Gray Lensman
SOC-13
Are the old Digest Group Publications books (like World Builders Handbook) available on PDF anywhere?
DGP on PDF
- Thread starter Gray Lensman
- Start date
jfetters
SOC-14 1K
Nope - not commercially. Unless you have a ton of money to persuade the current owner of the DGP stuff to do so, it likely never will, unfortunately.
casquilho
SOC-13
Is there a story why he/she would nto want to republish either as PDF or paper these materials? Or is it just "It's mine and I don't want to" kind of thing?
Daniel
From what I've read (on this forum, in fact), DGP owed a not insignificant amount of money to some of the authors when it folded, and those debts were transferred to the new owner.
Monies from a for-profit reprint would need to be distributed to those who have a claim. Also, the reprint would presumably need to be cleared by FFE. This seems unlikely.
A not-for-profit reprint might skirt that, but doesn't seem likely with the current owner, who either believes the IP retains value or (more likely IMHO) is sick and tired of the whole thing and doesn't want to sink any time or money into it.
Personally, I've been snapping up copies on eBay of the Travellers' Digest and some of the other reference books, and holding on to them until such a time as this becomes moot or can prove useful (e.g. lending them to a legitimized scanning project).
Monies from a for-profit reprint would need to be distributed to those who have a claim. Also, the reprint would presumably need to be cleared by FFE. This seems unlikely.
A not-for-profit reprint might skirt that, but doesn't seem likely with the current owner, who either believes the IP retains value or (more likely IMHO) is sick and tired of the whole thing and doesn't want to sink any time or money into it.
Personally, I've been snapping up copies on eBay of the Travellers' Digest and some of the other reference books, and holding on to them until such a time as this becomes moot or can prove useful (e.g. lending them to a legitimized scanning project).
hunter
Ancient - Absent Friend
He's been offered deals in which he wouldn't have to do anything but license over the rights and collect his royalties. He has declined them all.
He also can't seem to come to terms with Marc for a license of his own to republish the material either via PDF or print. And no, Marc wasn't asking for anything unreasonable.
He also can't seem to come to terms with Marc for a license of his own to republish the material either via PDF or print. And no, Marc wasn't asking for anything unreasonable.
$100,000 for a segment of a fractured portion of a declining marketplace???
I'm not sure there was ever a time when any part of the games industry outside the D&D world was worth that, and these days, in a shrinking games industry... (shakes head, wanders off muttering something about delusion).
I'm not sure there was ever a time when any part of the games industry outside the D&D world was worth that, and these days, in a shrinking games industry... (shakes head, wanders off muttering something about delusion).
With the coming of T5, and especially the higher profile MGT, now would be the time if ever to release something before they are all but forgotten...
hunter
Ancient - Absent Friend
Doubtful. It was tried when T4 came out, GT came out, and T20 came out. Somehow I doubt it will happen this time around either but someone other than me is welcome to try this time
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
I think there'll always be an interest in the material, as long as there are Traveller's. It's good stuff, and quite adaptable to any rules set.
I don't think it was ever worth what he hoped to get for it and have long thought he should have released it in some revenue generating form to recoup a little of his investment and make some token payment to the artists/contributers still owed.
I suspect it is a matter of he crunched the numbers and figured how much he had to charge to make it worth his time. Not what could realistically be gotten from it. And there it stands. He can't get what he wants, and won't take anything less. And what he wants probably grows over time to keep pace with the increasing losses on the investment and adjusted for inflation.
Just my guess from reading between the many lines on the subject over the years. No doubt I've missed the mark by a wide margin.
What's the copyright law on that material anyway? That's likely the only way it'll ever see distribution again.
In the US, it's newer than "Steamboat Willie," so I don't like your chances. Over here it's life of company or life of author + 50 years. (And it's probably all changed again.)
The best hope is probably a bankruptcy or deceased estate. An observation, not a suggestion.
Yep, 1928. I had to go look up the year for "Steamboat Willie." That damn mouse has a lot to answer for.
Wikipedia has some coverage of its role in copyright extension.
Wikipedia has some coverage of its role in copyright extension.
Maladominus
SOC-14 1K
Berg speaks the truth. With the imminent release of MGT and T5, Traveller gaming fanbase will be more diluted than ever. What does that mean? It means proportionately LESS interest and gamer-interest-base for the MegaTraveller setting and MT-related products, as many gamers who might have been drawn to MT in the past, will now be eyeing the newer variants.
Icosahedron
SOC-14 1K
Hey, maybe we should buy the guy out as a collective. The authors who are owed money might donate their already-written-off efforts to a non-profit publication. I could see my way to putting ten dollars into the tray - now we just need to find another 9,999 volunteers...
Kinda puts the ridiculessness of the sum into perspective, doesn't it? You'd be lucky to make that money back if everyTraveller fan bought a copy of the published books - like that would happen!
Kinda puts the ridiculessness of the sum into perspective, doesn't it? You'd be lucky to make that money back if everyTraveller fan bought a copy of the published books - like that would happen!
BruceEdwinMorrow
SOC-11
So how much dees this guy make from it now that it's out of print?
Looking at numbers:
$35 for CT x 1429 sales = 50,000
$35 for MT x 1429 sales = 50,000
Question is: Could he sell 1500 copies of each. I'd like to think so. The stuff was really, really well done. As long as you understood that the ship design sequence is broken. (But that is what Don's Errata is for).
I own all but a few of the items, but I'd still buy a CD of each.
Although while I've been waiting for him to come to his senses, I have been giving my scanner, OCR software and Word processor a work-out to the point it won't be necessary to own a cd.
$35 for CT x 1429 sales = 50,000
$35 for MT x 1429 sales = 50,000
Question is: Could he sell 1500 copies of each. I'd like to think so. The stuff was really, really well done. As long as you understood that the ship design sequence is broken. (But that is what Don's Errata is for).
I own all but a few of the items, but I'd still buy a CD of each.
Although while I've been waiting for him to come to his senses, I have been giving my scanner, OCR software and Word processor a work-out to the point it won't be necessary to own a cd.
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Icosahedron
SOC-14 1K
Yeah, but you're quoting turnover there, not profit. You'd need to sell way more than that to make 100k profit, and even then you'd only just be breaking even.
