I like books, just in general. Physical books. If I had more room in my house and more shelf space, I would still be mostly on physical books rather than ebooks. I especially don't like how the e-version (for anything, not just D&D) can be taken away by the database owner at any time, and you have no recourse. That's why I always get physical copies of anything I truly want to keep, including comic books, novels, DVDs/Blu-Rays, etc. 

(Of course with blu-ray or DVD, there is always the chance that the machines reading the format might go away and then I won't be able to watch them... but with something like a book, that can't happen.)

PDF downloads are in many ways even more immortal than a dead-tree book.  The dead-tree book doesn't die if a machine loses power, no - but the dead-tree copy exists in only one place and one time, and if damaged or destroyed it cannot be restored.  A PDF download can exist in an unlimited number of redundant backup locations.  Keep a few well-stuffed flash drives in a few different places and your digital editions will live as long or longer than your dead-tree books.  Nor can anyone take away your PDF downloads without physically invading your home and stealing your storage media.

Physical books are awesome collectibles.  increasingly, as time marches on?  They are not useful game tools.

Yes PDFs that are not tied to a service are about as good as a hard copy, assuming PDF readers remain available, which they should for at least the rest of my lifetime (and after that, I don't really care!).

I'll say this much: if they included digital codes with physical books, I'd buy a lot more D&D books and sell the codes on Ebay. I imagine a lot of people would do the same—or the opposite!

Which is one reason why Wizards has avoided doing so, and also a reason why DDB does not offer PDF downloads of one's purchased content.  Both companies are doing what they can to crack down on bootlegging, and we the consumers get to suffer for it.

I've bought lots of comics with digital codes. I've never sold any of them on eBay. For comics, I seal up the comic in a bag and board and then I don't have to subject it to my grubby fingers if I want to read it.

Of course most comics are not worth that type of protection these days. And the ones that are, were way too old for digital.

I'm just making the presumption that the OP will demand that dice and character sheets should also be online only. Well, you can just try to pry the little shaped bits of plastic and metal from my cold undead hands!

Though seriously, I use DDB almost exclusively during play. However, not everybody has internet all the time or at all. I'm guessing that most school groups use P&P - not every kid has a digital device.

Quote from GregCa >>

Quote from Mythos_ZyZyX >>

It is much easier to look up something on a digital pdf then it is to flip through a book. E

 Not on this website :-)

 

 not in my experiences...
I often beat the PDF/digital search to the info with my well tabbed physical books.

Quote from Wysperra >>

I'm just making the presumption that the OP will demand that dice and character sheets should also be online only. Well, you can just try to pry the little shaped bits of plastic and metal from my cold undead hands! 

Darn straight!

I like the convenience of digital products, but I still want my hard covers.  If I had to pick only one, it would be my hard cover.

Possibly 5e will endure more years. 6e will be fully a virtual reality. Thus completely digital.

From a production and marketing standpoint it might make sense for them to do so.  Not needing to produce physical books for a dwindling market could save a ton of money.  

Another thing about going fully digital is they can release small updates far more frequently.  Little things related to balancing tweaks or other changes could be easily applied to the digital version where as you put it in a physical book, that’s the end of that.  Can’t change it without a lot of confusion. 

From a production and marketing standpoint it might make sense for them to do so.  Not needing to produce physical books for a dwindling market could save a ton of money.  

It's probably wiser to go POD for those who want physical books. It's a win/win... they don't have to produce thousands of physical copies nobody buys, but they can make the money from the printing for those who want it.

I have done 3 PODs from DriveThruPRG so far -- one softcover and two hardcovers. I have not even sprung for the "ultra HQ version" just the standard printing. I have been very impressed with the print quality. I suspect unless one knew better or had an original in mint condition, one would be hard pressed to tell them from the originals.

And this is for older books via PDFs, not intended-for-POD documents. If they built from the ground up assuming POD, the quality would probably be indistinguishable from a full print run.

Quote from BioWizard >>

From a production and marketing standpoint it might make sense for them to do so.  Not needing to produce physical books for a dwindling market could save a ton of money.  

It's probably wiser to go POD for those who want physical books. It's a win/win... they don't have to produce thousands of physical copies nobody buys, but they can make the money from the printing for those who want it.

I have done 3 PODs from DriveThruPRG so far -- one softcover and two hardcovers. I have not even sprung for the "ultra HQ version" just the standard printing. I have been very impressed with the print quality. I suspect unless one knew better or had an original in mint condition, one would be hard pressed to tell them from the originals.

And this is for older books via PDFs, not intended-for-POD documents. If they built from the ground up assuming POD, the quality would probably be indistinguishable from a full print run.

 yes, I've done this once as well...the Border Kingdoms book for forgotten realms.  I would totally do that moving forward.  For adventures, I tend to get the digital version.  For rule books, I like to have both.

Did you find the POD quality good? As I say, I have been quite pleasantly surprised by it.

Oh yes, the quality of the book I got was every bit as good as anything from WotC.  Other than the cover style, which is /similar/ to an official product, looking at the inside, I'd never know the difference.

Quote from Gvarayi >>

Possibly 5e will endure more years. 6e will be fully a virtual reality. Thus completely digital.

Then it wouldn't be D&D, just D&D branded virtual reality.  If it's not a dice based conflict resolution mechanic, say some manipulation of a VR rig, it's not really D&D.  There have been multiple generations of immersive digital games from text based MUDs to heck Baldur's Gate 3 that just aren't D&D.  Some VR set up would actually limit the creativity allowed by the theater of the mind unless every player was also a brilliant VR renderer.  Sure some D&D players will enjoy a VR experience based on D&D properties, but it's not what the game Dungeons and Dragons has been for close to 50 years.  Madden or NBA 20whatever on the latest gen consoles hasn't stopped people from playing football either.    

As for the larger idea in this thread of a hypothetical 6E going completely digital, no.  I don't see that as anything Hasbro's thinking of for the near future.  Moreover, anyone who has had contact with an under resourced school district or community that exists closer to the poverty line than not, who has seen kids in unfortunate circumstance get by because they can get together with their imaginations and some paper and dice would find the presumption that D&D 6e should go all digital incredibly classist. There are still digital divides in this world, in some places embarrassingly moreso than others, and to predicate keeping up with the hobby upon access to the privilege of reliable technological infrastructure just smells wrong.  D&D should be able to played as it is now, with a book or an abbreviated box paper and dice.  Yes, of course there is room, and profit, to be made in the market for "enhanced" games from D&D Beyond Toolsets, Virtual table tops in one direction, and Beetle and Grimm platinum editions on the more tangible level, but at its core basics, D&D is an incredible, and incredibly affordable, way to maintain or open the life of the mind in young people at a pretty low budget.

In addition to what MP has just said, I submit that if D&D 6e went full digital, it would not make everyone convert to digital. It would make people who prefer PnP either stay with the old edition, or switch to another game.

There are a LOT of cool and interesting PnP RPGs out there, and many of them would love to get their hands on the D&D audience by offering their product in a medium Hasbro has abandoned.

Having a group of people on their phones + tablets with bright lights...vibrating ..checking email...texting and looking at youtube videos while you are trying to play a serious game is exhausting. It's pretty much like talking to majority of people nowadays and all they do is look at their phones lol.

I am so glad I have not had to face that particular issue.