DriveThruRPG Exclusivity

[Flyspeck23]

Even with the Aa Far As I Know posted, this is nothing but guess work.

Of course. That's why it says "AFAIK" in the first place
And I don't think we'll receive any "official" answers anytime soon.

For whatever reason, most of those folks (and a few who were already our clients) are now on the DTRPG exclusive client list, so I'm guessing that there must've been something else that sealed the deal for them.

The DRM?

 

[Cergorach]

Then why would Malhavoc choose to employ it? They have admited DRM does nothing, but they still use it. It must be forced, which makes me think that DTRPG somehow makes money by forcing it. Possibly a commision from Adobe?

Commision from Adobe? Yeah... Right... You do know that the server software that DTRPG is using costs in the range of $5,000-$10,000 and that Adobe isn't in the habit to giving that away? The point is that we don't know, and if history is going to repeat itself (as it usually does) then this kind of speculation is going to be preached as being true in another thread...

And that "be sure they can handle additional publishers" is a load of garbage. They have been working on this for at least six months, and were more than willing to take over RPGNow, which services over 100 publishers.

100 publishers of which 80% are, pardon for the word, crap. RPGnow started small and got bigger piece by piece, they had time to adjust the serverload. The problem is the extra serverload and bandwith usage allocation, which they already didn't guess correctly when they went live with their site. That's not something many companies get right at launch (a new site generates very fluctuating amounts of traffic), so don't go calling down hellfire on the folks at DTRPG because some anti-DRM hotheads at RPG.net and ENworld slashdotted the site. The problem is solved btw, site is reasonably quick at the moment. I expect that in a few weeks, after the controversy around the site has cooled down, they will be opening their doors to new publishers...

 

[The Sigil]

To answer some questions...

Do the DTRPG vendors have to use DRM?

The answer is yes. Adobe Content Server is the delivery method DTRPG uses to provide the files to the consumer. Adobe Content Server requires the use of Acrobat 6 and DRM.

Which is likely why, even if the publishers have "huddled amongst themselves" and said, "OMG, we made a huge mistake - we've pissed our fan base off and need to drop DRM" it may still be slow to happen, because doing so requires DTRPG to make a huge shift in its entire delivery system.

IOW, even if they WANTED to change one hour after opening, it probably takes substantially longer for them to be ABLE to do so.

 

[Cergorach]

so I'm guessing that there must've been something else that sealed the deal for them.

I think name association sealed the deal. With what company would you rather be associated WW, S&S, or with the multitude of not so professional publishers at RPGnow. RPGnow does has a few 'gem' publishers, but that doesn't compare with the staying power of WW IMHO...

 

[francisca]

I think name association sealed the deal. With what company would you rather be associated WW, S&S, or with the multitude of not so professional publishers at RPGnow. RPGnow does has a few 'gem' publishers, but that doesn't compare with the staying power of WW IMHO...

Agreed. That and the fact that WW is an established publisher who understands where folks like Necromancer and FFG are coming from.....uh wait. That can't be it. DriveThru and WW have no relation, except for a few people working for both companies. Right?

 

[Psion]

I'm guessing that there must've been something else that sealed the deal for them.

I think the association might have been part of it. But from what at least two publishers have said, the services were a big part of it: they didn't have to scan in and create the PDFs themselves.

So, DTRPG sounds like it was a good customer move if you count the publisher as the customer, if not the greatest deal for the end user.

 

[Steve Wieck]

Ok, let's see, so now I'm "avoiding answering" questions just because I haven't been glued to this thread the last 24 hours, lurking to answer Mad Kaiser's questions as soon as he posts them?

And Dana is definitively stating what DriveThruRPG's policies for publishers are even though she has no affiliation with DriveThru?

SOME of your people are a real piece of work.
You want to put words in my mouth, and condescend and insult, but should I dare respond with anything but perfect professional courtesy, whoa! hold on! I'm being elitist and insulting and whatever else.

Do you interact with people verbally this way in everyday life or do internet forums just release you to be needlessly rude. Yes I said rude, uh oh how unprofessional (pun intended) of me. The key word though was needlessly.

Ever hear of the golden rule.

You can start by answering these questions:
How many have been rejected?
How many popular non-print publishers have been aquired?
What is your commision rate(s)?

Zero

That's pretty subjective, but let's say zero

As I've said before we'll release publisher terms when we're ready to take on new publishers and provide them with excellent service.


Then why was your company trying to aquire RPGNow?
Why did James turn you down?


Because it's a great company.

Ask James if you want details, I treat business discussions very confidentially.


If you can't handle more than 16 publishers at a time, what would you have done to the "additional publisher clients" already selling at RPGNow?

What makes pdf-only publishers so "service intensive" compaired to print-only?

If you do not wish to "aggressively compete" with RPGNow, why do you insist that popular (now former RPGNow) publishers be exclusive?


Hypothetical question so it's moot, but clearly if one were to acquire
RPGNow they would also acquire all the tools to continue to service its publishers.

RPGNow has some nice custom programmed features that let publishers upload and update their own products. We have none of that yet. Manually loading up dozens of publishers products, contracting, setting up payables, etc. does take effort. And since I must be glued to forums right now so as not to be "avoiding" questions, we don't have time for it.

If you weren't so darn rude I might even answer this, but instead I'll just say "Why is that any of your business?". We made arrangements with publishers such that they and we are happy with the arrangement. End of story.


So you aren't ready take on and properly service publishers? You were ready to take over RPGNow.
Your site brags it's the first "All Professional" pdf site. Will you change this motto to match your "When we are prepared to take on and properly service more publishers we will make the type of terms... available for publishers to review." statement?


Inviting in 20 new publishers and then mishandling their products and presentations and not paying them properly is unprofessional. Foregoing the additional revenue those publishers' products could be bringing us today if we schlepped them in, because we want to be sure we treat them as we would want to be treated, is professional. IMO.


What exactly do you mean by 'properly service'? What services do you offer publishers beyond a check and webspace?


See above


Couldn't you save everyone much work by removing the questionable and unpopular DRM restrictions?


Why do you care so much that we chose DRM? Why is this any skin off your back? If you think it's a bad idea that will lead to our failure (which it isn't and won't) then rejoice that we shall fail just as you want us to (for whatever reason) and rejoice that RPGNow's sales are up (oh wait that might be because the electronic format for rpgs is getting introduced to more people now, no, no, you're right, it's 100% due to the DRM backlash).


You don't need to answer the questions of a lowly 'unprofessional' dog, but your silence will speak volumes for me.


Yeah, yeah, whatever. Man oh man, did I kill your dog or your mother or something? I just don't get the needless rudeness and vehemence.

Steve

 

[Brown Jenkin]

SOME of your people are a real piece of work.
You want to put words in my mouth, and condescend and insult, but should I dare respond with anything but perfect professional courtesy, whoa! hold on! I'm being elitist and insulting and whatever else.

Do you interact with people verbally this way in everyday life or do internet forums just release you to be needlessly rude. Yes I said rude, uh oh how unprofessional (pun intended) of me. The key word though was needlessly.

Ever hear of the golden rule.

I'm not defending others on this board but yes, as a professional representing your professional company you are held to a higher standard. Whether you think you are justified in responding unprofessionaly to an attack no matter what it may be, by doing so publicly you are presenting the image that your company is not professional at all. I have worked retail and was always taught and expected to be professional with any customer, or mentaly unstable homeless person who wandered into the store for that matter, no matter what comes out of their mouth or how unreasonable or senseless it may be. Lashing back or behaving unprofessionaly in return only diswades those otherwise reasonable customers that might be watching your repsonse from wanting to stick around and do business with you.

 

[Conaill]

Thanks for the info, Steve. Oh, and don't let it get to you, that's just the natiure of public forums. We'd like to think that EN World is a little more polite than other boards, but you're bound to get a certain fraction of hotheads in a discussion of this size anyway.

Just keep in mind that for every flamer, there's probably ten more people lurking, who do want to hear what you have to say...

 

[Aristotle]

I'm not defending others on this board but yes, as a professional representing your professional company you are held to a higher standard. Whether you think you are justified in responding unprofessionaly to an attack no matter what it may be, by doing so publicly you are presenting the image that your company is not professional at all.

True, but unless I'm mistaken some of the people throwing insults around are publishers (I don't know their products, but their signatures lead me to believe they produce PDFs), so your comments apply equally to them and as a their potential customer I hold them to the same high standard. I'm just one customer though, perhaps they didn't care to sell me anything in the first place.

*shrug*