Quote from: jdrakehWell, as I see it, the main hurdle is one of communication between all parties involved. The second is one of unrealistic expectations that several publishers have (i.e., many individual publishers want their personal desires fulfilled, the needs and desires of others be damned). The first can be overcome, with work. The second isn't a problem with OBS, frankly*.

*With the caveat that OBS doesn't try to satsify all of those publishers. If this happens, it becomes an OBS problem because doing this thing is absolutely impossible (and, thus, accepting the burden of trying is welcoming certain failure).

I think it is deeper than that. That said, since they have a clause that can mean my dismissal from OBS sales sites if I speak ill of them in public, I will refrain from further detail.

Bill

Really this subject has nothing to do with rpgNOW or any other site and everything to do with how the creator wishes to promote his work. I still can't help thinking that everyone would be better off if people sold their work directly. It's not as if they don't already have their own domains.

Quote from: signoftheserpentReally this subject has nothing to do with rpgNOW or any other site and everything to do with how the creator wishes to promote his work. I still can't help thinking that everyone would be better off if people sold their work directly. It's not as if they don't already have their own domains.

I do sell directly and it does work to an extent, but this is the rub, customers want to buy more than just HinterWelt products. They want to go toone place and buy HinterWelt, Ronin Arts, Flying Mice, and XRP (or whatever combination) and not have to maintain four accounts or go through four separate checkouts.

So, yeah, if you have your own domain and can swing it, you should have your own store. If you are interested in selling any real number of PDFs and getting exposure, well, then you need to be on a mall site.

Bill

can you not do both? or does rpgnow et all not allow you to use them and sell direct?

Quote from: signoftheserpentcan you not do both? or does rpgnow et all not allow you to use them and sell direct?

Yes, and I do. However, you will always find better sales (for the smaller guys int he PDF market) in mall sites. Do not get me wrong, I would STRONGLY advise ANY publisher to have their own site. Just understand that it will take a while and a lot of marketing to build a customer base on your site. Even then, unless you are releasing titles every month (3-4) you will probably see better sales on mall sites.

OBS will allow you to sell from your own site. This was part of the negotiation after the merger.

Bill

Quote from: signoftheserpentReally this subject has nothing to do with rpgNOW or any other site and everything to do with how the creator wishes to promote his work. I still can't help thinking that everyone would be better off if people sold their work directly. It's not as if they don't already have their own domains.

There's a lot more to setting up an e-store than having one's own domain. For instance, I would be liable for accounting for sales tax, which is frankly not worth the bother for the small amount of sales I would get through that site - not the tax itself, mind, but the cost of accounting. In any case, I would have to sell on my own site at the same rate I sell at OBS, thus the customer would not benefit.

-clash

I'd have been more than willing to email him a link for a comp of the free MARS preview, but honestly, given the fact that the game being previewed is sold exclusively at RPGNow/DTRPG or from us, it seems a bit bizarre that he'd be so resolute about refusing to sign up, which he'd end up having to do anyway if he wanted the game.

I mean, OK, so I send him the preview, so he doesn't have to sign up at the EEEEEEEVIL webstore.  Say that it turns out that the preview catches his interest, and he wants the game.....uh-oh, now we're back to him having to register, either with RPGNow/DTRPG, or via our Paypal check-out.

Seemed to me that it was just a long road to more aggravation, as he further ranted about the need to sign up.

The whole thing just seemed to be a case of "indulge my demand!  NOW!"

Bluntly put, I have better things to do than deal with Internet nutters.

If you were really interested in sending the preview, you would have done so. Let's not play silly buggers shall we? After all it's easy to say what we would have done, isn't it!

And you obviously enjoy missing the point: that promo material should be made as available as possible. Having to register on a website I don't particuarly care for (despite your childish subjective language) just to get a preview for a game I might not even want isn't top of my to-do list. Sorry to burst your bubble, fatboy. I mean I'm sure it's a great game and all, but if I can't download it directly straight away (never mind actually searching for your company's website to find out if it's actually there - which it isnt), then why should I care?

You want to do business, then make your products available.

You want to mouth off at anyone who expresses an interest and raises a valid point about promotion in the process, forget it.

Quote from: flyingmiceThere's a lot more to setting up an e-store than having one's own domain. For instance, I would be liable for accounting for sales tax, which is frankly not worth the bother for the small amount of sales I would get through that site - not the tax itself, mind, but the cost of accounting. In any case, I would have to sell on my own site at the same rate I sell at OBS, thus the customer would not benefit.

-clash

I don't doubt it, but at least make promo material, such as free previews, readily accessible. Otherwise it's a bit like showing the trailers for what's coming out in cinemas soon right after the credits have rolled at the end of the movie!

Quote from: signoftheserpentthat promo material should be made as available as possible.

The preview has been available *for a year* on the two major webstores in my industry.  

Sorry if you don't consider that to be "as available as possible", but frankly, I go where my customers are.

Quote from: signoftheserpentHaving to register on a website I don't particuarly care for (despite your childish subjective language) just to get a preview for a game I might not even want isn't top of my to-do list. Sorry to burst your bubble, fatboy.

Funny that you decide to "burst my bubble" by confirming exactly what I said would be the case.  

If you're not interested in registering for the site WHERE THE FUCKING GAME IS SOLD, then the preview is hardly going to make a difference, is it?  

In your response to someone else you said:

Quote from: signoftheserpentOtherwise it's a bit like showing the trailers for what's coming out in cinemas soon right after the credits have rolled at the end of the movie!

No, it's like showing the trailer for a new film that's coming out, in the cinema (where it will be shown), and having some raving nutter standing outside the theater bitching about how you're not letting him see the trailer without going inside....which, by god, he's not going to do, because he "doesn't particularly care for" the theater.

Demanding, unreasonable, illogical and fucking annoying, all in one go.


I have no problems interacting with people who express legitimate interest, but again, I have no time or patience for Internet nutters -- and we've moved a metric buttload of MARS since we released in the first week of April, so I must be doing something right.

Quote from: GMSkarkaThe preview has been available *for a year* on the two major webstores in my industry.  

Sorry if you don't consider that to be "as available as possible", but frankly, I go where my customers are.



Funny that you decide to "burst my bubble" by confirming exactly what I said would be the case.  

If you're not interested in registering for the site WHERE THE FUCKING GAME IS SOLD, then the preview is hardly going to make a difference, is it?  

In your response to someone else you said:



No, it's like showing the trailer for a new film that's coming out, in the cinema (where it will be shown), and having some raving nutter standing outside the theater bitching about how you're not letting him see the trailer without going inside....which, by god, he's not going to do, because he "doesn't particularly care for" the theater.

Demanding, unreasonable, illogical and fucking annoying, all in one go.


I have no problems interacting with people who express legitimate interest, but again, I have no time or patience for Internet nutters -- and we've moved a metric buttload of MARS since we released in the first week of April, so I must be doing something right.

What a sad little man you are; if that chip on your shoulder ever gets you down, you just let me know. :rolleyes:

No one is demanding, bitching or being unreasonable.

I had a whole smartass reply typed out, but really..are you for real, or just a windup merchant?

Quote from: GrimjackDoes anyone have much experience with Drivethrurpgs?  I downloaded the MRQ Arms & Equipment manual from them recently and it went pretty well.  I like not having to wait for Amazon to get things in stock and the price was right.   I'm curious if anyone has had any problems with them before I start downloading more stuff.

I've only downloaded one thing from Drivethrurpgs. I had no problems with it. I've downloaded a couple things from RPGNow. As well and had no problems. The only problem I've had with RPGNow, would be their sister site RPGShop. But in the end it was because they did not have or could not get the product I wanted. So they sent something else by the publisher in its place. So I only got have of what I wanted and some other stuff I didn't. With no explanation from them. Contacted them and they sent the order out again. Same thing. Left me very unhappy. All they had to do was tell me that they couldnt get the book because the publisher didnt have it available. Hopefully they have gotten their customer service together since then. But this happening has definitely steered me away for both RPGShop, and RPGNow.

Quote from: signoftheserpentI don't doubt it, but at least make promo material, such as free previews, readily accessible. Otherwise it's a bit like showing the trailers for what's coming out in cinemas soon right after the credits have rolled at the end of the movie!

Makes sense to me. But then again it did take me a while to put this--
http://www.silverlionstudios.com/HS/preview.pdf together. I'm planning on doing something similar with future games as well. (I'm just slow at writing, these days )