D&D General Is D&D Beyond Exclusivity Bad for D&D?

[gban007]

My 2 cents:

I dont think DDB exclusive content is bad overall for DnD.

I dont think digital exclusives generally are a bad thing, it is not great for customers that only on a digital platform that while may be able to download from isn't that easy, and access may be switched off at some point like 4e.

I think DDB has got to point where it is a great tool/ resource, and to be honest to me that makes it even more reasonable to release PDFs as well.

While DDB wasnt that great, I could see sense (if not great for customers) to not sell PDFs to get people using DDB, but now it has sold itself well to point other publishers will put their products on there as well as selling PDFs, knowing they can get good money for both, it feels that WOTC can start selling PDFs now without cannibilizing DDB, and so makes sense for them as business, and better for customers, for them to do so. For me I can see my family buying physical, DDB and pdf copies of some products, so they could see reasonable lift in sales.

For the digital exclusives, I would hope that if popular enough they will release a combined print version at some point, like Black Library appears to so with digital exclusives later included in anthologies.

 

[Lanefan]

My suggestion...spread your wings a little and become a @Lanefan-for-5e like me.

Do I really want to know what that is?

Or should I just nod and smile as if I know something...

 

[Chaltab]

In the short to medium term it's a mixed bag. This is official content that probably wouldn't get made in any other way because WOTC has a financial incentive to get you to buy into its walled garden platform in a way that PDFs or a broader VTT release wouldn't. I'd prefer it to get a PDF release but the financial incentive isn't there.

In the long term I think it's kind of irrelevant. Anything worthwhile from these digital-only releases will likely be archived and preserved, whether legally or otherwise. Relevant lore will be cateloged on wikis and mechanics can be reproduced under the Creative Commons.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

When I want to own something, I buy a hardcover. From my LGS.

I consider Beyond no different than watching a show on streaming (Netflix, Disney+) or listening to a song on Spotify or YouTube Music. Or maybe better, buying a cosmetic in a Liveservice game like WoW or Fortnite. At any minute any and all of those things can or will fail. Movies get pulled, servers shut down. The only safe play is physical media: books, records, CDs or DvDs.

So if Beyond wants to put some trinket on their platform and it's something I'm interested in (or better, is free) I have no qualm with it. No more than I have when a streaming service has an exclusive show. If I want to keep it forever, buy it in physical media.

This.

I am fine with digital exclusives, espeically when it is supplementary to books, which it seems this stuff will be. Basically books comes out, show fearures some content that adds to it, said content goes on sale on ddb.

Cool. I would love a POD option for ddb stuff but i think they literally have contractual obligations against doing that.

I do wish they would get over their phobia of current books being in pdf format, though.

Honestly the bigger problem IMO is that they own DDB and still refuse to even give a discount code in the physical books. It made sense when ddb was a separate company, but now? It's pretty wack.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Do I really want to know what that is?

Or should I just nod and smile as if I know something...

Essentially you and your table are satisfied with 1e + some later innovations + homebrew whereas I feel I am content with 5e14 + 3pp material + homebrew.

 

[Sulicius]

I own the last three of those in Fantasy Grounds, so I don't think they're DDB exclusives.

Thanks!