Outrage at prices

[JoeGKushner]

I would have loved to buy the Limited Game of Thrones book. I just couldn't justify the expense at the time.

Welcome to my world. Perhaps we should discuss how 'evil' they are that a limited edition is expensive? I mean we can't wait for the regular edition or buy the PDF is we want something less expensive can we? No, that's crazy talk!

 

[Teflon Billy]

...Green Ronin's Shaman's Handbook, while a little too into prestige classes, came close to the right length and the right balance of contents for me. Needless to say, I was happy to pay the list price.

Um...I gave you that

 

[Crothian]

the answer it simple: people bitch, especially on message boards. Persoinally, I don't take the rants on prices and other things on these boards seriously. If it really is a probl;em something will be done, but not by the people who complain here. THe people who complain; that's all they do. So, its easy to write them off.

 

[The Shaman]

Um...I gave you that

Explains why he was happy with the price-point.

 

[ShadowDenizen]

So why do some people get so excited about prices of products?

Now, I'm not in the "outrage" camp, but, IMO, it seems like, while prices are going up on everything, in many cases, it seems like quality is going down in inverse amounts.

Is it because you want the products but not for what their charging?

To some degree: I've become way more selective about what I buy, and from whom. Personally, I think Wizards overcharges. Period. Especially given their standards of late. (Just my opinion: feel free to disagree.) Now, I'm far from wealthy, but, generally speaking, price-cap is something I'm pretty flexible on. for something like "Shackled City", I bought it with only the slightest twinge at the SRP. Ditto for WLD. But for something like the "Drow War" series? For numerous reasons, I'm not disposed to pick it up. BUT I could be persuaded: I'd have to read reviews on, take a look at it, see if it is worth the expenditure to me.

Is it just general outrage that companies are making a "cash grab"?

Again, I'm not outraged, but I feel that that is true, to a degree. Wizards excepted, I don't think I'd call it a "Cash Grab" for most comapnies, but they're defintely testing the limits of the amount people are willing to spend. And many companies are giving short shrift to their RPG lines in favor of minis, card, or board games.

Is it because you feel that you've invested in the game and these companies owe you something?

Again, I've become more selective over the years, so I do feel that, regardless of the price, if I pick somehting up, that company owe me nothing more (or less) than an enjoyable, usable book. This means that books should be carefully proofread/checked/edited, (Most major comanies, IMO, have taken a serious downturn in that department!!), and that the rules are correfct, and stat-blocks should adhere to the standard rules, and if ot, it should be explained why.

Is it because you're comparing the prices to similiar products and find them unreasonable?

There are alot of intangibles that go into my RPG purchases, especially since I also play quite a few Board and Card games. I'll confess that I don't do this quite so much: I'll further confess that there are companies I'm partial to, and companies I'm wary of. To some degree, this does influence my decision on how much I'm willing to spend. But side by side comparisons? Not so much.

 

[Pseudonym]

So why do some people get so excited about prices of products?

Is it because you want the products but not for what their charging?

I think that may account for some of it.

Is it just general outrage that companies are making a "cash grab"?

That appears to be the root of some people's complaints, but one which I cannot understand. It would not bother me if a company released a 10 page, $400 pamphlet called CashGrab d20. If people buy it, then so be it. As a rather unrepentant capitalist, I see nothing wrong with that. I have yet to see altruism as a mission statement for any gaming company, nor should it be.

Is it because you feel that you've invested in the game and these companies owe you something?

Though often unstated, I would say that accounts for at least 50% of it. Geeks feel like WotC (or Steve Jackson or White Wolf etc) owe them something by virtue of that fact that they once bought one of their products. Comics fans get the same way, as do Star Wars fans and I am sure countless others. I have no idea what causes it. Perhaps an interesting potential avenue for post-graduate psychology work.

 

[Crothian]

Now, I'm not in the "outrage" camp, but, IMO, it seems like, while prices are going up on everything, in many cases, it seems like quality is going down in inverse amounts.

Actually, in few cases the quality has gone done, most of the higher priced books the quality is really impressive.

 

[Dragonhelm]

I can see several points of view to this debate.

At some point, one has to ask at what point is the price for an RPG book too much. As was mentioned above, I remember hardbacks for a much cheaper price. Should we be spending upwards to $120 for an RPG? Why not $200, or $500.

The counter-argument, of course, is that nobody is forcing you to buy Ptolus, Game of Thrones, etc. These companies have the right to earn a profit, and we have the right to not buy their products if they are too expensive. There are a lot of cheaper products out there, all of which provide adventure possibilities. For example, Troll Lord Games offers their C&C PHB for only $20 and their modules for only $10. Great deal all around.

You can also add in that through the Ptolus payment plan, even a person who works at McD's could potentially afford it. That debate, in turn, can be counter-argued by saying that any product that requires a payment plan is way too much.

I will say that we should not be looking at this in terms of an entitlement mentality. We are not entitled to cheap RPGs, even if we want it. It all boils down to what the market can bear.


I think, though, that this is all very subjective. We all have different amounts of disposable income. We all have different views on what is too much. We all have different tastes too. What may appeal to one person may not to another.

So ask yourselves whether or not the product is worth it both in terms of money and your own personal enjoyment. Again, nobody is forcing you to buy these higher-dollar products. If a book is too expensive, don't buy it. There are plenty of companies out there with cheaper products that offer just as much fun. If you don't mind paying the cost, then enjoy.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I can see several points of view to this debate.

At some point, one has to ask at what point is the price for an RPG book too much. As was mentioned above, I remember hardbacks for a much cheaper price. Should we be spending upwards to $120 for an RPG? Why not $200, or $500.

The counter-argument, of course, is that nobody is forcing you to buy Ptolus, Game of Thrones, etc. These companies have the right to earn a profit, and we have the right to not buy their products if they are too expensive. There are a lot of cheaper products out there, all of which provide adventure possibilities. For example, Troll Lord Games offers their C&C PHB for only $20 and their modules for only $10. Great deal all around.

You can also add in that through the Ptolus payment plan, even a person who works at McD's could potentially afford it. That debate, in turn, can be counter-argued by saying that any product that requires a payment plan is way too much.

I will say that we should not be looking at this in terms of an entitlement mentality. We are not entitled to cheap RPGs, even if we want it. It all boils down to what the market can bear.

I think, though, that this is all very subjective. We all have different amounts of disposable income. We all have different views on what is too much. We all have different tastes too. What may appeal to one person may not to another.

So ask yourselves whether or not the product is worth it both in terms of money and your own personal enjoyment. Again, nobody is forcing you to buy these higher-dollar products. If a book is too expensive, don't buy it. There are plenty of companies out there with cheaper products that offer just as much fun. If you don't mind paying the cost, then enjoy.

The part of your statement that I think people should really read, is in bold. Let the market bear what it will.

Heck, who knows, maybe the gritty system in Game of Thrones will be so popular, that GoO will make an SRD out of it for free like they did with their mecha and besm d20 products. Or maybe they'll make a cheap skate version?

Let the market sort itself out. Save the outrage for Hollywood.

 

[Voadam]

So why do some people get so excited about prices of products?

Is it because you want the products but not for what their charging?

Is it because you want the products, but not in that format, and hence not that price?

Is it because you're comparing the prices to similiar products and find them unreasonable?

Yes.

I want really cheap pdfs of older stuff. I don't need it right away. I don't need deluxe leather physical copies. I want my gaming budget to go far and I'm willing to wait to pick up older things. There are a ton of cheap good things out there (new and old) that I don't have. I buy these before good expensive things. Super expensive products just bring home to me that I won't be getting them, even with an interest in them and even though I could afford them.