Pre-Order DLC comes to D&D with Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Anyone who plays videos games knows pre-order bonuses for those willing to pay in advance of product launch. WotC's official toolset, D&D Beyond, is adopting this practice with 16 bonus feats exclusive to those who pre-order Xanathar's Guide to Everything on D&D Beyond.

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Here's what they're offering:

We're excited to announce the bonuses you will receive for pre-ordering Xanathar's Guide to Everything on D&D Beyond:
[h=4]Expanded Racial Feats[/h]You'll get access to 16 new racial feats for all the races available on D&D Beyond outside the Player's Handbook - from the aaracokra to the yuan-ti pureblood. Created by the D&D Beyond team, these feats can be used in your home games or as inspiration for your own upcoming homebrew racial feats.
[h=4]Digital Character Sheet Customization[/h]Get access to new digital character sheet image backgrounds and portrait frame options from artwork in Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
[h=4]Alpha Access to the D&D Beyond Mobile App[/h]Get early alpha access to the D&D Beyond mobile app release later this year, which will include compendium/reader offline access for all the sources you've unlocked on D&D Beyond. Be among the first to help us test an exciting part of D&D Beyond's future!

The book comes out on 10th November, 2017.
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[dropbear8mybaby]

Figures this scummy practice would come to roost in this hobby sooner or later, though it's a small comfort that it's not wizards directly engaging in it.

What, exactly, is scummy about it? Please actually define what is wrong with what they've done.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

Blackmail? Giving you bonus stuff if you pre-order is blackmail?

Blackmail: force (someone) to do something by using threats or manipulating their feelings.

As in 'emotional blackmail'.

Perhaps you were thinking of the other meaning?

The practice is based on manipulating the emotions of the would-be customer. If you care that much about the product. If you don't pre-order you don't get the bonus, right? It is manufactured scarcity intended to create a fear of loss.

Sure, folks might say it is 'rewarding the customer' - but you can do that without the cheap - though proven effective - psychological tricks.

Perhaps, ''attempted blackmail/emotional blackmail' would be more accurate, because they haven't successfully 'forced' anyone to do anything. Rather, they're attempting to through scarcity and the fear of loss.

Unless anyone honestly believes such practices are done out of the kindness of WOC's heart? I'm sure some folks do!

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

Blackmail: force (someone) to do something by using threats or manipulating their feelings. As in 'emotional blackmail'.

So if they didn't give anything at all for pre-ordering, you'd be fine with it?

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

So if they didn't give anything at all for pre-ordering, you'd be fine with it?

Sure! They can reward me for buying the product. Reward loyalty rather than manipulate it.

 

[dropbear8mybaby]

Sure! They can reward me for buying the product. Reward loyalty rather than manipulate it.

That's some real speshul thinking you got going on there to twist some minor incentives into some conspiracy to manipulate people by the evil corporatists. I think DDB has become the Apple of D&D. It's popular to hate them no matter what the truth is and no matter what they do, people will turn it into a negative to justify their tribal loathing of them. It's seriously bizarre. Like somehow them offering a product personally affects people who don't want it or like it and that the company somehow owes them something. It's so damned toxic and just plain weird.

 

[Gardens & Goblins]

That's some real speshul thinking you got going on there to twist some minor incentives into some conspiracy to manipulate people by the evil corporatists. I think DDB has become the Apple of D&D. It's popular to hate them no matter what the truth is and no matter what they do, people will turn it into a negative to justify their tribal loathing of them. It's seriously bizarre. Like somehow them offering a product personally affects people who don't want it or like it and that the company somehow owes them something. It's so damned toxic and just plain weird.

Oh aye. Totally a conspiracy! Not a comment on business practice and marketing strategy. We talking or fighting?

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

And? What's bad about that? It's a minor incentive to purchase before it comes out. How is that a bad thing other than "you don't like it"?

Didn't say anything like that dude, read the rest of the message. I don't think people should be getting their panties in a twist over third-party stuff.

It's like people getting made at stuff like Tome of Beasts or Beyond Damage Dice existing.

Blackmail: force (someone) to do something by using threats or manipulating their feelings.

As in 'emotional blackmail'.

Perhaps you were thinking of the other meaning?

The practice is based on manipulating the emotions of the would-be customer. If you care that much about the product. If you don't pre-order you don't get the bonus, right? It is manufactured scarcity intended to create a fear of loss.

Sure, folks might say it is 'rewarding the customer' - but you can do that without the cheap - though proven effective - psychological tricks.

Perhaps, ''attempted blackmail/emotional blackmail' would be more accurate, because they haven't successfully 'forced' anyone to do anything. Rather, they're attempting to through scarcity and the fear of loss.

Unless anyone honestly believes such practices are done out of the kindness of WOC's heart? I'm sure some folks do!

I recommend being less paranoid, it'll lower your stress levels and increase your quality of life.

 

[Leatherhead]

I would chime in on this thread properly, but I honestly don't think people in this thread are even speaking the same language.

 

[RevTurkey]

This won't really affect me as I don't play 5e much (it's a fine edition, just not my favourite). I didn't like how this type of thing went with videogames. It was a slippery slope that meant games coming out with content missing that should/could have already been in games which were blocked by various types of paywalls. What next for D&D...? The core 6e rules coming out without key features or classes or spells that you have to pay extra to unlock? I know it sounds like an over reaction but that was the same argument that the computer games industry used to ease in, rather sneakily, these new ways to grind extra money out of their properties. I don't like it.

 

[Morrus]

Bye-bye. No-one will miss you.

Completely inappropriate. If you can’t disagree without resorting to personal insults, don’t post.