Now i know that no one says no to something free but do other people think that it would be a good sign of customer loyality if FFG provided a free pdf copy of DW to those who have purchased a copy of DW CE so we can at least run the game before 6-8 weeks wait hoping that FFG release it before then or so that we don't spoil our copies of DW CE when they turn up?

Please post your replies.

I would support this. I bought the CE and want to get into playing the game as soon as possible, but don't have the money for a normal copy on top of the $200 I already spent on the CE, which is two months away from arriving. It seems almost unfair in a sense that I payed more money yet don't get the opportunity to enjoy my product until after everybody else.

It seems almost unfair in a sense that I payed more money yet don't get the opportunity to enjoy my product until after everybody else.

No. It would have been unfair if you had been forced at gunpoint to buy the CE.

Other than that... yes, it would be nice if they did that. It would also be nice if they went and produced three or four high-quality adventures and published them for free on their website (presumably they can only be played by people who already paid for the rules). There are lots of nice things FFG could do - whether they'll do them or just prefer to get some cold hard cash in return from those who don't want to wait for the CE or don't want to spoil the book by playing with it is another question...

While I would love to get the PDF version "free" after prepaying for the CE two months out, I have zero belief it will happen. Right now, I am more worried about my CE copy getting messed up in some way between the personaized oath or shipping.

Clearly, it would be swell to get free stuff. I'm not super sure what the profit margin is like on the Collector's Edition, so I can't say one way or the other if it would be reasonable to ask for a free PDF. And while people steal stuff on teh internets all the time, a PDF of a book is also something a company can make money on, and should be allowed to make money on if they want to.

Overall, I'd say you didn't pay for a digital copy as well as a physical one. Otherwise you'd have a digital copy. In the long run, we're all gonna have books, and the people who have the nicer books will get bragging rights. So patience is a virtue. That might not be a source of solace, but then it's just my opinion.

Personally I would question the motivation behind buying a $200 book in the first place, but there we go.

With that said, I would be happy if there was a "proof of purchase" option that would give you a reduction in the cost of a PDF.

Kage

It would be a nice gesture from FFG indeed, seeing as the book already exists in digital form before it goes of to the printer, so the production cost of a pdf is well, next to nothing.

And legally speaking it's legal if you would make a copy of a DVD or CD you already own for backup purposes, as long as that copy stays in your own posession and is used for private purposes. One could say the same for a book, but then again, I don't see anyone ruining an expensive book on a scanner just to turn it into a mediocre pdf.

So, yes, I would fully support a pdf version at reduced cost for the core book owners, and possibly free for the CE book owners.

Walker0001 said:

I think so, yes, given the pricing. At least they should have negotiated a good price from DriveThru for 2,000 e-copies. And then added a bit onto the price if necessary. To be honest, whether the CE costs 200 or 215 dollars doesn't make that much difference.

But, alas, the deed has been done (without).

Alex

Should they? Nah.

Would it be awesome of them if they did? Hell yes!

I think the collector's edition coming bundled with a key for a copy of the PDF would have been a good idea.

Better yet - that key that comes with the book, make that a USB that has the PDF on it.

BYE

Its already been enquired about, they told us to stfu

Oh well

Yeah, I made some inquiries as well. They basically told me they couldn't do it cause they work with DriveThru for the pdf and this makes it impossible to give away a free pdf. Well, let me tell you that Cubicle 7 works with DriveThru as well, and that I received a coupon for a free pdf version when purchasing a Doctor Who supplement. So it is possible, but they just don't want to do it. A shame that they try to blame it on someone else instead of simply saying "we don't want to give you the pdf for free (cause you will probably buy one anyway to keep your CE in pristine condition)".

Ah well, what's a few more weeks?

Eddie said:

FFG and other companies should reallize that they can't kid customers, except some of their teenage customers (due to inexperience). I didn't buy the 'We can't do it' for a minute. If they don't want to, they should say so and that's it.

Alex

It whould be cool but totally unfair to everyne else. CE collectors chose to pay 200 bucks for that, nobody forced them to pay that, it's their problem what they do with said item. I can understand why some whoul ask for suck benefict BUT I don't see why they should get something everyone else is paying for for free. They got their 200 bucks worth of material already, if they want something else, they might as well buy it.

I pre-ordered the regular version from Amazon in May, so I'll have both. The regular version is for play, the Collector's Edition is to keep. I don't think it's reasonable to expect FFG to give away free digital copies of Deathwatch for any reason.

Once more i would like to make my apologies for my poor english hope you can read me and even better understabd me.

As it had been said earlier on this topic, there is a right to make a copy of a product you have purchase for personnal use only. Ask FFG to make the copy could be too much to ask. But it is also obvious that they will have it almost for free... they got the master off the DW rulebook for the printer so it's only one or two small operation to turn it into PDF. Not really what i can call a massive work with a huge need in money.

For this point it could be good for their reputation and for custumer fidelity to give access code to a PDF for all the buyers of the DW rulebook even if not the collector edition. But at the end their will be a free PDF rulebook, could be better for them to be the one to thanks for it and made a good ad for their business.

Lucius Valerius said:

That's nonsense (and I am not a CE buyer). They have paid 200 dollars for a collector's item and not a daily use item. What you're saying is that they should buy a product with the same content but a different makeover all over again and that's non-sensical. It would have made sense to bundle the CE with a pdf, even delay the CE release if necessary, so that CE buyers do get the pdf at a bargain price too which the overwhelming majority of CE buyers would have appreciated, I'm sure.

Alex

ak-73 said:

In which case, if they want a daily use item, why shouldn't they pay for it? They are the ones to chose to buy a copy of a book they'll never use. Plus, lots of people have used their Rogue Trader CEs, I know at least 3 from the RPG groups I play with who use their CEs rather than leave them on a shelf.

MILLANDSON said:

So you're saying that the actual price they have to pay for playing Deathwatch and owning a copy of the CE isn't $200 but $200+ and it means that you have to have two copies of the same book on the shelf. (Or wait months for the pdf version to come out.)

Okay... glad I didn't buy the CE. Looks nice but it's a complete waste.

Alex

Noone forced us to buy a CE. We agreed to the price etc., without the promise of a pdf, so why should FFG suddenly give us one?

Crownblade said:

All true. It still doesn't strike me as having been designed with a gamer in mind. At least a bargain on a pdf would have been nice.

Alex

No

Free stuff is great but you made the choice to purchase a CE. You knew going into the purchase what was in the package. If you choose to put your CE on a shelf and never open it, that is your CHOICE. My advice would be to stop whining about a decision you made to purchase something. No one twisted your arm and forced you to spend $200 on the CE. Your choice to not use it is your problem.

I use my RT CE and I plan to use my DW CE. I feel that FFG owes me nothing except to fulfill the order I placed. FFG even went to the length of sending out messages to everyone after the order explaining the time delay and giving you a no questions asked chance to cancel your order.

I have nothing but respect for FFG after they way they handled the RT CE box damage. They spent a large amount of money to reprint, assemble and reship the RT CE boxes that were damaged at no cost to the consumer. That is a huge show of customer support for any company and they had no real responsibility to go that far for their customers, but they did.

I agree that whilst having the pdf including with the CE would have been nice, they never said they would do it and thus buyers of the CE edition shouldn't expect one. But they should simply state that it wasn't included and don't intend to give it away for free instead of saying they can't due to DriveThru.

I intend to bring my Collector's Edition of DeathWatch to my RPG group, and not let it collect dust at the shelf. I think it would be a real shame to leave it at home actually!

Eddie said:

So just because Cubicle can do it, then by right FFG can do it? Perhaps they have a different contract/rights with the distributor. Maybe because of the nature of the FFG/GW contract/license they have to do things differently fromthe FFG/Drive Thru angle.