Has WotC ever opined as to why it doesn't sell .pdf versions of its published books? So many other game publishers do this. So, I can't see it as a bad business model. It's also a great way to combat pirating. I understand that D&D Beyond is an option, but frankly I am not interested in buying a product that I don't have control over. Just curious, as I've been a fan of the .pdf for years.
The last time they allowed pdfs was 3.5, and as soon they realised this was a format you could share, they freak out. So now you buy the book, then pay online to be able to access it on dnd beyond.
on the other hand i got 5 pathfider books in pdf format, and i love them, they even wrote my name on each page.. that i call custom.
I can't speak to Paizo's business model, but I'd say Pathfinder is in a slightly different situation - the bulk of their rules are open content anyway. You can read the full text of nearly everything they put out on Archives of Nethys for example. So a PDF-centric strategy probably wouldn't impact their bottom line as much.
I'd say most TTRPG publishers with physical books also distribute PDFs. Some are very insistent that the PDF be bought in addition to the physical, but others will include the PDF if you buy direct from them or participate in Bits and Mortar. I'd say it's almost 50/50 with the skew leaning to those who provide the PDF complimentary (probably because so many games are kickstarted and so many folks have working draft PDFs of their games through that process, maybe?).
Anyway, if the PDF is distributed through Drive Thru. (very common), I believe a number of publishers actually errata their work and all folks need to do is refresh their Drive Thru account to get the updated version. So as such I never really bought the whole "D&D Beyond Allows a more living rules system/toolset" over PDF argument. It's clearly always been about control.
A publicly traded corporation like Hasbro just has a different outlook at IP management compared to other companies. Many companies see the PDFs as a way to easily circulate their games and hopefully draw in folks who are interested in buying the physical/print based premiums. Hasbro probably sees that as giving away the milk for free or whatever other logic a strictly transactional as opposed to community based customer relationship model entails.
FWIW, almost all if not all prior editions of D&D are available thru DMs Guild as PDFs. I don't know if we'll see that with 5th edition given the claimed relationship between it and One D&D.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
"Other game companies also have no problem with releasing copyrighted stuff in PDF, it is only WOTC which is still holding out against PDFs."
True. Monte Cook Games is a perfect example. The explanation given above for Paizo's Pathfinder doesn't apply. Similarly, I believe Paizo's Starfinder falls outside the 3.5 SRD.
I feel like it was difficult to incorporate the DNDB business model directly into the WotC framework.
Ideally, when you buy a physical copy you would get a code for the digital copy on DNDB and the monthly would be for access to that digital copy, a convenience fee as it were. This is similar to the Spotify Model, which has been wildly successful. Higher tiers could be reserved for VTT (once developed or bought) and voice chat, etc. (Don't tell me about free options, I'm aware). Creating a one stop shop for digital play should have been the move. Even better were if it became the "Steam" for it's brand and offered 3rd party developers access for a small cut.
However there are few ways to migrate to this without inspiring the ire of those who had purchased digital copies, unless you were to give those a credit against those copies.
If you give people reason to stay on DNDB and give players and content creators a fair shake it would crush. As it is they have bean counters who haven't a clue, and it's sad.
Many companies see the PDFs as a way to easily circulate their games and hopefully draw in folks who are interested in buying the physical/print based premiums. Hasbro probably sees that as giving away the milk for free or whatever other logic a strictly transactional as opposed to community based customer relationship model entails.
This was a critical plot that got me hooked into Monte Cook's Cypher System. I'm a regular purchaser of its .pdfs now. You can't beat 2 .pdfs for the price of one hardbound book. And like with Paizo .pdfs, I can always download updated versions. And what's more - I own the .pdfs ... not just paid access privileges until the day D&D Beyond gets discontinued.
Has WotC ever opined as to why it doesn't sell .pdf versions of its published books? So many other game publishers do this. So, I can't see it as a bad business model. It's also a great way to combat pirating. I understand that D&D Beyond is an option, but frankly I am not interested in buying a product that I don't have control over. Just curious, as I've been a fan of the .pdf for years.
It's kind o simple PDF's are easily shared and stolen.
Has WotC ever opined as to why it doesn't sell .pdf versions of its published books? So many other game publishers do this. So, I can't see it as a bad business model. It's also a great way to combat pirating. I understand that D&D Beyond is an option, but frankly I am not interested in buying a product that I don't have control over. Just curious, as I've been a fan of the .pdf for years.
It's kind o simple PDF's are easily shared and stolen.
But every other RPG company is surviving quite easily by selling PDFs.
Hasbro/WOTC are just paranoid about trying to get every single penny that they can out of the players.
Has WotC ever opined as to why it doesn't sell .pdf versions of its published books? So many other game publishers do this. So, I can't see it as a bad business model. It's also a great way to combat pirating. I understand that D&D Beyond is an option, but frankly I am not interested in buying a product that I don't have control over. Just curious, as I've been a fan of the .pdf for years.
It's kind o simple PDF's are easily shared and stolen.
It's also worth pointing out that it's not exactly hard to copy DDB stuff either.
I'd just much rather have it legally and above board. The problem is that WotC isn't meeting me half way on that point...which means they're denying themselves my money.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Wizards has been paranoid about .pdf files since at least the mid 2000s. It probably didn't help that the 4th edition PHB was pirated and distributed on the internet (in pdf form) before it was even published.
Has WotC ever opined as to why it doesn't sell .pdf versions of its published books? So many other game publishers do this. So, I can't see it as a bad business model. It's also a great way to combat pirating. I understand that D&D Beyond is an option, but frankly I am not interested in buying a product that I don't have control over. Just curious, as I've been a fan of the .pdf for years.
With D&D Beyond you aren't buying a product - you are buying access to a product.
This access can be taken away and the service discontinued. This forces you to rebuy access with a new edition.
Such re-fleecing of the sheep isn't possible, if you can simply decide to not "upgrade" and keep playing with your PDF versions of published books.
If it was possible to snap your old books out of existence......WOTC/Hasbro would.
Which is why I like game publishers that sell .pdfs. I'll never buy "access" on D&D Beyond.
Their preference is an electronic format they can update as needed PDFs don't work with that.
I can't speak to Paizo's business model, but I'd say Pathfinder is in a slightly different situation - the bulk of their rules are open content anyway. You can read the full text of nearly everything they put out on Archives of Nethys for example. So a PDF-centric strategy probably wouldn't impact their bottom line as much.
Other game companies also have no problem with releasing copyrighted stuff in PDF, it is only WOTC which is still holding out against PDFs.
They still haven't gotten the message that the best way to combat piracy is to actually make it easier to get your product legally.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
pdfs are easier to pirate than the content on DNDB.
They did get that message; DnDBeyond is easier to use and has more value than any other digital distribution method they've tried in their history.
I'd say most TTRPG publishers with physical books also distribute PDFs. Some are very insistent that the PDF be bought in addition to the physical, but others will include the PDF if you buy direct from them or participate in Bits and Mortar. I'd say it's almost 50/50 with the skew leaning to those who provide the PDF complimentary (probably because so many games are kickstarted and so many folks have working draft PDFs of their games through that process, maybe?).
Anyway, if the PDF is distributed through Drive Thru. (very common), I believe a number of publishers actually errata their work and all folks need to do is refresh their Drive Thru account to get the updated version. So as such I never really bought the whole "D&D Beyond Allows a more living rules system/toolset" over PDF argument. It's clearly always been about control.
A publicly traded corporation like Hasbro just has a different outlook at IP management compared to other companies. Many companies see the PDFs as a way to easily circulate their games and hopefully draw in folks who are interested in buying the physical/print based premiums. Hasbro probably sees that as giving away the milk for free or whatever other logic a strictly transactional as opposed to community based customer relationship model entails.
FWIW, almost all if not all prior editions of D&D are available thru DMs Guild as PDFs. I don't know if we'll see that with 5th edition given the claimed relationship between it and One D&D.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
"Other game companies also have no problem with releasing copyrighted stuff in PDF, it is only WOTC which is still holding out against PDFs."
True. Monte Cook Games is a perfect example. The explanation given above for Paizo's Pathfinder doesn't apply. Similarly, I believe Paizo's Starfinder falls outside the 3.5 SRD.
I feel like it was difficult to incorporate the DNDB business model directly into the WotC framework.
Ideally, when you buy a physical copy you would get a code for the digital copy on DNDB and the monthly would be for access to that digital copy, a convenience fee as it were. This is similar to the Spotify Model, which has been wildly successful. Higher tiers could be reserved for VTT (once developed or bought) and voice chat, etc. (Don't tell me about free options, I'm aware). Creating a one stop shop for digital play should have been the move. Even better were if it became the "Steam" for it's brand and offered 3rd party developers access for a small cut.
However there are few ways to migrate to this without inspiring the ire of those who had purchased digital copies, unless you were to give those a credit against those copies.
If you give people reason to stay on DNDB and give players and content creators a fair shake it would crush. As it is they have bean counters who haven't a clue, and it's sad.
This was a critical plot that got me hooked into Monte Cook's Cypher System. I'm a regular purchaser of its .pdfs now. You can't beat 2 .pdfs for the price of one hardbound book. And like with Paizo .pdfs, I can always download updated versions. And what's more - I own the .pdfs ... not just paid access privileges until the day D&D Beyond gets discontinued.
It's kind o simple PDF's are easily shared and stolen.
But every other RPG company is surviving quite easily by selling PDFs.
Hasbro/WOTC are just paranoid about trying to get every single penny that they can out of the players.
It's also worth pointing out that it's not exactly hard to copy DDB stuff either.
I'd just much rather have it legally and above board. The problem is that WotC isn't meeting me half way on that point...which means they're denying themselves my money.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Wizards has been paranoid about .pdf files since at least the mid 2000s. It probably didn't help that the 4th edition PHB was pirated and distributed on the internet (in pdf form) before it was even published.
For real. Imagine how much it would suck if they extended the dndb model to something like video games! It will never work long term.
Seriously though. This same discussion has been had before with digital distribution of video games. It's a good model.