Price of Books too high?

[Heretic Apostate]

Average 4 hours a week gaming 52 weeks a year equals 208 hours. Three core books 100$. Cost of gaming fun per hour $2.08 for year.

Heh...

Don't do math first thing in the morning. You confused your units, something I've seen all too often.

According to your calculations, you should have come up with 2.08 hours per dollar, not $2.08 per hour. In other words, the cost per hour should be slightly smaller than $0.50 per hour.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Heh...

Don't do math first thing in the morning. You confused your units, something I've seen all too often.

According to your calculations, you should have come up with 2.08 hours per dollar, not $2.08 per hour. In other words, the cost per hour should be slightly smaller than $0.50 per hour.

Damn! Damn computer, sure I did not use it but that is what I get for not doing so, so early in the morning before coffee!

Let me go back and edit that post, no one will know!

 

[Planesdragon]

Actually, the general consensus among industry professionals is that gaming books are, if anything, too cheap.

I suspect that the inverse would give better results; the industry pros are having too many hands and too much work in the pot. You don't see GM hand-forging body pannels; cut down on the 50 folk that wind up working on a book, and you can sell the book for a price the market will like better.

 

[astralpwka]

It's not that I think the books are over priced, but my wife thinks they are. I would love to spend $90 on the hobby (core 3.5), but I was almost lynched for the $60 (Thanks Hastings!!!).

 

[Ranger REG]

Want cheaper rpg material? Buy pdf's!

It's true that some pdf's published aren't of very good quality, but the same is true of some print d20 products. There are some excellent pdf products out there and they don't cost much at all.

e-books does cut down the production cost considerably because:

1. They don't have to make appointment with the printers and the distributors.

2. They don't have to guesstimate how many copies of the first printing run they must sell to make a profitable return, which they have to pay the printers upfront, or will get the bill.

But while the price tag is low, most of us traditional readers who prefers to read printed inked text on pages rather than on a screen (desktop, laptop, or PDA), are going to drop more money for papers and ink.

 

[Ranger REG]

Eh, whatever. While I am not going to begrude RPG writers making a buck, I don't see that I have any obligation to welcome in a price increase.

You make it sound like writing -- especially in the RPG industry -- is a sad and sorry career to get into. Are their value worth less in today's working society?

Is this something I should avoid my future children to consider as career option for them, even if they show creative talent?

Hmm.

 

[Ranger REG]

I suspect that the inverse would give better results; the industry pros are having too many hands and too much work in the pot. You don't see GM hand-forging body pannels; cut down on the 50 folk that wind up working on a book, and you can sell the book for a price the market will like better.

I don't know. Sometimes it is best to have extra set of eyes and minds, in order to make the product appeal to the masses, or the majority of the gaming masses. To have many different perspective contributions would make such a product appealingly diverse, to a general consensus at least.

Of course, the product made is a company product, so regardless of how many contribute or not, all employees of that company will reap the reward from the sales of that product.

 

[Ranger REG]

It's not that I think the books are over priced, but my wife thinks they are. I would love to spend $90 on the hobby (core 3.5), but I was almost lynched for the $60 (Thanks Hastings!!!).

Maybe your wife has an agenda: She wants you to spend less on games, and more on diamonds and jewelry gifts.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

This argument is SO 2001.

 

[Carnifex]

e-books does cut down the production cost considerably because:

1. They don't have to make appointment with the printers and the distributors.

2. They don't have to guesstimate how many copies of the first printing run they must sell to make a profitable return, which they have to pay the printers upfront, or will get the bill.

But while the price tag is low, most of us traditional readers who prefers to read printed inked text on pages rather than on a screen (desktop, laptop, or PDA), are going to drop more money for papers and ink.

You can print out pdf's and they still often come out as way cheaper. And if the option of P.O.D is available, you get both a printed copy sent to you *and* the pdf All good.