Why are the AU pdfs so uneconomical???

[Mistwell]

When PHB 3.0 was released, it came with the demo CD for the character generator.

I hoped at that time that this would set a trend, and future books would be published with CDs enclosed. I always figured PDF versions of the book would eventually come with most hardback gaming books.

My hopes have been dashed, so far. Nobody has done this, despite how obvious it seems. I'd pay more...heck, I would pay triple the cost to make and enclose such a CD, and I think most other people would as well (given that this isn't all that much money).

 

[trancejeremy]

Older Modules were even worse for price per page, The Lost Caverns of Tsjocanth was around $8 dollars for 32 pages in 1982.
Today that would be $14.26 for 2002 dollars or about 44 cents a page.

Actually, The Lost Caverns of Tsjocanth was 2 booklets, and so 64 pages. 1 for the module, 1 full of misc stuff, monsters, spells, magic items, etc.

 

[dead_radish]

My hopes have been dashed, so far. Nobody has done this, despite how obvious it seems. I'd pay more...heck, I would pay triple the cost to make and enclose such a CD, and I think most other people would as well (given that this isn't all that much money).

I have nothing to do with the gaming industry, but my guess would be that the main reasons for this are twofold: 1. There really aren't enough people (in their eyes, at least) that would consider this worth doing to justify the cost and 2. Adding a pdf on CD increases the level of piracy exponentially. Right now, if I want to get a free copy of the PHB, I have to either know someone with a scanner and a lot of patience, have a modicum of skill finding warez, or be willing to use something like Kazaa. For your average person, that's not the case. For a lot of gamers, that's not the case either (remember that we on the boards are a non-representative group).

But if all you have to do is take a CD, give it to all your friends, and have them copy it? "Sure, Stan. Take it home, that's cool. I'll get it from you next week."

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I have nothing to do with the gaming industry, but my guess would be that the main reasons for this are twofold: 1. There really aren't enough people (in their eyes, at least) that would consider this worth doing to justify the cost and 2. Adding a pdf on CD increases the level of piracy exponentially. Right now, if I want to get a free copy of the PHB, I have to either know someone with a scanner and a lot of patience, have a modicum of skill finding warez, or be willing to use something like Kazaa. For your average person, that's not the case. For a lot of gamers, that's not the case either (remember that we on the boards are a non-representative group).

But if all you have to do is take a CD, give it to all your friends, and have them copy it? "Sure, Stan. Take it home, that's cool. I'll get it from you next week."

Though it is not that different than today:
"Bernd, since you have the xyz-Sourcebook, may I borrow it to prepare the next session?"
"Sure, if you don´t forget you took it like the last time, Daniel".
"I´ll try.".
Electronic versions are nice if you have them at home, but some books (mainly Core Rulebooks) are worth to get bought by more than one member of the group - in games, most players need one from time to time.
And some books are just must-haves (but never-get-used - like my two Startrek books and my Farscape book)

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[dead_radish]

But done that way, there is no copyright violation - one person has the book, and one person does not. With the electronic version, your friend takes it home, makes a copy, gives the CD to another friend, and you have the book. There are now 3 copies, only one of which is being used legally. It's a matter of duplication, mainly. Duping a book is hard. Duping a pdf is easy.