WotC Official PDF versions - would you buy them?
- Thread starter jeffhartsell
- Start date
TheWyrd
First Post
I really wish they'd gone with the Green Ronin scheme. 50% Cover price for PDFs. I'd actually be more likely to buy them that way. I have limited physical space for storing books. With Mutants and Masterminds I have the hard copy core book for use at the table.. and then a hard drive full of the PDFs and I prefer it that way. I'd do the same with 4e easy. Purchase the player's handbook(s) and then just store everything else on my computer.
Dormain1
Explorer
Our group owns one or two copies of most books, one copy if we don't really like it two or more if it is popular. we dont buy PDF due to overpricing
PDF's should not cost as much as hardcover versions for the simple fact there is zero production cost in making them, books are now done in a digital format and are easily converted to PDF.
One person can scan a book in 3 hrs, why would they waste their money buying a full priced PDF
I would be willing to pay 1/2 price or upto $15
PDF do not replace hardcover books they are a tool and aid, they are also effective marketing tools to help sell quality hardcover books
could you imagin the sales WotC would have made if they had the PDF of the 4E PHB available on the 6th, full price or even marked up 10% with zero production cost $$$
Someone will realise one day and kick themselves for not doing it sooner
PDF's should not cost as much as hardcover versions for the simple fact there is zero production cost in making them, books are now done in a digital format and are easily converted to PDF.
One person can scan a book in 3 hrs, why would they waste their money buying a full priced PDF
I would be willing to pay 1/2 price or upto $15
PDF do not replace hardcover books they are a tool and aid, they are also effective marketing tools to help sell quality hardcover books
could you imagin the sales WotC would have made if they had the PDF of the 4E PHB available on the 6th, full price or even marked up 10% with zero production cost $$$
Someone will realise one day and kick themselves for not doing it sooner
Vempyre
Explorer
Flobby said:
At one time they did say that. But it was a long time ago and plans have changed a lot since then. Heck, they aren't even 100% certain of what/how DDI will work in regard to Dragon/Dungeon magazines stuff or they will format the rules database yet. Maybe their mind will change again at one point in the future but right now a no PDFs strategy for their core rulebooks is their current strategy.
The rules portion of DDI is planned to be purely an online-only database, with no ebook or PDF options. You want to check out the rules you will have to login to DDI. No downloading to your computer to be able to check offline.
Edit : I still think DDI is a good concept, IF they format the rules database interface in an easy usable format.
Last edited:
jeffhartsell
First Post
I'll clarify my comment about the music industry. My understanding from interviews is that the record labels that are taking advantage of the digital medium are growing while those that are not are losing money. Survival of the fittest was the comment made.
As it relates to PDFs and other digitial versions, WotC would be well served to find alternate income streams. DDI is a good step. Digital versions of their books is also a good one. I agree with posters that digital books are e-tools as opposed to substitues for important books. Although certain books I would only buy as an e-book. But at least they get some of my money.
As it relates to PDFs and other digitial versions, WotC would be well served to find alternate income streams. DDI is a good step. Digital versions of their books is also a good one. I agree with posters that digital books are e-tools as opposed to substitues for important books. Although certain books I would only buy as an e-book. But at least they get some of my money.
I'd buy pdfs if they cost about as much as a cup of coffee. Obviously at some point even WotC thought this was the apropriate price.
It's a pity they changed their original plans. It's extremely unlikely that I will subscribe to the DDI. I'll probably buy most of the printed books and otherwise make do with what is available for free.
It's a pity they changed their original plans. It's extremely unlikely that I will subscribe to the DDI. I'll probably buy most of the printed books and otherwise make do with what is available for free.
outsider
First Post
If you want an honest answer, I'd probably be willing to pay a price equal to the physical book for a pdf. I consider the physical format to be in no way superior to electronic format, and indeed I find the electronic format superior in several ways. Since the electronic format has greater value to me than the physical book, paying the same price for a more valuable product is a good deal to me.
There's several conditions to that, however. The e-book needs to be DRM free. I want to be able to use any pdf reader I want to read it, on any operating system or electronic device I choose. I'm not particularly fond of Acrobat Reader, especially the linux version of it. I want to be free to use Evince or Xpdf or any other random pdf viewer I decide that I like without having to worry about whether or not the stupid DRM is going to work in the software.
I want to be able to make unlimited copies for my own personal use. If I decide I want a copy on my linux laptop, my old windows desktop, my modded xbox, along with several back up copies on CD, as well as any other computer or electronic device I buy in the future, I should be able to do so without hassle.
I also want my e-book available at the same time or before the physical book is. I'm not going to wait in order to get my hands on a pdf, and there's no way that I'm going to buy both the e-book and the physical book.
Finally, the e-book needs to properly leverage the benefits of the electronic medium. At the very least it needs to be well indexed and searchable. The more features of this nature included, the better.
To be honest, I'm not sure yet what formats I'll be purchasing for 4th edition(if I even purchase anything beyond the PHB). It sounds to me like the rules database portion of their online suite is more likely to be useful to me than pdfs would be. Pdfs would probably still be superior to physical books though, assuming they are DRM free. I don't yet have enough information to make an informed choice.
There's several conditions to that, however. The e-book needs to be DRM free. I want to be able to use any pdf reader I want to read it, on any operating system or electronic device I choose. I'm not particularly fond of Acrobat Reader, especially the linux version of it. I want to be free to use Evince or Xpdf or any other random pdf viewer I decide that I like without having to worry about whether or not the stupid DRM is going to work in the software.
I want to be able to make unlimited copies for my own personal use. If I decide I want a copy on my linux laptop, my old windows desktop, my modded xbox, along with several back up copies on CD, as well as any other computer or electronic device I buy in the future, I should be able to do so without hassle.
I also want my e-book available at the same time or before the physical book is. I'm not going to wait in order to get my hands on a pdf, and there's no way that I'm going to buy both the e-book and the physical book.
Finally, the e-book needs to properly leverage the benefits of the electronic medium. At the very least it needs to be well indexed and searchable. The more features of this nature included, the better.
To be honest, I'm not sure yet what formats I'll be purchasing for 4th edition(if I even purchase anything beyond the PHB). It sounds to me like the rules database portion of their online suite is more likely to be useful to me than pdfs would be. Pdfs would probably still be superior to physical books though, assuming they are DRM free. I don't yet have enough information to make an informed choice.
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