D&D 4E So why does the 4e DMG costs the same as PHB?

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

They still use three books partly due to the large amount of content (all three would equal a very thick book), but I also think its something of a sacred cow. D&D was originally based on the premise that the DM was supposed to have secret knowledge of the game. Keeping it in a separate book helped, and I think the format was kept as a matter of course. I like the set up, personally. If I'm playing, I only need a couple of books. If I'm the DM, separate books is the next best thing to a laptop and pdfs.

 

[hafrogman]

I'd be most likely to believe that it's because the cost of the PHB is reduced below what its normal price would be in order to promote the system and encourage conversion. The PHB is artificially cheap, and everything else is normal.

 

[Warbringer]

Pricing Symmetry.

It makes snese to have the initial books the same price. The items are not idependent and as core products it only makes sense to release as a co-dependent price, as they certainly are co-dependent costs, from a non-publishing positon.

As to the cries of because they can...nonsense. If they could charge what they want then we'd see prices north of $50. You don't like the price spend your hard earned (or your parents hard earned) money on some thing else.

If 4e delivers it will be worth every penny; if it doesn't, put me in the sucker bin

 

[Nikosandros]

As to the cries of because they can...nonsense. If they could charge what they want then we'd see prices north of $50.

It's far from nonsense. And it's not about the price they want, it's about the price that they can charge without taking a hit in the sales.

 

[Doug McCrae]

It's almost 100 pages shorter than the PHB.

Why does it cost the same?

The 3.5 PHB2 is 100 pages shorter than the PHB.

Why does it cost $5 more?

 

[Dausuul]

It's far from nonsense. And it's not about the price they want, it's about the price that they can charge without taking a hit in the sales.

Actually, it's about the price that will bring in the most profit for WotC. Which is not necessarily the highest price--there's a balance to be struck between making prices too high (and losing so many sales that total revenue drops) and making them too low (and not making enough money per sale). Not to mention the incentive to keep prices low on the core books so they can hook more gamers who will then by WotC supplements... but of course the core books are reliable sellers, year after year, so a healthy profit margin there will yield a long-term return... lots of factors to consider.

 

[small pumpkin man]

The simplest and most important reason.

because they can.

the logical reason is economics as others have said, but the ultimate reason is that they can

You mean they cut the PHB price because they can?

and here I thought they were an evil soulless company, but you're right, I should give them more credit.

 

[Nikosandros]

Actually, it's about the price that will bring in the most profit for WotC. Which is not necessarily the highest price--there's a balance to be struck between making prices too high (and losing so many sales that total revenue drops) and making them too low (and not making enough money per sale). Not to mention the incentive to keep prices low on the core books so they can hook more gamers who will then by WotC supplements... but of course the core books are reliable sellers, year after year, so a healthy profit margin there will yield a long-term return... lots of factors to consider.

Yes, exactly my point. Only expressed far more eloquently and in far greater detail...

 

[Incenjucar]

While that's all pretty and philosophical, I'm tossing a BS card on it. The OP has a pretty valid question. Perhaps someone from WotC can find an answer? (I mean. Not holding my breath or anything, but still...)

Haven't been buying many college textbooks or business research papers lately?

 

[Nikosandros]

The 3.5 PHB2 is 100 pages shorter than the PHB.

Why does it cost $5 more?

A non core book has a different economy of scale.