What's With Paying for Previews???

[The Little Raven]

No, it was a review book marketed in a way that confused a lot of buyers into thinking it was something it wasn't. You can deny that all you want, but take one look at the reviews on Amazon and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Pretty much all of those reviews complained because they didn't read any information, they just looked at the title and assumed what it would be. The description starts out by calling it a look at the fantastic dungeons of D&D, and goes on to list several of the iconic ones that have been published previously.

All those reviewers basically didn't research a product and are pissed off because they got something other than what they assumed.

I'm the one who sees the "scam" for what it is.

Another incarnation of the "If you don't agree with my opinion, you're sheep" argument.

 

[Cadfan]

Dude, its a mixed artbook / design diary. If you enjoy that sort of thing, buy it. If you don't, don't buy it.

I don't see why this is so hard. I don't follow you to the gas station and stand behind you and yell DUDE! YOU'RE PAYING FOR A 20 OUNCE BOTTLE OF POP??? THAT'S A TOTAL RIPOFF! ITS LIKE SUGAR AND WATER! IT COSTS THEM LIKE THREE CENTS TO MAKE THAT! YOU'RE AND IDIOT AND THEY'RE SCAMMING YOU! AT LEAST BUY IN BULK AT A SUPERMARKET! COME BACK! GENERIC TASTES THE SAME AND COSTS HALF AS MUCH! LISTEN TO ME! YOU'RE JUST PAYING FOR THE LOGO! YOU'RE A FOOL, I TELL YOU, A FOOL!!!

 

[Wolfspider]

Dude, its a mixed artbook / design diary. If you enjoy that sort of thing, buy it. If you don't, don't buy it.

I don't see why this is so hard. I don't follow you to the gas station and stand behind you and yell DUDE! YOU'RE PAYING FOR A 20 OUNCE BOTTLE OF POP??? THAT'S A TOTAL RIPOFF! ITS LIKE SUGAR AND WATER! IT COSTS THEM LIKE THREE CENTS TO MAKE THAT! YOU'RE AND IDIOT AND THEY'RE SCAMMING YOU! AT LEAST BUY IN BULK AT A SUPERMARKET! COME BACK! GENERIC TASTES THE SAME AND COSTS HALF AS MUCH! LISTEN TO ME! YOU'RE JUST PAYING FOR THE LOGO! YOU'RE A FOOL, I TELL YOU, A FOOL!!!

Dude, if you don't want to read posts complaining about these books, then don't read a thread that is obviously going to be discussing that subject and opinion. Dude.

And lay off the caps, dude.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Dude, if you don't want to read posts complaining about these books, then don't read a thread that is obviously going to be discussing that subject and opinion. Dude.

And lay off the caps, dude.

He can't.

He's addicted.

Knowing when you're addicted is the first step towards cap use recovery.

 

[Wormwood]

Dude, its a mixed artbook / design diary. If you enjoy that sort of thing, buy it. If you don't, don't buy it.

I don't see why this is so hard.

It's only hard because the internet is full of people eager to explain how dumb your tastes are.

 

[GeorgeFields]

Of course, last time around, we got all the previews free in Dragon... that we had to pay for... so, it wasn't free at all... :\

I considered the previews free. I paid for the content I was able to use at the gaming table. The ads and previews in the magazines by other companies were paid for by those companies, not me. WotC ads and previews were no different.

For me, the preview book would be a waste of money since their thoughts while designing the game don't mean squat to me. Others are really interested as they've stated. If it's you thing, buy it. If it's NOT, don't.

The direction WotC appears to be going with 4e is making it easier and easier for me to decide not to get it at all. At first, the things they were leaking were about a 50/50 hit/miss with me. Now it's more like 20/80.

And if they keep having articles like "The Fine Art of D&D monogomy" or whatever it was called, DDI won't be part of my spending, either.

 

[pogre]

I can wait. There's a lot of 3.5 gaming before June!

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Dude, its a mixed artbook / design diary. If you enjoy that sort of thing, buy it. If you don't, don't buy it.

I don't see why this is so hard. I don't follow you to the gas station and stand behind you and yell DUDE! YOU'RE PAYING FOR A 20 OUNCE BOTTLE OF POP??? THAT'S A TOTAL RIPOFF! ITS LIKE SUGAR AND WATER! IT COSTS THEM LIKE THREE CENTS TO MAKE THAT! YOU'RE AND IDIOT AND THEY'RE SCAMMING YOU! AT LEAST BUY IN BULK AT A SUPERMARKET! COME BACK! GENERIC TASTES THE SAME AND COSTS HALF AS MUCH! LISTEN TO ME! YOU'RE JUST PAYING FOR THE LOGO! YOU'RE A FOOL, I TELL YOU, A FOOL!!!

Ah, the caps lock really hurt. Please don't do it again. Please...

I get his point - he fears that the next time WotC or another company wants to publish something big, there won't be any free previews any more, or at least only meaningless stuff that don't really help you decide one way or another.

That would indeed suck. But I do not think that the "Wizards Presents" book actually serve such a purpose. They are additional material - WotC wants to make money with it, but they don't expect all people interested in 4E it to buy it. Especially not all those that follow the DDI or the various Internet message boards. (though they know some of them will also be interested)

It's akin to a Volkswagen selling a book "Design Studies for the new Passat" full of concept paintings and drawings of the car and the designers talking about the basic technical background behind the new engine or the new steering wheel or about the first test drives with the new car. Few people would buy such a book, despite them being interested in the newest model. It can't replace typical VW commercials. But VW or car fans might be interested in this book, because they might learn things that interest them.
The difference between VW and WotC might be that the VW preview book obviously isn't as expensive as the car itself. Both books could be described as "Metaproducts" - products about a product.

 

[Minicol]

I know from experience that most negative comments from play testers get ignored. Mine were, anyway.

deleted

 

[Hussar]

I considered the previews free. I paid for the content I was able to use at the gaming table. The ads and previews in the magazines by other companies were paid for by those companies, not me. WotC ads and previews were no different.

Umm, no. Sorry. Not talking about advertisements. I'm talking about the rather lengthy articles that took up large swaths of Dragon for about six months prior to the release of 3e. The whole "Countdown to 3e" thing they had going there for a while. Those were not ads, but articles that took up the space of the magazine.

I'm not talking about the ads that WOTC started putting in the back of Paizo Dragons a while back.