Wizards' DnD Downloads Dead?

[scruffygrognard]

And exactly what is wrong with WOTC putting older material under DDI?

I assume that IF WOTC does resume selling older material, it WOULD be under DDI?

Older, freely available content should remain freely available.

If DDI allows a subscriber to download the older edition pdfs that were once for sale, it's not so bad. If the older edition material was only available as vaporware then it's useless to me.

 

[scruffygrognard]

Every page on the WotC site has a DDI login box, with a subscribe button with it. You're really stretching.

Or maybe, just maybe, I don't use the WotC site all that much anymore and made an honest mistake.

Besides, I wrote that I HOPED that the older, free content didn't get folded into the DDI... which is a completely valid hope for someone who has no interest in 4th edition or paying WotC a monthly fee for their services. I never said that the older material was actually being moved behind the DDI paywall.

 

[The Little Raven]

Or maybe, just maybe, I don't use the WotC site all that much anymore and made an honest mistake.

Which you then immediately tried to frame as them doing something you obviously considered "underhanded." It's the fact that without even knowing what is going on (by your own admission), you immediately jump to a "WotC is being sinister" conclusion.

And it isn't like you don't already have a long established reputation for making anti-Wizards comments.

Admin here. Relax, guys. The guy said he made an honest mistake. Jumping on him for that is just tacky. ~ PCat

I never said that the older material was actually being moved behind the DDI paywall.

No, you said that it sending you to the D&D homepage, which has a DDI login box, implies that it will be behind the paywall. Sure, you didn't say it was a fact, but you immediate jumped to a negative conclusion based on the flimsiest of evidence.

 

[AllisterH]

Older, freely available content should remain freely available.

.

Now this is an interesting question?

WHY?

There's nothing unethical IMO in selling a product that was formerly free. I' not saying that WOTC would do this, but I honestly don't see what's inherently wrong about it either?

Indeed...I distinctly remember threads here on enworld itself where we wondered why WOTC would sell PDFs AND have the free version at the same time.

Other than the Birthright stuff, many of those selfsame free downloads were also being sold as PDFs

 

[Keefe the Thief]

Older, freely available content should remain freely available.

If DDI allows a subscriber to download the older edition pdfs that were once for sale, it's not so bad. If the older edition material was only available as vaporware then it's useless to me.

See, lets say i own the rights to something. I allow people to use it for free. Now i think i can add it as a perk for people who give me money. So, i do that. Why not?

 

[Mark CMG]

Seems like there is more stuff newly unavailable -

http://www.enworld.org/forum/media-lounge-off-topic/76014-classics-fantasy.html

 

[El Mahdi]

It could also be that those pages just weren't getting visitied enough anymore to justify keeping them up. And the downloads might not have been getting enough attention to warrant server space anymore...

 

[JohnRTroy]

I think it's just called "going out of print". At least that's what they called it in the old days. People should not effect things to remain in print forever. I think people get a little spoiled by the Internet nowadays.

Regardless of whether a company or individual releases stuff or not, they still own the rights to the material, and unless they use some form of copyright that allows duplication (Creative Commons, GPL, OGL, etc.), they have the right and prerogative to change their minds. Free does not and should not mean "Free Forever".

In this case, I can see a huge web archive like WoTC being shifted and changed over time and certain pieces of content given more or less priority. Sometimes content changes after time and things disappear. This happens even with large newspapers and even sites like Microsoft's MSDN and other archives.

El Mahdi made a good point as well. Content can take up more space than it is worth, especially depending on hosting applications.

 

[Mark CMG]

Well, obviously they are making some adjustments to the website that are causing problems in a number of areas. Maybe they will get it straightened out sometime soon. It sure looks like the last of the support they were offering for any previous edition has become unavailable. So, too, as pointed out above, this was free support (and likely cost very little to store and allow for download, so that explanation doesn't really wash), so I am sure if they bring it back it will remain free. We will see.

 

[malraux]

foot in mouth disease. ignore me