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Message: <blockquote data-quote="dd.stevenson" data-source="post: 7650769" data-attributes="member: 6683099">I just did a quick proof-read of everything I just wrote here, and I realize that it may come off as a bit critical. So, let me preface this by saying thank-you for posting this article and I enjoyed reading it. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I think you missed an opportunity here to point out that this relationship, like all relationships, is a two-way street. In exchange for the expectation of future income, the compay commits themselves in the eyes of their customers to the future delivery of goods/services. Which means that, from the company's point of view, alterations to subscription-based relationships are fraught with peril. The most obvious cases are the huge drop in goodwill that WotC suffered when they ended the print runs of Dungeon and Dragon, and what they seem to be flirting with again as DDI moves into its sunset phase. More subtle, but I suspect more important, is the fact that sensible business managers approach changes to subscription delivery models with trepidation and an if-it-ain't-broke-don't-fix-it mindset that stifles all but the most pedestrian innovations. (For example, see Paizo's extreme reluctance to offer a PDF only subscription to their APs.)I'm objecting to the bolded part because you seem to have conflated the subscription/one-time purchase question with the service/product question. In fact, they are orthogonal. In principle, I can subscribe to a service or a product, just as I can one-time purchase a service or a product.In light of this, it's worth noting that EVERY SINGLE ONE of the advantages you mention--steady revenue, durable connections, and data--are advantages of the subscription model, rather than being unique to the subscription service model as you claim. Of course, a case could be made that the service industry has an advantage in each of these categories, but again, this isn't really linked to the subscription question in any way that I can see.</blockquote>

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