RPGNow Expanding...

[GMSkarka]

It is sad the top venders are forcing this issue with very little concern for the end user

I'm not sure how you can come to this conclusion based on anything James has said.

That's the not the situation as I have seen it.....

 

[Vigilance]

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 a customer, I think I have a right to do so and I don't think my comments have been unwarrented or misplaced.

Hi Fester

Of course you have the right to look hard at the changes, I don't think I meant to impply otherwise.

But the impression I have of your perception (the perception you say was proved correct) is that James is trying to marginalize or "kill off" the small vendors in some way. I was merely attempting to assure you that was not the case.

Chuck

 

[Fester]

But the impression I have of your perception (the perception you say was proved correct) is that James is trying to marginalize or "kill off" the small vendors in some way. I was merely attempting to assure you that was not the case.

Sorry, I was probably slightly misleading. I meant my perception concerning the search function, not about the impact it will have on the second site. On that score, only time will tell and, alas, I have no insight into what the future might hold.

Hope that clears it up

 

[Vigilance]

It is sad the top verders are forcing this issue with very little concern for the end user

I can only speak for myself here, as a writer for RPGObjects- I never saw either aspects of this assertion from any of the top vendors. We didn't force, and we do have concern for the end user.

The top companies at the site had concerns which were brought to James.

As companies we are bound to want things that help our bottom line most of all (but that still includes helping out our customers).

But its James' site and all the final calls were made by him, with the idea of making the whole site better, not aiding a few companies.

 

[JimAde]

Just a quick UI suggestion for the search: Amazon handles this well with a drop-down in their quick search. It has choices like "Book" "Music" and "All Amazon." RPGNow could have something similar with "Main", "Edge" and "All RPGNow". Then if it saves your choice in a cookie you're all set.

But I'm sure they have people far more competent at web page design than I working on it. That's why we have UI specialists here and I just twiddle the bits.

 

[Bobitron]

I'm not really sure where all the animosity is coming from. I'm a dedicated RPGNow customer and will continue to be so, and I'm looking forward to seeing a site with expanded advertising and exposure for lesser-known pulishers. I think it will clean up the main site's layout, as well.

Seems like a win-win to me.

 

[Roudi]

I guess now the bigger publishers can quit whining about the "hobbyists" stealing their sales.

Let us be honest: moving the lower-sales vendors to a separate site might provide them with more exposure, or it might not. It depends how much RPGNow is willing to spend to promote both sites. But this move isn't about increasing exposure to the smaller vendors, is it?

I have heard more than a few bigger vendors (specifically those who rely on their sales as a main source of income) complain about "hobbyist" entries in the industry: basically, vendors who produce their products on their spare time and don't rely on their sales as a major source of income. The complaint is typically that the "hobbyist" products directly compete with (and may actually draw sales away from) products from the more invested vendor. I can empathize with the bigger vendors a bit, but fact is, that kind of competition is the reality of a free market.

The segregation about to take place at RPGNow strikes me as an effort to solve this complaint from the bigger vendors. Instead of one free market, there will be two, and competition between products in each market will be lessened. I've heard the rhetoric of "it's unfair that small frys have to compete with the big names!" epoused in these discussion threads, but frankly, the statement I've heard more often from well-selling vendors is "it's unfair for us who depend on this income to have to compete with the small frys!". So, I guess all the bigger names will stop whining.

As an aspiring RPGNow vendor, I feel pretty slighted by this move. Now, to start as an RPGNow vendor, I have to debut on RPGNow Edge - and in all honesty, there will be no way to remove the "this is not mainsite material" stigma from RPGNow Edge. Simply by being on RPGNow Edge, you are already showing that your material isn't up to snuff to make it to the mainsite (regardless of it's actual quality). There will probably be a lot of up-and-comers who decide not to self-publish their material (and get a potentially larger share of sales profit) and instead freelance their work out to vendors who are on the main site. All the prestige and the sales are on the mainsite - all the rest are on the Edge.

As a customer, I love RPGNow, and I can even see how this move might make shopping there easier. As an aspiring vendor, I am now incredibly wary. The best place to break into the RPG industry has now become much more of a gauntlet.

 

[GMSkarka]

The best place to break into the RPG industry has now become much more of a gauntlet.

To be fair, though, still much less of a gauntlet than breaking in on the print side of things...and honestly, anything that makes people think before leaping is always a good thing.

 

[Roudi]

To be fair, though, still much less of a gauntlet than breaking in on the print side of things...and honestly, anything that makes people think before leaping is always a good thing.

I'll agree with you on both points.

Mind you, even RPGNow's current form required forethought before entering. This change won't so much require more forethought and prepwork on the part of the new entrant, but rather further discourage new entrants from getting into the "game" at all.

 

[Mouseferatu]

I'll agree with you on both points.

Mind you, even RPGNow's current form required forethought before entering. This change won't so much require more forethought and prepwork on the part of the new entrant, but rather further discourage new entrants from getting into the "game" at all.

In the market as it currently stands, is that really a bad thing?