...due to recent findings of illegal copying and online distribution (piracy) of our products, Wizards of the Coast has decided to cease the sales of online PDFs.
But this is a real boon for the publishing arm of the old-school renaissance. The simulacra are suddenly a lot more valuable to all of us with readily-available pdfs of the originals no longer being available. Perhaps this is just the kick in the pants we need to take the bit in our teeth and run wild, just to see how far we can take this madness. ;)
So due to college kids pirating their preeeeciousssssss they're screwing over wll of those of us who were going to buy, oh, say, the OD&D White Box package I had on my RPGNow wishlist. Oh, thanks, Costal Wizards! Nice move there guys. Just another reason to give my gaming money to people who give a shit about their customers, like Pelgrane Press (who's having a half-off sale at RPGNow at the moment - they're losing the Dying Earth license at the end of the month. Typical - shit like 4th Ed lurches on while a infintely better game like DERPG dies on the vine.)
wv - pailate - of or dealing with small crawling insects of the Kaiin River Valley, ex. "He had a disreputable, pailate look about him".
Okay, I can understand not selling their 4th ed books as pdfs anymore... don't think it will actually help the problem at all, but it's their decision to make. But halting sales of out of print books as pdfs just strikes me as bad business (they're throwing away pure profit). And insisting Drivethrurpg and the like disallow downloads of products people have already bought? How is that even legal?
...and we're back to the old "no legitimate copy to buy" square. Good job, WotC/Hasbro, removing a stumbling block for people trying to rationalize not pirating your material.
I just checked my Paizo account and realized I´ve downloaded 50 Legacy D&D-products. That´s about $200 worth of purchases. I´m not angry, I´m puzzled by this nonsensical move.
Sounds like a bit of misdirection there. Stuff you get through Paizo (and I think Drive Thru too) is watermarked, so it's more difficult to copy illegally without getting caught. It's much easier to copy and distribute the non-watermarked Dragon pdfs WotC are putting out every month...
That's the sort of comment I normally seen applied to people who demand it is their right to pirate stuff. It's a little weird to see it among a group of people unhappy that they can no longer actually pay for their downloads.
Wow I got to hand it too you. What I talk about in a half dozen post. You nail in a single picture.
ReplyDeleteBest. Reaction. Yet.
ReplyDelete"Hello, I'm Johnny Cash...and Wizards of the Coast can suck my Old School hump."
ReplyDeleteMight want to grab these while you can -
ReplyDeletehttp://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/154448-free-adventure-path.html
A picture is indeed worth a thousand words...nicely done Jeff!
ReplyDeleteBut this is a real boon for the publishing arm of the old-school renaissance. The simulacra are suddenly a lot more valuable to all of us with readily-available pdfs of the originals no longer being available. Perhaps this is just the kick in the pants we need to take the bit in our teeth and run wild, just to see how far we can take this madness. ;)
ReplyDeleteSo due to college kids pirating their preeeeciousssssss they're screwing over wll of those of us who were going to buy, oh, say, the OD&D White Box package I had on my RPGNow wishlist. Oh, thanks, Costal Wizards! Nice move there guys. Just another reason to give my gaming money to people who give a shit about their customers, like Pelgrane Press (who's having a half-off sale at RPGNow at the moment - they're losing the Dying Earth license at the end of the month. Typical - shit like 4th Ed lurches on while a infintely better game like DERPG dies on the vine.)
ReplyDeletewv - pailate - of or dealing with small crawling insects of the Kaiin River Valley, ex. "He had a disreputable, pailate look about him".
Okay, I can understand not selling their 4th ed books as pdfs anymore... don't think it will actually help the problem at all, but it's their decision to make. But halting sales of out of print books as pdfs just strikes me as bad business (they're throwing away pure profit). And insisting Drivethrurpg and the like disallow downloads of products people have already bought? How is that even legal?
ReplyDeleteWell played, Jeff.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction is similar in tone, but yours is expressed much better.
@Pere: You can still grab it at Paizo, I think, at least for a few more hours. Make a CD backup or something for yourself!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Jeff. You summed up the mood nicely.
I love Johnny Cash.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, my security word is "chill". Which would seem to be the right thing to say to WotC.
ReplyDeleteThat and "yeah, ok, take down your legal pdfs. Because that worked SO WELL for the music industry."
Wow. I could not have put it better than that. And I've tried...
ReplyDelete...and we're back to the old "no legitimate copy to buy" square. Good job, WotC/Hasbro, removing a stumbling block for people trying to rationalize not pirating your material.
ReplyDeleteF**k yeah! Just more fuel added to this "hobbyist" movement is all...
ReplyDeleteGrinds my gears though to think that I didn't get in there early enough to get my LBB PDFs... Dang.
Picture's worth a thousand words. You summarized my own, shared visceral reaction very well, Jeff.
ReplyDeleteI just checked my Paizo account and realized I´ve downloaded 50 Legacy D&D-products. That´s about $200 worth of purchases.
ReplyDeleteI´m not angry, I´m puzzled by this nonsensical move.
My sentiments exactly.
ReplyDeleteI love Johnny Cash too. :-)
ReplyDeleteWoTC suck. I'm furious. By removing all authorised distribution of OOP works they have lost all moral standing to object to unauthorised distribution.
Sounds like a bit of misdirection there. Stuff you get through Paizo (and I think Drive Thru too) is watermarked, so it's more difficult to copy illegally without getting caught. It's much easier to copy and distribute the non-watermarked Dragon pdfs WotC are putting out every month...
ReplyDeleteJeff + Johnny Cash?
ReplyDeleteTuesday made!
wv: dimiphy - a mental effect noticed if you spend too long over at WOTC HQ.
WotC doesn't have material worth pirating.
ReplyDeleteLong live the oldschool movement!
@Sett: Good luck! Hope you get them all in time!
ReplyDelete(I had the same reaction, only a lot of my stuff was on RPGNow, and I can't get to it).
The Man in Black never disappointed. Here's to hoping corporate Wotc falls down in a burning ring of fire.
ReplyDeleteYour inflated sense of entitlement is palpable.
ReplyDelete"Your inflated sense of entitlement is palpable."
ReplyDeleteThat's the sort of comment I normally seen applied to people who demand it is their right to pirate stuff. It's a little weird to see it among a group of people unhappy that they can no longer actually pay for their downloads.
You are buy our chinese wow gold now?
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, and cool post, Jeff!
One picture worth a thousand effing words! Thanks for posting this!
ReplyDeleteIronically it seems that WotC's action may have been a visceral response as well: a spasm of pique or panic after the PHB2 leak.
ReplyDeleteWotC can eat a bowl of male sexual organs...
ReplyDelete