Important GameBanshee Decision

Nightmare · Post by **Nightmare** » Mon Apr 23, 2001 5:39 am

Even though I don't like to pay for anything on the internet, a trail run may be a good idea. VonDondu has some good ideas.

Xandax · Post by **Xandax** » Mon Apr 23, 2001 5:52 am

I'm not sure about this trial run - espacially if it is said that it is a trial run - most people will simply wait the trial-period out, not commiting because it only is a trial run.

millwall · Post by **millwall** » Mon Apr 23, 2001 7:18 am

I believe the financial arguments for paying something towards the cost of the site are inesacpable, and all the talk about getting the info free from elsewhere will just mean the site will close. I doubt very much that thats what people want.

To get charging right I think you need to answer a number of key questions. Firstly how do you attract people to the site and more importantly how do ensure they stay. People will have a look at any free site if they stumble across it via standard search engines, so you need to have a period of "free trial" to get people to view the site and see how good it is. People are only likely to stay if the content is changing regularly and new info is made available. Once a game has been out far a month or two, walkthroughs, equipment, spells etc are fairly fixed, so to charge for these doesn't make sense since people are likely to subscribe for the minimum period and download all the content they need.

As many people have stated above the message boards are the heart of the site and what gives it its unique identity and sense of belonging.

Therfore a possible scenario which might work would be the following.

1. Free trial, via userid and password for a week on the whole site. Application for an id should be easy but not too easy else people could just apply for a new trial id every week. An alternative would be restrict access to all areas of older games such as BG1 as an example of what the site is all about

2. After a week, subscription to the message boards of active games. Everything else free.

3. New games - message boards and walkthroughs etc for members only for the first month after publication, then 2. would apply.

Nighthawk · Post by **Nighthawk** » Mon Apr 23, 2001 1:58 pm

Just my thoughts on this. I have become personally involved in this site so I would definitely support it if there was any way I could and certainly for $3.95 a month. (Heck, I'm supposedly a webmaster here although I haven't put in the effort that I'd like to, and I've donated more money than that already!)

On the other hand, if I wasn't already a member here I doubt I would pay. When I'm browsing the net looking for a site on a particular game if I come to one that wants me to pay I just skip it and keep looking.

Similarly back with the old BBS games that were mentioned -- somehow I always found someone who was running a board that would let me play Tradewars and Imperium for free.

tinytim · Post by **tinytim** » Mon Apr 23, 2001 6:52 pm

well most of yall dont remember me and most are alot more in to games then me but i only have to say a few things ever sence i left for azerona in feb

i have not posted much but that is not to say that i dont visit i used to speed more time on this site than playing my games i was also a member of bgd and switched when i found gb i like this site and it provied a lot of good info on many games when i heard about bucks problem i started to come here even if it was to just click on a banner 3 to 4 times a week so buck i love all the improvements you have done to the site it looks great and if i have to pay to use it then so be it there will always be money but having a place were you can get help on games and find out thing and make a few friends it is worth the price so if you decied to go to flash just show me were to sign up at this is a great sight and i have refered many friend here and thx for reading what i had to say.

good luck

Tinytim!

[ 04-23-2001: Message edited by: tinytim ]

Nightmare · Post by **Nightmare** » Tue Apr 24, 2001 9:57 am

Amazing that tinytim's post was one big sentence.

tinytim · Post by **tinytim** » Tue Apr 24, 2001 10:11 am

well i try hard.

tinytim · Post by **tinytim** » Tue Apr 24, 2001 10:11 am

well i try hard.

Shadowstrider · Post by **Shadowstrider** » Wed Apr 25, 2001 2:32 pm

well it's a little late, but I'll add my info.

I see no reason why people would object to paying a small fee. I would gladly pay even though I don't use walkthroughs or such. I know how hard it is to run a website this large, which is why I stopped. Now I run free, hastle less webpages =)

vixen · Post by **vixen** » Thu Apr 26, 2001 3:57 pm

I agree mainly with what has been said previously- and that payment of a small fee for certain services (FNAR FNAR!) would probably be the way to go.

Just one question though. In my experience i have generally tried to complete games myself unaided and without the help of guides of any description. i only tend to use these as a last resort when i think i may have done something wrong in a quest and can't figure out how to finish it. if there was a fee to pay (however small) to access this sort of information, which would inevitably involve giving my credit card details over the net i don't think i would use guides/walkthroughs etc. I suspect quite a few people would agree. well, i hope they would!

ThorinOakensfield · Post by **ThorinOakensfield** » Fri Apr 27, 2001 7:17 pm

Gotta print out all the equipment and walkthrough pages before you start charging.

Zimith · Post by **Zimith** » Tue May 01, 2001 7:04 am

Well i can understand your situation, but if i would pay for all sites like this i access over the years, i would be ruined. This current site is very useful, entertaining etc., but i would not pay for it. Not even if it would be a lot better. I think you're gonna lose a lot of customers Mr. Satan.

cheesemage · Post by **cheesemage** » Thu May 03, 2001 6:31 pm

Bump back to the top but where it already is bit the lit up light bulb will attract attention but then the people will be dissapointed and want to post
so in other words im doing this for the good of the community

hedbanger · Post by **hedbanger** » Sat May 05, 2001 11:06 am

buck satan,
i only discovered gamebanshee last night, but i certainly know a gem when i see one.

here's a possible solution to your current dilemma...
is it possible that emulating the public television model would bring in enough to keep you afloat?
members that care could donate. later on, perhaps a gamebanshee t-shirt or mousepad could be given for the more generous donations. for a smaller donation, you could give a window or bumper sticker. you could also set a base donation that didn't have a "reward" item.
this might serve as an interim stopgap measure before the public is forced to read the writing on the wall and accept that paying is the inevitable way of the future.

if a for-pay system is in place, the most valuable members could receive free membership.
i would be willing to donate today, if i knew that it would forestall the for-pay system for a while.
what do you think?
joan

vbarash · Post by **vbarash** » Sun May 06, 2001 4:47 pm

I can see it already:

$100 - free GameBanshee coffee cup. Counts as a coffee cup+5, +6vs. hot coffee

$200 - Gamebanshee tshirt signed by Firkraag himself

$500 - real ring of human influence!!!! YEAH!!!

But seriously, I don't know if there are enough people who are seriously committed to this site, committed enough that they have to pay... I (probably) will, but the 28000 other people won't, so what will 10 active subscriptions do?

Oh well. Guess I just gotta wait for that ring...

josh · Post by **josh** » Sun May 06, 2001 7:37 pm

I would love to help and pay but unfortunately I cannot. I don't get pocket money and I don't have a job. Being a uni student means there are a lot of hidden fees.

velvetfreak · Post by **velvetfreak** » Tue May 08, 2001 8:23 pm

Hey Buck Satan,

I can easily sympathize with your plight. In fact, it inspires the response "why the hell should YOU pay?!" I think moving to a subscription-based model is a risk because you could lose your support and go down the tube. Conversely, you could scale back to the resources you can afford - to the detriment of the site, and the community you have here. But I don't think you should wear the risk of bankruptcy, and I would be appalled if that happened.

I don't think a subscription/membership system is the answer because the community would suffer. You may as well scale back your connection if it comes to that. The only thing I can think of is to post info on how to make site donations. I'll pledge US$20 right now.

vf

Edwhyn · Post by **Edwhyn** » Wed May 09, 2001 2:45 am

Because of the fact that most of the internet is still free I think the ones starting with this "paymentsolution" will be the ones losing many visitors/members. There are still many websites that offer the same services for free. (I have to add gamebanshee is quite unique in its kind.)
Loyal members will stay with gamebanshee, but it will be hard to get new members. Maybe in the future when the internetusers are more used to pay-to-join-sites, lets say 40% of the internet and your marketing is ok, you will gain more members, but now I think it is too early to start with this solution. People don't (yet) see the internet as a magazine-selling-company where u pay to subscribe.
I agree that in the future it will come to this, too bad, but maybe we are spoiled in the way that internet is moslty free now.

cobra mkII · Post by **cobra mkII** » Wed May 09, 2001 5:47 am

I have watched the current discussion with interest, I have only had internet access for 2 years and have only been a member of this site for 2 or 3 months. The thing that appeals to me about the internet is its freeness, both in the ability to move around as well as to seek, and give, information. Indeed without this site and its helpful members I would never have managed to finish BG2 (Some members replied within minutes of some of my requests for help!). When I saw this post from Buck Satan I had very mixed feelings. 1st. Someone was having to pay for my fun something I am not comfortable with. 2nd. If the plan went ahead I would have to move on, not because I do not value this site, but because I do not wish to give credit card data over the internet 3rd. Membership will go down, partly because some are like myself about credit cards, partly because many will call on the site for info, see it is a pay site and move on, why? Because we all want info *now* and no one wants to risk finding it is not worth the money 4th. I call at this site because I am interested in the games covered, but what about when I have finished those games and move on to others, yes the new ones may be covered, but will my interest be such that I am still willing to pay? And once I left would I ever bother to think it worth returning?
I am sorry if that makes me sound like a tighta*s*ed Limey

but I still come back to my original points. The internet to me is a free exchange of info, I really, really, appreciate the likes of Buck Satan but not so much that I would give personal info over the net and pay for a game that may last me say 3 months before I move onto other things.
Sorry