Wizards of the Coast pulls PDFs from Paizo

Robotech_Master · 04-06-2009, 08:32 PM

Wizard of the Coast has pulled all its PDFs from the on-line PDF e-tailer Paizo. Customers who have purchased Paizo WotC PDFs need to download them before noon on April 7th or they'll be gone forever.

http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/06/w...fs-from-paizo/

PhishStyx · 04-06-2009, 10:31 PM

It appears to be a move designed to close in on version 3.5 retailers and bring home sales of D&D PDF products to disintermediate (I've been waiting weeks to use that!) retailers like Paizo and rpgnow.com, rather than as they've stated elsewhere, a move against pirates.

Robotech_Master · 04-07-2009, 08:22 AM

Update: Turns out that it's not a disagreement between Paizo and WotC after all. WotC has decided to stop selling PDFs on-line altogether, citing piracy concerns. They've also filed suit against 8 people for uploading the PHB2 onto peer-to-peer networks.

As I point out in the link below, this makes about as much sense as Rowling's famous piracy-driven refusal to authorize Harry Potter e-book sales.

http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/07/w...right-lawsuit/

kevindorsey · 04-07-2009, 11:18 AM

I think this is pretty dumb move by Wotc.

HarryT · 04-07-2009, 11:56 AM

Who are "Wizards of the Coast"? A publisher? I have to confess that I haven't come across them personally.

Robotech_Master · 04-07-2009, 11:58 AM

They're a company that came out with a little card game called Magic: The Gathering, that a few people played. Then they bought TSR—the folks who did a little game called Dungeons and Dragons that a few people here and there play.

Then Hasbro bought them, and it's been downhill ever since.

HarryT · 04-07-2009, 12:03 PM

Thanks. I used to be a big fan of D&D in my student days, but haven't kept up with the RPG field for the last 20-odd years. They obviously post-date my involvement in it.

deety · 04-07-2009, 01:17 PM

The players I know who illegally download do it as a way of previewing the books before they buy, because it's the kind of thing that can be tough to flip through in the store and really get a sense of.

I don't know how common this was, but around here the advance leak of the 4th edition Player's Handbook stirred up a lot of interest and reminded people that the first books were coming out soon. I've got friends who were really against the idea of a new edition, but decided to go ahead and buy the core books after looking through that leaked PDF.

PhishStyx · 04-07-2009, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Thanks. I used to be a big fan of D&D in my student days, but haven't kept up with the RPG field for the last 20-odd years. They obviously post-date my involvement in it.

They existed then, but just hadn't "made it big," yet.

For reference sake, I haven't bought a D&D book in 20 years, but I still have a RPG collection about the size of the D&D catalog (more than 200 books + my PDF collection) due to the number of other RPG's out there.

And I'm still of the notion that "anti-piracy" excuse is a pile of monkey-poo. This is entirely about market control. Wizards/Hasbro wants to be able to control who sells what rpg and has introduced a new online sales policy with what appear to be some significant anti-competitive intent behind it to achieve that control.

Robotech_Master · 04-08-2009, 01:34 PM

Folks might be interested to know that White Wolf is offering a PDF of Exalted 2nd Ed. free for the next several days.

Penforhire · 04-08-2009, 04:22 PM

Somewhere I still have my spiral-bound edition of Gygax's "Chainmail" miniature battle rules that started most of this.

WoTC should never have offered digital versions if they wanted that much control.

ahammer · 04-08-2009, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penforhire

Somewhere I still have my spiral-bound edition of Gygax's "Chainmail" miniature battle rules that started most of this.

WoTC should never have offered digital versions if they wanted that much control.

the copys on the ptp site are not even the ones they sell from what I understand. they are just copys of the books.

Robotech_Master · 04-08-2009, 06:47 PM

Yeah. Because you'd have to be some kind of stupid to put a sold copy watermarked with your name out there on peer-to-peer.

Though I don't doubt some people may have done just that. Never underestimate the potential for human stupidity.

HistoryWes · 04-08-2009, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robotech_Master

They're a company that came out with a little card game called Magic: The Gathering, that a few people played. Then they bought TSR—the folks who did a little game called Dungeons and Dragons that a few people here and there play.

Then Hasbro bought them, and it's been downhill ever since.

It's very hard to decide if WOTC is more evil or more stupid since they were bought by Hasbro. They've just about managed to kill off their product lines by practicing planned obsolescence, killed Dragon Magazine by digitizing it, then damaged their product lines by digitizing them.

It is absolutely correct that the pirated versions are just scanned. I bought quite a few pdf's on RPG Now, and (Unlike Paizo) I didn't get advanced knowledge so I could make sure I had copies of all my purchases in order. Just one more time I've been screwed over by this short-sited and uncaring company.

HarryT · 04-09-2009, 07:38 AM

How did digitizing "Dragon" kill it, as a matter of interest? Weren't people interested in a digital version, or do you mean that piracy killed it?

04-06-2009, 08:32 PM	#1
Robotech_Master Fanatic Posts: 514 Karma: 2954711 Join Date: May 2006	Wizards of the Coast pulls PDFs from Paizo Wizard of the Coast has pulled all its PDFs from the on-line PDF e-tailer Paizo. Customers who have purchased Paizo WotC PDFs need to download them before noon on April 7th or they'll be gone forever. http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/06/w...fs-from-paizo/

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04-06-2009, 10:31 PM	#2
PhishStyx The me that I am Posts: 413 Karma: 1078 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: In my house! Duh! Device: Kindle 1 & DR 1000s	It appears to be a move designed to close in on version 3.5 retailers and bring home sales of D&D PDF products to disintermediate (I've been waiting weeks to use that!) retailers like Paizo and rpgnow.com, rather than as they've stated elsewhere, a move against pirates.

04-07-2009, 08:22 AM	#3
Robotech_Master Fanatic Posts: 514 Karma: 2954711 Join Date: May 2006	Update: Turns out that it's not a disagreement between Paizo and WotC after all. WotC has decided to stop selling PDFs on-line altogether, citing piracy concerns. They've also filed suit against 8 people for uploading the PHB2 onto peer-to-peer networks. As I point out in the link below, this makes about as much sense as Rowling's famous piracy-driven refusal to authorize Harry Potter e-book sales. http://www.teleread.org/2009/04/07/w...right-lawsuit/

04-07-2009, 11:18 AM	#4
kevindorsey Evangelist Posts: 488 Karma: 258 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: kindle	I think this is pretty dumb move by Wotc.

04-07-2009, 11:56 AM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Who are "Wizards of the Coast"? A publisher? I have to confess that I haven't come across them personally.

04-07-2009, 11:58 AM	#6
Robotech_Master Fanatic Posts: 514 Karma: 2954711 Join Date: May 2006	They're a company that came out with a little card game called Magic: The Gathering, that a few people played. Then they bought TSR—the folks who did a little game called Dungeons and Dragons that a few people here and there play. Then Hasbro bought them, and it's been downhill ever since.

04-07-2009, 12:03 PM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Thanks. I used to be a big fan of D&D in my student days, but haven't kept up with the RPG field for the last 20-odd years. They obviously post-date my involvement in it.

04-07-2009, 01:17 PM	#8
deety book geek Posts: 51 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Kindle 2	The players I know who illegally download do it as a way of previewing the books before they buy, because it's the kind of thing that can be tough to flip through in the store and really get a sense of. I don't know how common this was, but around here the advance leak of the 4th edition Player's Handbook stirred up a lot of interest and reminded people that the first books were coming out soon. I've got friends who were really against the idea of a new edition, but decided to go ahead and buy the core books after looking through that leaked PDF.

04-08-2009, 01:34 PM	#10
Robotech_Master Fanatic Posts: 514 Karma: 2954711 Join Date: May 2006	Folks might be interested to know that White Wolf is offering a PDF of Exalted 2nd Ed. free for the next several days.

04-08-2009, 04:22 PM	#11
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Somewhere I still have my spiral-bound edition of Gygax's "Chainmail" miniature battle rules that started most of this. WoTC should never have offered digital versions if they wanted that much control.

04-08-2009, 06:47 PM	#13
Robotech_Master Fanatic Posts: 514 Karma: 2954711 Join Date: May 2006	Yeah. Because you'd have to be some kind of stupid to put a sold copy watermarked with your name out there on peer-to-peer. Though I don't doubt some people may have done just that. Never underestimate the potential for human stupidity.

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04-09-2009, 07:38 AM	#15
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,560 Karma: 93980341 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	How did digitizing "Dragon" kill it, as a matter of interest? Weren't people interested in a digital version, or do you mean that piracy killed it?