Wizards product page updated 1/25/11

[Scribble]

That might be good, actually. The splat books undoubtedly have a lot of "filler" material that was put there just to meet word count. I think the overall product will be better if that's the case.

Seeing as I haven't bought a splat book in a very long time I can't say I disagree!

If they really are loosing sales because people just use the CB, and don't bother to buy the books, most of whats in them could be done in Dragon.

Save the physical for things that need to be physical, like tiles, and monster tokens, and maps and such.

 

[MrMyth]

It's been officially canceled at this point.

Are you sure? It was the only one not on the kill list mentioned in Ampersand, and I was really hoping it would survive - probably the most anticipated book for me in the 2011 lineup. I'll survive without it (or, more likely, the content will show in DDI), but I've still been holding out hope it will persevere...

 

[Shroomy]

What strikes me is that outside of Heroes of Shadow, all of the content is DM-centric and includes stuff that is not easily transmitted digitally (i.e. tiles, maps, and tokens). It just reinforces my belief that player-centric content, outside of tentpole releases like HoS (if the Neverwinter book still includes the bladesinger class, that will be another exception, but the book is a tie-in product meant to appeal to a group of people that includes both potential players and DMs), will be released digitally.

 

[ggroy]

What strikes me is that outside of Heroes of Shadow, all of the content is DM-centric and includes stuff that is not easily transmitted digitally (i.e. tiles, maps, and tokens).

Sounds a bit like the old days of 1E AD&D, when most of the releases were DM specific stuff like modules, settings, monster, etc .. books.

 

[Chzbro]

My guess is they looked at the particular books they bounced and thought... Hrmm... These WOULD make good magazine articles...

Also, having made the decision to vet all magazine articles through R&D before publication, they probably found themselves with an alarmingly small number of articles ready to see "print." All of a sudden, those books (which have already been vetted) look even better as digital content.

I teach English and am old (at least in the eyes of college freshmen), so I should hate these changes. But I don't. I think it's good for the future of the game, and it makes me want to buy many of the books they're offering this year instead of feeling vaguely guilty for not buying books like the ones they canceled while I waited for them to hit DDI.

 

[Shemeska]

Also, having made the decision to vet all magazine articles through R&D before publication,

That was originally a selling point for the e-zines though, from the start. They were going in-house and being vetted by the same company that made "official" D&D books and rules. So either they were never going through any sort of in-depth review process, or nothing is changing except the marketing language to try to keep subscribers. Color me dubious on it all.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Lets be honest, the Dm is the person buying most of the books.

 

[Pour]

I see myself buying just about all of these announced releases. I really would have liked to see the gazetteer, though. That was another sure buy. Then again, who knows what DDXP might bring. I'm of the crazy optimistic hope that the gazetteer will evolve into the Nentir World (so to speak) and be named the 2012 setting as a fully loaded box set, full of sandbox goodness and uniquely 4e.

 

[Solvarn]

That was originally a selling point for the e-zines though, from the start. They were going in-house and being vetted by the same company that made "official" D&D books and rules. So either they were never going through any sort of in-depth review process, or nothing is changing except the marketing language to try to keep subscribers. Color me dubious on it all.

I'm sure it was a very in-depth review process. The new budget doesn't allow for as many sticky notes, thus the reduced content on DDI.

If people want more DDI content, send sticky notes to:

Wizards of the Coast, LLC
1600 Lind Ave. SW, Ste. 400
Renton, WA 98055

 

[moxcamel]

Lets be honest, the Dm is the person buying most of the books.

So true. Out of my current group, and excluding myself (the DM), only one other player even has a PHB. The rest don't have any of the books.