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Poll

Does paying for in-game merchandise help or hurt a game?

It adds to the realism - it helps the game
20%
 20%  [ 6 ]
It looks like panhandling - it hurts the game
17%
 17%  [ 5 ]
Doesn't matter as long as there's no advantage to doing so (no special hints)
48%
 48%  [ 14 ]
Doesn't bother me at all.
13%
 13%  [ 4 ]

Total Votes : 29
 

 Forum index » Meta » Puppetmaster Help
Charging for Swag?
Moderators: imbri
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Alzheimers
Unfettered

Joined: 02 Aug 2004
Posts: 339

 		Charging for Swag?
I just wanted to get a feel of what the community thought about charging for in-game swag. Does an in-game website that offers to sell merchandise with in-game logos and etc. add to the realism, or does it seem more like panhandling and a turnoff for players?

What if the merchandise is related to the story? For example, I don't know how successful the DeadPoems book was from UH, but it was an interesting idea to include extra puzzles and hints to the plotline to those who were willing to pay for it. Does this kind of merchandising enhance the story and the realism for those who paid for it? Or is it's effectiveness outweighed by a sense that a free game shouldn't give special consideration to those who have the means to "buy in."

I can't imagine this kind of merchandising being used to completely fund a big game and all the expenses associated. However, being used as both a tool to enhance realism as well as a way to offset costs I can see the benefits. I just wouldn't want the negative effect of such an endeavour ultimately hurting the game.

So, what do you think?

*edit: Just to clarify, I'm not talking about story critical information being passed in the merch. It would be meant to compliment and enhance the story, and wouldn't be required to move forward.
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 11:04 am
Last edited by Alzheimers on Wed Jan 26, 2005 3:43 pm; edited 1 time in total
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spaceboy
Unfettered


Joined: 06 Aug 2004
Posts: 475
Location: Cambridge Mental Hospital

 		I, as a player, don't mind paying for game merchandise. That said, the merch has to be high quality stuff. I don't really want to buy stuff from cafepress or something like that because of quality concerns. But, if it's good stuff, I'd buy it.
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The stars never feel anger
Blah, blah, blah, the end.

PostPosted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 12:20 pm
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MageSteff
Pretty talky there aintcha, Talky?


Joined: 06 Jun 2003
Posts: 2716
Location: State of Denial

 		I don't mind the cafe press shops. However if you have to "pay" for swag that is the only way to get a puzzle, I think it detracts from the game.
What if all the other items sell, but not the specific puzzle oriented one? what if the person who bought it is a lurker rather than someone who posts messages? What if the production quality of the item was too low to reproduce the puzzle accurately?

Just my $0.02 Euros worth.
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Magesteff
A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead


PostPosted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:46 pm
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imbriModerator
Entrenched


Joined: 21 Sep 2002
Posts: 1182
Location: wonderland

 		I believe that it depends completely on how it is presented and if it makes sense in the context of the game. Using ILB as an example, if Margaret was selling something with "Margaret's Honey" on it, it would have made sense but if she was selling something that said "Halo2" or "!seek !behold" it would not. One of my favorite swag events was the auction in CTW... so participatory, what a great way to highlight one of the cooler aspects of this genre.

As far as "buy a clue"/"buy a puzzle" type swag, it really depends on the audience and how receptive they'll be (as well as how it's done!). I truly believe that the successful PMs have a very good feel for their playerbase and should be able to make the judgement at that point. I do not believe that it should be critical to the gameplay, but enhance it. In some circumstances, it might work well to have very few specialty type items that only a single player (or handful of players) could recieve (due to cost or limited availability) but overall I would think that they should be affordable and available to the entire playerbase.

- b

PostPosted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 5:11 pm
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RobMagus
Unfettered


Joined: 17 Jul 2004
Posts: 469
Location: Vancouver, BC

 		I figure it's a really great in-game way to support the wonderful PMs of a game.
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Of course! That's the only possible explanation!

PostPosted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 4:39 pm
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Varin
I Have No Life


Joined: 02 Dec 2002
Posts: 2456
Location: South of where I used to be
RobMagus wrote:
I figure it's a really great in-game way to support the wonderful PMs of a game.


yep. What RobMagus said.
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"meta meta meta, I made you out of play..." ~ j5

PostPosted: Thu Jan 27, 2005 4:55 pm
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Liqidcrack
Boot


Joined: 11 Dec 2002
Posts: 13
Location: Tucson, AZ

 		Swag.
SWAG is good.

SWAG is fun.

Don't count on SWAG filling your coffers to cover the cost of your game unless you do something like that auction and have some good stuff in. And it better truly peak the players interests.

LC

PostPosted: Thu Feb 10, 2005 1:22 pm
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Fi
Unfettered


Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 444
Location: London
Quote:
Does paying for in-game merchandise help or hurt a game?

- Doesn't matter as long as there's no advantage to doing so (no special hints)


I am very intrigued as to why 56% of you think this is the case. If someone was looking to make money out of a game (and, let's face it, in order for ARGs to become a commercial success this will have to be the case) then is there anything really wrong with selling items which could further the players knowledge of the game? Like containing extra story content or puzzles? Surely this is a far more effective way to make money whilst continuing to engage the players than selling swag through somewhere like CafePress.

Fi

PostPosted: Sun Feb 20, 2005 2:16 pm
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catherwood
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee

Joined: 25 Sep 2002
Posts: 4109
Location: Silicon Valley, CA

 		There is a difference between charging for clues which are required to further the game versus charging for things which enhance the experience. Selling a character's diary, for example, might be used to give backstory or depth to the story, but it should not be vital for all players to share. [/opinion]

PostPosted: Sun Feb 20, 2005 2:38 pm
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