Would You Purchase a d20 print product that was free online?

[V_Shane]

But what if a product was created that took advantage of the PDF format and allowed you to print out all the high rez graphics you wanted for your game, over and over again? Would you find this n acceptable and justfiable use of a PDF, and would you then have reason to seek those out?

 

[MythandLore]

I would buy it if I felt like I was going to use the product often and/or if it was more pages then I would like to print.

Nice large maps etc can also be a factor for me.

If the product was something I would rarely use I would probably not buy it.

A related question - but not one I'm going to poll on - would you feel cheated if you purchased a product in print only to find it online for free later??

Yes - I probably would. (but see above)

Also if something was say like 20 years out of print, I wouldn't realy care about it.

But if I paid good money for like a small module and it came out as a free pdf etc like a month or so later I would probably be upset.

On a side note-

I think free small/preview versions of a product that you can really use (not just an add) can make you want to buy it.

Example.

Spycraft-lite was a pdf with huge amounts of info, my group started playing with the lite rules then we all got our own copys of the book.

 

[pogre]

I voted no, but honestly, if the PDF was long enough - 120+ pages and something I used a lot I would buy it for the sake of convenience. If it was under 120 pages I would just print it out.

 

[Archer]

I own all the splatbooks in print but I also have PDF copies because you never need to reference a whole splatbook, usually only a page or two, so instead of bringing 5 easily damaged softcover books anywhere I print out the few pages I need and put them in my 3 ring binder.

Since I have access to digital duplex copying/printing for 1.5 cents per page I can print even large books like RR2 (but again I only need a few pages, 25 duplex tops)

I'd always want my core rules and major setting books in hardcover. I guess if I don't know what rules I'll need out of a book but I know I will need it, I'd want to have the whole thing with me in print. So my answer is Yes, but not very likely especially if it is not something I would reference a lot.

 

[Dinkeldog]

My answer is really only if I ever planned on using it at the gaming table. But I said "No" just to stay on the conservative side for your poll, since I think I know what you're getting at.

 

[jaerdaph]

Yes I would, but I think the key to success would be to add a little more or expand the free online version when it goes to print.

As was already mentioned, The Creature Catalog and Tome of Horrors is the best example of how this can work. ToH was expanded to include some monsters from other Necromancer Games products as well, which makes it an added bonus if you don't own the products those monsters originally appeared in.

Another example of this working would be Chris Dolunt's Nyambe campaign setting, which originally appeared as a free download.

 

[Michael Morris]

Bump!

 

[Bagpuss]

I voted 'no' which is not strictly true I would consider purchasing it if the price was right (ie: cheap), but I think the right price for me would be uneconomical for the publisher hence the no vote.

 

[Seule]

Yes, but only for a high quality product that I intended to actually use. For example, the core D&D books are basically online for free, but I use 'em, so I bought 'em. If the product didn't wow me in free form, I'd not buy the print form.

--Seule

 

[seasong]

A lot of people keep bringing up the issue of quality. Personally, I think that should be taken as a given - the assumption is, it's good enough that you would buy it if it wasn't online for free, so would being online change your buy/not buy?

For me, at least, it would. I'm more likely to buy something I already know I like, particularly if it comes with extras like art, good formatting, an editor, good binding, etc.

Steve Jackson Games (who produce GURPS) playtests most of their books online (for subscribers to the Pyramid webzine). I would never have given Transhuman Space a second look, fearing a subpar execution, if I hadn't been able to read through it online and discover that it was a thing of beauty. As it is, I try to own practically all of the Transhuman Space products.