Are they adding PHB3 material early in order to stave off one-month subscriptions? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Are they adding PHB3 material early in order to stave off one-month subscriptions?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
_radagast__dup
May 20, 2009 16:23:25 For some reason I think there is a strategy behind this. It's not something that WotC though - Hey! Let's give it to them for free because we're nice!

I think when PHB2 released, they noticed a huge surge of one-month subscriptions for people downloading the Character Builder, getting all the PHB2 updates, and then canceling.

I believe they are releasing the PHB3 material early and in final form in order to entice all those one-month subscribers to re-consider the same course of action when PHB3 comes out. After all, instead of re-upping for month when it releases next year, they can do a 3, 6, or year subscription and get parts of the PHB3 early.

What do you think?
#2
unhappy_dup
May 20, 2009 16:43:38 I believe that you may be right, but the conclusion is wrong. People subscribing for just one month do not want stuff as early as possible, they just want to save money.

15$ twice a year is still less than 60$ per year. You won't get those people to subscribe, because they did not give a buck for any other content they could have gotten earlier (Dungeon&Dragon).

So, either there's something else behind this, or it would be another bad business decision.
#3
Grazel
May 20, 2009 16:55:11 I suspect it has more to do with trying to mollify the people upset that the introduction price is finally going away and they've only been able to put out two full tools (CB and Compendium). This gives the subscribers something more than they're currently getting to offset the cost increase while they work on more tools. By the time PH3 comes out we should have at least one more tool available.

I think it's also being done to try to say "this is what you can get if you subscribe: have some new content now rather than waiting months for it." After all the whole exclusive content message doesn't seem to be working that well since people still have this mindset of anything in Dragon/Dungeon isn't core and therefore useless.
#4
KM.549
May 20, 2009 18:45:34 I'd just wait until all the PH3 info is up, subscribe for a month, get it all. Still cheaper.
#5
unhappy_dup
May 21, 2009 3:30:08
After all the whole exclusive content message doesn't seem to be working that well since people still have this mindset of anything in Dragon/Dungeon isn't core and therefore useless.

And you're still well advised to ban Dragon Content, or the AV, or some other "splat books" from your home-campaign, and only allow it via DM decision. There is some stuff in it, that just is stronger than anything else released in other books.

As for the exclusive content: Yes, it does not sell them the mags that well. Not because people do not like exclusive content, they just doubt they're getting enough of it. Only around 20-30 pages of Dragon are useful to a player each month. Not enough to justify paying full price for both mags.
#6
kouk
May 21, 2009 5:24:20
And you're still well advised to ban Dragon Content, or the AV, or some other "splat books" from your home-campaign, and only allow it via DM decision. There is some stuff in it, that just is stronger than anything else released in other books.

I've actually been finding that book material is significantly more unbalanced than most Dragon material *Cough Martial Power Cough*
#7
lightinfo
May 21, 2009 10:47:37 I actually think I banned more feats from AP than MP. Of course I suppose banning two entire class features (Fighters!) counts for a significant number of feats (technically we didn't ban beats with banned prereqs... seemed redundant ;)).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 _radagast__dup May 20, 2009 16:23:25	For some reason I think there is a strategy behind this. It's not something that WotC though - Hey! Let's give it to them for free because we're nice! I think when PHB2 released, they noticed a huge surge of one-month subscriptions for people downloading the Character Builder, getting all the PHB2 updates, and then canceling. I believe they are releasing the PHB3 material early and in final form in order to entice all those one-month subscribers to re-consider the same course of action when PHB3 comes out. After all, instead of re-upping for month when it releases next year, they can do a 3, 6, or year subscription and get parts of the PHB3 early. What do you think?
#2 unhappy_dup May 20, 2009 16:43:38	I believe that you may be right, but the conclusion is wrong. People subscribing for just one month do not want stuff as early as possible, they just want to save money. 15$ twice a year is still less than 60$ per year. You won't get those people to subscribe, because they did not give a buck for any other content they could have gotten earlier (Dungeon&Dragon). So, either there's something else behind this, or it would be another bad business decision.
#3 Grazel May 20, 2009 16:55:11	I suspect it has more to do with trying to mollify the people upset that the introduction price is finally going away and they've only been able to put out two full tools (CB and Compendium). This gives the subscribers something more than they're currently getting to offset the cost increase while they work on more tools. By the time PH3 comes out we should have at least one more tool available. I think it's also being done to try to say "this is what you can get if you subscribe: have some new content now rather than waiting months for it." After all the whole exclusive content message doesn't seem to be working that well since people still have this mindset of anything in Dragon/Dungeon isn't core and therefore useless.
#4 KM.549 May 20, 2009 18:45:34	I'd just wait until all the PH3 info is up, subscribe for a month, get it all. Still cheaper.
#5 unhappy_dup May 21, 2009 3:30:08	After all the whole exclusive content message doesn't seem to be working that well since people still have this mindset of anything in Dragon/Dungeon isn't core and therefore useless. And you're still well advised to ban Dragon Content, or the AV, or some other "splat books" from your home-campaign, and only allow it via DM decision. There is some stuff in it, that just is stronger than anything else released in other books. As for the exclusive content: Yes, it does not sell them the mags that well. Not because people do not like exclusive content, they just doubt they're getting enough of it. Only around 20-30 pages of Dragon are useful to a player each month. Not enough to justify paying full price for both mags.
#6 kouk May 21, 2009 5:24:20	And you're still well advised to ban Dragon Content, or the AV, or some other "splat books" from your home-campaign, and only allow it via DM decision. There is some stuff in it, that just is stronger than anything else released in other books. I've actually been finding that book material is significantly more unbalanced than most Dragon material Cough Martial Power Cough
#7 lightinfo May 21, 2009 10:47:37	I actually think I banned more feats from AP than MP. Of course I suppose banning two entire class features (Fighters!) counts for a significant number of feats (technically we didn't ban beats with banned prereqs... seemed redundant ;)).