Poll on how free versions and piracy affect puchases of RPG related pdfs and software

[JamesBlond]

While Eclipse Phase, D&D 3.0/3.5 SRD, etc., are helpful case studies regarding the effect of free versions on new game related products, a survey may help creators in similar situations. If you participate, thanks in advance!

I don't want to bias this too much, but I do want to point out I believe most people are ethical and honest. However, everyone may have different views of different ethical issues and reasons for exceptions. Hopefully this poll helps find the mainstream point of view--not what some group wants to use to bias the issue.

This poll should be useful to many publishers. If you want to mention it on a blog or forum post, please do. The results will be made public periodically every day or two at ENWorld. (Maybe elsewhere as well.)

And as said in The Princess Bride, "This is for posterity, so please be honest."
Please take the poll

 

[Dice4Hire]

The poll requires a login, and I do not feel like logging into a strange site. If you can make it so I don't need to log in, let me know and I will participate.

 

[JamesBlond]

The poll requires a login, and I do not feel like logging into a strange site. If you can make it so I don't need to log in, let me know and I will participate.

Thanks! I just improperly launched it. It is fixed (no login required), I gave it a try after logging out of the survey site. (Which is among the top survey sites according to a google search--not too strange I hope.)

 

[GreyLord]

I gave it a whirl and answered as correctly as I could. Hope it helps.

PS: As a side note, I had no idea that Eclipse Phase had a free rules set. It looks really pretty but I've never picked it up or gotten it. It's a vast unknown, but if they have a free version available I'd be interested in looking at it to see if there's anything I actually like about the game (which in turn could lead me to buy it...If I actually think I'll use it. Of course if I don't like what I see then I wouldn't. Where are these preview, or official rules?

 

[steenan]

The official core rules for Eclipse Phase are licensed on Creative Commons. You need to pay to download it from their site, but it's fully legal to copy and distribute it. In other words, download it from anywhere you can find it, play and if you like it, then pay to the authors.

 

[JamesBlond]

Thanks all for the responses so far!

Please don't look over the results until you've taken the survey yourself, if you plan too!

I don't have time to copy/paste all the comments so far, but here are the multiple choice results (37 responses so far):

How often/under what circumstances do you buy a product that has very similar free version? (Where the free version is not just a quick-start pamphlet or highly crippled software, etc.)
18: I buy it if I plan to use it often even if it is almost exactly the same as the free version.
7: I buy it but only if it offers something extra. Ex: better graphics and/or better layout if it is a book; extra features if it is software; etc.
4: I buy it in certain other circumstances (elaborate below.)
8: I rarely buy it if there is a free version that is similar.

How does software piracy affect your use of pdfs/rpg-related software?
9: I never use pirated software.
9: I may try something out that is illegally copied but I almost always buy it if it is useful.
10: I try things out that are illegally copied but I usually buy it if it is useful.
7: I only use a pirated version if I can't buy the official version.
2: I rarely buy anything I can get for free even if the "free" version I have is copied illegally.

How does having a "free" version (a version that has 90+% percent of the content, but may lack a few charts or artwork or in the case of software may have a few bonus/non-essential features missing) affect how likely you'll pirate the full/official version?
13: I never/rarely pirate anyway so it has no impact.
0: I would still want the full version and expect it for free.
23: A free version would let me try it so I'd be much less likely to need a "pirated" version.

 

[megamania]

survey done


and yes... very simple.

 

[Mercurius]

My guess is that the results of this poll will verify my perspective, which is that pirating has very little impact on whether or not hard copy books are purchased, but has a lot of impact on PDF-only products. In other words, if someone likes a product they'll probably buy the book even if they have a "free" version, but this may not be the case with PDF-only stuff.

I feel the best way for a larger publisher like WotC or Paizo is to, well, do something similar to what Paizo does: Offer a very cheap PDF version. So if you have a $40 hardcover book, sell the PDF for $10; if you have a $20 softcover, sell the PDF for $5. Maybe even have one or two free PDF products, just to wet peoples' appetites. But charging big bucks for PDFs is just ludicrous, and not offering them at all is, well, so 90s.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Took it.

 

[Treebore]

I think I took it. I wasn't offered the chance to view results, so I don't know if it accepted my input, or glitched.