Holy sheepdip - wotc to republish old editions

[GreyLord]

I really should read the rest of the posts before posting in the topic, but figured I could add some speculation information.

WotC is looking at the ebook format, with specifics in regards to the Kindle and Nook. There are three different formats each for each device. This COULD include older editions, inclusive of OD&D, AD&D 1e, BECM, and AD&D 2e. No idea if 3e/3.5 would be on the tableau at this point.

Or, they could offer bundles with a central theme (perhaps such as Eberron) on an electronic subscription basis, where you get access to the entire thing for a set time period.

Other ideas are up there as well. PROBABLY NOT the PDF for sale format that was up previously...80% certain not that...but you can never tell.

I suppose I should read the rest of the thread now.

Just my own thoughts on what is occurring with the commentary towards older editions.

edit: And now that I did read the rest of the thread, looks like some have already drawn some logical conclusions like what I described above.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I took it more to mean "we're going to put these books on a sale price of $1 each, and offer that deal for a year. Next year, we'll scan and make these block of books available for $1." I took it you would still keep the PDF, but which ones would be available would be rotated about on a yearly basis.

That wouldn't be SO bad, though I don't quite get why they wouldn't just offer everything for $1 each right at the outset. Still, that's likely OK.

Second, James Wyatt started talking about an "electronic bookshelf" of all of their Eberron content in which customers would pay a subscription fee and get access to everything for a year. That's as far as he got before the other WotC people said, "Um, James, we haven't actually announced that yet." That's as much as we know right now. Is it e-book? PDF? Something else entirely? No clue.

That's the narmed thing. If Wyatt's idea of paying a subscription fee to get access to the online library is what they eventually go with, that will make me a grumpy panda, since, in that case, e-bay, Noble Knight, self-scanning, and, for many folks, piracy, will all be much easier, much cheaper, much more convenient, and much closer to what they actually want.

Man, I don't want to keep hating on James Wyatt, but he keeps saying these awful, awful things...

 

[TarionzCousin]

Tease: “It’s not just a setting, but it’s a way to play. Something that D&D hasn’t tried before.” “Twist” is a good word (James)

They have finally figured out how to psionically transmit data directly into subscribers' brains.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

So it's a subscription to access an array of campaign material/sourcebooks? Interesting.

Not really - I just completely lost interest.

The Auld Grump

 

[Dannager]

This just doesn't appeal to me. I dont like being locked into a monthly fee if I want access to the books. Online fees in general I don't go for.

I hear this a lot (especially from gamers) but I think this attitude towards subscription-based services is going to have to die out. I'm willing to bet that, slowly but surely, people are going to start realizing two things:

1. Subscription services have become reliable and long-lived enough that they are functionally (if not financially) indistinguishable from owning whatever it is you're "renting".

2. Subscription services are typically (much) more cost-effective than purchasing whatever it is that they offer piecemeal, especially subscription services that regularly add new material, increasing their value on an ongoing basis.

The reality is that when people ask themselves "Is my life going to be more enjoyable as a subscriber?" the answer is more and more frequently going to be "Yes," whether it's a subscription to Netflix, D&D Insider, Spotify, or something that hasn't been invented yet.

 

[Dice4Hire]

[MENTION=73683]Dannager[/MENTION]

Another important point is, is there another option? Now there is with D&D.

But there might not be in the future.

 

[Guest 85555]

I hear this a lot (especially from gamers) but I think this attitude towards subscription-based services is going to have to die out. I'm willing to bet that, slowly but surely, people are going to start realizing two things:

1. Subscription services have become reliable and long-lived enough that they are functionally (if not financially) indistinguishable
2. Subscription services are typically (much) more cost-effective than purchasing whatever it is that

The reality is that when people ask themselves "Is my life going to be more enjoyable as a subscriber?" the answer is more and more frequently going to be "Yes," whether it's a subscription to Netflix, D&D Insider, Spotify, or something that hasn't been invented yet.

I think its simply a preference thing. You might enjoy online subscription services, but many people don't and for a variety of reasons. Personally o dont see much value in something like ddi or wow.

All i need is some core book and i am good.

 

[Dannager]

@Dannager

Another important point is, is there another option? Now there is with D&D.

But there might not be in the future.

Another option than what?

 

[Dykstrav]

I hear this a lot (especially from gamers) but I think this attitude towards subscription-based services is going to have to die out. I'm willing to bet that, slowly but surely, people are going to start realizing two things:

1. Subscription services have become reliable and long-lived enough that they are functionally (if not financially) indistinguishable from owning whatever it is you're "renting".

2. Subscription services are typically (much) more cost-effective than purchasing whatever it is that they offer piecemeal, especially subscription services that regularly add new material, increasing their value on an ongoing basis.

The reality is that when people ask themselves "Is my life going to be more enjoyable as a subscriber?" the answer is more and more frequently going to be "Yes," whether it's a subscription to Netflix, D&D Insider, Spotify, or something that hasn't been invented yet.

Subscription services are great for certain things, but not for others. To me, the entire purpose of renting content is so that I can check it out less expensively than purchasing it outright.

I have a Netflix account so that I can watch something that I'm only going to watch once, or perhaps someone recommends to me--stuff like the new Star Trek movie, Zombie Strippers, something like that. I'd rather pay $8.00 to find out that those movies are terrible than pay approximately $20 to purchase a physical copy. When you talk about good movies that I want to watch repeatedly--Black Hawk Down, the Fountain, various Hitchcock classics--I purchase a copy. The subscription model, in this case, is a method for me to vet quality at a reasonable price.

In the case of Netflix, it's only a better value than Redbox when you watch at least eight movies a month (since Redbox is $1.00 per rental). Furthermore, it's only a comparative value if you go to the theatre at least once per month (assuming that movie tickets are still around $10 in your neck of the woods), or if you purchase more than one movie every two months at $20 for your format of choice (DVD/Bluray/download/whatever).

Maybe we have a difference of opinion there, but I don't see value in content that I'm never going to use. "Value" is a relative concept.

Even if a Dungeons & Dragons Insider account provided a thousand pages of content every month, I'd never use that much material. Every time new content gets posted, are you able to use every single element in a game that you're currently involved in?

Unfortunately, the reality at the moment for people that ask themselves "Is my life going to be more enjoyable as a subscriber?" The answer is not always "yes." Maybe, maybe in the future, once different subscription methods and services have matured. Definitely not at the moment.

To me, it's just not worth it to get access to content that I may or may not be able to use and a character builder that doesn't let me add my own content or even set the layout. I'm just not impressed with the content and its value, regardless of the delivery method. It seems that people are becoming more fixated on the medium instead of the content.

 

[Dannager]

Even if a Dungeons & Dragons Insider account provided a thousand pages of content every month, I'd never use that much material. Every time new content gets posted, are you able to use every single element in a game that you're currently involved in?

No, but that doesn't mean that less content wouldn't affect my games. If they publish a hundred pages of material per month, then sure, I can probably only use 10 in my own games. But having access to the full hundred means I get a wider variety of material to pick and choose from, and the material that I can't directly use still gets a read-through and becomes inspiration for future adventures or characters. If they only published 10 pages per month and I used all 10 pages every month, I wouldn't have a whole lot of wiggle room as far as what to include in my games.