As far as I can tell, I don't see such a feature on Paizo.com.
It would be cool to have something to register your items. I was thinking like putting a unique key on books that you register online and have PDF access to it. On the other hand, though, considering how the books are sold, it's only five seconds to open up a book, copy it down, and then type it in. You'd have to probably raise the prices on books to implement a system that would allow legit customers to get online copies and cheapskates to not get them.
The only way to get access to the PDFs is to either purchase the PDF or buy your books through a subscription at Paizo.com, in which case the PDFs are free.
Old thread but I feel the need to add to it. I would like to be able to register my Paizo assets as well and there by gain access to PDF versions of those printed materials.
For instance, I own the Beginners Box, Core Rulebook (Fifth Printing), Beastiary Box 1 (Pawns), Beastiary 1, Advanced Players Guide, Ultimate Magic, and half a dozen other books along with the GM screen.
I would love to be able to download the corresponding PDF's for the above items so that I could more easily search within the books while running a game. However, I don't really feel it's fair that I need to make a separate purchase of the PDF's or obtain a subscription in order to get these files.
Registering our play materials would be a way to prove that we have purchased the physical distributions of these items and would allow legitimate customers further access to the digital versions of these items.
Please look into implementing this system. It would add much value to and already wonderful system!
-HeavyAl
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From here:
And this isn't just about paizo.com sales versus retail sales, either. People who purchase individual issues through paizo.com don't get a free PDF either. The point is, people who have subscribed have made a commitment to us, and we're rewarding that with the free PDF.
Further, keep in mind that subscribers pay shipping on their copies, and that shipping charge brings the total subscriber cost pretty close to the retail price. For most people, the PDF is the only real incentive, because the discount is a wash with shipping.
This isn't about people who pay retail getting less; this is about people who make an ongoing commitment to us getting more. It's how the business of subscriptions works.
(I'll further point out that shipping has gotten a lot more expensive since 2007 as well, so the subscriber deal's not as good as it was then.)
Here's a more recent statement:
The plan you propose would essentially take the same benefits that monthly subscribers get and give them to people who drop in every six months and buy six months worth of product. But frankly, even though the credit card processing costs are higher, we'd rather get $13 a month for six months than $78 every six months; predictable monthly income, and predictable print run sizing, are the entire point of our subscription business.
Also, we want to make sure that the best time to subscribe is always "the sooner, the better". What you're proposing effectively provides retroactive subscriber benefits, and changes the best time to subscribe to "whenever."
I would love to be able to download the corresponding PDF's for the above items so that I could more easily search within the books while running a game. However, I don't really feel it's fair that I need to make a separate purchase of the PDF's or obtain a subscription in order to get these files.
Hi, Al.
Many people have asked for this, and the answer has always been "no." While I don't like that answer either, from the business side, it makes a lot of sense.
Free PDFs are the main benefit to subscribing. (Well, that and getting the products a week or so ahead of everyone else.)
The benfit to Paizo of regular subscribers is immense. Their entire business model is based on monthly subscriptions. Anything that tinkers with that is going to be a huge risk that a niche publisher is just not going to be able to take.
I subscribe to just the AP line. (I'd love to subscribe to the Campaign Setting and Rulebook lines too, but it's not in my budget.)
For the Rulebooks, I usually buy the hardcover from a discount retailer (like Amazon-- I have a Prime subscription, so free shipping), and then I also buy the $10 PDF from Paizo. The two together add up to about what the hardcover plus shipping would cost when ordering directly from Paizo.
For Campaign Settings, Modules, and Player Companions, I usually just buy the PDFs. I happen to have access to free grayscale printing (within reason) as a job perk, so I make my own B&W hardcopies of my PDFs.
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Free PDFs are the main benefit to subscribing. (Well, that and getting the products a week or so ahead of everyone else.)
I feel the need to point out that there's a lot of subscribers in the August Shipping thread who are bummed that it's now past street date, people can walk into their FLGS and buy the product, and they still don't have their PDFs.
Subscribers sometimes get their PDFs early; sometimes, especially around GenCon, they get them late. The only benefit Paizo offers for subscribing is the free PDF. For most lines, there isn't even a discount so we're paying sticker price plus shipping. If Paizo offered free PDFs for anyone who bought their product anywhere, I'd drop my sub in a half-second and get my print product from Amazon for 40% off (and free shipping -- yay, Prime).
Free PDFs are the main benefit to subscribing. (Well, that and getting the products a week or so ahead of everyone else.)
Well, Unfortunately the part in parentheses is no longer true. At least not for every subscriber. I'm still waiting for access to the PDFs for this month's products, while they have already been available for a few days to "everyone else". And now it's the weekend, so I'll have to wait for at least two more days. And this is not the first time this has happened this year. I know Paizo are doing their best, but still, it's hard not to feel at least a bit disappointed.
I'm not sure what you mean by "register." Are you just looking to track your purchases? If so, you could always create a list. (Start by going to any product and clicking the "list this product" button.)
So I did this....I created a list of for all the PF products I own...and a wishlist for the ones I don't.
When I try to view the list of owned products (a list that is about 285) I seem to crash the website...