protection than the other companies did. All you have is a blurry cover. Furthermore, if it was all just a ploy to cut out the middle man... why go through all the hysteria? Why sue people? Why not just terminate contracts and open up shop? Much simpler, quieter, and cheaper.

I'm sorry that your upset that WotC got tired of giving the little scuz-balls the tools they needed to steal from them. No, retracting those tools hasn't stopped the little pricks and has only given them more of that lovely false sense of rightouness they have when they take people's hard work, but I fully support WotC's choice not to participate in their own destruction.

I appreciate you bringing us this news, which is of particular interest to me since this may herald the return of older-editions PDFs as well, but, please, before you start making wild accusations towards the motivations of a company with whom you have no real contact nor any objective basis to make any sort of a claims, take the tinfoil hat.

 

[EugeneZ]

Fair enough. You're right, I brought my personal opinion of the PDF situation into this, which wasn't my intention.

Honestly, I just want PDFs of these products because they make my life easier. And this little sneak preview might mean I'll soon be able to purchase them. That seems like something to celebrate, and I didn't want to turn this into a rehash of the PDF argument. I herby take back that last bit and acknowledge your post as correct in the matter.

 

[vagabundo]

Nice. I wonder how much they will charge..

 

[JoeGKushner]

I think the Rouse said it's be a couple of bucks if you had the hardcopy.

 

[SteveC]

I think this could be a good solution, but the ultimate concern is in the price.

In the past, current edition PDFs from WotC were comparably priced with the print books. For me, that was a non-starter. If the new PDFs are priced in the same manner, you can forget it as far as I'm concerned.

If they're priced in a moderate way, I'm in all the way: at $10-15 apiece I'd likely pick up the entire product run. It would be my excuse to pick up and iPad and ditch my books altogether. We'll have to see, I suppose.

--Steve

 

[w_earle_wheeler]

I think the Rouse said it's be a couple of bucks if you had the hardcopy.

Luckily for WotC, since Rouse isn't with them any more, they can retcon anything they ever told him to say! Convenient!

 

[caudor]

I was hoping WotC would drop the PDF format (which is great for printing, but not viewing on an electronic device unless it has a large screen).

If they used ePub, MOBI, or some other format that works with modern e-readers, tablets, and iPad devices, that would go a long way to catching up with where everyone else is heading.

Still, if they go with PDFs, I'll still be happy to buy them. I'll just have to go with the iPad if that happens.

 

[fanboy2000]

I gotta say, PDFs of RPG books now annoy me. At first, it was awesome. Now, I just find them hard to read on screen. Sure, it's great if you print them. But I'm not printing anything over 50 pages. Even 50 pages is overdoing it.

In order, I would prefer:

• MOBI
• Amazon Kindle
• ePub

 

[mudbunny]

This looks interesting.

Wanders off to send a couple emails and IMs.

I will see what I can find out...

(as always, I may or may not get an answer)