Electronic Sales - Interested?

[rpghost]

Hi everyone,

I'm try to get a feel for wether there is a market for an idea I have come up with. First, if you don't know already, RPG Host has a network of gaming sites that work basically as a huge resource - but also work great as a marketing engine. We have nearly a quarter million unique visitors per month. If we just mention a site it typically gets a couple hundred extra users a day. We've even got more plans with some ties to a print magazine for the future...

Anyway, ontop of putting together an industry private site ( http://www.rpgindustry.com ) to help you develop and share ideas and find artists... we'd like to help you all actually make money from your games (and hard work). We are considering a sort of super mall shop for the electronic distribution of RPGs and Modules and add-on content to WebRPG and OpenRPG. We would setup a site and promote it which would help your game gain a lot of exposure (along with others). The site will also go a long way to legitimizing your game in the eyes of players.

In short, you'd have to put down nothing. We'd take a percentage and handle the website and credit card payments. You'd get a check once a month. Simple right?

Well as I said, we're looking for input and ideas and suggestions. For exmaple, what do you like bast for a site where you can buy downloadable RPG games/modules/etc... rpgdownloader.com rpggoods.com rpgsupplies.com rpgrightnow.com

Would you be interested in such a thing? Would you allow us to be exclusive or at least not sell it off your own site (since we'll be doing the promotion).

Thanks!
James
http://www.rpghost.com

[Dav]

I must say that the idea has merit (especially for those of us who have little web-savvy, or just too much sloth).  Before I could really say whether or not I'd jump on it, I'd want hard numbers, but all-in-all, I'd go with it.  

One brief thing, however, I think an "as-we-get-it" order history for the publisher/creator would be nice, so that those of us who do such things can bank orders on previous quarters and handle inventory on alternative methods.  The check once per month is cool, but having a program that would email the person to notify them that their game sold is nice, so we know if we have enough to put a down-payment on our flashy new DVD players.

I would get behind it, especially as I have no true place to sell my creations (other than freeloading on others' sites).  I think it would be an all-in-all great thing for me (and others like me).  I am behind it.

Dav Harnish
apophisconsortium.com

[Nathan]

It is a great idea, but I would urge an independent author to seek collaboration with someone else. I know that most of us here are willing to help each other out. I am willing to host most anybody's site, if they need it.

The problem when you go with a big "geocities" type site is that you can lose a ton of individuality. Let's say Dav goes with BuyGamesCommunity.com. At first, things may go great. People are excited about all these cool games they can get from this site. Then comes Joe Gamer A and B. They go ahead and throw up their stink quality stuff and sell it. Gamers visiting the site buy this stuff, get pissed off, and refuse to buy anything else from BuyGamesCommunity.com. Dav is hurt by some other punks he does not even know.

If I see that someone has a geocities site for example, I can't take them very seriously. Anybody can get a geocities site. Sure, anyone can get their own domain too, but hey, if they spent money on their stuff, that means something at least, even if it stinks.

Of course, I could be wrong (as always). :smile:

There are benefits to having one big source handle all the dirty work, letting the designers get on with designing. There are benefits to setting it up yourself, also, I imagine.

Well, just my .02 cents

BTW James, are you breathing easier now that CyberCon is over?

[rpghost]

The point is to simply relieve the game developers of the duties of hosting and webpage design and dealing with credit card processors who rip you off and all that... The point is NOT to create a bunch of custom sites for everyone to put their stuff. It is NOT the point to be just a host.

The point is to create a specialized E-Store for the sale and instant delivery of games and accessories (PDF files mainly). It would all look like one site, it would be more of a central place to get basic info about all the games we serve - but more detail and personal sites would STILL be up to the game maker to create and host. Our network has become a large marketing machine. Just mentioning a site can set 200+ visitors that day. Ask yourselves, how many of your sites even get near that today? Think of us as a MALL - you pay a higher rate to rent space in a mall, but there is good reason for that - people walk by your shop constantly. We can provide the mall to sell your products with no rent downpayment - just a share of the sales.

On top of that we'll be promoting this site and concept for you in print magazines. We'll have other popular game systems join up (not just the indie) so there will be more people shopping. Plus we can even get into selling other forms of presenting your game system, like WebRPG or OpenRPG formated PHB's and Adventure files.

All in all you have little to loose. We can even offer the hard copy books at our RPGShop.com site as along as you're willing to drop-ship (assuming you don't work with a distributor right now).

Again, I'm interested in thoughts and ideas. Please keep them coming.

James
P.S. Just mailed out a bunch of CyberCon prizes today - yes, glad it's over (but in a good way).

[Dav]

Nathan and James:

I am less concerned about Schmoe A and B selling crap on the rpghost site than I am about people thinking *my* stuff is schlock.  In every basket, you get some crap that always drifts to the bottom (quick test, check your pockets, that crap at the bottom that gets under your fingernails, that's the schlock).  The fact that rpghost is willing to not only host my game, but advertise it as well, is a big plus.  Factored in with a "no up-front cost" deal, I'm pretty well chomping at the bit.

The big sell for me comes from the fact that once the product is completed, my job is over (at least theoretically, it is never that easy).  I don't mind keeping the books, it is the order fulfillment and marketing that drives me up a wall.

James, one of the things I might think about if I were you is getting in touch with Liz Fulda (Sphinx Group).  If you can spread the word through her as a venue for indie publishers who don't want to or can't go whole-hog with a hard copy book, I think you will get a lot of buzz regarding your idea.  

You've pretty well sold me, but then you are telling me you are doing exactly what I want you to do, which makes it an easy sell.  Besides, it costs me effectively nothing to give it a try, which is a huge benefit

[Clay]

I'll chime in that I think this is a great idea.  I have the technical savvy to put up a really cool web site for people (see http://sorcerer.story-game.com). Marketing is a real pain and I'm basically clueless about it, which is why I stick to the web site aspect of things.

Clay

[Jason L Blair]

Nice site, Clay. But just so you know, hive's last name is Simpson - not Thompson.

[Dav]

hive (Gary Simpson) is the artist.

Gary Thompson is the head of FFN and that whole network.

It took me a bit to realize they weren't the same person as well.

Dav

[MrCusey]

I would go with RPGNow.com

How would this be different than RPGShop.com?  Would it be possible to expand the capabilities of RPGShop.com so that people could do direct downloads after making a purchase?

Great idea, though.

[Black Knights]

Hello all,

I just reviewed the information, and after a careful consideration I have a few questions.

1) What size would the percentage be?
2) What would be the standard sale price?
3) Who determines sale price?
4) Would anyone be able to post material for sale?
5) What about copyright infringements?
6) How would submissions be handled?
7) How would this avenue be better for me than selling directly to a publisher?

Just thought I'd throw these out to see what kind of response they would get. I'm all for a "mall" for source material. I got to network with quite a few companies at CyberCon, and let me say there is a huge market and quite a bit of money to be had out there.

If you want to address these things privately to me, please email me.