WOTC is out of their freakin minds...

[Keeper of Secrets]

Well, how much does it cost for them to put in online? Not much, I'd say. Besides, maybe they are just waiting to see how many people actually go for it and see what happens.

 

[johnsemlak]

Speaking from Russia (though I was lucky enought to buy Frostburn in a recent visit to the US) I can also add getting D&D/d20 material is hard here. Frostburn will probably be available here but it's a crapshot as to when--3 months after US release, 6, or even nine. At my last visit to the single store in Moscow that carries a decent selection, their most recent product was the Expanded Psionics Handbook. And the price will be higher than the US list price. And forget about 3rd party publishers. AEG has a few titles here and that's it.

Buying online and having it shipped is an option, but shipping can get expensive, and it's unreliable. Plus it takes time (I laugh when I hear people complain about how long it takes Amazon to deliver in the US), and the great thing about PDFs is the delivery is instant.

PDF products, DRM or not, do offer a way to get RPG products quickly when you can't buy hardcopys locally, and the prices are generally fair.

 

[FireLance]

Here in Singapore, my FLGS got Frostburn 2 weeks after US release. It is sold for S$73, which is around $43 US.

Ayrwind, I think you need a better FLGS. I got my copy of Frostburn for about S$66.

 

[Cam Banks]

WOTC has failed to penetrate the book market in New Zealand. Here in the USA, you can pick up WOTC and White Wolf products in almost every mall bookstore or standalone bookstore like Barnes & Noble or Borders, in addition to gaming stores. In New Zealand, not only are gaming stores rare as hen's teeth, but the mall stores don't stock gaming products at all like they used to.

I went back recently to Auckland (I'm an ex-pat New Zealander) and the only place I saw game books was in small gaming stores I had to work hard to find. I used to run a gaming store in Auckland (Mark One Comics & Games, in Takapuna) during the 90's and back then it was still possible to buy TSR's material in places like Whitcoulls, but it was a dying industry. We had to charge an incredible amount of money for the books we sold - our distributor, who was conveniently the same company that we bought the franchise from, made a killing off the consumer and off us.

I really wish the market responded more in NZ than it does. There can't be much money to be made under the current climate - and I know there are still thousands of gamers in Auckland alone. But the price is prohibitive.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[DaveMage]

I think it's fine that Frostburn is available at full price as a .pdf.

As has already been said, they are probably:

1) testing the market; and/or
2) making their products available to those for whom print products are not a good option; and/or
3) trying to increase revenue.

I see no problem with any of those options. They're a business. They try to make money.

 

[Berandor]

Wow. I am really surprised at many mentions here. I mean, New Zealand, Autralia, Japan, Russia aren't really countries where I would have suspected delivery problems; China (outside of HK), Brazil, yes, maybe.

Shows what I know.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I'll take "Lining Hasbro Executives Pockets for $600 Alex!". Developers, etc (in general) haven't gotten royalties for stuff in years. Now it's standardly a set fee after publishing. Better you are the more you make and occasional bonuses for high sales etc, but by and large you aren't paying for the writers to get more money. They already made most everything they're going to make from the book.

Of course, someone from the industry will probably say they pay royalties now that I've said this, but oh well *grin*

Hagen

I wouldn't go so far as to say anything's "lining anyone's pockets." But I will say that you're right, as regards writers. Frankly, we get paid crap. That's not me bitching; I love this job, and I wouldn't trade it in for anything (except possibly a successful novel-writing career ). It's a simple fact. Writers in this industry get paid very poorly. So do artists and developers. This industry simply doesn't make enough money to pay us what we're worth. (That's not ego talking; writers get paid a lot more in other industries.)

A few companies pay royalties. Most don't. And most products in the RPG field don't sell well enough for you to ever see royalties, even if you are supposed to get them. Believe you me, though, if a book costs more than you'd expect, it's not because the writers/artists/editors/etc. are getting paid extra.

 

[MerricB]

I'd be surprised if many of these books get reprinted. Royalties only have a meaning if there's more than one print run.

Cheers!

 

[Hypersmurf]

In New Zealand, not only are gaming stores rare as hen's teeth, but the mall stores don't stock gaming products at all like they used to.

Borders here tends to carry WotC titles, but that's about it... and they're usually a while behind the US release.

Heroes For Sale on K' Rd has a slightly better selection and gets them in sooner, but there's still not a whole lot of third-party stuff. Basically, if it's not WotC, you pretty much have to order it in.

I used to run a gaming store in Auckland (Mark One Comics & Games, in Takapuna) during the 90's...

Heyyy, I went to the opening day of the Takapuna Mark One!

-Hyp.

 

[Sammael]

Emailing from New Zealand, Even at full price it would be cheaper to get that PDF than buy and have It posted half way around the world.

Amazon sells Frostburn for $23.77. Shipping a single item to New Zealand costs $6.99 (per package) + $4.99 (per item), for a total of $35.75. As soon as you include at least one more item in that package, you have a better deal than buying the PDF. Also, if you use the Share the Love program (which many ENWorlders participate in), there is an additional 10% off the listed price.