TSR, WotC and Electronic Support: a loveless marriage

[Votan]

The multi-column format is fine for printed material, online it makes them impossible to scroll through painlessly. Especially on my 10" netbook screen.

This is my experience as well. That included some articles that looked really interesting but were painful to browse (the font is too small for full screen to be an option with any reasonable computer monitor).

Doing both PDF and HTML options wouldn't be tha hard, would it?

 

[eyebeams]

So, where did you get your crystal ball?

I read technology news. Every major consumer electronics manufacturer has tablets due in this period, and many of them are around $300 to try to compete with the iPad on price point. Meanwhile, if I recall correctly Apple will probably report that the iPad has shipped in excess of 28 million units. At that rate of adoption we will probably see something like 1-2% of Americans own *just* iPads by the end of next year. Depending on the success of alternatives like Samsung's Galaxy Tab and offerings from ASUS, HP, etc, we could see that rise as high as maybe 5%. So by the end of 2011 we may have 1 in 20 Americans own a tablet device. Tabletop gamers tend to adopt technology faster for cultural and demographic reasons, so I could see easily doubling or tripling this number among tabletop RPG players for 10% to 15%. That assumes a relatively steady rate of adoption and not some kind of near paradigm shift in casual computing that some analysts are predicting.

And RPG apps are on the rise in both Android and iOS. The one gap in their function which would take advantage of form is in map displays. The App Store already has one (expensive) third party battle map app. I already routinely display ad hoc sketched maps on my iPad, and I know many other people who do so on standard laptops. So demand and early usage are there, the form factor is there -- all that's missing is software from a company that made it one of its first promises for electronic support, and who then completely failed to back that up.

As I said at a panel recently and in conversation with a publisher. the first company to provide an integrated RPG game and toolset -- including a map -- using an HTML5 framework that can be ported to mobile, tablet and traditional computer, will probably become hugely successful if they do it at all competently. But that willingness to take electronic support seriously seems to be minimal to nonexistant. Companies are instead directing people to some subset of their site, telling people to buy PDFs, or letting third parties bear the load with scattered tools that are annoying to use together. So WotC sucks and every other company sucks for this. The difference is that WotC made a promise they would not suck, and continue to suck.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

I read technology news. Every major consumer electronics manufacturer has tablets due in this period, and many of them are around $300 to try to compete with the iPad on price point. Meanwhile, if I recall correctly Apple will probably report that the iPad has shipped in excess of 28 million units. At that rate of adoption we will probably see something like 1-2% of Americans own *just* iPads by the end of next year. Depending on the success of alternatives like Samsung's Galaxy Tab and offerings from ASUS, HP, etc, we could see that rise as high as maybe 5%. So by the end of 2011 we may have 1 in 20 Americans own a tablet device. Tabletop gamers tend to adopt technology faster for cultural and demographic reasons, so I could see easily doubling or tripling this number among tabletop RPG players for 10% to 15%. That assumes a relatively steady rate of adoption and not some kind of near paradigm shift in casual computing that some analysts are predicting.

The problems I see with predictions about the future usually boil down to the assumptions involved, which you've touched upon. Personally, I perceive these assumptions to be pretty optimistic, especially regarding the current economic troubles and comparatively high rates of unemployment in many countries of the West. When you don't have much disposable income, you're not likely to buy luxury goods such as an iPad, for example.

 

[Dausuul]

How? Seriously, virtual game boards are nigh pointless for Wizards. Most gaming still takes place face-to-face, and that that doesn't has cheap (or even free) alternatives easily available. It's not a winning product for them to devote much attention to.

At this moment, yes, tabletop gaming is face-to-face or using free online tools, for the very simple reason that those are the only options! That doesn't mean there isn't room for a solid professional offering to open up a whole new market. There was a time when all online RPGs were MUDs and MUSHes and the like, and the vast majority were free to play... and twenty years later, MMORPGs are the cash cows of the gaming industry. People will pay for shiny graphics, a polished interface, easy installation, and most of all the network externalities that a big marketing push can generate.

I don't know how many people are using the DDI Character Builder today versus the number who were using the free online character generators of the 3.5 era, but I'm willing to bet it's a much, much larger number.

 

[eyebeams]

The problems I see with predictions about the future usually boil down to the assumptions involved, which you've touched upon. Personally, I perceive these assumptions to be pretty optimistic, especially regarding the current economic troubles and comparatively high rates of unemployment in many countries of the West. When you don't have much disposable income, you're not likely to buy luxury goods such as an iPad, for example.

Well the facts seem to trump your speculations.

1) It isn't speculation to say that the demand exists because people are already buying iPads. If you were right, they wouldn't sell.

2) Tablets are shaping up to be cheaper than traditional computers when it comes to getting a device that does what casual users want. I think it's very likely that tablets will capture money that would normally be used in an upgrade cycle. For $600 I have a device that will stay charged 2-3 days, is lighter, has an excellent display, performs word processing tasks just fine, and actually extends the lifespan of my 6 year old desktop, as I can use it to synch and to serve files remotely.

3) Tabletop gamers heavily cross over with the demographic that adopts these things more readily due to income level and age.

 

[Peraion Graufalke]

1) It isn't speculation to say that the demand exists because people are already buying iPads. If you were right, they wouldn't sell.

My point isn't that there is no demand, but rather that there isn't going to be much more demand for e.g. iPads unless the economic situation is going to improve for people with low disposable incomes (and the desire to buy one). Those who could afford an iPad have probably already bought one.

I don't disagree with your other points.

 

[Andramelech]

How? Seriously, virtual game boards are nigh pointless for Wizards. Most gaming still takes place face-to-face, and that that doesn't has cheap (or even free) alternatives easily available. It's not a winning product for them to devote much attention to.

The Character Builder and Monster Builder (those specific to their product AND covered by licenses) are where their attention is rightfully focused.

You didn't think the demo virtual combat thing looked cool? My first thought was, "Oh, that's why it's a subscription". Until I found out it was Vaporware. Then I just thought DDI was a ripoff. The programs are usefull, but the magazines look as though they'd actually take more effort to put out.

 

[Remathilis]

You didn't think the demo virtual combat thing looked cool? My first thought was, "Oh, that's why it's a subscription". Until I found out it was Vaporware. Then I just thought DDI was a ripoff. The programs are usefull, but the magazines look as though they'd actually take more effort to put out.

That almost sums my point up.

Wizard promised us a way to play D&D virtually; using an online game table, with PDF verisons of the books, creating our PC stats using the char builder and his appearance on the visualizer, only to play a scenario a DM created online using a mapper, monster-builder, and then recording the adventure in the vault while blogging it on Gleemax.

What we got was an online database of crunch (with not rules or art), a character builder and a monster builder. We got sold some pretty pictures and a few vague promises, and now we got silence.This is nearly the same scenario we got with Master Tools/E-Tools 8 years earlier. (Arguablly its better, but not by much).

I still think it shows WotC is great at visualizing online D&D, but for whatever reason lacks the vision/skill/resources/will to go through with it. WotC should either re-evaluate its electronic tool policy (by focusing its electronic/online components on either game-prep or some form of online/MMO play) or license the freaking thing out to someone who can do it for them.

At least TSR had that part right: they focused on game-prep with CR2 and got a superior product. WotC continues to throw good money after bad working on all of these tools and has little to show for it in the end...

 

[renau1g]

ems to be suffering some type of identity crisis with the Essentials line and as Dragon and Dungeon have been sucking heavily these last few months, it's a variable value for me.

I'll disagree with you on this. I actually haven't seen such quality in the Dungeon adventures (since WotC took it back from Paizo) as I've seen recently. Can't comment too much on Dragon, I read it less, but the Dungeon stuff has been much better.

 

[MrMyth]

If you actually get all the past issues it sounds like a dam good deal. I was under the impression that it was a subscription that once cancelled, would cripple the software untill you rejoined (web based or something). It sounds like the way to work it is to join and quit. Then join after you buy a few books to get everything up to date, and quit again till you buy a few more books.

You keep all magazine issues that you have downloaded. You keep all software you have, working at full functionality - you just no longer get access to any new product updates.

I think half the problem with people's impression of DDI is right here - a lot of folks are simply biased against it to begin with, and thus assume it is a much worse deal than it actually is.

Or seem to have strangely high standards - I certainly am not familiar with the products that Remathilis is mentioning from the 2E days, but have no idea where he's coming from dismissing the Character Builder and Monster Builder as continuing "to throw good money after bad [and having] little to show for it in the end".

I'd certainly like more products and a virtual game table and the like, but the products we have now are definitely worthwhile for me.