D&D 5E Where are the PDFs?

[Bugleyman]

I bought the PHB. I'll probably scan it at some point for my own use because frankly I don't like printed media now that I'm used to reading nearly everything electronically.

I'm going to have to do the same. Which means WotC's refusal to sell 5E PDFs has accomplished exactly two things:

1. Inconveniencing me; and
2. Depriving them of revenue.

That definitely sounds like the optimal outcome.

 

[Jer]

I'm going to have to do the same. Which means WotC's refusal to sell 5E PDFs has accomplished exactly two things:

1. Inconveniencing me; and
2. Depriving them of revenue.

That definitely sounds like the optimal outcome.

Actually if you purchased a PHB that you're going to scan, then they haven't been deprived of revenue at all. They got their cut on the $50 or whatever-discounted-price-you-paid-for-the-book. Right now this is probably Wizard's best-case scenario since they got you to buy the book.

They've lost out on some additional revenue that they could have had had they offered a PDF, but even there its an open question. You might have only purchased the PDF, in which case they would have lost the revenue from your book purchase. If the price on the PDF was discounted their cut might have been a smaller cut than they make on the books. Plus now you have to get into non-monetary judgements about the decision - do you piss off your distributors and retailers by offering a reduced cost digital version of your book? Or do you offer it at full price know that it will just outrage your customers that you're charging the same price for the PDF that you do for the book? It may be more than just "pissing them off" too - they have long-standing relationships with distributors, and those relationships have contractual obligations. We have no clue what they've agreed to to get favorable treatment from their distributors. And this is all before we get into whatever is in the contract that Wizards has with Trapdoor and how digital content is going to be distributed through them for their Dungeonscape app - which probably muddies up the waters even more. And make no mistake - if Wizards offered up a digital version of this book Amazon would force a discount on them - one unfavorable to Wizards and using hardball tactics on their novel line to get it as deep as they want it.

It's not easy to tell what the gains and losses come with offering a digital version for these books. Overall I'd prefer to see digital versions offered, but I'm not going to pretend that it isn't a minefield for Wizards and I can understand how they might want to take it slow, especially for the first year of a rollout.

 

[Bugleyman]

Actually if you purchased a PHB that you're going to scan, then they haven't been deprived of revenue at all. They got their cut on the $50 or whatever-discounted-price-you-paid-for-the-book. Right now this is probably Wizard's best-case scenario since they got you to buy the book.

They've lost out on some additional revenue that they could have had had they offered a PDF, but even there its an open question. You might have only purchased the PDF, in which case they would have lost the revenue from your book purchase. If the price on the PDF was discounted their cut might have been a smaller cut than they make on the books. Plus now you have to get into non-monetary judgements about the decision - do you piss off your distributors and retailers by offering a reduced cost digital version of your book? Or do you offer it at full price know that it will just outrage your customers that you're charging the same price for the PDF that you do for the book? It may be more than just "pissing them off" too - they have long-standing relationships with distributors, and those relationships have contractual obligations. We have no clue what they've agreed to to get favorable treatment from their distributors. And this is all before we get into whatever is in the contract that Wizards has with Trapdoor and how digital content is going to be distributed through them for their Dungeonscape app - which probably muddies up the waters even more. And make no mistake - if Wizards offered up a digital version of this book Amazon would force a discount on them - one unfavorable to Wizards and using hardball tactics on their novel line to get it as deep as they want it.

It's not easy to tell what the gains and losses come with offering a digital version for these books. Overall I'd prefer to see digital versions offered, but I'm not going to pretend that it isn't a minefield for Wizards and I can understand how they might want to take it slow, especially for the first year of a rollout.

I've purchase two copies of the PHB; one for myself and one for my wife. And while I obviously can't speak for anyone else, I would absolutely also buy a PDF copy; I find PDFs and hard copy to be supplementary goods, not substitute goods. For example, I own 13th Age, C&C, Pathfinder, Fate Core, and Savage Worlds, in both hard copy and PDF. I also bought the 4E PHB in both hard copy and PDF, though I don't think I still have the book. That said, that preference applies only to the core rules. Supplements -- if I pick those up at all -- usually get purchased in PDF.

So in my case, they have absolutely inconvenienced me and cost themselves revenue. Whether or not that holds true across the market as a whole -- which I believe it does, based on my (admittedly anecdotal) observations -- is certainly subject to reasonable debate.

 

[Umbran]

So in my case, they have absolutely inconvenienced me and cost themselves revenue.

Have they? Are you saying that, having scanned it yourself, if at a later date they put out a well-indexed pdf with a format more suited to the screen than simple image scans could be, you wouldn't buy it?

If you will be a customer for it later, they've not lost revenue. They've only delayed it. And that is often a part of good strategy - sometimes you want mo maximize revenue in the short term, and sometimes you want to maximize the long-term stream. You, as a consumer, may be, "I want it Now, now, now!!!1!" but as a producer, their plan may call for deferring income for a little while.

 

[Bugleyman]

Have they? Are you saying that, having scanned it yourself, if at a later date they put out a well-indexed pdf with a format more suited to the screen than simple image scans could be, you wouldn't buy it?

If you will be a customer for it later, they've not lost revenue. They've only delayed it. And that is often a part of good strategy - sometimes you want mo maximize revenue in the short term, and sometimes you want to maximize the long-term stream. You, as a consumer, may be, "I want it Now, now, now!!!1!" but as a producer, their plan may call for deferring income for a little while.

First, re-framing my desire for PDFs so as to make it appear infantile is a pretty underhanded tactic.

Second, I absolutely won't buy a PDF after I go to the considerable effort of creating my own -- at that point, it's a matter of principle. But if you really wanted to argue that I'm lying or mistaken about my own behavior...well, that's a thing that you could do.

 

[Echohawk]

Yes I want PDFs. I also believe not offering PDFs is a huge mistake. Finally, I believe that the failure to produce the products customers demand is indicative of an ongoing leadership failure at WotC, especially in a market where PDFs are the industry norm. You're free to disagree with my position, of course, but please don't dismiss distort what I'm saying.

I don't think I distorted what you said, and I certainly did not intend to do so. In your original post you wrote:

Failing to release PDFs is a misguided, fear-driven decision

Perhaps you didn't mean that to sound as if you think WotC is making a bad business decision, but if you didn't mean that, then I'm honestly not sure what you did mean.

I don't think there is any evidence that WotC is making a "misguided, fear-driven decision". For all we know, they've crunched the numbers, and are making an informed, fact-driven decision. We simply have insufficient evidence either way.

I totally understand that you are upset that you cannot buy a PDF. I also accept that you are not the only person who feels that way. WotC are clearly alienating at least some customers by not offering PDFs at the same time as print. (For the record, I would also very much like to buy PDFs.)

However, it still strikes me that in stating "failing to release PDFs is a misguided, fear-driven decision", you are ascribing motivations for WotC's business decisions that you cannot possibly know to be true.

So, while I certainly would never seek to stop you from expressing your opinion on this matter, I am afraid that I am dismissing at least that part of your post as entirely unsupported by any facts.

I hope it doesn't come across as unreasonable of me to share your unhappiness at the unavailability of PDFs whilst simultaneously disagreeing with the motivations you are ascribing to WotC for that decision.

 

[Umbran]

Second, I absolutely won't buy a PDF after I go to the considerable effort of creating my own -- at that point, it's a matter of principle.

What principle would that be?

But if you really wanted to argue that I'm lying or mistaken about my own behavior...well, that's a thing that you could do.

Nothing of the sort was intended. It was not clear to me that the longer term had really been considered, so I did the stunningly original thing of *asking* what you'd do, rather than assuming. I know, online, that's not often seen, but I am occasionally unconventional

 

[Bugleyman]

What principle would that be?

Not paying for something I've already done myself?

Nothing of the sort was intended. It was not clear to me that the longer term had really been considered, so I did the stunningly original thing of *asking* what you'd do, rather than assuming. I know, online, that's not often seen, but I am occasionally unconventional

I realize you didn't...it's just that's where things typically go next.

 

[Bugleyman]

I don't think I distorted what you said, and I certainly did not intend to do so. In your original post you wrote:


Perhaps you didn't mean that to sound as if you think WotC is making a bad business decision, but if you didn't mean that, then I'm honestly not sure what you did mean.

I don't think there is any evidence that WotC is making a "misguided, fear-driven decision". For all we know, they've crunched the numbers, and are making an informed, fact-driven decision. We simply have insufficient evidence either way.

I totally understand that you are upset that you cannot buy a PDF. I also accept that you are not the only person who feels that way. WotC are clearly alienating at least some customers by not offering PDFs at the same time as print. (For the record, I would also very much like to buy PDFs.)

However, it still strikes me that in stating "failing to release PDFs is a misguided, fear-driven decision", you are ascribing motivations for WotC's business decisions that you cannot possibly know to be true.

So, while I certainly would never seek to stop you from expressing your opinion on this matter, I am afraid that I am dismissing at least that part of your post as entirely unsupported by any facts.

I hope it doesn't come across as unreasonable of me to share your unhappiness at the unavailability of PDFs whilst simultaneously disagreeing with the motivations you are ascribing to WotC for that decision.

I absolutely feel WotC is making a terrible business decision. Further, given the circumstances under which they pulled the 4E PDFs, I do believe it to be driven by the misguided belief that not selling PDFs will somehow curb piracy. Can I absolutely prove that? Of course not.

The thing is, this isn't simply a case of me not getting the PDFs I want. I love D&D. I want it to succeed. I don't want to see 5E mismanaged into an early grave like 4E was. In my opinion, this sort of decision does not bode well on that front.

 

[sunshadow21]

I absolutely feel WotC is making a terrible business decision.

I would have to disagree with this only because I see this and a great many other choices they have made thus far as not making any decisions at all. The more I see of this rollout, the more I have to wonder how much faith they actually had in the core books doing well. No PDFs is just one aspect of the greater paralysis that seems to be prevalent in almost all of their product offerings beyond the core books and the basic rules pdf. So I don't see the No PDF thing by itself the problem; the root problem seems to be that they didn't seem to be willing to firmly plan anything else at all until they knew how well the core books did. I guess I can understand their reluctance after 4E, but I have to wonder if they aren't perhaps being a bit too cautious this time around. We'll just have to wait and see how this app works out and how they fit PDFs into the greater plan now that they actually have to think about the greater plan.