Holy sheepdip - wotc to republish old editions

[Falstaff]

This is just my opinion, of course, and I realize that everyone doesn't feel this way and I realize that everyone is entitled to play D&D however they want, but, even as much as I love D&D, I'll never pay for a D&D Insider account. Never. Ever.

Why? Simply because I still play the game the same way that I've been playing for over 30 years: with friends, at a table, with dice and paper and pencils, with bad food everywhere. There are no illuminated screens or devices that need plugging in anywhere. And as far as I'm concerned, there never will be at my table.

I understand that newer gamers don't mind laptops and other computer devices and smartphones used at the table, or even required to play. And that's fine. I'll just never play D&D that way.

Now if WotC wants me to give them money, then they'd have to cater to me, which means offer AD&D back in print and supported with new settings and modules and box-set adventures.

That won't happen. But someone up thread mentioned that WotC was told about this thread. I thought I'd share in case they are wondering what one 40 year old gamer was hoping for.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

Perhaps a model where you subscribe and get 1 or more free downloads of older edition books per month. That would prevent people from missing the "month of the PHB," but would still provide an incentive to keep a subscription. You could also peg the number of free "old edition" downloads per month to the length of the subscription, so that longer subscription periods allow more free downloads per month.

The whole key, as far as I'm concerned, is that if I'm paying the money, I want to own the content I'm getting. Not a license. Not a "rental." Not a "you own the content but must use our viewer/app to access it, and you must keep paying for that..." Own. Edit -- And not a DRM-crippled version of the content, either.

A subscription model that allows me to own the content would at least be worthy of consideration. Depending on the pricing structure, it might even be a yes. That said, I would still prefer to be able to simply purchase the PDFs without a subscription. That's a much easier sell.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

How about a small time fee (let's say $12) to have ALL THE MATERIAL of something every published for a period of 12 months...access anywhere anytime via computer? You can even print it off if you so desire.

Depends on the formatting of the printed document: if it's like a printed web page, I'm less likely to be interested. If it prints like a document that was formatted for printing, then I might. The thing is, if I can print it off, I can "print" it to a PDF. So they might as well just sell me a PDF.

Or perhaps instead buy it forever via Amazon for a Kindle, or B&N for a Nook, or otherwise? Limited to one download however (so one kindle or one nook), or maybe two or three.

No. I think ebook versions would be fine, but I want to buy them and own them without additional limitations/restrictions.

How about instead maybe to a program that you can install on one computer. You can print, you can save, but you can only install once on one computer. It's yours to keep however.

No. I want to buy the content as a book or a file that I own.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

I'll never pay for a D&D Insider account. Never. Ever.

Why? Simply because I still play the game the same way that I've been playing for over 30 years: with friends, at a table, with dice and paper and pencils, with bad food everywhere. There are no illuminated screens or devices that need plugging in anywhere.

That's how I play D&D, too. I'm completely uninterested in an DDI account as a means of accessing or using the content. However, I wouldn't rule out the DDI as a means of acquiring content.

 

[Falstaff]

That's how I play D&D, too. I'm completely uninterested in an DDI account as a means of accessing or using the content. However, I wouldn't rule out the DDI as a means of acquiring content.

I see what you mean. But then I'd have to print it out and place it in a binder of some type. I'd much rather they just offer print versions I can go buy from my local game shop.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

I see what you mean. But then I'd have to print it out and place it in a binder of some type. I'd much rather they just offer print versions I can go buy from my local game shop.

I prefer that, too (especially for something like AD&D rulebooks, which I think are too long for the "print it yourself" approach). However, I've used printed PDFs of modules at my table, and would do so, again. If it's a choice between print and PDF, I'll take print. But if it's a choice between nothing and PDF, I'll take PDF.

 

[Falstaff]

I prefer that, too (especially for something like AD&D rulebooks, which I think are too long for the "print it yourself" approach). However, I've used printed PDFs of modules at my table, and would do so, again. If it's a choice between print and PDF, I'll take print. But if it's a choice between nothing and PDF, I'll take PDF.

Good point.

 

[TheYeti1775]

This is just my opinion, of course, and I realize that everyone doesn't feel this way and I realize that everyone is entitled to play D&D however they want, but, even as much as I love D&D, I'll never pay for a D&D Insider account. Never. Ever.

Why? Simply because I still play the game the same way that I've been playing for over 30 years: with friends, at a table, with dice and paper and pencils, with bad food everywhere. There are no illuminated screens or devices that need plugging in anywhere. And as far as I'm concerned, there never will be at my table.

I understand that newer gamers don't mind laptops and other computer devices and smartphones used at the table, or even required to play. And that's fine. I'll just never play D&D that way.

Now if WotC wants me to give them money, then they'd have to cater to me, which means offer AD&D back in print and supported with new settings and modules and box-set adventures.

That won't happen. But someone up thread mentioned that WotC was told about this thread. I thought I'd share in case they are wondering what one 40 year old gamer was hoping for.

So your willingly putting yourself into a no compromise situation.
Personally if WotC were to do all this behind the DDI I would treat it much like I would my Costco/Sam's/BJ's membership. I pay an annual fee to have access to their store.

WotC's/Hasbro's major concern has to be their bottom line.

By throwing out there the option of their pushed revenue stream providing possibly more customers, we gain some leverage in the fact they might be willing to bend and bring back some of the older editions.

Both sides give some in this method.
But a steadfast refusal just lets them put you into the not going to be a customer file.

Whereas some compromise might convince them to meet us half-way.

I see what you mean. But then I'd have to print it out and place it in a binder of some type. I'd much rather they just offer print versions I can go buy from my local game shop.

Would you be open to a Print on Demand Option behind the DDI.

 

[Falstaff]

Would you be open to a Print on Demand Option behind the DDI.

Probably not. I would be open to purchasing copies through LuLu or something equivalent, but I'm not going to pay a yearly or monthly access to D&Di.

And I fully realize that I'm not their target customer. Haven't been for many years.

 

[Voadam]

I was just thinking this, too. "Subscription" doesn't mean "rental".

Unless you are talking about WotC's DDI. Your subscription rents the compendium, character builder, and monster builder.

You used to "subscribe" to Dragon in print form, but you didn't rent it. Paizo was using a subscription model for AP distribution, but no rental was involved. I could easily see a "Retro-edition subscription" in this sense.

You used to subscribe to DDI and get updates to the character and monster builders that you kept. They changed what they offered for your subscription in the direction from owning stuff to renting access to stuff.

Dragon and Dungeon are still pdfs you can download and keep, but I think that's all you will have from DDI now when your subscription is over.

WotC has a lot of options and could choose to offer some fantastic products for customers and some not so fantastic options. We'll see if anything ever happens.