Seriously, it'll be interesting to see how the new edition does in an age where people can, uh, "check" the contents of new books before they invest 3 to 4 digits in yet another series of quickly outdated rulebooks.
There are many reasons why books, including D&D books, have been largely immune to piracy thus far: practical factors (convenience, eye health) and psychological ones (aesthetic value, social status, sense of palpability). But file sharing was nascent in 2000, and - let's face it- right no one cares to steal DND books except already-invested 3E players, most of whom would prefer to buy the books anyway.
That will be different this time around and I forsee that, if the new edition isn't at all better than 3E, people will be able to decline before investing (and investing themselves) in 60 bucks of starter material. That won't kill the game, because Wizards is hellbent on pushing it and there will always be enough people who simply must have the newest RPG rules in the best-looking books, but it will shrink the hobby yet again.
Slashdot Mirror
Piratebay.
Bittorrent.
Printer.
Some assembly required.
Seriously, it'll be interesting to see how the new edition does in an age where people can, uh, "check" the contents of new books before they invest 3 to 4 digits in yet another series of quickly outdated rulebooks.
There are many reasons why books, including D&D books, have been largely immune to piracy thus far: practical factors (convenience, eye health) and psychological ones (aesthetic value, social status, sense of palpability). But file sharing was nascent in 2000, and - let's face it- right no one cares to steal DND books except already-invested 3E players, most of whom would prefer to buy the books anyway.
That will be different this time around and I forsee that, if the new edition isn't at all better than 3E, people will be able to decline before investing (and investing themselves) in 60 bucks of starter material. That won't kill the game, because Wizards is hellbent on pushing it and there will always be enough people who simply must have the newest RPG rules in the best-looking books, but it will shrink the hobby yet again.