EN World GameStore Closing

[Mark CMG]

How hard would it be - each of you writing an e-mail? Going over to the forums they provide to find answers?

Well, for good or ill, it's against policy and a contract violation to some degree to discuss what transpires in the Publisher's forum. Naturally, what is discussed between parties in email is something most would consider inappropriate, at the least, to share with the general public through an open forum. One can discuss what one personally posts in the Publisher's forum, obviously, but to discuss what someone else posts there is a violation. So, in answer to what seems to be your question of how hard it would be to seek answers in that manner, that's something that can't really be discussed here or with you in detail. I think it is safe to say that this has all happened suddenly and that many of the parties involved are busy enough with logistics that keeping on top of every issue is problematic.


However, you seem to be actively discouraging a discussion here. Why, may I ask, is that so?

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

People involved? Maybe I missed something. It seems to me the only employee that has posted here is GMSkarka, who isn't involved in the decisions. I'm suggesting you actively seek your information from the source. How hard would it be - each of you writing an e-mail? Going over to the forums they provide to find answers?

Ah, pardon me for making a mistake.

I assummed that Morrus had done some decision making regarding the merger.
I assummed that Skarka could yell across the office and ask a question, or even point to the information via link.

I'll just wait till we see something we can go and look at.

 

[Mark CMG]

If one averaged 25% commission from ENWGS and RPGNow prior to this merger, one would have to increase sales by 16% either due to the increased exposure (no guarantee but not unreasonable) or due to raised prices (bad for consumer) to make the same money if one was non-exclusive.

I am not pleased that our negotiated rate has changed. But, PCI is going to take the wait and see approach before we do anything with our prices.

That's well stated and, IMO, a wise approach. As I more or less mention earlier, I think the next five weeks will have enough new wrinkles to make us all appear aged.

 

[Sledge]

I find it harder and harder to look on the bright side when I know that RPGNow has the same errors and problems with their site that they had a year ago. I did a test to find a specific product using searching and it never came up. Manually going through everything was necessary... and even then it was in the WRONG category. So I'm not seeing any benefit here for consumers. The excuse RPGNow gave for setting up the edge was because they had customers complaining about being unable to find things. So now not only will publishers be lumped together, the engine of this lumping is one that has known issues with actually being able to find products. I'd love to discuss this on RPGNow's private board, but I'm not a publisher and therefore not invited. So this thread should have some justifications for the claims. Based on what does this new company think its publishers, that are already represented on multiple sites, will have any benefit?

 

[Kerrick]

You're seeing the result of a common ENWorld phenomenon, the "vocal minority."

Quite a few publishers are happy with the merger, some are even excited by the opportunities it provides. Many have voiced their approval on RPGNow's private publisher forum, which is where any debates on this matter really should have stayed.

Sure.. a forum that a good number of us publishers, and ALL the consumers, don't have access to. A private forum, which prohibits anyone involved from talking about what goes on there. Yeah. I'd rather voice my concerns on a public forum, where I can communicate directly with the consumers.

And if there are so many publisher who are happy with this, how come we're not hearing from them? Why are they talking about how it's such a good thing where no one else can see? I'm sure some of them don't know about this thread, but come on... surely someone would have taken notice by now, either by checking it himself, or having someone else cross-post in that private forum. I know if I thought it were a good thing, I'd come over here and try to allay some fears, among my fellow publishers and the fans alike.

 

[tensen]

I find it harder and harder to look on the bright side when I know that RPGNow has the same errors and problems with their site that they had a year ago. I did a test to find a specific product using searching and it never came up. Manually going through everything was necessary... and even then it was in the WRONG category.

I don't see that as an example of a problem with rpgnow. The publisher is the one that chooses/sets the categories, not rpgnow. And from my experience, if you sent an email to rpgnow about it being in the wrong place, they are usually quick about notifying the publisher requesting the change.

 

[Sledge]

The response I got from RPGNow was that they would be doing something to fix it after their graphics update. I reminded again after the wonderful white square buttons but got no further responses.

 

[Umbran]

Well, for good or ill, it's against policy and a contract violation to some degree to discuss what transpires in the Publisher's forum.

Well, setting aside the Las Vegas analogy...

I give Warlord Ralts enough credit that he won't be disingenuous - if he says (or even just implies) he doesn't have an answer to the question, I believe him. If he can get the answer elsewhere, he should do so, even if he cannot turn around and tell me what he found.

However, you seem to be actively discouraging a discussion here. Why, may I ask, is that so?

I am not discouraging discussion. I am not telling people to shut up. I am pointing out that folks are making large assumptions, that certain bits of information that are crucial to the discussion are not available here, and that those interested might want to go actively searching for them. I'm encouraging folks to go out, and come back with better information, so the discussion here will be more fruitful!

And, I have to admit that I am curious, and I'm not in a position to get the information. I am not a publisher. I could write letters on the topic to OBS until I'm blue in the face, and they'd probably not answer me. If Mr. Browning, Warlord Ralts, and all the others wrote, they'd probably not be ignored. So, by urging them to do what's in their own best interests, I stand a better chance to find out what's up myself

 

[Mark CMG]

I am not discouraging discussion.

Thanks.

 

[GMSkarka]

I know if I thought it were a good thing, I'd come over here and try to allay some fears, among my fellow publishers and the fans alike.

Perhaps they think they have more important things to do....like, say, running their businesses, rather than coming and posting to a thread where everybody pretty much has dug in, made up their minds, and won't be convinced by anything.

It's not like they haven't seen this sort of thing before....like pretty much any time any announcement is made that is controversial enough to get tongues wagging.....

Hell, I regret posting -- like pretty much every other controversy that has hit Teh Intarwebs, this one has divided into its respective camps (most of whom have no direct interest in what's occuring, beyond getting into a juicy argument), and there's nothing anybody can say that will convince anyone else.

C'est la vie.

Bottom line for me: My business will be seeing an increase in our overhead of about 10%. I will have considerably less work to do managing my catalogue.

The data given to EVERY RPGNow publisher (but, sadly and unsurprisingly, ignored by most of them) is that over 50% of sales are driven by direct-link publisher marketing efforts, rather than browsing. That is site-wide....so that means, by law of averages, that the average includes publishers who don't do ANY direct-link marketing. For publishers like Adamant, the overwhelming majority of our sales are driven by our own marketing, not browsing -- so we're not worried about getting "lost in the shuffle" against anyone else, since most of our sales are coming from customers following specific links to our products.

I expect that my direct-link marketing will continue to be as successful as it has been, so I'm not expecting a drop in sales there. I am expecting that I will get an increase in browsing traffic, once everything is on the single site and fans of formerly-site-exclusive publishers start seeing product that they previously were not exposed to. I'm expecting an increase in sales from that, among other factors.

In the letter that went out to RPGNow and DTRPG publisher clients, James and Steve said:

"We realize that for some RPGNow publishers, this change of rates will reflect a decrease in your royalty rate, and we want to convey that the money is not going into our grubby pockets. It's going to expand the market that we are passionate about and all depend upon to one degree or another."

I take them at their word. I've worked with James for 4 years, and he's never steered me wrong. I have great respect for what Steve has accomplished as well. I have every reason to believe that they will be spending resources on market expansion -- which helps all of us.

The PDF segment of this industry has been steadily growing -- I see no reason why that will change. The 10% increase in my overhead is not something that I'm worried about. At all.