D&D 2E A bunch of 2e PDFs seem to have bumped up in price

[Ruin Explorer]

If line goes down, we'll probably just see a lot of sales pushing them back down to the old standard pricing until people forget all about this in a year.

Nah. That won't happen. Like I pointed out, WotC isn't invested at all in DM's Guild being a success. They're be perfectly happy if it was less successful. Hell, this decision may have been taken precisely with that in mind - if that seems excessively Machiavellian, well, remember that the vast majority of execs at Habro and WotC are ex-Microsoft and by Microsoft standards, that wouldn't even move the dial on Machiavellian! I've worked at places where things much more Machiavellian than that happened, even.

With that said I'm 100% expecting that we'll see more OGL nonsense in a few years once the initial hype sales of 5.5e start to wane. These companies do not seem to give a single you-know-what about the long game. We must do everything we can to ensure the line keeps going up.

See I don't think it's even as real as "the line needs to go up". I think this a more bestial (not quite the word I mean) kind of corporate urge, which is more about leaving your mark, being able to claim some program or change or the like was "your idea" and put it on your CV (metaphorical or literal). I expect you to be correct - I doubt we've seen the last of OGL-esque insanity (it may well have a different name, a more euphemistic one, like the "D&D Community Values Contract" or something), but it won't be about genuine profit seeking, it'll be about very corporate numbskullery of the numbest kind.

 

[Parmandur]

Honestly, it's probably just an inflation adjustment. How are prices on DrriveThru in general right now?

 

[Meech17]

Honestly, it's probably just an inflation adjustment. How are prices on DrriveThru in general right now?

Yeah, I was just reading a report that the costs of PDF ink and E-Mail postage rates were going up.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah, I was just reading a report that the costs of PDF ink and E-Mail postage rates were going up.

You jest, but all costs are going up for everybody, and have for years. I wouldn't be surprised if OneBookShelf is the one who raised the prices to make their ends meet.

We are talking about dollars here.

 

[Meech17]

I think this a more bestial (not quite the word I mean) kind of corporate urge, which is more about leaving your mark, being able to claim some program or change or the like was "your idea" and put it on your CV (metaphorical or literal).

• Tapped into previously under-utilized segments like Digital Legacy Property and pioneered methods to drive growth in otherwise stagnant markets.

 

[Meech17]

You jest, but all costs are going up for everybody, and have for years. I wouldn't be surprised if OneBookShelf is the one who raised the prices to make their ends meet.

We are talking about dollars here.

I know.. I was definitely being facetious.. And I know even digital products incur overhead costs. Server costs, and things like that.. They probably had to bump the pay of the poor kid handling the staple remover and working the Xerox machine to $14/hr to compete with Wendys.

 

[Parmandur]

I know.. I was definitely being facetious.. And I know even digital products incur overhead costs. Server costs, and things like that.. They probably had to bump the pay of the poor kid handling the staple remover and working the Xerox machine to $14/hr to compete with Wendys.

Again, you jest, but they just made minimum wage around these parts $20.

 

[Voadam]

It is only a minority of TSR pdfs that went up, most are still in the $5 and $10 categories.

It is not a categorical inflation adjustment.

 

[Parmandur]

It is only a minority of TSR pdfs that went up, most are still in the $5 and $10 categories.

It is not a categorical inflation adjustment.

Wel, that is odd then.

 

[McXanaxinAlcohol]

Maybe the higher cost is required for some legal reason? I don't know for sure obviously, but I speculate that maybe the IP for some books is joint held by WoTC and the writers. If this is the case perhaps the writers want more money per copy sold? I've noticed that Dragonlance books seem to be notably higher in price compared to Similar Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, or Ravenloft content, unless there is another party that wants more money I cant imagine why a 30~70 page booklet of one campaign setting would be more than another in PDF form.

Regardless, I think its more on the WoTC side of things. A couple months ago I poked Drivethru about WGR4 The Marklands not being available, but there was a Sample PDF in their style you could find on google. You could also find reviews for it listed under Drivethru's User profiles and a cached google page. I figured WGR4 must have been removed by accident when they tinkered with the website.

It could have been a lie but when I asked Drivethru about it they said:
"We don't have much information or control over which products or formats are available on our site. We recommend you submit suggestions on release schedule to Wizards of the Coast on the D&D Facebook page or via their Customer Support page."

This indicates that they don't really have control on anything except the distribution of approved material. Although a few days later after I responded to a customer satisfaction survey negatively I received an email with the following:
"We have reached out to our Partner Relations team to see if they might have any information available. We will let you know as soon as they respond."

Followed by;
"We are very sorry for the delay. It seems that the product is now available, you can find it here<link>"

So nothing consequential but Drivethru does seem to be at the whims of WoTC for many things. If it was an inflation or hosting costs thing I'd imagine that everything would go up a noticeable amount.