D&D 5E Monsters of the Multiverse as Piecemeal content?

[LordEntrails]

I get it, micro/small transactions are often ... expensive &/or exploitive. But in this case it makes sense to me. A DM can buy the whole package, but then a player can buy just what they need/want piecemeal and/or as they want it. It will certainly add up to being more expensive buying it a piece at a time, but it also means someone doesn't have to spend all the money for the whole thing at once.

Transparent choice is good right?

 

[TwoSix]

A more apt analogy is if the theatre, instead of charging $15 for a full, two hour movie, was willing to charge you "just" $5 for the most exciting 15 minutes.

How would offering an additional option be a bad thing?

 

[Professor Murder]

How would offering an additional option be a bad thing?

As long as it remains merely an additional option, not a thing. But the fear is that the natural flow of capitalism will encourage removing the first option and instead keep just the individual pieces.

 

[eyeheartawk]

Just pointing out, as is customary for me, that WOTC have the technology to piecemeal out every single bit of content from every book, keep track of all of it and charge a pro-rated fee thereafter. But providing a PDF with the physical purchase of a book is somehow a technological and logistical impossibility to multiple members of this board.

That aside, yeah, they've been doing this forever and the pricing structure makes sense. Though, I can understand that a lifetime of video game monetization has made you wary of such things.

 

[Professor Murder]

for the record, I buy physical copies of anything I really want to have. I still plan to pick up this book, even though as it is at best a 5.1 update to existing material, its not a needed need.

 

[Parmandur]

As long as it remains merely an additional option, not a thing. But the fear is that the natural flow of capitalism will encourage removing the first option and instead keep just the individual pieces.

I don't really see that. The simple a la carte option they have right now gives people a choice, and is probably profitable enough.

 

[Micah Sweet]

DDB has always done this. Go look at the PHB, MM, etc.
FG did this with the core 3 books years ago at the beginning, but found that it wasn't used much by the community and was annoying to maintain so they gave it up long ago. (It's easier to maintain in DDB due to architecture.)

From a player perspective it is nice; I only want the stuff for a 'firblog twilight cleric' so I only have to buy those parts. Agree that for a DM, it makes no sense.

That's true. It was always a blundering cash grab.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

maybe not for ther first watch but I know people who "skip the boaring part" on rewacth even if that means skipping to 1 fight then the final

What does this pedantry have to do with the point?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

What does this pedantry have to do with the point?

it has to do with "no one would want to pay for the best 15 minutes of the movie" and me knowing people that would rather pay $4 for the big set pieces then $11 for the whole movie because it would make it easier for them to just get to the big set pieces they care about.

i responded to

Not even remotely comparable. No one actually wants just the most exciting 15 minutes. People do want just 1 or 2 things, without having to purchase the whole thing.

 

[Parmandur]

That's true. It was always a blundering cash grab.

In what way is the offering a blunder, or a cash grab?