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OK…maybe that’s not exactly what they said, but it was definitely in the underlying context… At any rate, ICv2 did a very short interview with Greg Leeds, CEO for Wizards of the Coast, asking why Wizards chose to shut down PDF sales completely. Essentially, Leeds confirms that the decision was a direct reaction to piracy (particularly of the Player’s Handbook 2) and that they’re working on a non-PDF alternative. While he didn’t say that this alternative was their existing D&D Insider property, he didn’t exactly deny it either. I’ve got to admit, if all the books were available online via D&D Insider, it might actually be worth its price tag…
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I can’t imagine that they’d put all this on D&D Insider. They’d stand to lose more money from lost PDF sales that way. D&D Insider doesn’t strike me as a great bargain in it’s current form, but total access to online manuals would result in WotC making a lot less money on digital product. At least with PDF sales, they got the money up front for individual titles.
Of course, I never would have predicted a complete yanking pf PDF product from the web…
I think we’re coming to a point where it’s becoming clear that Wizards hasn’t really thought out their digital strategy. The real question is whether they’ll get their act together in time for it to matter. That said, how many RPG publishers bother with a digital strategy beyond basic PDF publishing?
That’s a very good point Rjoshstreet. Catalyst Labs seems to have a strategy (offering PDFs in advance of print and as combos with printed material), but not too many do. I have no idea if WotC can turn this little fiasco around, but I’m sure that everyone will be paying attention to their next announcement on digital product!