Will you be purchasing PDFs from DriveThruRPG?

[Dark Psion]

No
I did buy the new Gamma World: Cryptic Alliances book since it was just $11 (and the new gamma world line has been so piss poor, I wasn't planing on buying the print version) just to see how they work. They do download fast, but you had better remember to save what you downloaded if you want it in a specific place on your system, it does not promt you like RPGNow! downloads do.

As others have said, their site is so slow, and even thought they do have some books that would be interested in, the pricing is to high for a pdf.

The Fantasy Flight Books are just .95 cheeper than the print versions. It would cost me more than that in paper and ink.

And consider also that these e-books are NOT printer friendly!
The Buffy books use Photos, the Gamma World books are full of a grey background and the Everquest books are full color. Printing one of these as is would probably wipe out both my B&W and color cartidges.

 

[marketingman]

Ok so is this just typical reaction from gamers? Is it a verbal minority trying to act like a majority.

Since my retirement I have only bought one book about gaming and that was from Mongoose there OGL handbook which for some reason get a lot of use on Sundays game.

Nothing wrong with a cut and dried pole but what about later. I might start liking PD's more when I can lay on my couch and read them ( Cmon price reductions on xp tablets) The industry has changed it was due for a change has all industries.

Consumers are going to go with the site that they choose for the product that they choose. People have complained for years about the price of Games Workshop Minis but they still buy them.

Big thing is that the industry just douubled, which is a healthy sign for it. To me it looks that the DRM is just and additional step. It more that the product is now exclusive with a price increase abd that extra step that has everyone drawing lines in the sand.

It seems to me like time is repeating itself peolpe putting thier heart and soul into memographed fanzines have been repalced by the small PDF publishers who are plugging away to put thier heartand soul into good product for thier fellow gamers.
So this exclusivity really won't really hurt them.

The major companies won't be hurt because they view PDF's as a tricle compared to print sales. But what do I know I passed on AOL at .14 cents boy has my wife never let me live that one down.

 

[RCanning]

Of course what is going to happen is all the publishers will just look at the poor sales and make up their mind that PDF was never a valid option. It is a very valid option, but they will just look at the $ they take in in and ignore the fact that they have effictively offered very poor product.

 

[Jacen]

As for buying pdf's (someone commented that this is unfair poll because someones won't buy pdf's at all) - yes. Just checked from RPGNow's My Purchase History. Almost $400 spent there. And plenty of Malhavoc's pdf's too.

As for buying any DRM pdf's - NO. Haven't checked DriveThruRPG - there is no need because of that DRM.

 

[Aristotle]

I can't answer this poll yet. I'm hearing lots of "the sky is falling" but not seeing any real evidence as to why DRM is so awful that it would stop you from buying discounted books (granted a few of the companies have not offered a significant enough discount to be worth going digital).

 

[Vigilance]

There's a line from an old 40's musical that seems to apply to the whole DTRPG strategy and its use of DRM:

Man: Maestro, shouldn't we give the people what they want?

Maestro (outraged): Give the people what they want?!?! I will not give the people what they want. I will give them what they are SUPPOSED to want!!

Chuck

 

[marketingman]

Of course what is going to happen is all the publishers will just look at the poor sales and make up their mind that PDF was never a valid option. It is a very valid option, but they will just look at the $ they take in in and ignore the fact that they have effictively offered very poor product.

I have to disagree the major publisher are all electronic on there printing anyway so to convert to pdf and put up cost them nothing but an extra bit of data.

The small one man operations whohave to design the product, man the site find the site, do the marketing then keep up with demand for new produst. It is and amazing cycle were success can breed failure.

I am Marketing I have no talent, I am management I have no sole. I owe it to the company store.

 

[frankthedm]

Nope. Attempts to limit my use of a product I buy will not be tolerated.

 

[Flyspeck23]

I won't purchase at DriveThruRPG.

While you might think that's because I'm a RPG Now vendors and won't be allowed at DriveThruRPG in a million years, matters aren't that simple.

From a customer's point of view, I simply don't like the DRM.

If you're interested in my opinion from a publisher's point of view, follow this link. Here's a quick summary: all of our Complete Cards products come with a Gaming Group License, so you (as the original customer) may share any and all card PDFs with your whole gaming group (within reason, so we limited this to 8 people). IMHO none of our Complete Cards would even make sense without this license. But with DRM this license wouldn't be possible.

Conclusion: I wouldn't buy there, and I wouldn't sell there either (even if that'd be an option).

 

[Calico_Jack73]

Oh yes indeed... at first I was undecided until I went to the site and saw that they have a ton of Twilight:2000 books. They'll be getting quite a bit of business out of me.