The whole game-design vs game-publishing hullaballoo that I referenced in my last post?
The Meme-Mandated, Semi-Regularly-Updated, Occasionally Coherent Thoughts of G.M. Skarka
The Meme-Mandated, Semi-Regularly-Updated, Occasionally Coherent Thoughts of G.M. Skarka
The whole game-design vs game-publishing hullaballoo that I referenced in my last post?
Uh-huh
That’s pretty funny, but you’re still an EVIL MEANIE-HEAD.
As publisher, does it worry you that, while you’re out there trying to make money, there are countless hobbyists out there perfectly happy to just have their name in print? As a freelancer myself, I run into this often, and it worries me that it’s cheapening the value of my work — competing against people who will, essentially, do it for free.
Kids these days.
B.
Re: Uh-huh
It is a concern, and largely what I was talking about when discussing market dilution on the site —
When dealing with folks who are publishing as a hobby — all they really care about is getting the game out there, and they’re often willing to take a loss to do it. They’re not concerned about selling enough to maintain full operations, they’re just wanting to make enough to eventually (and on no set schedule, so that “eventually” is effectively a perpetual state) crank out another product. They’ll underprice, they’ll stay in business long past the point of solvency, etc.
Competing with someone who doesn’t really care about running a business makes it damn hard for actual businesses. (Not too affectionately called the “pissing in the pool” syndrome. :)
BRILLIANT.
Re: Uh-huh
This is exactly what you should have said in that thread. Hobbyist self-publishers without an actual business plan will invariably underprice their product and stay in business long past the point of solvency, which will make it harder for actual professional publishers to run a business.
After reading most of that thread, it’s as if you had an idea to communicate, but only communicated 65% of the idea incorrectly assuming that the unstated 35% was commonly known and accepted. This led to frustration on the part of everyone posting to the thread (and quite possibly to most people reading the thread), and then the inevitable cock waving occurs. I don’t fault you on the attitude that you exhibited in the thread as the first few dozen posts before you joined in all appeared to be directed at you and your ear as an orifice that needed inseminating.
I feel th two posts you’ve had here on your livejournal better explain your position than the posts in the last half of that thread do.
Re: Uh-huh
Well, actually, I *did* post exactly that in the “Market Dilution” thread, when I saw that the original thread had gone tits-up. (My comment above was copy-and-pasted from the post, in fact.)
I doubt that anyone is listening, though. As someone else pointed out to me, the Indie scene is largely comprised of niche-concept designers selling ashcans to eachother, for the most part. They don’t really want to be anything else, with very few exceptions.
“I sell my soul, but at the highest rates…”
“I get so angry about this because you’re undercut by all the amateurs. It’s the amateurs that make it tough for the professional because when you act professional, these people are so used to getting it for nothing, and for mooching, and for being able to pass off this bullshit…”
-Harlan Ellison
Re: Uh-huh
It makes me sad when my idols fight…
From my reading (and then aghast re-reading) of the thread, the essential divide I saw was that on the designer-not-publisher side of the fence, there is no (or very little) incentive for them to assume any responsibility for what happens to the publishing industry side.
You (meaning the industry, or The Man, if you prefer)are inevitably competing with them at a business level and are impacted by the dilution effect you discussed, but are they competing with you? If “the industry” dried up and evaporated tomorrow, their business model (for want of a better word) would still function as well as it does now, and *even if that’s not true*, it’s the perception in the designer/self-publisher camp.
So the question that I don’t think anyone asked you (and Malcolm) and should have is “*Why* should (they)care?”
Caveat: My sole contribution to the hobby/industry is as a consumer. As such, I’m really interested in not seeing the industry implode.
Re: Uh-huh
Huh. Actually, I take it back. The question was asked and answered (it took a third read to separate that from the dross).
My bad.
(Also, my name is Dave, and I apologise for not signing my previous commment)
Re: Uh-huh
The people he’s talking to know this. They just don’t care.
Re: “I sell my soul, but at the highest rates…”
BINGO. Yet again, there is nothing that can be said that Uncle Harlan hasn’t already said, and said well. (Usually with the word “bullshit” included somewhere.)