Subscription levels dropping

[Aegeri]

We're working on a new campaign saga, developed wholly for 4th edition (rather than a conversion). While it would definitely be several months at least before we can roll that out, I wonder how well that would draw subscribers.

That would interest me, but the flaw you'd have is that starting at level 1 I wouldn't be terribly keen on it. I'm very fed up with low level adventures, seeing as Dungeon is brimming with billions of them. I'm really wanting more paragon and epic tier stuff. I would definitely think about plunking down $3 (probably around $4.50ish New Zealand for me) for something dedicated to 4E in the Paragon/Epic tier. There is a dearth of material there, so it would catch my interest more than easily.

Problem is I despise PayPal and they hate me equally as much. I've had never ending technical issues and other problems trying to use it, so I'm unlikely to be able to subscribe anyway.

Have no fear of that. If there is one thing Morrus does understand, it is how much that antagonism hurt the community and the site.

I waited almost a year after I registered on the forum before I bothered posting because of the edition wars. I had my fill of it from the official Wizards boards (Should have learned my lesson the first time though, back in 2001).

 

[redboxrazor]

1. I haven't subscribed because I am not aware of all of the benefits of subscribing. This thread has done more to explain that to me than anything else on the site.

2. I am not a fan of 4E. More Pathfinder or even GURPS content would be of use to me.

3. The quality of the forum discussions has decreased in just the few short months since I joined. Now, I rarely find one interesting new post a day. Back around January, I could refresh all day and find cool new threads.

4. Discussion here seems muted. I understand the precautions that must be taken to avoid an edition war, but it has the unpleasant side effect of silencing me. Many times, I have what I think is a good insight, but I am afraid to post it in even the most respectful terms simply because I am concerned about the backlash I will create. In short, it seems like the boards are regularly ruled by immaturity - nobody can stand having his/her opinion challenged, because of a flawed and inherent sense of entitlement.

5. Many times, I make a relevant point, only to be told that I am not contributing to the discussion because my opinion differs from the OP or whoever happens to be leading the thread. Again, I feel silenced by the community.

In essence, I don't want to pay to be belittled or muted. At least if I get fed up and stand up for myself someday, possibly leading to a ban, I haven't lost any money in the process. If real discussion starts happening around here again, and the subscriber content is more varied to my liking, I would gladly subscribe. As it stands, though, I'm just a lurker again because I apparently have nothing to contribute - including my money at this point in time.

 

[Vartan]

Maybe this is more of a tech support thing...but when I go to the "Payments" page there isn't a link to a page that allows me to subscribe. The "Subscribe Now!" image isn't a link, just an image

 

[Shemeska]

I've still got around another two years left on an old 3-year subscription from just prior to when you went to the subscription model, so for me this isn't much of an issue. However if I didn't have it and was on the monthly subscription I would probably cancel just to save the extra $ each month.

I've literally never downloaded any of the subscriber content, and I can do without search and avatars and titles when it comes down to it. Plus the issue of the same few people trainwrecking threads in general time and again has gotten old and were I able to cancel I might (prorated refund probably isn't an option being offered).

 

[Noumenon]

Paypal may be a pain for some but those who subscribed once could get it working, so it seems unlikely that's decisive.

It'll probably be content, because it's always content - especially with subscription services. Give out a whole campaign on day one and the warm, happy glow will last for three months. Give out the same campaign in six installments over a year and the warm, happy glow will last for a year and three months.

You're right, Paypal should be workable for recurring subscribers, if not new ones.

I ended up never downloading any War of the Burning Sky once I found out my subscription only entitled me to one month at a time (not even sure if you can save up and download the whole thing after a year). "All at once" would have made it an actual benefit for me. Most people, once you've given them something, will feel some kind of obligation to you and will not welsh after one month's subscription.

What is curious to me is that I had my subscription set up to automatically pay the $3 every month, which it did. I'd get emails once a month updating that I was charged the $3.

Wouldn't it be great if Paypal glitches were the whole problem?

Also does this correlate to an anniversary of a subscription drive when things were discounted and hence a disproportionate number of subscribers corresponds to a large numbers of lapsed accounts clustered at one time instead of the expected churn or turnover each month

That was my initial thought -- it was in April last year when Morrus posted the "Important! Please read! Changes are coming!" thread, which was the first time EnWorld had actively solicited my subscription. I posted then,

I think you might be getting cocky about that self-sustaining thing. I don't see how you know that people are less likely to cancel the $3 subscriptions than yearly subscriptions when (IIRC) this offer has been running for less than a year...

If I were you I'd bank that money and work on retention rather than spending it on expansion.

Is the site "unsustainable" only because subscriptions went down, or did expenses go up to match the extra income?

 

[Morrus]

I ended up never downloading any War of the Burning Sky once I found out my subscription only entitled me to one month at a time (not even sure if you can save up and download the whole thing after a year). "All at once" would have made it an actual benefit for me.

You mean the entire adventure path for $3? I agree, I'm sure prices like that would be attractive to many people, but they aren't possible to do.

Trust me, I'd love to be able to offer quality content for almost nothing and try to rely on volume (the WalMart type approach), but that requires immense economies of scale.

Maybe this is more of a tech support thing...but when I go to the "Payments" page there isn't a link to a page that allows me to subscribe. The "Subscribe Now!" image isn't a link, just an image

There's a dropdown menu at the bottom of the page. You select the currency you want to pay in, and then hit "Order". I've attached an image below.

Why? PayPal.

This does seem to be a recurring theme. I hope one day we can afford our own credit card processor; I'm not keen on relying solely on PayPal, either. Thing is, it's free (well, free to set up - it charges a comission, obviously).

That's definitely something I want to change as soon as I'm in a position to.

Thanks for the input, guys. There's some useful stuff here!

 

[IronWolf]

Most people, once you've given them something, will feel some kind of obligation to you and will not welsh after one month's subscription.

Heh, I think there a lot of people who would game the system once they realized they could pay $3 for one month, download the whole WotBS and then cancel.

 

[mudbunny]

Heh, I think there a lot of people who would game the system once they realized they could pay $3 for one month, download the whole WotBS and then cancel.

You can see people suggesting that with DDI.

"Subscribe for a month, update all the tools and download all of the magazines that have come out since the last time you subscribed."

 

[Noumenon]

I'm going off Robert Cialdini's book Influence and how much you can wrangle out of people by getting them to accept anything from you, even a flower. That's why I don't believe offering people the back catalogue of WotBS for subscribing is the same as offering it to them for $3.

Maybe I'm the only one who subscribed thinking I'd get to download the whole thing, then never downloaded anything at all because it was in pieces and not done yet (I just went and downloaded it finally, but it took about twenty clicks). Maybe if there was a PM when a new segment became available, to make it easy to get and kind of remind you of the benefits of subscribing?

 

[Kzach]

You can see people suggesting that with DDI.

"Subscribe for a month, update all the tools and download all of the magazines that have come out since the last time you subscribed."

I really wish they'd provide one, easy, convenient link for all of that. Do you know how much work it is to find all the stuff and download it? Ugh. Seems almost like work to me