It's true that there is a lot of content available for those who own the back issues. Which I do have. The loss of content is not the only thing that I decry.
The fact that electronic content is inferior, for me, personally, seems irrelevant. I don't make purchasing decisions for people who prefer electronic content. I make purchases for myself, and I purchase the things that I like. I also purchase them for others, and I'm an 'opinion leader' for a number of people involved in D&D.
Now, when I decide that I won't purchase a digital product, sight unseen, it is because I KNOW that the product won't satisfy my wants or desires. So far, the debate on price has been immaterial. I certainly won't pay for it. I might peruse it if it were free on an occasional basis (though very infrequently). There are a number of reasons why I prefer the physical content.
WotC doesn't care about what I prefer. They've said that repeatedly. Now, if you're right, they're doing this because they're motivated by profit. If that is the case, it is my duty as someone who enjoys D&D to let them know that while they may increase profits, the very real threat of diminishing profits exists because of this business decision. I don't know that they considered the negative response appropriately, despite their business acumen.
What I know.
1) The decision to non-renew the license was made a long time ago, and, in fact, the final issue would have already been delivered if an extension had not been granted for the purpose of completing the Adventure Path in Dungeon.
2) The decision to non-renew the license was made, at least for the most part, by WotC. Paizo has indicated that they'd continue publishing the magazines if given the opportunity.
3) With the decision being made over a year ago, there has been plenty of time to begin developing the replacement product. With the difficulties inherent in electronic content they must be either very close to completion (if it is to be released in September) and thus cannot really accept customer suggestions for change, or are not very close to release and there will be a gap after the magazines stop being produced and there will be 'lost content' for a period of time.
I'm upset about not being told anything. I'm upset about being lied to. I'm upset about receiving a form letter back to my clearly articulated complaints that failed to address any of the points I mentioned. I'm upset about being told that I should be excited about the new direction the 'magazines' are taking. I'm upset that people say this is an 'evolution' when by definition, a magazine is a paper periodical. And I'm upset that some people think the world is a better place simply by putting an 'e-' in front of the things you love.
I don't want an e-cat despite the fact that it would mean no litter box to clean up, no scratches when a cat jumps off my shoulder unexpectedly. I don't want an e-wife no matter how much less expensive that is. I don't want e-kids. I played the Sims. Sure, it is fun for a while, but it isn't nearly as fulfilling.
I don't want e-books, and I don't want e-zines.
I do want to make sure I've clearly stated my preferences. I do want to pay money to a company that provides the content that I want. And one of the things I want is something I've had for a long time. That is a monthly periodical for my D&D content (or two). The first company that can provide that to me, assuming they produce a quality remotely close to that of Paizo, will be the company that I'll be most inclined to spend my money with.
And to the company that decided not to continue providing the products I want, I'm done with their new products. I would expect them to be pretty eager to keep gamers like me (and I know I'm not alone) because we've been loyal customers for so long. It will take a lot of effort to replace all these dissatisfied customers with new ones. The cost to gain a new customer compared to the cost to keep one - well, it seems to me like it would be good business sense to try to please the largest number of people.
However, I don't have a business degree. I only represent one person directly. And while I hope I've communicated my message clearly, I'm not adverse to repeating it many times to be sure that is the case.
In the case of WotC I don't believe they've heard or understand. I think they think I'll stop being upset after two or three months. I know myself well enough that I can be upset about this for many years. And no matter how long I withhold my financial support, once they give me what I want, I can always pick up the material I missed in the original release.
), but if you don't like PDFs, they won't work for you. It's that simple.
