Price-Sensitive Gamers

[rounser]

For a high quality*, high detail** campaign-in-a-book*** clocking at over 300 pages in a small font, narrow borders and a good index, I'd pay over $100.

*: That includes at least a bit of non-linearity and a touch of meaningful player choice, not just railroading from one adventure to the next (such as the Adventure Path modules are).

**: A completed product, with a minimum level of detail fleshed out on every notable NPC, urban area and wilderness area involved. None of this "here are the bones, do the rest yourself DM", that's not acceptable for a deluxe product like this.

***: So long as it's a genuine campaign covering much of what D&D has to offer, not simply a big megadungeon (such as RttToEE is).

 

[darkbard]

i'm not sure i understand where this topic is going or even why we're discussing it. are we showing off by proclaiming how much we'd spend (see, my wallet's much bigger than yours...)? or are we urging publishers to charge higher prices for the products we want to buy? why would we want to do that?

 

[Mistwell]

I want higher prices because I believe at current prices too many of the best authors cannot make a decent living at it, and are dropping out to go do video games and other kinds of work. I would rather pay more, and get high quality work and attract the best possible writers, than pay less for crap.

 

[darkbard]

I want higher prices because I believe at current prices too many of the best authors cannot make a decent living at it, and are dropping out to go do video games and other kinds of work. I would rather pay more, and get high quality work and attract the best possible writers, than pay less for crap.

...i'm all for quality too, but not at pricing ourselves out of the market. i don't think anyone benefits from $100 gaming books.

 

[darkbard]

i think the current pricing of products is right where it should be: most of us can afford most of what we want but secondary items are given careful consideration.

 

[rounser]

are we showing off by proclaiming how much we'd spend (see, my wallet's much bigger than yours...)?

Not the intention in my case at least.

or are we urging publishers to charge higher prices for the products we want to buy? why would we want to do that?

No, not that either. I think it's about Ryan Dancey's assertion that given a good enough product, you can charge a lot higher than normal for it. I was outlining what I'd require from such a "deluxe" product to make it worth that price to me.

 

[Snoweel]

I've got an idea.

*edit*

It'll be super excellent.

*edit*

 

[Moe Ronalds]

I can't afford to pay higher prices than they've already got. I currently own.... 2.50, and I'm too young to get a job. It takes me forever to scrape up the money for a single book, and that's if I buy nothing else. Usually, I just wait until Christmas/My birthday and spend all the money I get from that on gaming books.

 

[lmccauley]

For a high quality*, high detail** campaign-in-a-book*** clocking at over 300 pages in a small font, narrow borders and a good index, I'd pay over $100.

Roleplaying is a relatively cheap hobby for me (compared to Home Cinema) and I'd like to have the option to pay more for better quality work. I am in the position of having more disposable income than spare time (not a boast, simply that I'm in my mid-thirties and I have a job).

Cheers,
Liam

 

[BiggusGeekus]

I dunno. If people really paid attention to price, then why aren't we all playing in the Twin Crowns setting or any one of a number of downloadable PDF worlds?

People enjoy high production values and those are expensive.