Hi all.
I launch this thread on an odd matter, and i'm sorry in advance for my english. I would usually write in french, but i want this to be read by the most.
I very well know that BGA is made with passion by gamers that want to share that. For all i know, BGA is about to become the most important boardgames online playing platform ever. Not just because of the quality of the site itself and the variety of the games that can be played here, but mostly i think because of the quality of the players with whom we share our time. People here, are just nice. And, to be honest, i don't know how you guys made this happen, but for someone like me spending so much time on the net, it's such a relief to come here.
What i'm wondering here, is the following:
- How you guys make money? Do you make a living of it? I know it has not been the case in the beginning, since i joined the community pretty early. But what about now? Maybe you still work aside, but i guess there's a huge work to be done everyday now, and someone has to do it right? Obviously there are the premium fees, and advertising. Is there something else?
- What are your basic expenses? Do you pay to own the games we are playing here? I really don't need numbers. I know there is a basis of french guys that founded the website, and since i'm french, i know how we dislike raw numbers (when it's money i mean). All i'm asking is where does the money go? Infrastructure obviously... Salaries? Food (you guys need to eat right?)? games?
- How, where and when do you find games? What's the process? You obviously need to ask someones. Who has a word to say in that? The company? But which one? Is there one company each time who has international rights? You have players from all around the world, so do you need to ask the rights to each company in each country? Do you need to ask to the creator of the game?
Basically, i'm asking all those boring questions because i played 6000 games of RFTG, thinking some day, the extensions will come. But today, for the first time, i came to the forum to find an answer. The answer is: you only have the rights for the basic game.
Are all negotiations closed? Would you have to pay to get more rights? If so, what about a kickstarter to get this done? But there come my last question:
- I can sense that there is a... huh... certain way of mind that carries this website on. Based on benevolence, open mind, and somehow, not getting too much into big business. So i'd guess paying for the games would not be an option. The question is: if i'm right about all this, do you feel that the fact of not being in some sort of big business is why everyone is so nice here? If so, then don't change anything guys, this website rock!
Thanks for everything. We love you guys.
Cheers
MF ^^
I launch this thread on an odd matter, and i'm sorry in advance for my english. I would usually write in french, but i want this to be read by the most.
I very well know that BGA is made with passion by gamers that want to share that. For all i know, BGA is about to become the most important boardgames online playing platform ever. Not just because of the quality of the site itself and the variety of the games that can be played here, but mostly i think because of the quality of the players with whom we share our time. People here, are just nice. And, to be honest, i don't know how you guys made this happen, but for someone like me spending so much time on the net, it's such a relief to come here.
What i'm wondering here, is the following:
- How you guys make money? Do you make a living of it? I know it has not been the case in the beginning, since i joined the community pretty early. But what about now? Maybe you still work aside, but i guess there's a huge work to be done everyday now, and someone has to do it right? Obviously there are the premium fees, and advertising. Is there something else?
- What are your basic expenses? Do you pay to own the games we are playing here? I really don't need numbers. I know there is a basis of french guys that founded the website, and since i'm french, i know how we dislike raw numbers (when it's money i mean). All i'm asking is where does the money go? Infrastructure obviously... Salaries? Food (you guys need to eat right?)? games?
- How, where and when do you find games? What's the process? You obviously need to ask someones. Who has a word to say in that? The company? But which one? Is there one company each time who has international rights? You have players from all around the world, so do you need to ask the rights to each company in each country? Do you need to ask to the creator of the game?
Basically, i'm asking all those boring questions because i played 6000 games of RFTG, thinking some day, the extensions will come. But today, for the first time, i came to the forum to find an answer. The answer is: you only have the rights for the basic game.
Are all negotiations closed? Would you have to pay to get more rights? If so, what about a kickstarter to get this done? But there come my last question:
- I can sense that there is a... huh... certain way of mind that carries this website on. Based on benevolence, open mind, and somehow, not getting too much into big business. So i'd guess paying for the games would not be an option. The question is: if i'm right about all this, do you feel that the fact of not being in some sort of big business is why everyone is so nice here? If so, then don't change anything guys, this website rock!
Thanks for everything. We love you guys.
Cheers
MF ^^
), paying game developers, paying translators, moderators, and so on... This would require to force players to get a membership, with a price much higher than it is today (see other comparable service). We try to simulate this and this is impossible to make it work. We may be wrong, but we think that a non-commercial, community based platform is the only possible way to make it work.