RPG Now and Drive Through RPG merge

[Glyfair]

Firstly, I'm referring to the PDF retail market, not the RPG market as a whole. They're so different that I think, in this scenario, combining the two would be a mistake.

I'm not saying it's necessarily good (although they do have other places to sell their PDFs, Paizo comes to mind). However, the comment addressed legality.

As I understand it, monopoly considerations don't look at a microcosm of competition, just a macrocosm. It doesn't matter that there are no other options for distributing PDF RPG products. It only matters if there are no other options for distributing RPG products.

 

[Ripzerai]

As I understand it, monopoly considerations don't look at a microcosm of competition, just a macrocosm. It doesn't matter that there are no other options for distributing PDF RPG products. It only matters if there are no other options for distributing RPG products.

I suspect someone would have to actually get a monopoly over all books (or all games), not just all pen-and-paper RPGs, for anyone in government to care. A monopoly over one tiny genre seems unlikely to make many people blink.

Given that there were probably more Harry Potter books sold than all (pen and paper) RPGs put together, Scholastic's monopoly over Harry Potter books sold in the US is a bigger deal than a monopoly over all (pen and paper) RPGs would be.

Wizards of the Coast owns a patent on collectable trading card games, which is a government-granted monopoly. Other companies who make them have to pay a license fee. Even that's probably a bigger deal than a monopoly over all pen-and-paper RPGs would be.

 

[Vigilance]

Ok... Ive been following this thread (and the ones in the publisher's forum, at RPGSite and at RPGnet for that matter) and I keep seeing monopolies and competition mentioned.

I have to say I don't get how that applies to this merger.

To me this implies that the copy of Blood and Fists at RPGNow was someone in competition with the copy of Blood and Fists at DTRPG, which we know is a little silly.

My competition as a PDF publisher (as well as other PDF publishers) was other PDF publishers. Blood and Fists competes against Thrilling Tales, not DTRPG.

In other words, this move has created more competition for me, not less.

Some publishers were only at RPGNow or only at DTRPG, now we're all together.

Chuck

 

[Mark CMG]

The rate increase is not only likely to mean higher prices for the end user, but lower wages/rates for freelance writers, artists, editors, etc.



____________

[highlight]Regarding the planned publisher rate increase by OBS (formed by the merger of RPGNow.com and DTRPG) - "With the possibility of price hikes, I believe that both vendors and consumers have a stake in this. Perhaps, just a joint request from those two groups for the rescindment of the rate increase will have some effect. To that end, I see no reason why a petition can't be started to get the simple message across. Click here to view it, please."
- Mark Clover, CreativeMountainGames.com[/highlight]

 

[Vocenoctum]

In other words, this move has created more competition for me, not less.

Some publishers were only at RPGNow or only at DTRPG, now we're all together.

Chuck

Different subjects really. No publisher has a monopoly, but the new store will have a huge part of the market. This will allow them more leeway in pushing changes that the public simply wouldn't accept under a more competitive environment.

For instance, if they decided to go DRM, they'd lose some customers but not as many as if there was another choice to go to for the same product.

The main topic at the moment for consumers is the cost increase which will be passed on to customers.

 

[GMSkarka]

The rate increase is not only likely to mean higher prices for the end user, but lower wages/rates for freelance writers, artists, editors, etc.

Not for any end user of Adamant product, or any of our freelancers.

We're talking about a 10% increase at most. There's no reason to pass that on to my customers, or my freelancers.

 

[Achan hiArusa]

I've never had problems with DTRPG and I've been able to download stuff as soon as I bought it. When I've had problems with their .pdfs I have gotten a swift response from customer service. About the only thing I like about RPGNow over them is unlimited downloads of files I have bought, instead of the limit of 5 downloads. And I've found the DTRPG scanned .pdfs to be better quality than those from RPGNow.

I did have problems with DRM, but the watermarks are unobtrusive. It just means I don't give out the files to everyone I see. I have to treat them like I do my hardcopies.

 

[pogre]

Not for any end user of Adamant product, or any of our freelancers.

We're talking about a 10% increase at most. There's no reason to pass that on to my customers, or my freelancers.

While I think the merger is mostly good for customers, I would think 10% is a huge dent in most margins. I admittedly am rather uneducated about the pdf business, however, 10% in nearly any other industry would be huge. There are notable exceptions like the garment and furniture industries, so I stand ready to be corrected.

Naturally, a 10% increase in sales would counter this.

Consolidation in most industries is not done to increase sales, but to rather decrease costs to the producer (in this case vendor). It doesn't sound like this was the motivating factor here though.

edit: Just got back from the publishers' thread. I see there that you (and others) are indeed arguing that there will be a compensating increase in traffic and sales.

 

[Mark CMG]

While I think the merger is mostly good for customers, I would think 10% is a huge dent in most margins. I admittedly am rather uneducated about the pdf business, however, 10% in nearly any other industry would be huge. There are notable exceptions like the garment and furniture industries, so I stand ready to be corrected.

Naturally, a 10% increase in sales would counter this.

Consolidation in most industries is not done to increase sales, but to rather decrease costs to the producer (in this case vendor). It doesn't sound like this was the motivating factor here though.

edit: Just got back from the publishers' thread. I see there that you (and others) are indeed arguing that there will be a compensating increase in traffic and sales.

It's a fairly straightforward situation, IMO. I do not believe the industry is best served by OBS removing from the publishers, in advance, the profits OBS claims will be forthcoming. I congratulate OBS on the merger but disagree with the rate increase. I am going to continue to submit that this is a poor decision on the part of OBS and that it needs to be rescinded. I'm hoping they rescind the rate increase prior to December 1st, 2006, when it is intended that it will go into effect, and I hope that all publishers, whether they sell through OBS currently or not, and all consumers, whether they currently purchase PDFs or not, see that the industry is not well-served by this plan either. Support can be shown through the simple petition respectfullty requesting the rescindment of the rate increase.

 

[GMSkarka]

While I think the merger is mostly good for customers, I would think 10% is a huge dent in most margins. I admittedly am rather uneducated about the pdf business, however, 10% in nearly any other industry would be huge. There are notable exceptions like the garment and furniture industries, so I stand ready to be corrected.

Unlike many of my peers, I do not consider the PDF business to be separate from the game industry as a whole -- and in the print side of this industry, publishers only make 35-40% of the retail price of a product. The current increase in fees from the new OneBookShelf company would have publishers making 65-70% of the retail price. The reason that some vocal publishers are complaining is because they are accustomed to making 75%.

My point is this: 65-70% is still nearly double what we make on print releases. This isn't going to be a hardship.