Digital releases are here to stay, and they are becoming more and more vital to keep up on the latest books and expansions. So much that that for the first time, we are receiving a full codex release in a digital exclusive format, codex: Inquisition. The Adepta Sororitas was also one of these releases, being digital only.
Codex supplements are the biggest issue for a lot of us that do not normally pick up the digital versions of the codices or other books for the hobby. With a digital first, and print copy to follow sometimes taking several months, there is a lot of down time if that release is one of your armies.
If you do play with digital versions of your books, you never have to wait for a digital release. I know a year ago, literally everyone was in a panic about digital releases. Either the releases were not on every format, or before when we did not even have a digital version.
Now if you want the latest and greatest, you are always safer with a digital version of the codex, supplement, or expansion. You will get yours when it is available, and will not even have to pay for the gas to go down your local watering hole.
Your local non-Games Workshop game store suffers with this. As more and more people start switching over to digital products, they will not be buying them from their local brick and mortar shops. Of course they can still support them by getting their models from them (and I highly suggest you do support your local stores). There is however a counter argument.... releases are faster now, and there is more new product always coming out to push to the game.
So what is the future of the print version of our books? Yes, they will still be printed, but you may end up having to wait for them, especially if they are digital exclusive. This could very well be why Games Workshop has started doing so many limited edition runs. Limited Edition, Special Collectors Editions, and Ultimate Many different name editions is how I see the future of Print Copies of our books. This will be especially true and more and more of us start switching over to digital.
The digital product is by far a more superior product. The ipad version has more features than the print copy, is replaceable if you drop your ipad/ print copy book in water or destroy it, is regularly updated with FAQ information and erratas, and can be updated with new units easily in the future. Best yet, if you do not have an ipad, you can get the ebook version of the codex or supplement, and these generally run less expensive.
So by far the digital products are far superior to the print copies. There are just more options, and its a better product. Of course if you still want a print copy, you can, even if you want a special edition limited release version.
Of course the above is not meant to complain, but instead to notice where the game is going. The release of Inquisition (technically a new codex with lots of new ways to play) is going to start off with being digitally exclusive. It is just easier for Games Workshop to release things digitally. Its faster, more efficient, and easier to update with FAQ's.
In essence, its a better product than the physical version of the codex.
Monday I head out to my Ipad.
via Games Workshop Digital Editions.
You'd be hard pressed to find anyone these days without a tablet, phone, pc, laptop, mac or eReader. If people have one of these and decide not to buy the book, that is entirely up to them, in much the same way people can decide to buy a new physical codex, or not.
We certainly aren't going to stop making digital books, but you will probably see the majority of the more popular titles make it into print.
Monday I head out to my Ipad.
via Games Workshop Digital Editions.
You'd be hard pressed to find anyone these days without a tablet, phone, pc, laptop, mac or eReader. If people have one of these and decide not to buy the book, that is entirely up to them, in much the same way people can decide to buy a new physical codex, or not.
We certainly aren't going to stop making digital books, but you will probably see the majority of the more popular titles make it into print.