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RPGNow, the forefront of the PDF games industry and the first site to offer Print-on-demand in addition to PDF product, is expanding! This October, the premier PDF sales site will become two sites, offering gamers everything from best-selling releases from top Publishers to innovative products on the cutting edge.
The flagship site, RPGNow.com, will offer PDF, Print-on-demand and electronic product from the top 100 publishers in the business: Wizards of the Coast, Green Ronin, Atlas Games, RPGObjects, Ronin Arts and many more. High-quality gaming releases from established publishers with a proven history of giving gamers what they want -- all in one location, and easy to find.
A second site, RPGNow Edge, is being created to showcase the best in small-press innovation and indie publishing, pushing the envelope of what is possible in gaming. The creation of this dedicated site will bring more exposure to small-press companies, allowing them to compete on a more even playing field, without fear of being eclipsed by the larger publishers.
What does this mean for the RPGnow customer? Improved convenience and selection:
- One Login–No need to create an additional account or worrying about managing additional passwords. You can access the Edge as well as RPGNow with one user name and password. Products can be added from both store fronts to one central shopping cart for the ultimate in checkout convenience.
- Quick Browsing–No more wading through category after category trying to find a product to suit your needs. All of the excess clutter has been removed. Brand new navigation and an enhanced search feature on both sites allow you to easily find what you're looking for, whether by product, publisher or even keywords.
- The Power in YOUR Hands–Designed with the customer in mind, the new RPGNow allows the customization of our interface to suite your needs. These advanced features will allow you to find what you want, how you want.
In addition, the look of RPGNow is being reworked from the ground up to be the most intuitive and best-looking electronic delivery store in the business. A smart interface will allow you to move between both sites at any time at the mere click of a button.
We're also taking steps so that customers visiting RPGNow and RPGNow Edge will be able to purchase with increased confidence:
- Staff Reviewers–Our own special team of professional reviewers is on hand with honest assessments of products, to let you know which ones you don't want to miss.
- Improved Ratings System–A quick and easy rating system that allows customers to rate a product with a click of a button. This new rating system will assist you in making purchase decisions and ensure that you can buy a product with confidence.
The expansion will be occuring in October. Watch for updates from the RPGNow staff as the new features become available, and thank you for making us the leader in game industry PDF sales!
RPGNow: We Created The Business. Now We're Making The Business Better.
Now this sounds like a lot more positive of a change than how a certain thread was painting it.
As an aside, I'd be interested in finding out more about staff reviewing. I've just done my second review on EN World and could continue this tradition very happily (and will continue to review on EN World for as long as I keep getting new books).
__________________ 'Genshou is the ruler of Genshouland and the creator of one thousand and one house rules; some of them good, some of them mediocre. Genshou likes cheese and root beer (but never together). Genshou is a young man who is always ridiculously cheerful. He has been described as a madman, a potato, and "cuddly".'
Am I inferring correctly that "The Power in YOUR Hands–Designed with the customer in mind, the new RPGNow allows the customization of our interface to suite your needs. These advanced features will allow you to find what you want, how you want." means that if I'm looking for a pdf on say Elves, I won't have to search once on RPGNow, and then again on "Edge"? I can set up my interface to search both? What about to browse?
And yes I know this is early, I just want to know the plan/intention.
__________________ "Whoa your stick figure is all messed up. It's arms have actual thickness. That violates all standards that The Order of the Stick has set forth"
"That's because he is EPIC"
I don't understand the advantage of two sites at all, it just seems like I'll have to look at two sites to see what's new on RPGNow now. I ask that, if possible, a page will be made to allow one to view what's new from both stores at once. I don't mind the "clutter" at all, I enjoy it and have gotten products out of it that I wouldn't have otherwise.
I do like the new reviews and ratings options, that's neat.
And the fact that the main page now apparently doesn't have the annoying big "commercials" on the side and just lists what's new. *That's* clutter I'd rather do without. From the first post, though, I doubt it will be the new format for long.
__________________ Want to see some interesting spells? A great magic system in action?
Visit The Net Wizard's Grimoire wiki for a host of great Ars Magica spells!
You'll be able to search both sites through the advanced search option.
James
That's interesting.
Am I correct in thinking there will be a quick search box and then a seperate link (underneath or wherever, just like google has) to the advanced search features? Since you specifically mentioned the advanced search feature, would I also be right in thinking that the quick search (which 90% or more of your customers will actually use) won't search the new site?
Probably wrong, but that's just what your reply made me think.
Am I correct in thinking there will be a quick search box and then a seperate link (underneath or wherever, just like google has) to the advanced search features? Since you specifically mentioned the advanced search feature, would I also be right in thinking that the quick search (which 90% or more of your customers will actually use) won't search the new site?
Probably wrong, but that's just what your reply made me think.
Actually, you're correct... The default quick search scans only one site.
Face it, the point of this was to seperate the products, not just some fancy interface that can be gotten around easy enough. If you're into Indie games or the new guy on the block. You go to edge.rpgnow.com or set your default home page to that. If you're more of a regular shopper of some of the top names on our site, you stick with the Featured site most of the time knowing you're not going to get a "gotcha" product.
For what it's worth, many of the features were rolled forward to our current site. So test them there and let us know.
Actually, you're correct... The default quick search scans only one site.
Shame. It would have been a good way to link the two sites, IMO, while avoiding the present "clutter" problem (for those who percieve this to be a problem).
Actually, you're correct... The default quick search scans only one site.
Face it, the point of this was to seperate the products, not just some fancy interface that can be gotten around easy enough. If you're into Indie games or the new guy on the block. You go to edge.rpgnow.com or set your default home page to that. If you're more of a regular shopper of some of the top names on our site, you stick with the Featured site most of the time knowing you're not going to get a "gotcha" product.
For what it's worth, many of the features were rolled forward to our current site. So test them there and let us know.
James
I kinda figured.
I don't get it though. I understand why you want to filter your products on rpgnow - there's a lot of stuff there and some of it isn't of the best quality. So, if I go to rpgnow, then fine, just show me the good stuff. That makes sense, especially from your PoV. But if I want to search for a product (and I'm talking about the quick search here, since only a small % of people use advanced features), then it should include both sites, since I might be searching on a genre, or author, or whatever - something that crosses the boundry of the two sites.
Or are you really saying that there isn't anything worthwhile on the other site, so there's no real point in searching it anyway?
And unfortunately if we're looking for actual usable product we get to work double hard in order to pay rpgnow.
I'm still hoping that there will be a true reorganization, but given the whole attitude that the point of this isn't to help us find types of books but to simply have less books visible I'm doubting there will be much of an attempt. Hopefully there is a tiny chance that at the time this comes to pass they will actually at the least have an advanced search that actually works. (right now it doesn't. Advanced search with any "category" automatically blocks all results.)
It does seem that the intention of splitting the buyers up is to make the two sites compete....
__________________ "Whoa your stick figure is all messed up. It's arms have actual thickness. That violates all standards that The Order of the Stick has set forth"
"That's because he is EPIC"
Or are you really saying that there isn't anything worthwhile on the other site, so there's no real point in searching it anyway?
I think everyone knows he's not saying that, give the man a break.
The simple fact is, and its an inescapable fact, is that the PDF industry is growing up. This is one of the growing pains.
This isn't about making the sites compete, its about NOT making them compete.
That's the whole idea.
If you go to RPG edge, the simple search will only reveal edge products, on RPG now the simple search will reveal RPG now products.
An advanced search on either site will give you the whole shebang, but that isnt the point. The point is that a small vendor won't have to worry about competing with Green Ronin for front page space.
Again, this really is an advantage for small press guys. James is looking to GROW the bottom tier of his business, not kill it.
If he wanted to kill it, he would have killed it.
So everyone take a deep breath and give the man some credit, and the site split a chance.
Actually, you're correct... The default quick search scans only one site.
Face it, the point of this was to seperate the products, not just some fancy interface that can be gotten around easy enough. If you're into Indie games or the new guy on the block. You go to edge.rpgnow.com or set your default home page to that. If you're more of a regular shopper of some of the top names on our site, you stick with the Featured site most of the time knowing you're not going to get a "gotcha" product.
I think my main issue is a simple one, I am into finding my products easily so I can buy them. The claim has been made the changes were made with me as a customer in mind but I fail to see this because now finding something has just became a series of screens I must go thru in order to search and then find. Or I can always go to two different sites.
Right now there is 1 site and 1 place to shop...
If you really had me in mind as a customer, give me something like MyRPGNow.. allow me to set what comes up on my initial page when I enter the site. If the idea is to get me as a customer to purchase, then make it easy for me to purchase rather then drive me away because it has became a hassle.
lest it be said I am a bitter anti-rpgnow person allow me to express the following.
Good stuff on sorting the adventures into 3 categories and having explicit levels for each. I will assume that the sorting is a work in progress and that things like "Elven Isle (v3.5) for lvl 7-9" (yes that is the title of the adventure) will be moved into medium (7-13) and not stay in high (14-20)
This is indeed a step in the right direction and will be even better if the advanced search is fixed and adventures have mandatory keywords describing their levels. This way I can pop up search, type in my levels, and have only the appropriate levelled adventures show up.
Good luck with the continued sorting efforts. Please don't disappoint us.
__________________ "Whoa your stick figure is all messed up. It's arms have actual thickness. That violates all standards that The Order of the Stick has set forth"
"That's because he is EPIC"
I don't get it though. I understand why you want to filter your products on rpgnow - there's a lot of stuff there and some of it isn't of the best quality. So, if I go to rpgnow, then fine, just show me the good stuff. That makes sense, especially from your PoV. But if I want to search for a product (and I'm talking about the quick search here, since only a small % of people use advanced features), then it should include both sites, since I might be searching on a genre, or author, or whatever - something that crosses the boundry of the two sites.
Or are you really saying that there isn't anything worthwhile on the other site, so there's no real point in searching it anyway?
That's how I felt too, but I was talked out of if by some vendors. So maybe it'll change yet. Let me think about it. I need a way to make it clear which sight something is one. But yeah, a search should do it's best to find you something by an author regardless of site.
What I'll do is make it a configurable option. So you can turn it on or off in your customization screen.
James
If you really had me in mind as a customer, give me something like MyRPGNow.. allow me to set what comes up on my initial page when I enter the site. If the idea is to get me as a customer to purchase, then make it easy for me to purchase rather then drive me away because it has became a hassle.
That is EXACTLY what it does... you can setup your home page. Choose whether you only want to see printed books or not, wether the search should do both sites or not, etc. With the autologin you simply go to the site and you start at whatever startup page you want.
That's how I felt too, but I was talked out of if by some vendors. So maybe it'll change yet. Let me think about it. I need a way to make it clear which sight something is one. But yeah, a search should do it's best to find you something by an author regardless of site.
What I'll do is make it a configurable option. So you can turn it on or off in your customization screen.
James
Well, I don't want to bang on about, so I'll just finish by saying that I think you should reconsider on this one. To me, its about user choice (and having the quick search scan only one site restricts that choice) and its about what you're saying (to your customers) about the second site. To me, you're saying its not actually that worthwhile searching. Is that the impression you want to give your cutomers?
Anyway, best of luck with it. I've made a lot of purchases on rpgnow and regard it as a good online shop, so I'll be back for more. Just hope you change your mind on the search issue.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vigilance
So everyone take a deep breath and give the man some credit, and the site split a chance.
I don't think I need to take a deep breath. I was just pointing out the perception that I had. Since that perception was proved correct, I can only assume that it is a perception that others have too.
As for the changes, as I've already noted, I understand fully. I am a customer at rpgnow. I am also a cutomer at dtrpg. Most of what I buy comes from the rpgnow. What do my shopping habbits tell me? They tell me that rpgnow has competition and that they must evolve in order to compete. If my shopping habits are anything to go by, then rpgnow are still the dominant force in the market, but that their share is being slowly chipped away. So, I think change in this instance is a good thing. I'm just questioning some of the detail. As a customer, I think I have a right to do so and I don't think my comments have been unwarrented or misplaced.
James: Thanks and glad at hear there is an effort from RPGHost to atleast make it easy on the customer..
It is sad the top verders are forcing this issue with very little concern for the end user, while I respect they are in business to be in business, when they start creating hassles for me I draw the line. This entire mess will cause me to think twice before purchasing something from a top vender for the simple fact, they have shown a lack of concern for the end user. Samething happened when some venders jumped over to DriveThruRPG, they created a hassle and though I love Mr Cook's material, I just do not buy it anymore.
Am I wrong to have this frame of mind, no. It is my money and I get to decide where and how I spend it.
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