A new business model for D&DI - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

A new business model for D&DI

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Haldrik
Nov 03, 2010 13:21:52 Consider a new business model for D&DI:

Customers must *purchase* the pdf of a product to unlock its D&DI content in the Online Compendium and Character Builder.

The magazines, Dragon and Dungeon, already do something like this. You gain online access to their content via the D&DI OC and CB at the same time as the purchase of their pdfs. The difference would be, you would only unlock access to OC and CB for the magazine pdfs that you purchased.

Thus digital books (pdfs) become a normal option for D&D customers.

D&DI subscribers without internet access at least have the pdfs if they need to reference something.

This way, the piracy of these pdfs becomes 'free advertising' for D&DI services and purchases. Thus the piracy actually increases WotC revenue.

Advantages
• People who come across a pdf that they like will tend to pay for their own copy in order to include its content in their Character Builder and other tools.
• Customers who primarily want access to the OC and CB tools, get the pdf for free as an added value.
• Likewise, customers who primarily want the digital book, get the online tools as an added value.
• By normalizing the existence of pdfs, errata becomes painless. Just update the latest digital version of the product that you purchased.
• The D&DI Character Builder should probably automatically come with the Heroes of the Fallen Lands pdf and content as the 'baseline', likewise automatically, the Online Compendium should additionally include the Essentials Rules Compendium pdf and content. All other products unlock separately as a one-time purchase.
• Also, people who come across a pdf that they like will also tend to buy a hardcopy version. The new paperback formats make such impulse buys likelier.

(This idea comes from Failedlegend who posted it in another thread. It seems like an excellent idea. I want to make sure the idea gets attention, and I invite others to help refine the idea.)
#2
frothsof
Nov 03, 2010 13:31:19 i think its a horrible idea. i think they already had like 40k subscirbers at 70 a year, i dont think they deserve any more money, i really dont. ive spent hundreds and hundreds on dnd this year, and i dont think buying a pdf that i wont even read (i dont like reading books on the cpu) is a good purchase
#3
Haldrik
Nov 03, 2010 13:37:35 I dont think it costs more money, since you only pay for the D&DI content that you actually use.

Players who want easy access to all the content of all the books can pay more, especially Character Optimizers. But players who are happy with simpler or more specialized options can pay less.

If WotC wanted, they could give the pdf for the Heroes of the Fallen Lands and the D&DI tools with this content for free. Then charge money to unlock other books and magazines. If so, the entry cost into the D&D game would be FREE. Very good for casual players. Those who enjoy the game and want more options can pay for more.
#4
frothsof
Nov 03, 2010 13:44:44 i dont know, its just seems to me they are getting plenty of money from us. if your idea made it cheaper id be for it, if it raised the amount of money im already pouring into their pockets id be against it
#5
Haldrik
Nov 03, 2010 16:18:19 Cool.

It may make sense to offer the mini-books in the Red Box as free pdfs, and use this as the baseline content for free D&DI access. That would be bare minimum.

Still, offering Heroes of the Fallen Lands as the free baseline, is probably better in the long run because the higher levels allows a D&D 'culture' to emerge where there was none. Players can readily pay for the Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms pdf and online content, as well as the future addons like Heroes of Shadow and the Players Compendiums. It would even be possible to purchase the pdfs and online content for the pre-Essentials books with their most recent errata.
#6
Haldrik
Nov 04, 2010 14:09:35 Providing FREE 'baseline' content is fiscally wise.

First, *most* players wont have that much disposable income. They simply lack the ability to pay that amount of money in the first place. You cant get blood out of a stone. So WotC will never see that hypothetical revenue anyway.

Second, these poorer players who cant pay are more valuable than the richer players who can. The poor are the vast majority. WotC makes much more money receiving $20 from ten poor people than receiving $70 from one rich person.

Third, the poor define culture. The poor decide what is cool and what sucks. If WotC wants D&D to become a runaway success, then it MUST make it friendly and accessable to the poor. D&D must become a subculture - and this cant happen unless the poor are the majority of its members.

Fourth, D&D must have easy, convenient and INEXPENSIVE entry points to draw in the curious. These potential customers must be able to enjoy a rich D&D experience without any investment. Not only does free access draw in the poor, but it also draws in the casual players who are richer.

Fifth, the devoted rich who collect suppliments and who help supply the revenues to WotC for specialized products - even these - their numbers cant expand rapidly unless the subculture of the poor causes new rich to become curious. Compare the success of rap music and related genres.

In the past, D&D has primarily been a game of the elite - highly educated and rich. Its like a literary equivalent of polo. But if WotC wants D&D to become the literary equivalent of football, then it must have entry points that are virtually FREE. If only one person owns a football, then the entire neighborhood can play for FREE.

WotC canl increase their revenue EXPONENTIALLY - when poorer gamers can access D&DI - when the D&D game becomes a phenom.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Haldrik Nov 03, 2010 13:21:52	Consider a new business model for D&DI: Customers must purchase the pdf of a product to unlock its D&DI content in the Online Compendium and Character Builder. The magazines, Dragon and Dungeon, already do something like this. You gain online access to their content via the D&DI OC and CB at the same time as the purchase of their pdfs. The difference would be, you would only unlock access to OC and CB for the magazine pdfs that you purchased. Thus digital books (pdfs) become a normal option for D&D customers. D&DI subscribers without internet access at least have the pdfs if they need to reference something. This way, the piracy of these pdfs becomes 'free advertising' for D&DI services and purchases. Thus the piracy actually increases WotC revenue. Advantages • People who come across a pdf that they like will tend to pay for their own copy in order to include its content in their Character Builder and other tools. • Customers who primarily want access to the OC and CB tools, get the pdf for free as an added value. • Likewise, customers who primarily want the digital book, get the online tools as an added value. • By normalizing the existence of pdfs, errata becomes painless. Just update the latest digital version of the product that you purchased. • The D&DI Character Builder should probably automatically come with the Heroes of the Fallen Lands pdf and content as the 'baseline', likewise automatically, the Online Compendium should additionally include the Essentials Rules Compendium pdf and content. All other products unlock separately as a one-time purchase. • Also, people who come across a pdf that they like will also tend to buy a hardcopy version. The new paperback formats make such impulse buys likelier. (This idea comes from Failedlegend who posted it in another thread. It seems like an excellent idea. I want to make sure the idea gets attention, and I invite others to help refine the idea.)
#2 frothsof Nov 03, 2010 13:31:19	i think its a horrible idea. i think they already had like 40k subscirbers at 70 a year, i dont think they deserve any more money, i really dont. ive spent hundreds and hundreds on dnd this year, and i dont think buying a pdf that i wont even read (i dont like reading books on the cpu) is a good purchase
#3 Haldrik Nov 03, 2010 13:37:35	I dont think it costs more money, since you only pay for the D&DI content that you actually use. Players who want easy access to all the content of all the books can pay more, especially Character Optimizers. But players who are happy with simpler or more specialized options can pay less. If WotC wanted, they could give the pdf for the Heroes of the Fallen Lands and the D&DI tools with this content for free. Then charge money to unlock other books and magazines. If so, the entry cost into the D&D game would be FREE. Very good for casual players. Those who enjoy the game and want more options can pay for more.
#4 frothsof Nov 03, 2010 13:44:44	i dont know, its just seems to me they are getting plenty of money from us. if your idea made it cheaper id be for it, if it raised the amount of money im already pouring into their pockets id be against it
#5 Haldrik Nov 03, 2010 16:18:19	Cool. It may make sense to offer the mini-books in the Red Box as free pdfs, and use this as the baseline content for free D&DI access. That would be bare minimum. Still, offering Heroes of the Fallen Lands as the free baseline, is probably better in the long run because the higher levels allows a D&D 'culture' to emerge where there was none. Players can readily pay for the Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms pdf and online content, as well as the future addons like Heroes of Shadow and the Players Compendiums. It would even be possible to purchase the pdfs and online content for the pre-Essentials books with their most recent errata.
#6 Haldrik Nov 04, 2010 14:09:35	Providing FREE 'baseline' content is fiscally wise. First, most players wont have that much disposable income. They simply lack the ability to pay that amount of money in the first place. You cant get blood out of a stone. So WotC will never see that hypothetical revenue anyway. Second, these poorer players who cant pay are more valuable than the richer players who can. The poor are the vast majority. WotC makes much more money receiving $20 from ten poor people than receiving $70 from one rich person. Third, the poor define culture. The poor decide what is cool and what sucks. If WotC wants D&D to become a runaway success, then it MUST make it friendly and accessable to the poor. D&D must become a subculture - and this cant happen unless the poor are the majority of its members. Fourth, D&D must have easy, convenient and INEXPENSIVE entry points to draw in the curious. These potential customers must be able to enjoy a rich D&D experience without any investment. Not only does free access draw in the poor, but it also draws in the casual players who are richer. Fifth, the devoted rich who collect suppliments and who help supply the revenues to WotC for specialized products - even these - their numbers cant expand rapidly unless the subculture of the poor causes new rich to become curious. Compare the success of rap music and related genres. In the past, D&D has primarily been a game of the elite - highly educated and rich. Its like a literary equivalent of polo. But if WotC wants D&D to become the literary equivalent of football, then it must have entry points that are virtually FREE. If only one person owns a football, then the entire neighborhood can play for FREE. WotC canl increase their revenue EXPONENTIALLY - when poorer gamers can access D&DI - when the D&D game becomes a phenom.