----- Original Message ----- From: "Chad Stevens" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, June 18, 2002 10:50 AM Subject: RE: [Ogf-l] Economics of Open Content
> The real problem with trying to apply this to core books and modules is that > modules simply are not commodities. It's a square peg/round hole kind of > problem. > > A commodity is something where you get pretty much the same thing, > regardless of who you get it from. For the most part, oil is oil, corn is > corn, beef is beef, etc. It doesn't really matter if I buy a gallon of gas > from Shell or Amoco, it's still a gallon of gas. > > Also, a commodity needs to be pretty much the same as all other items of its > type. The first gallon of gas out of the pump is pretty much the same as > the next. One ear of corn is pretty much the same as the next. One bar of > gold is pretty much the same as the next. > > Modules don't work that way. First, the producer really does matter. > WotC's modules differ in quality from those of S&SS, which are different > from both AEG and Troll Lord (just examples--not saying anything good or bad > about any of these companies). They are not all the same between > manufacturers. Also, they are not even all the same within manufacturers. > Every module is a different type of adventure (mystery, combat, exploration) > and set for a different party level. "Sunless Citadel" is not just the same > as Lord of the "Iron Fortress". Therefore, not only does it matter who you > buy from, but which specific one you buy. > > Modules just don't follow the rules of commodities. Interesting discussion, > but it just doesn't fit. > This seems right to me. I do make a distinction between modules, even the tiny 8 page ones though it's typically more difficult for me to find out which of those are decent. I don't make a distinction regarding brands of butter; for those I just pick whatever happens to be on sale. Steven Palmer Peterson www.Second-World-Simulations.com _______________________________________________ Ogf-l mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.opengamingfoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/ogf-l
