 SR4 and PDF's |
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 Apr 7 2005, 06:39 PM
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#1
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Chicago Survivor  Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 5,079 Joined: 28-January 04 From: Canton, GA Member No.: 6,033  |
Been wondering this for a bit, but will the new version come out of the gate with dual release of PDF and hard-copy?
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Apr 7 2005, 06:43 PM
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#2
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
I definitely hope that is the case.
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Apr 7 2005, 06:53 PM
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#3
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 468 Joined: 17-March 05 Member No.: 7,185 |
Just based on how easy it is to get pdfs from a variety of sources (even assuming that you'd have to have a new release use DRM) I kinda doubt that they would be offered simultaneously. In the instances where I've seen this commonly discussed the idea of having PDFs available (even if you make higher margins on them) tend to piss off distributors and especially FLGS owners. If FLGS owners feel like gaming companies aren't supporting them (and let's be serious an online sale is often viewed as one taken away from the FLGS market in general tru or not) they are unlikely to stock as many copies of the book. So while serious gamers might get thier PDF needs met early on it ultimate seems to result in fewer sales down the road for the system.
Not that I like that PDFs generally have to wait but those seem to be the facts for companies dependent on book sales. |
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Apr 7 2005, 08:27 PM
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#4
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
Well, due to my current circumstances, a pdf version is probably the only way I'll be able to buy SR4, so it does make a difference to me.
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Apr 7 2005, 08:30 PM
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#5
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 468 Joined: 17-March 05 Member No.: 7,185 |
Totally understandable but I'm not sure you are going to luck out on this one. Granted we could be totally surprised but in general the reasons I listed seem to dominate publisher's concerns. |
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Apr 7 2005, 08:23 PM
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#6
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
More and more mid-sized publishers seem to be throwing away those concerns and at least experimenting with releasing PDF products at the same time the product is released in print, or sometimes before. Green Ronin is one of these companies, and GoO has started releasing PDFs before the street date for the printed book, as well.
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Apr 7 2005, 08:23 PM
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#7
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Chicago Survivor Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 5,079 Joined: 28-January 04 From: Canton, GA Member No.: 6,033 |
Thing is, I'd end up buying both because of venues like this forum. I love shadowrun. If I could convince my local gamers to do likewise, this would be the only game we play.
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Apr 7 2005, 08:39 PM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 468 Joined: 17-March 05 Member No.: 7,185 |
That's a good change although has it been limited to secondary titles or has it been extended to core rulebooks as well? I guess I should check to see if Blue Rose is going to come out on PDf simultaneously or not ;) |
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Apr 7 2005, 08:41 PM
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#9
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 138 Joined: 1-September 02 From: France Member No.: 3,208 |
And FanPro ? |
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Apr 7 2005, 08:43 PM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 468 Joined: 17-March 05 Member No.: 7,185 |
I think that might depend on the nature of thier distribution contract with Fast Foward Entertainment. I wouldn't be surprised to here there is a do not compete clause in the contract. If there is even if they wanted to go that route they might not be able to contractually. |
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Apr 7 2005, 08:45 PM
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#11
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
Blue Rose came out in PDF weeks before it was available in print. |
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Apr 7 2005, 08:48 PM
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#12
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 468 Joined: 17-March 05 Member No.: 7,185 |
You know there are definitely multiple reasons why I need to pay more attention to RPG.net rather than perusing my FLGS. You ask most game store employees "Hey when is Blue Rose coming out?" and they'll look quizzically at you (ala the RCA dog) and ask you if that's a new expansion for some CCG. Anyway I generally prefer nice hard copies so will pick it up when I see it but overall this is a positive sign if only from the perspective that RPG publishers would likely get a higher return off of PDF than hardcopy. |
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Apr 7 2005, 08:49 PM
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#13
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
As I mentioned a few weeks back, this hasn't been finalized yet. Vuron: Fast Forward doesn't handle anything for FanPro anymore; Studio 2 Publishing handles the sales end of things. |
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Apr 7 2005, 09:27 PM
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#14
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 468 Joined: 17-March 05 Member No.: 7,185 |
That's interesting are they a game publisher or are they exclusively a distributor? |
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Apr 7 2005, 09:36 PM
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#15
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
They're probably going to publish some products, but mostly they handle sales, and I believe they also handle print-buying for Pinnacle/Great White Games.
John Danovich, the guy behind Studio 2, also handled our sales and marketing at Fast Forward, so there's no major changes. |
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Apr 7 2005, 09:41 PM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 468 Joined: 17-March 05 Member No.: 7,185 |
All so they are mainly filling the niche of handling direct sales rather than have that handled in house. That's certainly an interesting business model as it provides gaming companies more specialized sales experience without having to have someone on staff. I guess it's more of a FanPros contract requires 1/4th of a person to handle while brands x,y,z each require 1/4th of a person. For a small premium you get someone else to handle the icky sales job :) |
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Apr 7 2005, 09:51 PM
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#17
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Decker on the Threshold Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 2,922 Joined: 14-March 04 Member No.: 6,156 |
Same here, mostly due to lack of space. I think at least offering the core rulebook(s) as PDFs would be a great idea. It lowers the cost for prospective players into the initial system, but without giving your product away like the free d20 SRD did, or taking a hit on profits like MS does selling the Xbox at a loss. People will still buy the hardcopy books, and probably just about as many people as you would if you hadn't offered the PDF version, but you get a wider base of customers who have the PDF version and thus more people who would be willing to buy the splat/setting books. What's the downside here? |
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Apr 7 2005, 11:02 PM
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#18
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Target Group: Members Posts: 30 Joined: 7-July 04 Member No.: 6,461 |
I would definitely opt for both. While I love hard print books, .pdf files on my laptop are far better an option now days, especially as there are way to may books to lug around to a game session.
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Apr 8 2005, 01:43 AM
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#19
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 190 Joined: 24-October 04 Member No.: 6,787 |
i've found that it is signifigintly easier to learn the rules when you have bookmarks and the search function. So yes, I'll get the PDF when it comes out.
On the other hand, I've had REALLY bad luck with laptops, so I'll get the physical copy as well. |
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Apr 8 2005, 04:32 AM
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#20
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Target Group: Members Posts: 81 Joined: 12-April 02 From: the shadows.... Member No.: 2,548 |
Frag....
I'd just be happy if the main book came out as a hard cover that didn't fall apart within a week.... |
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Apr 8 2005, 05:12 AM
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#21
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Prime Runner Group: Retired Admins Posts: 3,929 Joined: 26-February 02 From: .ca Member No.: 51 |
Gosh, good thing that SR4 will be hardcover then. :-)
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Apr 8 2005, 05:56 AM
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#22
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 293 Joined: 27-January 03 From: Kentucky, USA Member No.: 3,958 |
Count me as another that would buy both. A copy for leisurely reading & sharing at the table, and a copy for quick searches + copy & paste into gaming notes for an adventure.
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Apr 8 2005, 06:28 AM
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#23
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Grumpy Old Ork Decker Group: Admin Posts: 3,794 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Orwell, Ohio Member No.: 50 |
He may have been referring more speficially to the "not falling apart" things, which is a legitimate response, though the phenomina seems to be kinda hit and miss... I don't generally have too many prpoblems except for a couple core books that have seen a LOT of use and abuse, so I'm not surpised they went kaput, and they were all several years old by the time they started having issues...
Bull |
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Apr 8 2005, 06:45 AM
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#24
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Freelance Elf Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 7,324 Joined: 30-September 04 From: Texas Member No.: 6,714 |
It's always been those glossy pages (character archetypes and then random artwork) that spell disaster for my SR books. Everything seems to be going fine, and then all of a sudden shit starts just clean falling out when I open it.
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Apr 8 2005, 08:57 AM
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#25
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 165 Joined: 30-September 04 Member No.: 6,715 |
My copy of SR3 BBB is falling apart and its less then a year old. Whole chunks (10 to 15 page sections) have already come out and I'm pretty sure its not just the way that the book is handled. Its getting to the point where I'm about to rip out all the pages and shove them into those plastic covers and thence into a binder of some sort. |
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