When PDFs for sale?

[Will]

When will WotC sell PDFs of the core book? They claimed, at various points, that they would, but is there any schedule for it?

I'm skipping hardcopy unless it comes with free PDF. So assuming they still do the 'a PDF copy will cost ya,' I'm only interested in the PDF.

(And no, I won't do piracy)

 

[Kzach]

Who knows? Question has been asked a dozen times that I've seen and been answered in a dozen different ways.

I doubt anything will be official until June 7th anyway.

It would be nice if they did do a decent PDF. Something with a really well thought out index and hyperlinks throughout for keywords and whatnot would be really awesome and worth forking out a few quid for.

 

[Tim Tellean]

Not sure why WotC would bother with DDI coming on-board. PDFs of the core books would be a strange addition since you will need to either A) Print the PDF to use it B) Read it online, so it seems to me you either buy the hardcopy or wait for DDI.

 

[Elsenrail]

DDI has the rules database. If You like the art, well, buy the hardcopy. That's what a true collector does.

No sense selling pdfs that after a day would be "cracked" and uploaded on torrents.

 

[mattdm]

Not sure why WotC would bother with DDI coming on-board. PDFs of the core books would be a strange addition since you will need to either A) Print the PDF to use it B) Read it online, so it seems to me you either buy the hardcopy or wait for DDI.

I want PDFs.

I want them to be just like the paper books, so that what I look at on screen is easy to reference later at the game table in the books.

I want them to work when I don't have internet access — when I'm travelling, but more crucially, in the MBTA tunnels, as I do much of my prep on my commute.

I don't want them to go away if my subscription ends.

I don't want them to go away if Hasbro decides D&DI is a failure and shuts it down.

 

[Asmor]

No sense selling pdfs that after a day would be "cracked" and uploaded on torrents.

No sense selling something which your customers want and which is already readily available for free online because someone might crack them and make them available for free online?

You have a strange definition of the word "sense," sir.

 

[Pinotage]

DDI has the rules database. If You like the art, well, buy the hardcopy. That's what a true collector does.

No sense selling pdfs that after a day would be "cracked" and uploaded on torrents.

Given that the pdfs are already floating around on the internet, I don't see why WotC can't profit now and start selling the pdfs. They've got nothing to lose, after all, with the stolen pdfs already out there. At least this way they can make money from people that legitimately want a pdf copy or are in countries where you can't easily get hold of the hardcovers, or even those that travel light. Besdies, you pay continuously for DDI, whereas the pdf would be a one off. And that search function can be a marvel.

Pinotage

 

[JoeGKushner]

DDI has the rules database. If You like the art, well, buy the hardcopy. That's what a true collector does.

No sense selling pdfs that after a day would be "cracked" and uploaded on torrents.

But haven't we seen reports that that preceise scenarios has ALREADY happened?

 

[mattdm]

Besdies, you pay continuously for DDI, whereas the pdf would be a one off. And that search function can be a marvel.

So, there's two reasons we might not see PDFs. The one possibility is that key decision-makers at WotC (or maybe even Hasbro overlords) really don't get it and think there's some way to make a genie-proof bottle (so to speak). I think there's a lot of smart and geeky people at WotC, though, so I'd be surprised if that's the case.

The other possibility is exactly what you say: they're afraid one-off PDF sales will undermine the constant cash cow that D&DI is planned to be.

 

[Asmor]

The other possibility is exactly what you say: they're afraid one-off PDF sales will undermine the constant cash cow that D&DI is planned to be.

I don't see how... PDFs would compete with the books, not DDI. At least, no more than the books compete with DDI. DDI is a service, PDFs are a product.