Games Workshop going digital

[goat major]

So GW have discovered computers and are releasing their first sets of books in IPad format. They appear to be more than just PDFs - more like interactive versions of the paper books with things like 360 degree photos etc. in true GW style the first book, Space Marine Codex is priced at £25 - £4 more than the paper version......

Worth it or a money making scam ?.......

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?type=article&aId=22200010a

[GordonY]

Anything done by the Evil Empire is a scam, I'm surprised that you even had to ask.

[Luddite]

£25 for an ibook is taking the piddle. 

But then £20 for a single figure is the standard Gisyer Walletshop works to so...

It does look good though.
VERY tempted by the ipad, but i really don't have enough use for one to justify the £400 outlay.   

[Leon]

It'd depend on the amount/quality of the extra's I'd think, as £25 is a bit much for an e-book.  3D photo's are nice, but they're not really a massively complex thing to do with the right setup/budget.  Is there anything that stands out over the regular books?

VERY tempted by the ipad, but i really don't have enough use for one to justify the £400 outlay.   

I've not had a play on an iPad myself, but I got a Motorola Xoom for Xmas, and it's been fantastic so far.  Combined with the Mi-Fi unit we got, I'm now online at every show we go to, in the hotel, the van, anywhere.  I've not even got into 10% of what it can do, but I'd definitely recommend one.  You can have a go at Durham next Saturday!

[nikharwood]

It'd depend on the amount/quality of the extra's I'd think, as £25 is a bit much for an e-book.  3D photo's are nice, but they're not really a massively complex thing to do with the right setup/budget.  Is there anything that stands out over the regular books?

I think this is the point: essentially, Apple gives away the proprietary software necessary to achieve this kind of publication (we do it all the time with work) - so the cost for this does seem to be high given that production costs & overheads reduce to practically nothing...if you have a look around at what the RPG world are doing with digital media - and the price they're doing it at - this is laughable really...

I've not had a play on an iPad myself, but I got a Motorola Xoom for Xmas, and it's been fantastic so far.  Combined with the Mi-Fi unit we got, I'm now online at every show we go to, in the hotel, the van, anywhere.  I've not even got into 10% of what it can do, but I'd definitely recommend one.  You can have a go at Durham next Saturday!

I've played with iPads and a Sony S1 Android tablet - again through work: I use the Android almost constantly and the iPad on occasion...I find Android a much more intuitive operating system overall - but the quality of the iPad is outstanding; after all - it is the most expensive piece of glass you'll ever buy. The beauty of tablets - in whatever form - is the ease of access for browsing & integration of software that increases productivity - apps will shortcut huge amounts of things. And they're far less intrusive in your daily life - especially if you're in company / talking to people / with the family etc... Just don't think that you'll use one for serious work though - they're more for accessing material than creating it (if you're looking to write / draw / edit anything).

Don't go getting a 3G version of either of these though - you'll pay £100 more for the privilege of bunging a SIM card in it & coughing up for a monthly contract...just find wifi wherever you go & you'll be fine!

It probably goes without saying that, for gaming, tablets are stunning when you've got rules on-board; everything to-hand, easily retrievable - and with the ability to take pics & write your bat rep as you go all from the same device? Money well-spent if you ask me 

[Leon]

Don't go getting a 3G version of either of these though - you'll pay £100 more for the privilege of bunging a SIM card in it & coughing up for a monthly contract...just find wifi wherever you go & you'll be fine!

Definitely.  We got a Mi-Fi unit from T-Mobile for £10 a month, which works basically like a mobile phone and emits a Wi-Fi signal.  It's got some usage limits, but I've not hit them yet, and it's perfect for taking to the shows.

[i_am_win]

£25 for an ebook is a load of toss, It'll never replace the flesh and bones of a real book in your hands, and an ebook won't have that "new book" smell either!
Seriously though, no matter what little extras it has, £25 is a ridiculous price for an ebook. Im sure that when used right ipad/clones are an excellent tool for wargames, but until they come down further in price (and the ebook price as well) it won't be catching on too soon, not when soon it'll be available for a free torrent download or similar somewhere, even if they have some kind of anti piracy code stopping it from being duplicated, some clever hacker will soon crack it.

[Techno]

As a complete old f*rt who understands next to nothing about the majority  of modern technology.....(Though I love my iPod)
Can someone answer me this ?

If you've paid for loads of dosh for downloading all sorts of spiffy stuff onto these gizmos.....and then your 'whatever it happens to be' completely dies....and you can't retrieve the data....Haven't you lost the whole lot ?

I just imagine someone's kindle (is that what they're called ?) with dozens/hundreds of books stored on it being lost or broken.....Isn't your whole library gone forever, unless you pay for it all over again......Or are these things 'backupable' (says he inventing a new word !) on your home PC or external hard drive ?

I can fully understand the massive convenience of carrying wodges of information around in a portable gadget.....But I'd be scared to death that I could lose EVERYTHING in a moment, if I used one. (Or lost it)

And I thought that the whole idea of 'electronic books' was that they were oodles cheaper.

Cheers - Phil.

[goat major]

Phil - both Kindles and Apple's iBooks store your purchases in the cloud as well as on the device so if you broke it then you could buy a new one and resynchronise with your account and you'd get your books back.

[Techno]

Thanks for the info GM !
Aha !....That makes a great deal more sense.
Cheers - Phil.

[Serotonin]

I  love wargaming stuff on my iPad, the best so far has to be I Aint Been Shot Mum, which was a lovely pdf thats been designed for tablets, it works so well, far quicker than a rule book. If other companies could do what TFL have done with IABSM, I would never buy a proper rulebook again.

[Fenton]

As a complete old f*rt who understands next to nothing about the majority  of modern technology.....(Though I love my iPod)
Can someone answer me this ?

If you've paid for loads of dosh for downloading all sorts of spiffy stuff onto these gizmos.....and then your 'whatever it happens to be' completely dies....and you can't retrieve the data....Haven't you lost the whole lot ?

I just imagine someone's kindle (is that what they're called ?) with dozens/hundreds of books stored on it being lost or broken.....Isn't your whole library gone forever, unless you pay for it all over again......Or are these things 'backupable' (says he inventing a new word !) on your home PC or external hard drive ?

I can fully understand the massive convenience of carrying wodges of information around in a portable gadget.....But I'd be scared to death that I could lose EVERYTHING in a moment, if I used one. (Or lost it)

And I thought that the whole idea of 'electronic books' was that they were oodles cheaper.

Cheers - Phil.

And you use Techno as your nickname?

[Nosher]

Sorry.

Whats wrong with paper and the Mk1 Eyeball?

I dont end up tied into a two year contract, I dont end up getting fleeced every two years for the latest gizmo when my previous gizmo is no longer compatible, I dont get fleeced further for upgrades and for new software every five minutes between siad contract renewal because thirty seconds after buying my new gizmo its already out of date, I dont get fleeced for accessories I dont actually need and will never ever use....

And how often do you see someone getting fined for driving without due care and attention whilst reading a book?

At nearly every set of traffic lights I pull up at there is some tosspot plugged into his gizmo, earphones in or on completely oblivious of every other road user.

[Luddite]

If you've paid for loads of dosh for downloading all sorts of spiffy stuff onto these gizmos.....and then your 'whatever it happens to be' completely dies....and you can't retrieve the data....Haven't you lost the whole lot ?

I just imagine someone's kindle (is that what they're called ?) with dozens/hundreds of books stored on it being lost or broken.....Isn't your whole library gone forever, unless you pay for it all over again......Or are these things 'backupable' (says he inventing a new word !) on your home PC or external hard drive ?

Cloud computing mate.  Store it 'in the cloud'.  If, of course, you're happy for someone else to have all your files and data...

[Techno]

And you use Techno as your nickname?

Hi Fenton.
For some completely unfathomable reason I was given the nickname Technodestructorman by a certain person at the EE.....Just don't ask.....I dunno !!
It just got shortened to Techno.
It should be Technophobeman now !....Far more appropriate methinks !!

Cheers - Phil