What kind of hit did DDI take a year after subscriptions started? Was it huge?

[Pseudonym]

I think people may have initially subscribed for Dungeon and Dragon, but staid for the charecter builder and compendium.

And those applications keep pulling people in.

I run linux and BSD, but went so far as to set up a VM running Win XP for the sole purpose of running the character builder, so yeah it's definitely got its hooks in me. I can't imagine any of my group deciding to ditch their DDI subscriptions.

 

[KidSnide]

I DM 90% of the time, and Dragon has lost almost all of my interest. I just don't need to read a list of new Warlord powers or feats for Dragonborn or whatever.

I agree with you here, although I think the purpose of those articles is to keep the subscriptions of players who are constantly on the look out for a new feat or power that helps their character. Also, in Dragon's defense, while I find most of the material useless, every few months there is an article (like the one for a swashbuckler rogue) that enables a character concept that just didn't quite work before.

-KS

 

[Tortoise]

I renewed my sub to DDI without hesitation. At the original price the character builder and archives were more than worth it, and with the monster builder, and compendium it was a no brainer for my purposes.

However, I also do not hesitate to say that the value of both Dragon and especialy Dungeon (which used to be awesome) have dropped through the floor. Sad really. I sincerely hope WoTC addresses this matter.

I'm looking forward to the adventure builder app.

 

[Drkfathr1]

I think an important comparison that would need to be made would be:

1) What were revenues/margins for the years before DDI

2) What are the revenues/margins after DDI.

If they're making money hand over fist with DDI subscriptions it may not matter if book sales dropped so much that overall they're making lower margins.

The total change in format with products coming later this year, the continual layoffs, and the continuing start/stop on the miniatures line makes me wonder.

 

[mudbunny]

I think an important comparison that would need to be made would be:

1) What were revenues/margins for the years before DDI

2) What are the revenues/margins after DDI.

If they're making money hand over fist with DDI subscriptions it may not matter if book sales dropped so much that overall they're making lower margins.

The total change in format with products coming later this year, the continual layoffs, and the continuing start/stop on the miniatures line makes me wonder.

They also need to look at changes in subscriptions to DDI after the various major tools come out, how long the "tails" for the subscriptions are, are they affected by Christmas/summer vacation/school starting.

 

[Alaxk Knight of Galt]

However, I also do not hesitate to say that the value of both Dragon and especialy Dungeon (which used to be awesome) have dropped through the floor. Sad really. I sincerely hope WoTC addresses this matter.

Dragon and Dungeon have fallen off the face of the planet. If I don't renew, it will be partially because of this.

Compendium and Character builder are both great tools. Kodus to WotC for them. If I do renew, it will be because of these two features (though the Character Builder is a little clunky).

I'm a coin toss right now as far as renewing. Our group is currently not playing 4E, thus the poor quality of Dragon and Dungeon really weigh heavily at the moment.

 

[Tzarevitch]

Truthfully, it is well worth my money to me. It makes both my DMing and my playing so much easier. I have the monster builder and the character builder loaded on my netbook and I barely need anything else but dice and minis. The monthly fee is well worth it for the weekly work that the monster builder alone saves me. The best part is all of it is updated regaularly and well sorted for easy referencing.

 

[Wayside]

The thing that surprises me is how many people who weren't really interested int the game, downloaded the character builder just to play with it, and are now completely sold on the game.

That thing is selling D&D.

Yup. I've seen multiple groups spontaneously form around the Character Builder. They've mostly been working folks who either never played or stopped playing when their free time dried up after college.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Dragon and Dungeon have fallen off the face of the planet. If I don't renew, it will be partially because of this.

Honestly, I think Dragon is, if anything, an improvement over the Dungeon-adjunct it had become under Paizo.

Admittedly, I'm a player-only, and thus not the Dungeon target audience, but I dropped my print subscription after it ran out during Paizo's tenure. There weren't any articles that were of any use to me, a player, pretty much their entire run, those little 1-page for each character type articles notwithstanding, some of which were little more than spell lists. Thanks, guys.

I am MUCH happier with the current iteration of Dragon. That, the character builder, and compendium are more than worth what I pay for it.

Brad

 

[Hussar]

I think an important comparison that would need to be made would be:

1) What were revenues/margins for the years before DDI

2) What are the revenues/margins after DDI.

If they're making money hand over fist with DDI subscriptions it may not matter if book sales dropped so much that overall they're making lower margins.

The total change in format with products coming later this year, the continual layoffs, and the continuing start/stop on the miniatures line makes me wonder.

Well, let's not forget a couple of things. First, everything is entirely speculative, so, we're all shooting in the dark.

What is the total change in format later this year though? Sorry, haven't been keeping up with the latest news.

The continual layoffs is pretty much par for the course, unfortunately. I mean, you only have to look at the threads during the 3e era and you'll see, pretty much every Christmas, from about 2001 onwards, someone was getting the boot. It's a sad thing, really.

But, I don't think you can see the DDI as anything other than a success IMO. The constant revenue flow has got to make life a lot easier. I know I heard Erik Mona talking about print Dungeon and Dragon and they would get paid by their distributors some six or nine MONTHS after a magazine hit the shelves. That's a HUGE outlay of cash that you're not getting any interest on. If nothing else, you have to factor in the three or four percent on the dollar you lose from the distributors.

At the end of the day, if the numbers that have been bandied about in this thread are even remotely true, I would think that the switch to an online format has to be seen as a win for WOTC.