Will you be purchasing PDFs from DriveThruRPG?

[Cerubus Dark]

I had to vote no, after looking over their site (took longer to load than my school's website) and reading the FAQ (bright idea really, don't help your customers) I have decided that I will not give my money to them. After reading this thread, I worry that others may try to go to DRM format. I hope not, although if they do it will be a sharp if not deadly turnaround for the market.

 

[Dimwhit]

They would be better off using a real-time PDF encoder, and when someone purchases a PDF it is fully locked down and can't be read/copied/printed without the document password which is encoded specifically for the user. It offers the same level of security against pirates (almost none), but does not rely on external sites and companies for your files to stay alive.

Now that's a great idea! I had thought of it to, and I know the argument against it will be that the publisher (or vendor) doesn't want to have to encode the pdf each time it's purchased (even if it's automated--not sure if it can be). Of course, if they want copy-protection, they should be the ones having to spend the time dealing with it, not us.

If everything you mentioned turns out as accurate (no reason to doubt they will) then you bring up good points. I've only bought a few modules, so I'm not worried about the longterm with these files at all (though maybe I will make a cracked version for longterm storage just in case), but I likely wouldn't buy a core book unless they changed a good deal of those issues.

 

[tauton_ikhnos]

RPGNow v DTRPG

Benefits to DTRPG

1. Exclusive contracts.

Benefits to RPGNow

1. You can print the thing you just "bought".
2. A hard drive wipeout won't screw you (like a house fire, the publisher has no obligation to replace your stuff, but since it is so easy to set up, it is a nice extra, and RPGNow offers it).
3. Solid web site. Familiarity.
4. You are only required to register with the minimum number of untrustworthy third parties (a credit card vendor/RPGNow), versus having to register with (in addition!)with either Adobe or Microsoft, plus Paypal.
5. Registration and acquiring files takes very little time. This is partly because of (4), above.
6. No DRM. This is a political and emotional benefit for me, which I will touch on later.

Comment 1

Personally, it's a non-issue. I don't think the singular benefit (an artificial benefit at that) outweighs the inconveniences and misanthropic stance towards consumers. RPGNow is an established, trusted, and consumer-friendly store, and I believe the market will bring them to the top. MY dollars are certainly continuing to go to RPGNow.

Comment 2: DRM

My personal beef with DRM is simple: the only positive effect it CAN have is to deter criminals. However, criminals can bypass DRM very easily. Therefore, it has little to NO positive effect.

With that said, it is inconvenient to consumers. Consumers are not criminals. They are sort of the opposite of criminals, from a business standpoint.

So you have a technology which inconveniences your consumers, and does diddly to your criminals. I will not support this kind of stupidity, and I will not support a company that treats me like a criminal.

If DRM was convenient, consumer-friendly, and worked, my stance would be completely different. I don't mind anti-pirating measures, as long as they don't inconvenience ME. The problem is that DRM is inconvenient, consumer-unfriendly, and doesn't work. End of story, end of my support.

 

[DaveStebbins]

As for exclusitivity. The only problem here (again, this is just as I understand it at this time) is that you can see how exclusive it is.

I'll agree with that. The reason I can see that it's exclusive is because the product was removed from my current favorite vendor. With exclusivity at the printer, warehouse or (usually) distributor level, my FLGS can still get and sell the material. If it doesn't impact my buying experience, they can be as exclusive as they want. They can do whatever they want with exclusive agreements as long as my FLGS can still get me the material I want. When that is no longer the case, I make a decision to stop purchasing that material. I think that's a perfectly valid and justifiable reason to stay away from DTRPG.

 

[Pravus]

The poll is just for people who have already reached positions.

When I first heard about this, I didn't think too much of it. But as I started looking a little deeper into DRM technology being used I started to cringe. So you want to track my use of your product on my PC, or say get a list of all activated DRM PDFs on my machine. I don't think so.

These Machiavellian practices to stop pirating just, to me, seem so asinine. The diehard pirate is not going to be stopped by these measures and it only creates massive negativity to those companies that subscribe to this thinking.

So will I buy a DRM PDF, no.

 

[maddman75]

I'm not opposed to antipiracy methods, as long as they don't interfere with my using the product. A good example is watermarking the inside cover with the name of the purchaser. Not only can this be seen as a benefit - its kind of neat for your book to be customized for you and you alone, but if it winds up on the P2P networks the company can see who it is that is sharing their files! Also much harder to get around than these DRM methods.

 

[Tsyr]

The only problem with *that* (It's something I'd thought of too), is that a compiled PDF isn't secure. That's the same problem with DRM (As a method of protection, not that it doesnt have a lot of other problems)... The watermark could be removed.

 

[Dimwhit]

Benefits to RPGNow

1. You can print the thing you just "bought".
2. A hard drive wipeout won't screw you (like a house fire, the publisher has no obligation to replace your stuff, but since it is so easy to set up, it is a nice extra, and RPGNow offers it).
3. Solid web site. Familiarity.
4. You are only required to register with the minimum number of untrustworthy third parties (a credit card vendor/RPGNow), versus having to register with (in addition!)with either Adobe or Microsoft, plus Paypal.
5. Registration and acquiring files takes very little time. This is partly because of (4), above.
6. No DRM. This is a political and emotional benefit for me, which I will touch on later.

1. You can do that with DTRPG
2. Well, if you backup the pdf purchased from DTRPG on another drive or disk, you're not screwed. (Not counting any possible limits to number of machines that can be registered--I'll concede that's a possible issue.)
3. I've been to both sites. DTRPG is slow, but it's not bad. I've never thought RPGNow's website was all that great, personally. All a matter of opinion, though.
4. Your facts are wrong. With DTRPG, you register with them (as you do with RPGNow). You have an extra reg with Adobe. That's it. PayPal is not required. Regular credit cards can be used, just as with RPGNow.
5. First-time registration with DTRPG takes about 10 minutes. Not like it takes a huge amount of time, as you imply.
6. Can't argue that.

Don't get me wrong, you have good arguments. But I heard a lot of gripes with DTRPG that don't seem to be accurate (like having to use MS Passport, PayPal, not being able to print--a whole lot of stuff). Just want to help get all the right facts straight.

Of course, that doesn't deal with those having technical difficulties, but that's not surprising with any new venture like this.

 

[BSF]

Naw, you're just worthless low-techs, have fun in your backwards world without the pdfs all reasonable people can enjoy*.

[size=-3]*Actual enjoyment might be limited by technological inferiority.[/size]

Wil,
I hope you are trying to be sarcastic. I am not inclined to think that I am "low-tech", but I do have computers at my house that do not have net access. Sure, I could hook up one of my old external modems and toss the machine out on the net to do that, but it is a hassle for me to do so.

That's the point, it's a hassle.

Now, my tablet PC with WiFi could certainly run DRM PDF's. As could some of my other machines. However, I keep my gaming content on my work machine limited. With non-DRM PDF's, it is a simple matter of putting the burned CD in the drive on any machine (with a CD drive) and I could be ready to go. Now, that is not the case unless I want to go through a hassle.

It's not worth it to me.

That is ignoring the other issues that I do not like about DRM in general.

 

[tauton_ikhnos]

1. You can do that with DTRPG
2. Well, if you backup the pdf purchased from DTRPG on another drive or disk, you're not screwed. (Not counting any possible limits to number of machines that can be registered--I'll concede that's a possible issue.)
3. I've been to both sites. DTRPG is slow, but it's not bad. I've never thought RPGNow's website was all that great, personally. All a matter of opinion, though.
4. Your facts are wrong. With DTRPG, you register with them (as you do with RPGNow). You have an extra reg with Adobe. That's it. PayPal is not required. Regular credit cards can be used, just as with RPGNow.
5. First-time registration with DTRPG takes about 10 minutes. Not like it takes a huge amount of time, as you imply.
6. Can't argue that.

1. You're right. I misread.
2. From Adobe's remarks on eBooks:

: How many devices can I activate?
A: For Adobe PDF eBooks, you can activate one PC or Mac and one PDA for each user.

3. Read the whole #3. It is a good, solid site, and is familiar. DTRPG is unproven, and thus far, neither good, solid, nor familiar. Thus, advantage.

4. My bad. When I tried to go partway through the process, I only saw Paypal. Advantage, STILL RPGNow, because RPGNow STILL minimizes the number of untrustworthy third parties required, and DTRPG does not. Just not as badly as I originally feared.
5. Registration at RPGNow took me 30 seconds. And most of that was opening my webmail browser, to click on the confirmation linkie. DTRPG took me a few minutes, and I didn't go through the Adobe registration part. I am including reading the instructions as part of that time. Neither is much time, but there is a noticeable difference. Advantage, RPGNow.
6. Yeah, and it's not like it's major, except that it's a consumer preference.

Of course, that doesn't deal with those having technical difficulties, but that's not surprising with any new venture like this.

I didn't have any technical difficulties, nor was it a factor in my decision. I think it's more likely that everyone on ENWorld jumping onto their server was the cause of most technical difficulties.

And again, it was not a factor in my decision.