Preview Copies on PDF - on File piracy

[ArghMark]

Hello All!

I wonder - if companies produced little free sample rules and adventures, would some of the file piracy stop? I know it would stop people I know, who pirate copies of things just for a sample to see how the game works.

I know for certain that the free set of traveller rules that were released for Traveller20 inspired me to buy that $80 dollar (Aussie, print) thing, even though I never got to play the game. The World of Darkness free kits inspired me to buy the entire Changeling: The Lost line and several of the Vampire books (also print), though I have only played one game of the former.

I did buy the 3 core 4th ed books sight unseen and they sit unused on my drive; I found it rather difficult to read on PDF for some reason. I don't tend to simply enjoy the read of D+D books like I can with other books.

Just like borrowing the Warhammer books from a friend prompted me to buy them, I'm just thinking - could file piracy be reduced by just that sort of simple change of business design?

A sample set of rules, sample characters, sample adventure - just the sort of taster that may never be used as is, but may prompt other buys.

What do you think?

 

[Mark]

Hello. Haven't you been around longer? Your screenname is familar.

I wonder - if companies produced little free sample rules and adventures, would some of the file piracy stop?

I think most do this now, don't they?

 

[ArghMark]

Mark: Yes, I've been here for years, but I think I lost my username info in my moves around the world and I decided to finally support this place that I've used to entertain me for so many years and reregister and buy one of those accounts.

To your question: Some do, but I was under the impression most of the WOTC products are ones you buy. What do you think would happen if everyone started doing this?

 

[Mark]

Mark: Yes, I've been here for years, but I think I lost my username info in my moves around the world and I decided to finally support this place that I've used to entertain me for so many years and reregister and buy one of those accounts.

Good to see you still here. I hope your travels have been safe, given the state of the word and all.

To your question: Some do, but I was under the impression most of the WOTC products are ones you buy. What do you think would happen if everyone started doing this?

I guess WotC prefers to give those previews via web articles counting on customers to believe that their production values are consistent enough to not require actual PDF previews of particular pages? I don't know. That's my suspicion. They do also often give art previews in a gallery format, too.

 

[Phaezen]

Looking at the editorial calendar for this month, there are:

3 Arcane Power Excerpts
1 P3 Assault on Nightwyrm Fortress Excerpt
Maps & Art from P3
4 MM2 Excerpts
And the chance to preview and playtest 2 sets of rules for a product in development (PH3)

Would that count?

 

[ArghMark]

These are interesting things, but I'm not sure if they would have the effect desired. Has one of these excerpts really made anyone go and buy a book?

Hows about a comparison to say, a free copy of the rules for 1st level?

 

[WalterKovacs]

There is often at least a couple of excerpts that are relevant. The feat section has often given a very good idea of what from the book is relevant to existing characters. The PHB2 preview of (nearly) every class in the book, even if it was only a couple levels, definitely increased excitement in the books. On the other hands, I wouldn't think that the paragon path or epic destiny previews are convincing people to buy stuff ... but it gives some idea of what the book looks like, etc.

The rules for first level would be a bit hard to put up, as it's essentially all the rules for character creation. You cut out higher level powers, the rules for levelling and magic items, but you still need to pick a feat at first level, etc.

 

[Phaezen]

Between the Chararacter Builder Demo and the Compendium Demo you can get a good idea of levels 1-3. A more visible demo adventure would most probably be a good thiungs to have, although the starter box does give good value for money.

 

[Mark]

These are interesting things, but I'm not sure if they would have the effect desired. Has one of these excerpts really made anyone go and buy a book?

Hows about a comparison to say, a free copy of the rules for 1st level?

Free RPG Day and many of the participating publishers bank on the idea that quick start rules and previews of games will prompt users to buy the full versions. Is this the sort of thing you mean?

Free RPG Day

 

[RangerWickett]

Wait, are the excerpts actually free? Because I thought when they switched over to digital Dragon, all of that stuff became subscriber only, and I started going to WotC page a lot less often.

I know every time I see a thread on the boards talking about something that sounds cool, when I click on the WotC link it says it's for subscribers only, but maybe I'm erroneously confusing the subscription-required Dragon articles and the free-for-all-to-see previews.