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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Apr 2005 : 16:06:29
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I found the following over on ENWorld:
quote:
Paizo Publishing has announced that they will be selling out-of-print back issues of Dragon as PDFs:
Ever since the release of the now out-of-print Dragon Magazine Archive CD-ROM set, fans have been clamoring for us to release newer issues in PDF form. Wizards of the Coast has graciously allowed us to rerelease issues that have sold out in print form. Starting with [issue 310 of Dragon], we will be putting up PDF versions of these out-of-print magazines on a regular basis.
Each issue contains all of the articles from that issue, minus the third-party advertisements. We’ve also received permission from most of the comics artists to include their strips in each issue, [except] Phil Foglio's What’s New with Phil & Dixie. Special items, [such as] the Dungeon Master’s Screen that came with that [issue], are...not available in the PDF downloads.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2005 : 17:36:08
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Interesting... Have they said how much this will cost? And are there going to be options like buying several issues at once for a lesser price?
And what about the 60-issue gap between this offering, and the original Archive? |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2005 : 17:41:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Interesting... Have they said how much this will cost? And are there going to be options like buying several issues at once for a lesser price?
I don't know. I tried to follow the link to Paizo's site from ENWorld. However, I got a "Server Not Found" message which is typical, in my experiences, when it comes to Paizo's site. I'll try again later once the other person somewhere in the world gets off the site and their server is no longer overloaded. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2005 : 17:51:05
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Interesting... Have they said how much this will cost? And are there going to be options like buying several issues at once for a lesser price?
I don't know. I tried to follow the link to Paizo's site from ENWorld. However, I got a "Server Not Found" message which is typical, in my experiences, when it comes to Paizo's site. I'll try again later once the other person somewhere in the world gets off the site and their server is no longer overloaded.
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2005 : 18:59:15
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Interesting... Have they said how much this will cost? And are there going to be options like buying several issues at once for a lesser price?
And what about the 60-issue gap between this offering, and the original Archive?
I finally got the Paizo link to work. There is no mention of the gap or discounts on multiple issues. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no chance for the latter. But, the first issue available as a PDF indicates a price of $4.95. Is that more or less for what it went in print? Regardless, when shipping is factored in, I'm sure the cost of the PDF will be less. However, some consumers will still prefer print over electronic versions of a product. |
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Gray Richardson
Master of Realmslore
USA
1291 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2005 : 20:43:43
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I am finding these days that I much prefer PDF versions of books and source material. When I want to search for a phrase or a word, I just click on my handy-dandy computer and I can refer to the sourcebook on my desktop as I am composing my adventure or post. A quick cut and paste allows me to easily insert a quote or stat into my writing. If the pdf file is searchable, more's the better as it helps me zero in on the exact text I want all the quicker.
I can keep a lot of pdf's on my hard drive, or on CD's, I can take them to work (don't tell my boss!) or to a friend's house for easy reference on the computer there.
I love the idea of having Dragon back-issues on PDF's! I may just buy several! |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2005 : 21:00:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Gray Richardson
I love the idea of having Dragon back-issues on PDF's! I may just buy several!
Please let us know the quality of the back issue Dragon PDFs if you do make any purchases. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 05 Apr 2005 : 23:00:12
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Interesting... Have they said how much this will cost? And are there going to be options like buying several issues at once for a lesser price?
And what about the 60-issue gap between this offering, and the original Archive?
I finally got the Paizo link to work. There is no mention of the gap or discounts on multiple issues. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no chance for the latter. But, the first issue available as a PDF indicates a price of $4.95. Is that more or less for what it went in print? Regardless, when shipping is factored in, I'm sure the cost of the PDF will be less. However, some consumers will still prefer print over electronic versions of a product.
Ugh... Again they want the exact same price for a pdf as they do for a print copy. 
I realize that the searchable feature of pdfs is a good thing, but I still prefer having a print copy in my hand. I'd gladly pay an extra buck or two to get a pdf with a print copy, but if the price is the same on both, I'm going for the printed edition instead. I'm certainly not shelling out the same amount for a pdf. |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2005 : 03:42:56
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Ugh... Again they want the exact same price for a pdf as they do for a print copy.
The same as when WOTC sells a PDF of a newly released gaming product. I don't see this factor changing any time soon. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2005 : 05:50:56
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Ugh... Again they want the exact same price for a pdf as they do for a print copy.
The same as when WOTC sells a PDF of a newly released gaming product. I don't see this factor changing any time soon.
In that case, I don't see them getting any money from me for pdfs. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2005 : 06:03:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
In that case, I don't see them getting any money from me for pdfs.
I've said it before. I hate PDF's. :) I want the real book/magazine in my hands and also because I hate reading long passages of text over the moniter. It makes my eyes ache. |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2005 : 06:07:30
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quote:
Originally posted by kuje31
I've said it before. I hate PDF's. :) I want the real book/magazine in my hands and also because I hate reading long passages of text over the moniter. It makes my eyes ache.
The only advantage I personally see in a PDF of say the LEOF, is if I wanted to take something from the PDF and copy/paste it into Word so I could modify and then print it out for use during a game session. But, I'm not even sure, can that be done with the PDFs that WOTC is selling or have they disabled this feature? |
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Kuje
Great Reader
USA
7915 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2005 : 06:18:54
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
The only advantage I personally see in a PDF of say the LEOF, is if I wanted to take something from the PDF and copy/paste it into Word so I could modify and then print it out for use during a game session. But, I'm not even sure, can that be done with the PDFs that WOTC is selling or have they disabled this feature?
Not sure. :) Besides, as I mentioned before, I have TSR's CD's so I can do the same thing except up to issue 251 which then I have as a hard copy and I can just photocopy. :) |
For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small, flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet and excite you... Books are full of the things that you don't get in real life - wonderful, lyrical language, for instance, right off the bat. - Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium |
Edited by - Kuje on 06 Apr 2005 06:19:14 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31772 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2005 : 08:55:20
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
The only advantage I personally see in a PDF of say the LEOF, is if I wanted to take something from the PDF and copy/paste it into Word so I could modify and then print it out for use during a game session.
Something I can agree with. I've also, in the past, combined sections from one or more PDFs for use in either campaigns, or as reference material.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2005 : 11:30:14
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
The only advantage I personally see in a PDF of say the LEOF, is if I wanted to take something from the PDF and copy/paste it into Word so I could modify and then print it out for use during a game session. But, I'm not even sure, can that be done with the PDFs that WOTC is selling or have they disabled this feature?
The Archive CD-ROMs had the issues in pdf. I've freely cut and pasted to Word from them... |
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Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 06 Apr 2005 11:30:44 |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2005 : 15:23:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
The Archive CD-ROMs had the issues in pdf. I've freely cut and pasted to Word from them...
The CDs...I'm curious about the PDFs that WOTC offers via drivethru for current releases. I'll have to bite the bullet and take the plunge perhaps if I see something there that I like. LEOF is the only one I can think of that would fit that description. |
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Brian R. James
Forgotten Realms Game Designer
USA
1098 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2005 : 00:34:30
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| I always thought the rising costs for gaming material was do to printing costs. If so, why then would the PDFs cost the same as a print copy? |
Brian R. James - Freelance Game Designer
Follow me on Twitter @brianrjames |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2005 : 03:59:21
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quote:
Originally posted by Realmslore
I always thought the rising costs for gaming material was do to printing costs. If so, why then would the PDFs cost the same as a print copy?
Fear that if they don't do that, sales in print might go down because people will pay for the cheaper PDF? 
Or just the normal desire of a company to make the most in profit they can get? |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2005 : 06:11:28
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by Realmslore
I always thought the rising costs for gaming material was do to printing costs. If so, why then would the PDFs cost the same as a print copy?
Fear that if they don't do that, sales in print might go down because people will pay for the cheaper PDF?
Or just the normal desire of a company to make the most in profit they can get?
I hate to say this, but I think it is the latter... Especially since we're speaking of back issues, here. |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2005 : 07:23:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I hate to say this, but I think it is the latter... Especially since we're speaking of back issues, here.
Again, if consumers are going to purchase the PDFs at those prices, I can't fault WOTC for selling them. And, they must know something as a business if they are listing them at the print price.
Sirius who reminds everyone that if he was in charge, there would be Drizzt T-Shirt sales at every R.A. Salvatore book signing. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2005 : 11:35:32
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quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
Sirius who reminds everyone that if he was in charge, there would be Drizzt T-Shirt sales at every R.A. Salvatore book signing.
And they'd bear slogans like: "I survived the attack on Mithril Hall and all I got was this stupid T-shirt." |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Reefy
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
892 Posts |
Posted - 08 Apr 2005 : 23:59:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
Sirius who reminds everyone that if he was in charge, there would be Drizzt T-Shirt sales at every R.A. Salvatore book signing.
And they'd bear slogans like: "I survived the attack on Mithril Hall and all I got was this stupid T-shirt."
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Life is either daring adventure or nothing. |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 09 Apr 2005 : 00:51:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
And they'd bear slogans like: "I survived the attack on Mithril Hall and all I got was this stupid T-shirt."
I dare you. Email Paizo Publishing Customer Service and ask them if they give out a free Drizzt T-shirt with every PDF order. Do it. You like to cause mischief. |
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SirUrza
Master of Realmslore
USA
1283 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 04:50:06
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| Maybe when they have a significant number of PDF'd issues, they'll sell CD bundles. |
"Evil prevails when good men fail to act."
The original and unapologetic Arilyn, Aribeth, Seoni Fanboy. |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 05:19:29
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quote:
Originally posted by SirUrza
Maybe when they have a significant number of PDF'd issues, they'll sell CD bundles.
It's something new for Paizo so perhaps. I know that another online vendor that sells PDFs offers a "Burn to CD" offer to consumers. For an extra fee, besides being able to download the PDF, a CD with the file is sent in the mail. No idea if Paizo will ever offer something like that or if the fear of piracy will cause them to stay away from such offers. |
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SirUrza
Master of Realmslore
USA
1283 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 05:30:21
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| I'm talking about something like the old Archives CD. |
"Evil prevails when good men fail to act."
The original and unapologetic Arilyn, Aribeth, Seoni Fanboy. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 05:34:00
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quote:
Originally posted by SirUrza
Maybe when they have a significant number of PDF'd issues, they'll sell CD bundles.
Now that I could go for, assuming the price was reasonable. |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 05:50:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Now that I could go for, assuming the price was reasonable.
Well if I recall correctly, the online vendor I mentioned charges an extra $6.95 for shipping a CD with the PDFs on it in addition to the price for downloading the PDFs online. |
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Lord Rad
Great Reader
United Kingdom
2080 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 10:12:20
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I was happy to hear this at first and whilst I don't have any gaps in the physical magazines, I would have liked to have continued the PDF collection to accompany the Archives CD collection. I don't understand why they can't bridge the gap from issue 250-310 which makes it a little pointless for some. The price is also far too much. I'd expect to pay that price for a collection of say, 5 issues.
As it stands, I won't be shelling out for this, they'll have to do MUCH better than that. |
Lord Rad
"What? No, I wasn't reading your module. I was just looking at the pictures"
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 15:00:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Lord Rad
I was happy to hear this at first and whilst I don't have any gaps in the physical magazines, I would have liked to have continued the PDF collection to accompany the Archives CD collection. I don't understand why they can't bridge the gap from issue 250-310 which makes it a little pointless for some. The price is also far too much. I'd expect to pay that price for a collection of say, 5 issues.
As it stands, I won't be shelling out for this, they'll have to do MUCH better than that.
Agreed, on all counts.  |
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SiriusBlack
Great Reader
USA
5517 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2005 : 15:37:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Lord Rad
As it stands, I won't be shelling out for this, they'll have to do MUCH better than that.
If more consumers take a stand like that, perhaps they will lower the price. If you and WR are the exceptions rather than the rule, well... |
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Topic |
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Out-of-print back issues of Dragon sold as PDFs
