Outrage at prices

[ThirdWizard]

Used on Amazon.com (or similar) is the way to go! For the gamer on a budget, it can't be beat. Well, for hard copies at least. Free PDFs are always welcome.

EDIT: Oohhh my 1999th post. I must not squander the 2000th.

 

[JoeGKushner]

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.

But are you outraged when a new book comes out that's expensive? From what you've said, it doesn't sound like you are, but rather, a sharp shopper.

 

[jokamachi]

This may be due to the fact that gamers can't get enough use out of the books to justify the cost, or that the book is somehow substandard in terms of overall quality (i.e. typos, redundant information, padding, etc.). I have books which I have not used enough to justify my buying them, but I would say that has more to do with the sorts of campaigns I run versus the overall usefulness of the book.

I would say to gamers before buying: think about your campaign and whether the book in question will serve your vision in the best possible way. Don't be sucked into the 'everyone else has it, so I have to buy it too' trap. There's no shame in not owning something, even if everyone else seems to be talking about it. There's only shame in wasting your money on something you have no use for.

I will buy far fewer books when the inevitable 4e leers its ugly head, perhaps no more than the 3 core books we all rely upon.

 

[Wraith Form]

It's because I'm 43 and I remember major hardback releases at $15.00 or less. Irrational yes, but it's still there. If it's something I know I will like and will use a lot, I'll pay for it and I'll rarely complain but at the same time I'll probably always think of any game book more than $20.00 as 'overpriced'.

Exactly what he said.

'Cept I'm 35.

 

[The Shaman]

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

What is about other people's outrage that outrages you so?

 

[Voadam]

But are you outraged when a new book comes out that's expensive? From what you've said, it doesn't sound like you are, but rather, a sharp shopper.

I get annoyed. Intellectually I know I can't get everything, I can't even get all the cheap stuff. I already have more rpg books than I expect to be able to fully read let alone use. But I want a ton more and enjoy getting books and having the resources available to me to use if it will help my game or if I desire to just read them.

Seeing the full price FFG and WotC pdfs or even the only 30% off cover price mongoose ones means I know I won't be picking them up even though I like some of the books and the topics they cover. I could afford Ptolus and WLD at cover prices, but I decided they are not worth the money to me. My spending habits are a rational strategy but I still get annoyed when something neat comes out that my cost benefit says is good and I would like but it is overall not worth the cost and so I know I won't be getting it.

 

[Dark Psion]

After you get over the initial sticker shock, then you start wondering, "What exactly makes this one book worth almost $200?"

While Monte is probably right that there is a market for high priced / high quality books, it does send a message to those who cannot afford them that "You are not my customer. Go away!"

In the end, any given widget is worth what someone will pay for it, we will see just have to wait and see how many copies Ptolus sells.

 

[Dragonhelm]

After you get over the initial sticker shock, then you start wondering, "What exactly makes this one book worth almost $200?"

I wouldn't say that Ptolus ($120) = "almost $200". Then again, with shipping...

While Monte is probably right that there is a market for high priced / high quality books, it does send a message to those who cannot afford them that "You are not my customer. Go away!"

Eh, I don't know about that. If he didn't have the payment installments, then maybe. To me, setting it up with payments is like saying, "Look, I know this costs and we're not all made of money, so if you really want this, I'm providing a way to make it relatively cheap."

In the end, any given widget is worth what someone will pay for it, we will see just have to wait and see how many copies Ptolus sells.

It will certainly be interesting to see.

 

[shilsen]

Is it because on the internet, no one knows you're a dog?

By George, I think he's got it !

Personally, I've never complained about the price of a single RPG product and I never will. Maybe it's just because I lack a sense of entitlement. I don't care if some (or all) RPG items aren't marketed at me, I don't expect to be able to buy every item or even every item I might want to, I do expect RPG publishers to try to make as much money as they can and then some, and I realize that an intelligent RPG-related buy will give me far more profit on the entertainment-to-cost ratio than almost any product in any other area. I'm cheap AND easy.

 

[fusangite]

Um...I gave you that

You're right. I'm so embarassed. Actually, I just checked my shelf. I think that with the exception of 3.0E Manual of the Planes, you've given me every D&D thing I own except the core books and Magical Medieval Society.