Have the Physical Books? Confused as to why you're not allowed to redeem them for free on D&D Beyond? Questions answered here at the Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You FAQ
Looking to add mouse-over triggered tooltips to such things like magic items, monsters or combat actions? Then dash over to the How to Add Tooltips thread.
Thanks for the repost. We're not arguing that this is the policy, we're pointing out it's a BAD policy. If nothing else, they could offer a "digitize" option that would have you send them your book and it's added to your digital Library and they stamp the book with a physical imprint on the cover to prevent reuse, then return it. The service could charge $10 per book. That obviates the legitimate"scan a code" objection.
Thanks for the repost. We're not arguing that this is the policy, we're pointing out it's a BAD policy. If nothing else, they could offer a "digitize" option that would have you send them your book and it's added to your digital Library and they stamp the book with a physical imprint on the cover to prevent reuse, then return it. The service could charge $10 per book. That obviates the legitimate"scan a code" objection.
Considering the physical digital bundles currently offer are $10 over the current MSRP of the physical book price, I believe they have settled into the pattern that digital access is worth about $10 per copy for to cover all of the overhead for making that happen.
You're wanting to add on an additional business service that will certainly add additional labor costs, as well as return postage to send you your "certified" copy back to you, and you want all of that for just $10???
I think you'd have better luck pushing Hasbro to get into a partnership with a handful of Point of Sale providers that would enable Local Game Stores the chance to say "Would you like to upgrade your purchase with full access to this book on dndbyond for a $10 upcharge?" An then could hit a button on their POS devices to print a redeem code on the receipt. This is a function modern POS systems already have, they just have to develop that business interest to have preferred brands that affiliate LGS's could use. Hasbro gets a different source of revenue. POS providers would have an additional selling point. LGS's could advertise "Physical and digital bundles are HERE!".
Anything beyond that seems unrealistic no matter how many excuses you can come up with.
Thanks for the repost. We're not arguing that this is the policy, we're pointing out it's a BAD policy. If nothing else, they could offer a "digitize" option that would have you send them your book and it's added to your digital Library and they stamp the book with a physical imprint on the cover to prevent reuse, then return it. The service could charge $10 per book. That obviates the legitimate"scan a code" objection.
Considering the physical digital bundles currently offer are $10 over the current MSRP of the physical book price, I believe they have settled into the pattern that digital access is worth about $10 per copy for to cover all of the overhead for making that happen.
You're wanting to add on an additional business service that will certainly add additional labor costs, as well as return postage to send you your "certified" copy back to you, and you want all of that for just $10???
I think you'd have better luck pushing Hasbro to get into a partnership with a handful of Point of Sale providers that would enable Local Game Stores the chance to say "Would you like to upgrade your purchase with full access to this book on dndbyond for a $10 upcharge?" An then could hit a button on their POS devices to print a redeem code on the receipt. This is a function modern POS systems already have, they just have to develop that business interest to have preferred brands that affiliate LGS's could use. Hasbro gets a different source of revenue. POS providers would have an additional selling point. LGS's could advertise "Physical and digital bundles are HERE!".
Anything beyond that seems unrealistic no matter how many excuses you can come up with.
At the $10 price point, this isn't likely to happen.
Wizards are making a lot more money on the direct sales bundle than they would on the game store one, because there's two levels of middlemen taking their cut on the game store sale. That $10 we see is going to be $20-30 for them.
If they make the game store version more expensive, the game store owners will rightfully feel like WotC is undercutting them, while also requiring them to upgrade their POS systems.
And the big retailers may well get grumpy about the whole thing. (Their POS systems can presumably do it, but D&D books are a tiny percentage of their sales, so they won't want to change the sales process just for D&D.)
And, even ignoring the logistical and technical difficulties, they're not going to raise the price and include digital in every copy, because most people still only play pen-and-paper. And most of the digital people just buy digital. The people who want both are likely still a small segment of the market at this point, and there's only so much complication that's worth it for them to do.
Thanks for the repost. We're not arguing that this is the policy, we're pointing out it's a BAD policy. If nothing else, they could offer a "digitize" option that would have you send them your book and it's added to your digital Library and they stamp the book with a physical imprint on the cover to prevent reuse, then return it. The service could charge $10 per book. That obviates the legitimate"scan a code" objection.
Considering the physical digital bundles currently offer are $10 over the current MSRP of the physical book price, I believe they have settled into the pattern that digital access is worth about $10 per copy for to cover all of the overhead for making that happen.
You're wanting to add on an additional business service that will certainly add additional labor costs, as well as return postage to send you your "certified" copy back to you, and you want all of that for just $10???
I think you'd have better luck pushing Hasbro to get into a partnership with a handful of Point of Sale providers that would enable Local Game Stores the chance to say "Would you like to upgrade your purchase with full access to this book on dndbyond for a $10 upcharge?" An then could hit a button on their POS devices to print a redeem code on the receipt. This is a function modern POS systems already have, they just have to develop that business interest to have preferred brands that affiliate LGS's could use. Hasbro gets a different source of revenue. POS providers would have an additional selling point. LGS's could advertise "Physical and digital bundles are HERE!".
Anything beyond that seems unrealistic no matter how many excuses you can come up with.
At the $10 price point, this isn't likely to happen.
Wizards are making a lot more money on the direct sales bundle than they would on the game store one, because there's two levels of middlemen taking their cut on the game store sale. That $10 we see is going to be $20-30 for them.
If they make the game store version more expensive, the game store owners will rightfully feel like WotC is undercutting them, while also requiring them to upgrade their POS systems.
And the big retailers may well get grumpy about the whole thing. (Their POS systems can presumably do it, but D&D books are a tiny percentage of their sales, so they won't want to change the sales process just for D&D.)
And, even ignoring the logistical and technical difficulties, they're not going to raise the price and include digital in every copy, because most people still only play pen-and-paper. And most of the digital people just buy digital. The people who want both are likely still a small segment of the market at this point, and there's only so much complication that's worth it for them to do.
I can see Hasbro cutting a deal to keep their LGS affiliate program competitive enough. And the LGS's that go this route do so knowing their margin is getting thinner and thinner, but that advertising point of "we can do it here" might be worth it.
As for big retailers I'm assuming you mean Amazon, and I could care less how larger companies like that feel about being bypassed in this whole debate. Steep discounts with the goal of driving smaller local game stores out of business? I'm not worried how grumpy they may be that they might be missing out.
And the big retailers may well get grumpy about the whole thing. (Their POS systems can presumably do it, but D&D books are a tiny percentage of their sales, so they won't want to change the sales process just for D&D.)
As for big retailers I'm assuming you mean Amazon, and I could care less how larger companies like that feel about being bypassed in this whole debate. Steep discounts with the goal of driving smaller local game stores out of business? I'm not worried how grumpy they may be that they might be missing out.
I mean Barnes and Noble and Target, who still move a lot of games for WotC.
Amazon don't have the same problem; they can just make an additional option.
And the big retailers may well get grumpy about the whole thing. (Their POS systems can presumably do it, but D&D books are a tiny percentage of their sales, so they won't want to change the sales process just for D&D.)
As for big retailers I'm assuming you mean Amazon, and I could care less how larger companies like that feel about being bypassed in this whole debate. Steep discounts with the goal of driving smaller local game stores out of business? I'm not worried how grumpy they may be that they might be missing out.
I mean Barnes and Noble and Target, who still move a lot of games for WotC.
Amazon don't have the same problem; they can just make an additional option.
I would think the larger places like B&N and Target could absorb that more than smaller companies as they already have complex B2B relationships with their POS providers, if it's not done in house. If those more competitive places want to remain competitive, they'll work something out. Price increase? Perhaps, but only until those books have sat on their shelves a few extra weeks.
This was my thought. The books aren’t cheap. And I have to pay for other copies to play d&d beyond? Why not be able to scan a code or something on the physical books and be able to use them on the app? 😡
Why not be able to scan a code or something on the physical books and be able to use them on the app? 😡
Would also require checks to make sure a person doesn't just buy one book and then let all their friends scan the code too. So that hurts resale value. And even buying fresh, it prohibits people from returning them to a bookstore. (Or increases the possibility of damaging a product simply by taking it out of a packaging to scan the code, which also discourages vendors from letting a person take a look through the product before buying it.) So there's practical issues on that end.
But there is an option now for some where you can buy both the book and digital license together.
there should be a thing where there is a code in the book but the code only works once and only works if purchased. IDK how this would work non-hypotheticly but it is worth thinking about.
Reposting the relevant section from the thread I've already attached several times to this thread:
Isn’t there a way to simply redeem a code found within the Hardcover Book?
Whilst it seems a fairly simple request, there are some complications. Here’s the main ones as to why it will be unlikely to be implemented:
Putting codes in books requires sealing books which deters sales as people like to look through books in stores (less of a thing now, but is still a consideration)
Not sealing books means people can just snapshot the codes and redeem without purchase (this is a problem that plagued Nintendo Club back in the GameCube and Wii era; people would just write down the codes in the game cases and redeem them)
Printing codes in books increases printing costs (you need a two stage system)
Point of Sale code verification systems have an overhead that smaller gaming stores can't afford
Point of Sale coupons are insecure and can be trivially stolen (interesting factlet; this is why Subway moved over to an app, their stamps were being stolen by the fist full and costing the company hundreds of thousands of dollars)
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
#Open D&D
Have the Physical Books? Confused as to why you're not allowed to redeem them for free on D&D Beyond? Questions answered here at the Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You FAQ
Looking to add mouse-over triggered tooltips to such things like magic items, monsters or combat actions? Then dash over to the How to Add Tooltips thread.
If anyone else is reading this thread, please for the love of Bahamut, clink the link and read it before posting as I'm running low on Spell Slots - Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You FAQ
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
#Open D&D
Have the Physical Books? Confused as to why you're not allowed to redeem them for free on D&D Beyond? Questions answered here at the Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You FAQ
Looking to add mouse-over triggered tooltips to such things like magic items, monsters or combat actions? Then dash over to the How to Add Tooltips thread.
If anyone else is reading this thread, please for the love of Bahamut, clink the link and read it before posting as I'm running low on Spell Slots - Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You FAQ
If college textbooks can figure this out (i.e. getting a digital copy when you buy a physical copy) I am sure a much larger company like WotC can too. This statement is a sad excuse to double charge people.
If college textbooks can figure this out (i.e. getting a digital copy when you buy a physical copy) I am sure a much larger company like WotC can too. This statement is a sad excuse to double charge people.
If college textbooks can figure this out (i.e. getting a digital copy when you buy a physical copy) I am sure a much larger company like WotC can too. This statement is a sad excuse to double charge people.
Aren't college text books hundreds of dollars?
Also, textbook publishers are in fact very large companies. They have a captive market, and I'm pretty sure that, for them, adding digital features is partly to kill the textbook resale market.
Which is irrelevant; Wizards can and do sell digital plus print on new books, through their website. What they can't do is attach digital versions to already sold books. What they won't do is change things where everyone's paying for both, because most people still don't want or need both, so raising prices to do so just cuts into their sales.
Well there is a good reason for this, if you go into a store like the barns and nobles in my town you have almost every book and you go in there scan a QR code or something on the book without buying it and tada. Plus people will 100% post whatever is in the book so you don’t have to even go in the store. People who have every book post the Code or something online and everyone wins, one person buys it, the whole world gets it wiz kids would go out of business. So while i wish I could become a level 20(19) wizard and cast wish for this to happen it would stop all dnd for the future because wiz kids went bankrupt.
I know the "packages" like Spelljammer and Planescape come plastic-wrapped, so they could just put a little slip of paper with a QR code inside the wrapping
Well there is a good reason for this, if you go into a store like the barns and nobles in my town you have almost every book and you go in there scan a QR code or something on the book without buying it and tada. Plus people will 100% post whatever is in the book so you don’t have to even go in the store. People who have every book post the Code or something online and everyone wins, one person buys it, the whole world gets it wiz kids would go out of business. So while i wish I could become a level 20(19) wizard and cast wish for this to happen it would stop all dnd for the future because wiz kids went bankrupt.
I know the "packages" like Spelljammer and Planescape come plastic-wrapped, so they could just put a little slip of paper with a QR code inside the wrapping
Would you expect the book to cost $10 more if that was the case?
an easy way to stop that would be to have them use the receipt instead and only allow one transfer, its not that hard
Reposting using a third level spell slot : - Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You FAQ
#Open D&D
Have the Physical Books? Confused as to why you're not allowed to redeem them for free on D&D Beyond? Questions answered here at the Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You FAQ
Looking to add mouse-over triggered tooltips to such things like magic items, monsters or combat actions? Then dash over to the How to Add Tooltips thread.
Thanks for the repost. We're not arguing that this is the policy, we're pointing out it's a BAD policy. If nothing else, they could offer a "digitize" option that would have you send them your book and it's added to your digital Library and they stamp the book with a physical imprint on the cover to prevent reuse, then return it. The service could charge $10 per book. That obviates the legitimate"scan a code" objection.
Considering the physical digital bundles currently offer are $10 over the current MSRP of the physical book price, I believe they have settled into the pattern that digital access is worth about $10 per copy for to cover all of the overhead for making that happen.
You're wanting to add on an additional business service that will certainly add additional labor costs, as well as return postage to send you your "certified" copy back to you, and you want all of that for just $10???
I think you'd have better luck pushing Hasbro to get into a partnership with a handful of Point of Sale providers that would enable Local Game Stores the chance to say "Would you like to upgrade your purchase with full access to this book on dndbyond for a $10 upcharge?" An then could hit a button on their POS devices to print a redeem code on the receipt. This is a function modern POS systems already have, they just have to develop that business interest to have preferred brands that affiliate LGS's could use. Hasbro gets a different source of revenue. POS providers would have an additional selling point. LGS's could advertise "Physical and digital bundles are HERE!".
Anything beyond that seems unrealistic no matter how many excuses you can come up with.
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At the $10 price point, this isn't likely to happen.
Wizards are making a lot more money on the direct sales bundle than they would on the game store one, because there's two levels of middlemen taking their cut on the game store sale. That $10 we see is going to be $20-30 for them.
If they make the game store version more expensive, the game store owners will rightfully feel like WotC is undercutting them, while also requiring them to upgrade their POS systems.
And the big retailers may well get grumpy about the whole thing. (Their POS systems can presumably do it, but D&D books are a tiny percentage of their sales, so they won't want to change the sales process just for D&D.)
And, even ignoring the logistical and technical difficulties, they're not going to raise the price and include digital in every copy, because most people still only play pen-and-paper. And most of the digital people just buy digital. The people who want both are likely still a small segment of the market at this point, and there's only so much complication that's worth it for them to do.
I can see Hasbro cutting a deal to keep their LGS affiliate program competitive enough. And the LGS's that go this route do so knowing their margin is getting thinner and thinner, but that advertising point of "we can do it here" might be worth it.
As for big retailers I'm assuming you mean Amazon, and I could care less how larger companies like that feel about being bypassed in this whole debate. Steep discounts with the goal of driving smaller local game stores out of business? I'm not worried how grumpy they may be that they might be missing out.
How to: Replace DEX in your AC | Jump & Suffocation stats | Build a (Spell & class effect buff system | Wild Shape effect system) | Tool Proficiencies as Custom Skills | Spells at higher levels explained | Superior Fighting/Martial Adept Fix | Snippet Codes Explored - Subclasses | Snippet Math Theory | Homebrew Weapons Explained
Check out my: FEATS | MAGIC ITEMS | MONSTERS | SUBCLASSES Artificer Specialist: Weaveblade
Dndbeyond images not loading A PERMANENT WORKAROUND!!! (thank you Jay_Lane)
I mean Barnes and Noble and Target, who still move a lot of games for WotC.
Amazon don't have the same problem; they can just make an additional option.
I would think the larger places like B&N and Target could absorb that more than smaller companies as they already have complex B2B relationships with their POS providers, if it's not done in house. If those more competitive places want to remain competitive, they'll work something out. Price increase? Perhaps, but only until those books have sat on their shelves a few extra weeks.
How to: Replace DEX in your AC | Jump & Suffocation stats | Build a (Spell & class effect buff system | Wild Shape effect system) | Tool Proficiencies as Custom Skills | Spells at higher levels explained | Superior Fighting/Martial Adept Fix | Snippet Codes Explored - Subclasses | Snippet Math Theory | Homebrew Weapons Explained
Check out my: FEATS | MAGIC ITEMS | MONSTERS | SUBCLASSES Artificer Specialist: Weaveblade
Dndbeyond images not loading A PERMANENT WORKAROUND!!! (thank you Jay_Lane)
This was my thought. The books aren’t cheap. And I have to pay for other copies to play d&d beyond? Why not be able to scan a code or something on the physical books and be able to use them on the app? 😡
Would also require checks to make sure a person doesn't just buy one book and then let all their friends scan the code too. So that hurts resale value. And even buying fresh, it prohibits people from returning them to a bookstore. (Or increases the possibility of damaging a product simply by taking it out of a packaging to scan the code, which also discourages vendors from letting a person take a look through the product before buying it.) So there's practical issues on that end.
But there is an option now for some where you can buy both the book and digital license together.
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I also have all those books
there should be a thing where there is a code in the book but the code only works once and only works if purchased. IDK how this would work non-hypotheticly but it is worth thinking about.
Reposting the relevant section from the thread I've already attached several times to this thread:
Isn’t there a way to simply redeem a code found within the Hardcover Book?
Whilst it seems a fairly simple request, there are some complications. Here’s the main ones as to why it will be unlikely to be implemented:
#Open D&D
Have the Physical Books? Confused as to why you're not allowed to redeem them for free on D&D Beyond? Questions answered here at the Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You FAQ
Looking to add mouse-over triggered tooltips to such things like magic items, monsters or combat actions? Then dash over to the How to Add Tooltips thread.
If anyone else is reading this thread, please for the love of Bahamut, clink the link and read it before posting as I'm running low on Spell Slots - Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You FAQ
#Open D&D
Have the Physical Books? Confused as to why you're not allowed to redeem them for free on D&D Beyond? Questions answered here at the Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You FAQ
Looking to add mouse-over triggered tooltips to such things like magic items, monsters or combat actions? Then dash over to the How to Add Tooltips thread.
Ok, I will give it a read.
If college textbooks can figure this out (i.e. getting a digital copy when you buy a physical copy) I am sure a much larger company like WotC can too. This statement is a sad excuse to double charge people.
Aren't college text books hundreds of dollars?
How to: Replace DEX in your AC | Jump & Suffocation stats | Build a (Spell & class effect buff system | Wild Shape effect system) | Tool Proficiencies as Custom Skills | Spells at higher levels explained | Superior Fighting/Martial Adept Fix | Snippet Codes Explored - Subclasses | Snippet Math Theory | Homebrew Weapons Explained
Check out my: FEATS | MAGIC ITEMS | MONSTERS | SUBCLASSES Artificer Specialist: Weaveblade
Dndbeyond images not loading A PERMANENT WORKAROUND!!! (thank you Jay_Lane)
Also, textbook publishers are in fact very large companies. They have a captive market, and I'm pretty sure that, for them, adding digital features is partly to kill the textbook resale market.
Which is irrelevant; Wizards can and do sell digital plus print on new books, through their website. What they can't do is attach digital versions to already sold books. What they won't do is change things where everyone's paying for both, because most people still don't want or need both, so raising prices to do so just cuts into their sales.
I know the "packages" like Spelljammer and Planescape come plastic-wrapped, so they could just put a little slip of paper with a QR code inside the wrapping
Would you expect the book to cost $10 more if that was the case?
How to: Replace DEX in your AC | Jump & Suffocation stats | Build a (Spell & class effect buff system | Wild Shape effect system) | Tool Proficiencies as Custom Skills | Spells at higher levels explained | Superior Fighting/Martial Adept Fix | Snippet Codes Explored - Subclasses | Snippet Math Theory | Homebrew Weapons Explained
Check out my: FEATS | MAGIC ITEMS | MONSTERS | SUBCLASSES Artificer Specialist: Weaveblade
Dndbeyond images not loading A PERMANENT WORKAROUND!!! (thank you Jay_Lane)