afoolandhis$ wrote:So Ian, I take it that's NOT the Fez 1 you've got up for sale at the moment?  :P

Unfortunately, Stephen, that is the Fez I that's up for auction at the moment.  :D

Someone else mentioned downloading PDFs off the net. I won't download PDFs off the internet. I did buy a few Judges Guild items and ToEE from the approves ESD retailers, but on the whole I prefer larger file sizes and better quality files. So I have had to resort to making my own. If you want something done right, do it yourself.

Raise Dead.....

It works! Raised this thread from the dead on account of me reassessing my current stance/opinion on PDF's, their propogation, and their impact on the collecting and games market.

Has anyone here ever NOT bought an item they were considering buying, having viewed the PDF and decided that the PDF would do just fine, or that the book was not what you wanted and the PDF told you that?

What I'm getting at, is, "Is the availability of PDFs directly impacting on the sale of hardcopies?" And, "If so, is that a bad thing?"

mbassoc2003 wrote:Raise Dead.....

It works! Raised this thread from the dead on account of me reassessing my current stance/opinion on PDF's, their propogation, and their impact on the collecting and games market.

Has anyone here ever NOT bought an item they were considering buying, having viewed the PDF and decided that the PDF would do just fine, or that the book was not what you wanted and the PDF told you that?

What I'm getting at, is, "Is the availability of PDFs directly impacting on the sale of hardcopies?" And, "If so, is that a bad thing?"

I have never not bought an item due to having the PDF but I know at least 3 or 4 people between my two gaming groups that just use PDF's

If both are available, I go right for the printed version.  If it's pdf only, then I get that.

I buy a horrific amount of PDFs. I collect the things and for the most part I do not by hardcopies. But to put this in perspective, I'm not an active player, and I dip in and out of things and read sections rather than cover to cover, and PDFs are good for that sort of thing.

Also they provide no storage problem, unless you don't back up your harddrive. But I suppost a good EMP would wipe out my entire collection, the same way a good house fire would wipe out games room. Only you can't buy insurance for your data, espectially the stuff you've created yourself.

I know PDFs are available on Torrent, and I'm wondering how much of an impact those downloads are having on the games industry. I suspect WoTC for instance have saturated the market with so much sh!te and drivel in hardback form that people are not gonna be buying 4E Players Handbook 3 when they've just blown the better part of their income over the past five years on a shedload of 3.5E hardbacks. There must be over a hundred 3.5E and 4E hardcovers, and that surely makes downloading Torrents the better choice for the sensible active gamer. WotC are taking the piss out of gamers it would seem. So in that respect, WotC are actively promoting piracy of their products.

Outside of the WotC model however, I would suggest the propogation of pirate PDFs is not as great, and not having such an impact on the promotion of companies' products. Goodman Games for example seem to still be banging out both legit PDFs and hardcopies, and their business seems to be stonger for it. The same goes for Troll Lord Games. Yes, there may well be copies of their stuff on Torrent, but the price point of their products, and the instant availability of legitimate PDFs seem to keep making sales.

The moral lesson to be learnt here seems to be, if you take the piss out of your customer base and try to screw them over, they'll just shaft you back. If you trat them sensibly and reasonably, for the large part they'll treat you honestly and reasonably in return.

I guess us old timers feel the same way about minis and those cheap rubbery plastic crap things kids play D&D with today.

Dont see how you can get a PDF of a miniature...  
That said, even if it is possible, I would still rather have the real thing.

Gnat the Beggar wrote:Dont see how you can get a PDF of a miniature...  
That said, even if it is possible, I would still rather have the real thing.

Actually, they do sell PDF's of miniatures.  

They are intended as cardstock miniatures to be printed out, glued to cardboard (or whatever) and stood up on bases.

FormCritic wrote:
Actually, they do sell PDF's of miniatures.  

They are intended as cardstock miniatures to be printed out, glued to cardboard (or whatever) and stood up on bases.

Maybe useable in the 1st edition Blood Bowl game then??