Quote from: elfandghost;751621It has just been announced that 15% of the Players Handbook will be online, free. This will be a PDF covering basic character generation.

Stupid question: will it also be in the player's handbook?

Quote from: estar;751605Is that sounds logical but is that a good strategy overall? Now that we are in our second decade of companies following the "splat book" model where has it got them?

It seems that the only way to sustain a splatbook method of publishing is to reset the line every three to five years and start it over.

It also seems that every time this is done it fractures their fanbase.

Sure if you do nothing your overall sales will continue to decline so you have to somehow appeal to a new generation.

What if there is a different way? Instead of focusing on selling to the players. You focus on the experience i.e. the adventures, campaigns, and setting.

There can still be player oriented products that support what currently being focused on. The focus on crafting a package of products that support an interesting experience. A campaign in a city in a volcano caldera, a campaign about carving your realm out of the wilderness, and so on.

Fans your game can jump in and out whenever they like. In addition what they mastered about the game will still apply as the same "edition" is still being used.

The trick is that you have to craft an "interesting" experience that people want to play. It like trying to write a good book, or make a great film. There are things you can do improve the odds but it all still boils down to correctly guessing your audience's tastes.

It seems to me that if you want to publish for the long term the above "Paizo" model will work better than the White Wolf/Wizard model of new editions + splatbooks.

This is a really interesting point, and is related to something that rarely gets mentioned. Paizo is often touted as "doing it right" in these discussions (I've done it myself in the last couple days with respect to the Starter Set), but what doesn't get considered is what it costs Paizo to do so. Sure, the Pathfinder Adventure Paths are profitable, and have other ancillary benefits (network effects, shared stories, driving purchases of other materials) for the Pathfinder game, but we don't know what they spend to do that. Put another way, they could be bringing in $10 million, but spending $9.95 million to do so. I can't imagine WotC/Hasbro ever deciding that that's a business they're interested in. So it's not simply about "well, WotC wants to make money like any other business", or even that Hasbro wants D&D to be a $50 million brand, but that Hasbro wants margins that are impossible to maintain in the RPG business, no matter the revenue.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;751624Stupid question: will it also be in the player's handbook?

Well, if the 15% is taken from the Player's Handbook, then I'd say there's a pretty good chance that what they reproduce from the Handbook will be in the Handbook.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;751624Stupid question: will it also be in the player's handbook?

So will the PHB contain 100% or only 85% of itself?

:rotfl:

Didn't Pundit specifically say that an online chargen pdf and/or chargen website was not what he was talking about?

Quote from: Exploderwizard;751628So will the PHB contain 100% or only 85% of itself?

:rotfl:

If it's 85% we'd create a paradox where the 15% from the PHB wasn't in the PHB, and therefore couldn't be taken from there. Thus, the universe would implode.

Quote from: CRKrueger;751629Didn't Pundit specifically say that an online chargen pdf and/or chargen website was not what he was talking about?

You know, all this coy double talk is probably driving an awful lot of traffic on this site...

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;751624Stupid question: will it also be in the player's handbook?

Sounds like 15% of the book. So not extra, and therefore in the book.

Quote from: Bobloblah;751632You know, all this coy double talk is probably driving an awful lot of traffic on this site...

Heh look at the aggregator on Enworld, every single game except 5e and d20 Modern is down from last check, 5e is up and almost a third of total measured traffic.

Quote from: estar;751605It seems that the only way to sustain a splatbook method of publishing is to reset the line every three to five years and start it over.

Or do what Margaret Weis Productions have done.

Quote from: CRKrueger;751629Didn't Pundit specifically say that an online chargen pdf and/or chargen website was not what he was talking about?

Yeah, i think so.

With news that the DMG will have sidebars with advice on how to convert previous editions to this one, i'm wondering whether part of the roll-out is to make all the pdfs at Drivethru free.

They've driven revenue for the last 2 years, so once next comes out they can reign that revenue stream in - all at once you've got an online library of material and notes on how to convert it.

I might be blowing smoke, but that also pretty much removes any criticism over a lack of an OGL or similar license.

they lost another old-timer (as in moldvay basic era).  i would've tossed down $20 for a look at the starter--but no chargen inside is a dealbreaker.  

sure, i'll check out the free online stuff when they post it.  but WotC won't get any of my chump change, either :idunno:

Saw this a moment ago at ENWorld:

Quote from: GX.SigmaTwitter update: This PDF is "part of" what Mike and Pundit were talking about (and the "key part" as far as the starter set is concerned).


Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?355344-BoardGameGeek-at-a-5e-Seminar/page3#ixzz32TBBsNP3

A PDF? That's the magical middle step between the starter set and the $100 you have to spend to fully dive in?

Quote from: beeber;751639they lost another old-timer (as in moldvay basic era).  i would've tossed down $20 for a look at the starter--but no chargen inside is a dealbreaker.  

sure, i'll check out the free online stuff when they post it.  but WotC won't get any of my chump change, either :idunno:

So you would have paid $20 for the basic character creation rules?