Small Publishers on RPGNow

[Big Finger Games]

Although, I don't expect to hear much dissent from vendors - I can imagine soon-to-be-mainsite vendors won't want to say anything negative for feel of being shuffled off "to the Edge", and soon-to-be-Edge vendors won't want to say anything negative for fear of being further segregated.

Hey Roudi,

Those may be natural fears, and some may feel that way, but from my own experience in participating in the private discourse regarding the changes at rpgnow, the management at rpgnow have done nothing to engender any kind of fear about voicing an opinion. In fact, the discussion has been very opinionated (would you expect less from gamers).

That having been said, all of the publishers that participate in the private forum at rpgnow are expected to keep what is said in those forums private. Rightly so.

What I will say regarding the annoucement is that I am very optimistic about the changes taking place. I think these changes have been a long time coming, and I (among others) have suggested an update to the site's look in the recent past.

We will be in the "edge" category (and that's all it really is, is one of two master categories) and we're looking forward to the new look and organization of the site. What it boils down to, for us, is that we'll have a better chance to distinguish ourselves from the pack.

 

[Vigilance]

The official announcement has some things that don't look so good
(flat statement of top 100 publishers which is contrary to what some in this thread insisted),

From everything I have heard, the 100 publishers will not strictly be based on sales. That process is probably going to be pretty low key since there's no sense in "grading" publishers in public or anything silly like that.

"Top 100" doesnt have to refer to sales. It means they're the Top 100.

Chuck

 

[DaveMage]

"Top 100" doesnt have to refer to sales. It means they're the Top 100.

Heh. I didn't even know there *were* 100...

 

[Vigilance]

Heh. I didn't even know there *were* 100...

I think the number of vendors is around 300, perhaps more.

Its a LOT of vendors, one thing that made the site expansion necessary.

A lot of people make the comparison to Amazon, which certainly has more vendors. But RPGNow isnt Amazon and doesnt have product links on 100,000 websites across the net like Amazon does.

Most customers of RPGNow find products two ways: word of mouth (which includes reviews) and browsing.

The site was simply too crowded for all those vendors under those conditions.

Despite the conspiracy theories that are abounding, James made this move to GROW the bottom tier of his business, not let it whither.

Chuck

 

[WilliamAndersen]

It is based on the top sales:1-100 best sellers RPGNOW. All others the second site.

This is not actually true in implementation. We are #78 in dollars and #79 in units sold. Yet, we are being moved to the new site.

As a vendor on the new site, it is obviously too early to know what this will mean. It is our hope that RPGNow will make finding products on both parts of the site (the "main site" and "the Edge") easier for customers. Such a move would certainly benefit all of us as vendors and customers (most of the vendors on RPGNow are also customers buying products).

If, as some fear, the products on the Edge will be made more difficult to find, then the decision to split the site will not only hurt about 200 vendors, but also the customers and RPGNow.

James, who created and has built RPGNow, has proven in the past that he has a knack for building successful game oriented websites. I am personally cautiously optimistic that The Edge will be no different.


William
ComStar
http://www.comstar-games.com