piracy is a problem

[Obryn]

It will never, ever get more difficult to copy and distribute any information that can be represented digitally - books, music, video, games, and so on. The cat is out of that bag - way, way out. If Bittorrent & Rapidshare die, other things will take their place. This isn't a philosophy, it's just a simple fact about technology.

That's also not to say it's right or wrong - much like the price of gas, it just kind of is.

Books have a perk for those who make them - the physical book has an added value for the information. Gaming books, especially, provide added value for their physical form.

I doubt that the PDF piracy will cut into sales. I have no doubt that some people who pre-ordered for curiosity will decide they don't like the books, and cancel their orders. Other casual browsers might do the same.

On the other hand, it's clear that 4e is a very high-quality, excellent game. PDF availability in this case could actually drive sales - both of the core books, and then subsequently to sourcebooks.

Look at In Rainbows - even after it was given away for free, it sold like crazy. Look at Cory Doctorow's books - he opens them up via a creative commons license, but it's never hurt his sales - in fact, it's arguably helped.

This is all just armchair philosophy; I just wanted to say that the issue is not as clear-cut as "PDFs will cripple 4e's sales."

-O

 

[Nifft]

Calling "pirates" to those who download stuff is an act of propaganda.

Ironically, with the (newly) time-honored internet memes of Pirates vs. Ninjas and Talk Like a Pirate Day, "pirate" has gained a lot of positive connotations and coolness. So this is a case of propaganda backfiring a bit.

(I'm still sad about "hacker", but what can one do. The English language, she moves in mysterious ways.)

Cheers, -- N

 

[Darkwolf71]

Seems like they are (or they were going to be... did that change?)

WOTC also has the rules compendium online tool supposedly hitting the net this June, which looks to have all the needed rules in it... Pretty BIG effort I'd say.

But I suppose if you want to judge their effort before their effort was scheduled to be released...

Not exactly unwarranted, given their track record.
A lot of people have very little faith in WotC's ability to successfully provide digital services for D&D.

 

[wedgeski]

No.

At the risk of repeating myself from another thread: do you think the act of downloading illegally copied PDF's of 4ed encourages, or discourages future piracy?

I will not be downloading the PDF's, partly because I believe it encourages the act and don't want to do that, and partly because I want to enjoy the books as they were meant to be seen, at the time the creators intended me to see it. Just a week or so to go. No problem.

 

[wedgeski]

Comparing people who sunk(sank?) ships, raped women, killed men and stole their treasures to people who expand culture is insulting.

I wish I had a debating thesis to write. This quote is gold!

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

But I suppose if you want to judge their effort before their effort was scheduled to be released...

I believe it's more accurate to say I am judging them on their past efforts and broken promises.

Also, an "online rules compendium" isn't what I want. I want a PDF.

I'd pay for a reasonably priced PDF. I don't know if I'd pay for a "online rules compendium", but we'll see.

 

[Ashrem Bayle]

Not exactly unwarranted, given their track record.
A lot of people have very little faith in WotC's ability to successfully provide digital services for D&D.

I guess we are the only ones who remember all the promises made when 3e came out. I'm pretty sure WOTC didn't deliver on... any of them?

Oh wait! There was eTools.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Ironically, with the (newly) time-honored internet memes of Pirates vs. Ninjas and Talk Like a Pirate Day, "pirate" has gained a lot of positive connotations and coolness. So this is a case of propaganda backfiring a bit.

You're right. And because "pirate" has taken on some positive connotations, I much prefer to call people who steal intellectual property "thieves".

"Looters" would also work, in the Ayn Randian sense.

 

[ShadowyFigure]

WOTC and some many others should take a leaf from this mans tree...

http://torrentfreak.com/alchemist-author-pirates-own-books-080124/

 

[thatdarnedbob]

The only people who have a pdf and aren't going to buy them are the people who wouldn't anyway even if there wasn't a pdf (the main percentage).

The core books will not suffer much because of this.

You are wrong. You obviously never played in a group where over half of the players were playing with a laptop with a pirated version of the 3.5 Player's Handbook. These people would buy the book if an easily pirated version were not there for the taking, because the prime motivator in this case is a social need to play D&D with friends, which is not easily filled by turning to an alternate pirated material. Since this motivation is dissimilar to other pirate motives, it can be combated if DMs refuse to allow pirated copies of the books at their tables.