No, I actually made the decision to make the in-print books available too, up to about a year after they are printed. For ArM, I'm expecting that we'll have everything but the last four printed books on PDF.
The reality is that, especially in the US, the print sales through traditional distribution have continued to dwindle, and we know that the pirates make books available online very quickly anyhow, so we've adapted our strategy.
Since you mention piracy: Have you made any thoughts towards reconsidering to publishing the 5th Edition Core Rulebook as an official pdf ?
I have actually bought several printed versions over the years myself, some as gifts to different friends, but also one as a shared resource in one saga. I have also convinced several friends to buy the book.
But it is very practical to have an electronic version available as well, and I have to admit that I/we have shamelessly acquired one of the several scanned versions that are floating around on the net. Since I/we have buyed a fair exemplars of the book it is hard to feel very guilty about it.
And people that actually want to pirate things, will do the same, so following the logic you lay out for the other books, you could just as well publish the book you're self. And that way, at least get some money from loyal gamers - and make some of us very happy.
Yes - we've already released the PDFs of both Feng Shui and Unknown Armies core rulebooks. The ArM5 file has been made, and we should have it available for sale before the end of the year, after we catch up with the sourcebooks (all but the most recent four).
Piracy is an extremely difficult problem to address. If one looks at the challenge, purely from an market-analysis point of view. One basically have an competitor that offers the same product, only free of charge, and if you fill you're own product with crappy anti-piracy measures (like are being done with many PC-games, but also in restricted electronic books), the pirates offers a slightly better user experience as well (like no-cd required, and in the case of books: the ability to read it on any device you desire). They even control better distribution channels. One click-download from a Google-search, with no credit card or registration required.
How to compete with this? Maybe the best strategy you can choose is to count on the loyalty of you're costumers, but then you have to treat them well, and price the product reasonably.
(The approach that you seem to have chosen all ready)
People who can't afford you're products even how fairly you price them, may still turn to piracy, but then again, maybe you should look at that piracy as some kind of free advertisement, and potential new costumers for other products (or support) in the future.
Maybe you're biggest fear should be, all-you're-books-in-one-download packages via bit-torrent and similar sources. But then again: If one actually manages to inspire loyalty, there is a chance that people still will pay for the things they like, even if they actually download it from more problematic sources.
This is great news! I'm very glad you chose to go down this path. I've recently had to do away much of my ArM collection, and now I will have to slowly rebuild it.
Now I only have to convince the wife that a book-a-month or so is reasonable....
Would atlas-games ever consider providing package deals on pdfs?
Due to space and other reasons I'm having to dispose of a lot of gaming products so would be interested in getting some pdfs ... but it's hard to justify repurchasing my whole library. However if there were a deal available to buy multiple pdfs at a discount that would be tempting.
Maybe the book page should be updated with the e23 link when the blog entry is created.
ReplyDeleteThe link is up now.
ReplyDeleteI am wondering why you seem to have made a descission to speed up, the PDF-releases.
ReplyDeleteNot that I am complaining, sine I want both the printed and the digital versjon in my Ars-collection, don't have any issues with supporting the game.
am asking just out of curiosity.
It's because I'M the one doing the PDFing now, instead of John. *grin*
ReplyDeleteHa ha.
ReplyDeleteNo, I actually made the decision to make the in-print books available too, up to about a year after they are printed. For ArM, I'm expecting that we'll have everything but the last four printed books on PDF.
The reality is that, especially in the US, the print sales through traditional distribution have continued to dwindle, and we know that the pirates make books available online very quickly anyhow, so we've adapted our strategy.
hmm.. interesting thoughts.
ReplyDeleteSince you mention piracy: Have you made any thoughts towards reconsidering to publishing the 5th Edition Core Rulebook as an official pdf ?
I have actually bought several printed versions over the years myself, some as gifts to different friends, but also one as a shared resource in one saga. I have also convinced several friends to buy the book.
But it is very practical to have an electronic version available as well, and I have to admit that I/we have shamelessly acquired one of the several scanned versions that are floating around on the net. Since I/we have buyed a fair exemplars of the book it is hard to feel very guilty about it.
And people that actually want to pirate things, will do the same, so following the logic you lay out for the other books, you could just as well publish the book you're self. And that way, at least get some money from loyal gamers - and make some of us very happy.
Yes - we've already released the PDFs of both Feng Shui and Unknown Armies core rulebooks. The ArM5 file has been made, and we should have it available for sale before the end of the year, after we catch up with the sourcebooks (all but the most recent four).
ReplyDeleteThat is great news indeed...
ReplyDeletePiracy is an extremely difficult problem to address. If one looks at the challenge, purely from an market-analysis point of view. One basically have an competitor that offers the same product, only free of charge, and if you fill you're own product with crappy anti-piracy measures (like are being done with many PC-games, but also in restricted electronic books), the pirates offers a slightly better user experience as well (like no-cd required, and in the case of books: the ability to read it on any device you desire). They even control better distribution channels. One click-download from a Google-search, with no credit card or registration required.
How to compete with this? Maybe the best strategy you can choose is to count on the loyalty of you're costumers, but then you have to treat them well, and price the product reasonably.
(The approach that you seem to have chosen all ready)
People who can't afford you're products even how fairly you price them, may still turn to piracy, but then again, maybe you should look at that piracy as some kind of free advertisement, and potential new costumers for other products (or support) in the future.
Maybe you're biggest fear should be, all-you're-books-in-one-download packages via bit-torrent and similar sources. But then again: If one actually manages to inspire loyalty, there is a chance that people still will pay for the things they like, even if they actually download it from more problematic sources.
This is great news! I'm very glad you chose to go down this path. I've recently had to do away much of my ArM collection, and now I will have to slowly rebuild it.
ReplyDeleteNow I only have to convince the wife that a book-a-month or so is reasonable....
Thanks again.
Yair (aka YR7)
Would atlas-games ever consider providing package deals on pdfs?
ReplyDeleteDue to space and other reasons I'm having to dispose of a lot of gaming products so would be interested in getting some pdfs ... but it's hard to justify repurchasing my whole library. However if there were a deal available to buy multiple pdfs at a discount that would be tempting.