GC 2006 - Ptolus Hardback $120!?!

[Vocenoctum]

And if it is "number of useful pages", then why does it matter if its in one book or 4, as long as those pages are useful to you?

Whose fault is it for buying something they don't use?

My point is, if the material was split like the PDF's will be, it would make it easier for you to purchase the information you actually use and want, versus buying the entire product.

If you buy 4 books, and only 1 is useful, you've made some bad purchasing decisions. That's not going to happen too often though, I'd think. If you see only one of the 4 books will be useful to you, you simply only buy that one book.

Whereas, with Ptolus, if you see only 1/4 of the book is going to be useful to you, your print option is to spend the full amount for 1/4 value, or spend nothing for nothing.

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

My point is, if the material was split like the PDF's will be, it would make it easier for you to purchase the information you actually use and want, versus buying the entire product.

If you buy 4 books, and only 1 is useful, you've made some bad purchasing decisions. That's not going to happen too often though, I'd think. If you see only one of the 4 books will be useful to you, you simply only buy that one book.

Whereas, with Ptolus, if you see only 1/4 of the book is going to be useful to you, your print option is to spend the full amount for 1/4 value, or spend nothing for nothing.

And if WotC printed every book on a chapter by chapter basis, I could have spent 5 bucks for the bits of Complete Warrior that interested me, rather than, what, 30ish on the whole thing. But they don't. That's sort of the nature of the game.

Ptolus is a premium product because that's what Monte Cook wanted it to be, and since he's financing it with his money, and since he's writing it, that's what it's going to be. He's creating what he wanted to make, and as a result some people are going to be left out come publishing time. That's the way it goes, sometimes.

I'd far rather a writer/designer/publisher make what he wants to make, rather than settle for less to reach a wider audience.

Patrick Y.

 

[Sunderstone]

I'd far rather a writer/designer/publisher make what he wants to make, rather than settle for less to reach a wider audience.

Patrick Y.

I agree with you totally...... but doesnt reaching wider audiences sell better? Isnt that the whole point of publishing these products? I know Ptolus is a labor of love but making it more accessible would sell better and please all fans... not just the ones with bigger bank accounts.

Going on that thought for a moment.... Let's say I bought Ptolus for $60 and the product met and/or exceeded my expectations, Id pick up every following Ptolus related product without much thought. I'm sure there are others who would do the same.

 

[WildWeasel]

Whereas, with Ptolus, if you see only 1/4 of the book is going to be useful to you, your print option is to spend the full amount for 1/4 value, or spend nothing for nothing.

If only 1/4 of Ptolus is useful for you, then you are not its target audience.

 

[WildWeasel]

I agree with you totally...... but doesnt reaching wider audiences sell better? Isnt that the whole point of publishing these products? I know Ptolus is a labor of love but making it more accessible would sell better and please all fans... not just the ones with bigger bank accounts.

Going on that thought for a moment.... Let's say I bought Ptolus for $60 and the product met and/or exceeded my expectations, Id pick up every following Ptolus related product without much thought. I'm sure there are others who would do the same.

If squeezing every red cent out of it were MC's primary goal, then sure. But the $60 Ptolus isn't the product that he wants to make.

 

[Sunderstone]

But the $60 Ptolus isn't the product that he wants to make.

Again, no one is denying that.

Im just saying its an excessive amount to charge. He obviously thinks his setting is worth $120 and hes in position to publish it that way, I just dont see it worth that amount regardless of name or past credits "IMO as usual".

 

[ColonelHardisson]

If squeezing every red cent out of it were MC's primary goal, then sure. But the $60 Ptolus isn't the product that he wants to make.

Yeah, that's the entire point - he specifically is making a premium gaming product. The entire concept is based around that. Take away that core concept, and the product becomes just another setting sourcebook.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Again, no one is denying that.

Im just saying its an excessive amount to charge. He obviously thinks his setting is worth $120 and hes in position to publish it that way, I just dont see it worth that amount regardless of name or past credits "IMO as usual".

It seems excessive to you. It apparently doesn't seem excessive to quite a few others, including me. It's entirely subjective. The matter cannot be objectively proven one way or the other. As much as it pains me, nobody's opinion is objective fact.

 

[Crothian]

Again, no one is denying that.

Im just saying its an excessive amount to charge. He obviously thinks his setting is worth $120 and hes in position to publish it that way, I just dont see it worth that amount regardless of name or past credits "IMO as usual".

And Monte doesn't expect it to be worth it for everyone. But its going to be worth it for enough people as we can see by this thread and others; people will be buying it.

 

[WildWeasel]

Again, no one is denying that.

Im just saying its an excessive amount to charge. He obviously thinks his setting is worth $120 and hes in position to publish it that way, I just dont see it worth that amount regardless of name or past credits "IMO as usual".

And what I'm failing to understand is why its an excessive amount. In terms of raw, printed and bound, page count, it's about in line with what you get in $120 of loose supplements. It has increased production values. It has a packet of loose handouts. It has a CD with piles of bonus material.

You've been saying its somehow impossible for a book to be worth $120. Not just to you, but at all, ever. Not just Ptolus, but any book, ever. Why is this?