Both of these books are now on Drivethru as PDFs - you can grab them both at;
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=45
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=45
760 Patrons II and Cybernetics now on Drivethru
- Thread starter MongooseMatt
- Start date
Oh I don't know. I'm just going to assume you think the price is too high and respond accordingly.
With the proliferation and coming explosion of tablet devices, I think PDFs for game books especially will become dominant. There are currently two iPads available at my game table and they pretty much make printed books obsolete. I have my version of Runequest 2 all bookmarked for easy access to key portions. I would routinely find stuff while the GM was still looking through his deadtree edition.
I just bought both the new releases (and Robots) in PDF simply because a PDF is now just as accessible as print.
With the proliferation and coming explosion of tablet devices, I think PDFs for game books especially will become dominant. There are currently two iPads available at my game table and they pretty much make printed books obsolete. I have my version of Runequest 2 all bookmarked for easy access to key portions. I would routinely find stuff while the GM was still looking through his deadtree edition.
I just bought both the new releases (and Robots) in PDF simply because a PDF is now just as accessible as print.
Yes, I do think the price is too high. Pricing isn't about "access", it is about costs and a "fair" profit margin. Sure, the same amount of effort goes into a PDF that goes into what is printed, but there is then a HUGE difference between printing costs, shipping costs, distribution costs, etc... in a print book versus the PDF, and THOSE costs are how the final print price is justified. Those same factors do not apply to or in any way justify a similar price point for a PDF.
I realize that Mongoose still has to pay Drivethru their share for providing the servers and the actual "store front" services, but they still didn't have to pay printing costs, shipping costs, pay distributors their share, retailers their share, etc...
So yes, a 40% discount is still not a "fair" price, IMO. So like I said, I am exercising my consumer rights NOT to buy unless I either become in dire need of the book in question to where I am willing to pay the price, or Mongoose decides to lower their prices a little more.
I don't know if Matt remembers my posts on this issue before or not, but if he does he knows that my "line" on PDF's is drawn at 50% of the retail price of print.
Mongoose has already dropped their PDF prices once, so I am hopeful that one day I will see them dip below 50%. If its a sale I just hope I have the monetary resources at the time to take advantage of it.
I realize that Mongoose still has to pay Drivethru their share for providing the servers and the actual "store front" services, but they still didn't have to pay printing costs, shipping costs, pay distributors their share, retailers their share, etc...
So yes, a 40% discount is still not a "fair" price, IMO. So like I said, I am exercising my consumer rights NOT to buy unless I either become in dire need of the book in question to where I am willing to pay the price, or Mongoose decides to lower their prices a little more.
I don't know if Matt remembers my posts on this issue before or not, but if he does he knows that my "line" on PDF's is drawn at 50% of the retail price of print.
Mongoose has already dropped their PDF prices once, so I am hopeful that one day I will see them dip below 50%. If its a sale I just hope I have the monetary resources at the time to take advantage of it.
I put a value the information contained within a book, whether it's on paper or electronic. If I believe that I'm getting my money's worth from that information I'm happy. What factors go into the sale price are neither here nor there - if I'm still getting sufficient value from it, I'm happy.
In fact, I'd be happy to see the RPG industry make a bigger profit margin - these guys aren't in it for the money, and if they can at least make a living it makes it more likely they'll keep making the stuff I love reading. We're not talking mass market, Times 100 bestseller type publications here…
In fact, I'd be happy to see the RPG industry make a bigger profit margin - these guys aren't in it for the money, and if they can at least make a living it makes it more likely they'll keep making the stuff I love reading. We're not talking mass market, Times 100 bestseller type publications here…
I own CT in PDF (the CDROM) and printed (umm... the printed books).
for me the value is different planning and evil GM activity requires, and demands printed. Running a game requires pdf and full test search. I know the book not the page.
PDF is great for the Library data side cut and paste to a text file and serve over local wifi. Investigation takes time in my campaign whether by player or agent, and gives me plenty of time to pop a file on HTTP in the player folder if necessary (each as a password). The pdfs are invaluable for this.
Library Data is a metaphor we can deliver really well these days.
for me the value is different planning and evil GM activity requires, and demands printed. Running a game requires pdf and full test search. I know the book not the page.
PDF is great for the Library data side cut and paste to a text file and serve over local wifi. Investigation takes time in my campaign whether by player or agent, and gives me plenty of time to pop a file on HTTP in the player folder if necessary (each as a password). The pdfs are invaluable for this.
Library Data is a metaphor we can deliver really well these days.
PDF books are the state of the art. When I go to game cons, almost every table has 2/3 of the players with some type of laptop, rather than carry a suitcase of books that are very heavy. I, grudgingly, made the jump before christmas, and bought an inexpensive ASUS netbook to use at Cons.
Typically, players will still want books though, at home. Usually this is a Core rulebook or other important reference book that gets used a lot.
Paizo's publishing model is very well suited to this. If you subscribe to a line of books for their Pathfinder RPG (say, Core rulebooks, or supplement books, or adventure books, etc), the company gets a direct sale of the book (at retail price, rather than at a lower price through a distributer), and gives you a PDF of the book for free. They are also VERY good about keeping the books erratta'd and updated, so the new changes are incorporated into the book, not just a 2 page file with the listed changes.
If you don't subscribe to the books, you can buy the pdf without getting the physical product, it is watermarked for security, and is sold at a discount compared to the printed book price. They also track which ones you have bought, so you can re-download the pdf at any time. Lose your hard drive? no prob.
I enjoy the printed books, and I enjoy the PDFs. both serve me well, depending on whether I am hosting a game, or travelling to a game, or at home rolling up a character or writing my own adventure scenario.
For the publishier, the hard question is whether or not to fufill both those desires of the customers, and how to implement it if they choose to do so.
Typically, players will still want books though, at home. Usually this is a Core rulebook or other important reference book that gets used a lot.
Paizo's publishing model is very well suited to this. If you subscribe to a line of books for their Pathfinder RPG (say, Core rulebooks, or supplement books, or adventure books, etc), the company gets a direct sale of the book (at retail price, rather than at a lower price through a distributer), and gives you a PDF of the book for free. They are also VERY good about keeping the books erratta'd and updated, so the new changes are incorporated into the book, not just a 2 page file with the listed changes.
If you don't subscribe to the books, you can buy the pdf without getting the physical product, it is watermarked for security, and is sold at a discount compared to the printed book price. They also track which ones you have bought, so you can re-download the pdf at any time. Lose your hard drive? no prob.
I enjoy the printed books, and I enjoy the PDFs. both serve me well, depending on whether I am hosting a game, or travelling to a game, or at home rolling up a character or writing my own adventure scenario.
For the publishier, the hard question is whether or not to fufill both those desires of the customers, and how to implement it if they choose to do so.
