Pathfinder 1E Paizo no longer publishing Dungeon and Dragon

[Steel_Wind]

I would consider Paizo to be the superior publisher then. I don't want to say "jealousy," becuase I suspect it's more decisions being made by someone in a dark room who isn't and hasn't been playing tabletop.

Well...WotC is in a bit of a bind. It's still too early to release 4th edition - but the rules are filling out to the point where we are well past the fictional "Underwater Companion" that people used to make fun of ICE for when it was in its "too many friggin rulebooks" stage.

The "Underwater Companion" stage for 3.5 (hello Stormwrack) is long in the rear view mirror - and there are miles to go yet.

So we've seen what WotC has been doing - a transition to more and larger published adventures. And that's where the problems start. (Add in a desire to draw D&D players in with a WoW style online subscription and it just gets worse...)

You have WotC and this supposedly great FR Adventure Path - and it's not really rocking the boat much, is it? Few of their adventures are, comparitively speaking.

And I would say that's because WotC has the problem of trying to compete against a higher quality - and much cheaper licensed product - Dungeon Magazine. The Adventure Path concept in Dungeon became too popular.

They decided that was something they didn't want to compete against anymore. Which is why we have never seen an Age of Worms hardcover (and never will). And it's a pretty significant factor in why they've decided to kill Dungeon, in my opinion.

 

[Erik Mona]

Now for gamers who dont go to the web... who is paizo going to inform them of these changes?

The final two issues of both magazines will include a "publisher's statement" that explains what to do with excess subscription credit. The editorial in the very next issue of Dragon (ironically the June anniversary issue) will include an editorial about the change.

--Erik

 

[Deuce Traveler]

I think I read somewhere that Gary Gygax once claimed that the Dungeon and Dragon magazines weren't money makers for TSR, but he felt they brought in or maintained a larger fanbase. Because of that, the value of the magazine was profitable, though could not be truly measured.

So, I'm feeling a bit punched in the gut, too, especially since I was enjoying the campaigns and work put out by Paizo for the Greyhawk setting. In a large way, they were keeping GW alive and had resparked my interest in it.

On the other hand, maybe this means that all printed issues of these magazines will be available on CDs that I may purchase at a reasonable price and read at my leisure.

 

[Nightfall]

Erik,

See I thought you'd just pay for large ad in the NY Times.


Steel,

You noticed that too eh?

Duece,

Don't bet on it. They still charge full price for a PDF of Draconomicon and I actually LIKED that book.

 

[Hidden Master]

Speaking as a D&D player for the last 20something years, a monthly reader of Dragon, an occasional reader of Dungeon, and someone who's purchased 90% of the books WotC has published for 3.0 and 3.5...

Have fun without me, Wizards. Maybe your online stuff will work out for you, but you just killed a magazine that's been a monthly companion to me for my entire adolescent / adult life. I will not be subscribing to whatever substitute you attempt to launch, and I think that most or all of my RPG and miniatures budget will be going to companies that don't kick their longtime fans in the junk like this.

 

[Nightfall]

Or treat them like they are shills/easily amused/easily entertained peoples.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Azure,

You can get it via Amazon if you want it cheaper.

Not Azure, but... good point - I place enough orders with Amazon that getting free shipping would not be at all hard. I will have to look into the idea of getting Pathfinder through Amazon if the FLGS does not get any copies.

Thank you.

The Auld Grump, not pissed at Paizo, by the way, very much so at WotC right at the moment.

 

[Bacris]

Duece,

Don't bet on it. They still charge full price for a PDF of Draconomicon and I actually LIKED that book.

I was really hoping that the sale rates of the WotC PDFs would become the norm, rather than short-term. Ah well.

Very sad to hear about Dragon / Dungeon. Dragon has always been a part of my gaming... from Bazaar of the Bizarre to Class Acts, Scale Mail, and even Knights of the Dinner Table... it is a very sad day as a D&D player...

 

[Nightfall]

Jeremy,

By sales rate you mean they would reduce the price AFTER the first couple sales? Yeah I thought that too. Seems though they think for some reason it can't turn a profit unless it's at full price.


*pats Jeremy on the back* At least I have you to look up to Jeremy. Well Paizo too but still.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Agreed that perhaps it wasn't the best phrasing -- although he clearly feels betrayed. Let's not hijack the thread though, please.

How about editing the post then? It's offensive to those of us who know people who've suffered such a fate and I can't imagine what it reads like to anyone whose actually suffered it firsthand.