CD-ROM Preorders on PDF files

[Michael Hopcroft]

I'm thinking about offering visitors to my website the chance to preorder HeartQuest 2nd Edition on CD-ROM and get a coupon for a discount on the Print-On-Demand edition of the same book for their trouble. The idea is to get some money into my coffers to pay layout and printing expenses (RPGNow requires you to pay for the first 10 copies of a POD book in advance) while offering a price break on the POD book to those loyal customers who support us in this fashion. I'm farming out the actual manufacture and shipping of the CDs to a third party.

There are, however, some potential problems with this idea. I'd like to see what those are and how they can be dealt with before I start taking preorders.

1. Would RPGnow (which will have otherwise exclusive distribution of the PDF and POD books) see this as stepping on their toes? I want to maintain the good rapport I have with them as best I possibly can.

2. Does anyone buy non-computer RPGs on CD-ROM?

3. Would this drive up to more than RPGNow can handle the number of copies of the first Print-On-Demand run I'll have to print?

4. Although my collaborator on the actual book volunteered to handle the CDS and told me not to worry about them, is asking him to track the orders when the orders are coming in to me as well too much to ask of him?

5. Is this just plain a bad idea?

I was also thinking of taking the CDs to conventions as an "impulse buy" item, which would mean manufacturing many more CDs. But does this actually work -- do people actually buy the things at conventions?

[Paul Czege]

Hey Michael,

Does anyone buy non-computer RPGs on CD-ROM?....do people actually buy the things at conventions?

I've bought two, one at GenCon last year and one through the mail, and neither purchasing experience has made me all that happy:

1. I bought Violence Future at GenCon last year. When I got home, the CD was unreadable. Scott Knipe discovered his CD had the same issue and contacted Dav Harnish on our behalf. Dav was going to send replacements, but he apparently flaked the fuck out because despite subsequent nags from Scott, we haven't heard anything. I'll be hesitant in the future about buying CD format games at a convention, because lacking access to a computer there's no way to make sure you've got a usable product until you get home.

2. I bought a nicely hyperlinked HTML version of EPICS on CD last December. And it's an awesome game, and it arrived quickly. But within just a few days the designer released a pdf version. Being many small pages of linked, darkly-backgrounded HTML, the CD version isn't very printable, so it's hard to use during play. I wish there'd been an announcement on the website about the forthcoming pdf, or some communication from the designer to that effect when I placed the order, because I would have waited the few days.

Anyway, I don't consider myself poisoned to the format, but I'll seriously think long and hard before I buy another one. The low cost of entry for the format seems associated with casual attitudes about what it means to actually be a publisher.

Paul

[Adam]

1. Would RPGnow (which will have otherwise exclusive distribution of the PDF and POD books) see this as stepping on their toes? I want to maintain the good rapport I have with them as best I possibly can.

Just ask them. Our opinion/expectation of what RPGNow might think doesn't matter. James posts here; drop him a PM and get the answer - don't work from speculation on us.

2. Does anyone buy non-computer RPGs on CD-ROM?

From what I've heard, the general answer is "not enough to support the development costs of quality CD-ROM projects."

3. Would this drive up to more than RPGNow can handle the number of copies of the first Print-On-Demand run I'll have to print?

Again, just ask them, but I don't see any reason why they couldn't get enough copies printed to meet the demand.

4. Although my collaborator on the actual book volunteered to handle the CDS and told me not to worry about them, is asking him to track the orders when the orders are coming in to me as well too much to ask of him?

Ask him.

5. Is this just plain a bad idea?

Personally I don't see much need for CD-ROM sales at all - especially for pre-orders. What's faster for the customer: Getting the CD mailed to him once the book is finished and the CDs are finished being made, or getting the book emailed to him when the book becomes available?

Normally I would support the CD-ROM idea at conventions - not as product delivery method, but as an advertising/awareness gimmick - but since you have POD books available now, I think you're far better off pushing a tangible physical product as opposed to a CD that someone may never put in the computer.

[Valamir]

1. I bought Violence Future at GenCon last year. When I got home, the CD was unreadable. Scott Knipe discovered his CD had the same issue and contacted Dav Harnish on our behalf. Dav was going to send replacements, but he apparently flaked the fuck out because despite subsequent nags from Scott, we haven't heard anything. I'll be hesitant in the future about buying CD format games at a convention, because lacking access to a computer there's no way to make sure you've got a usable product until you get home.

I am pretty sure my copy worked.  If either of you guys wanted to see the game I think I have it and could send it to you.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Hey Michael,
Anyway, I don't consider myself poisoned to the format, but I'll seriously think long and hard before I buy another one. The low cost of entry for the format seems associated with casual attitudes about what it means to actually be a publisher.

I think people say the same thing about PDF itself. I was quoted a cost of $20,000 to publish a game the standard way, and some people will never respect you unless you;ve spent that much cash.

I published the first edition of HeartQuest for about $5,000, but I'm hardly the best example. I doubt I'll sell out of the first printing before the second edition comes out.