Meet Yahtzee at PAX, Get Stuff

[Samurai Goomba]

I think this idea really has been presented too late. As has been said multiple times, no access to tickets severely limits who can attend, not to mention tickets weren't cheap anyways. Plus there's the geography to consider.

So think about it this way:

MOST of the people you're asking to contribute money (most of your fanbase), has neither the way to get physically to the event OR the ability to buy a ticket to go (because they aren't available.) You're asking people to pay solid money for something most of them cannot attend. Under these circumstances, how is this not a donation?

Also there's the matter many will simply not consider it a good value for money (like myself.) There's also the question of why the escapist (being a gaming news company) couldn't afford to go to PAX with the money it makes from its numerous revenue sources (multiple types of ads, captchas, etc.) It seems to me that something could have been worked out (I know from firsthand accounts from things individuals who work here have posted that not everybody is starving/has trouble affording things) for your employees to maybe pay part or most of their ticket if they wanted to go.

In short, people gave generously when Allison had her hand thing because it was for a worthy cause. Most of the escapist's members can't benefit much from this PAX merchandise bit being introduced so late, so it's practically a donation thing for them. I think under these circumstances it's unsurprising to see resistance to this idea. YES, you're giving them merchandise, but is it a good value for money? If the value is the merchandise itself, probably not. If it's the escapist's staff going to PAX, then maybe, but again that seems like a donation situation, despite protestations to the contrary.

I'm part of the Pub Club. I paid because $20 isn't much to support a website that I spend a lot of time on. Also it removes ads. However, I clearly remember Yahtzee going on about his massive new 3DTV that he got from internet revenue, so from that three second phrase alone, I decided that he can pay for his own damned business class ticket to PAX.

Exactly. Yahtzee has on numerous occasions both here and elsewhere stated that he's basically swimming in a pool of money and has no money worries. Good for him, he deserves it. But really, forget about him asking me for money. I should be hitting him up for a loan.

 

[Cliff_m85]

I donate for good causes, but I couldn't be bothered to join a club that would allow me to avoid spam or an event that won't impact me in the slightest. I'm sad that we have those banners to the left and right, pimping out Yahtzee for $$$ but nothing really for an artist that seriously needed the help.

Working retail, I know what drives sales. Waggling a promise of a meeting with the biggest celeb on the site drives profit.

I won't how much revenue the Escapist made and how much of it was put in a fund to help out an ailing artist. Captcha time!!! XD

 

[scott91575]

Hmm, selling out Yahtzee for something he doesn't like to do. Sounds fun. When I meet him can I say this?

 

[Operations]

We are pre-selling merch and swag and if we hit a minimum threshold we'll make a big presence at PAX. If we don't, the orders will get cancelled, we'll have our usual spartan presence at PAX.

I think you mean sparse, though now I am having visions of Russ Pitts dressed as either Master Chief, or King Leonidas

 

[Adremmalech]

Oh man. What can we learn from this adventure?

This reminds me of how Socialism doesn't work, but maybe it's all in the phrasing.

Socialist Example: Contribute to the party, for the benefit of the team! Get a reward!

Capitalist Example: Buy this autographed poster! Proceeds go to this big party we're throwing at PAX!

 

[ResonanceSD]

Oh man. What can we learn from this adventure?

This reminds me of how Socialism doesn't work, but maybe it's all in the phrasing.

Socialist Example: Contribute to the party, for the benefit of the team! Get a reward!

Capitalist Example: Buy this autographed poster! Proceeds go to this big party we're throwing at PAX!

Capitalism win: http://www.usdebtclock.org/

 

[Estelindis]

I think you mean sparse, though now I am having visions of Russ Pitts dressed as either Master Chief, or King Leonidas

Actually, "spartan" is used as an adjective meaning frugal or austere, presumably referring to the purported harsh lifestyle of historical Spartans.

 

[Fugitive Panda]

Can we stop comparing this to the Extra Credits charity? They're not asking you for donations because poor old Yahtzee can't pay his way to a place he doesn't particularly want to be, they're asking for contributions so that the Escapists presence at PAX is actually big enough to justify forcing him out of his dank Australian dwelling.

I mean, it's still kind of silly, but you all seem to be missing the point.

 

[Chris Barber]

Why not scrap this and just do it proper for the next PAX rather than try to do this at the last minute in a complete and total scramble? At this point I can't get a pass to enter PAX anyways; so even if I were interested in throwing money at you guys, it wouldn't serve me any purpose seeing as how I literally cannot possibly attend the event. You are asking people to fund an event that they cannot go to.

You can call the efforts to get him here whatever you want. But the execution here is spectacularly shoddy.

 

[Shakomaru]

I imagine one person will run up in a Captain Falcon mask yell "THIS IS FOR BRAWL!!!!!! FALCON PUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!!" the run of and brag about it in his Nintendo chatroom.

That would actually be a little funny... Someone needs to try and tape the whole Yahtzee "panel thingy"

 

[Susan Arendt]

We are pre-selling merch and swag and if we hit a minimum threshold we'll make a big presence at PAX. If we don't, the orders will get cancelled, we'll have our usual spartan presence at PAX.

I think you mean sparse, though now I am having visions of Russ Pitts dressed as either Master Chief, or King Leonidas

That is a whole other level of contribution.

 

[Estelindis]

Why not scrap this and just do it proper for the next PAX rather than try to do this at the last minute in a complete and total scramble? At this point I can't get a pass to enter PAX anyways; so even if I were interested in throwing money at you guys, it wouldn't serve me any purpose seeing as how I literally cannot possibly attend the event. You are asking people to fund an event that they cannot go to.

You can call the efforts to get him here whatever you want. But the execution here is spectacularly shoddy.

Actually, based on a comment on the RocketHub page, the fan meet-up won't require a PAX pass. Janelle Bonanno wrote:

Yes, you must already have a PAX badge to attend PAX. You do NOT need a PAX badge to attend the community meet-up since that will be held in a different location, off-site and independent of PAX. I hope this clarifies

 

[dyre]

I wonder who would pay $5000 to get their game ripped apart by Yahtzee >_>
Also, couldn't the $10-for-a-question thing lead to ridiculous number of questions?

Pretty interesting, and I really don't see anything morally offensive about it, but the cheapest reward relevant to my interests is $75, which I can't really afford to shell out for a poster

 

[The Virgo]

I won't be able to make it! :'-(

*cries*

 

[Xanthious]

I think what sticks out to me the most about this mess is not how haphazardly it was seemingly thrown together or that it reeks of pandering but how grossly they are overvaluing their product. So let me get this straight, for 100 dollars I will get the pleasure of being in the same room with a guy that makes funny videos on the internet and would probably prefer chewing off his own arm if it meant he could get out of doing this event? Where do I sign up to never have to have something like this presented to me ever again?

Look I like Zero Punctuation as much as the next guy but for the 20 grand your looking at dropping to get Yahtzee over here you could probably get someone with actual celebrity to show up. Twenty thousand dollars! Let that sink in for a minute. That's more than a good chunk of this site bring home in a year just to fly someone to PAX.

I get why you don't to spend Escapist's funds on this, because it's an absolute waste of money in every sense of the word! Seriously, you'd rather spend 10k to fly a guy out rather than spend 8k less and maybe fly him out a day early so he can rest prior to the event. I don't know how much a hotel costs per night but I bet it's a hell of a lot cheaper than 8 thousand dollars.

I get you want to do something special for the fans. I do. However, look at a site like spill.com, an animated movie review site . They have a pretty big fanbase probably a bit smaller than The Escapist. They throw a FOUR DAY gathering once a year and bring in guests like the guys that do Red vs Blue, well known music acts, hell they even manage to rent out entire bars/theaters for panels and parties at night and you get to mingle with the guys that run the site the entire four days. You know what they manage to bring this in for? About 40 bucks a head for a four day pass. Yeah, they can do a four day event like that for 40 a head (less than you are asking for a signed poster no less) and you expect people to drop 100 bucks a head to spend an hour or so with Yahtzee. Good luck with that.

 

[deserteagleeye]

Call me naive, but I think that the money going towards The Escapist is a good enough cause. I believe that the funders will use the money to benefit the site and get the name out there. I'm mean it's not like they're IGN right? Although, I don't like the idea of paying for someone else's company. That doesn't sit right with me.

 

[scott91575]

Oh man. What can we learn from this adventure?

This reminds me of how Socialism doesn't work, but maybe it's all in the phrasing.

Socialist Example: Contribute to the party, for the benefit of the team! Get a reward!

Capitalist Example: Buy this autographed poster! Proceeds go to this big party we're throwing at PAX!

Capitalism win: http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Economic comprehension fail

Socialism win:

 

[deserteagleeye]

I mean... if all you're saying is "I don't think getting a poster at PAX is worth $20" or "meeting Yahtzee isn't worth X" or whatever, well, OK. Um...then you shouldn't participate. I personally think women's shoes are overpriced, but I don't get morally outraged at the idea that some women's shoes are $500.

http://us.christianlouboutin.com/shoes/platforms/bianca-botta-calf.html

Worth. Every. Penny.

Also more than my rent. Sigh...

Sorry to interrupt the moral outrage.

Those are really hot shoes. We should RocketHub that. Maybe we can get our users to pay for you to model sexy boots.

Second that.

 

[Powerman88]

I guess I'd feel somewhat more assured if I knew exactly where the money was going. Even if the Escapist were to say, "We're taking the money so we never have to run another fscking SlimJim ad," y'know, I'd give that serious consideration.

If users were willing to contribute enough for us to publish The Escapist without ads, I can assure you we would be willing to run the site without ads. Perhaps we could do a $250,000 Rockethub project - if we hit the target we'll turn off ads for a month?

Anyway, regarding other concerns here:
1) I was the one who recommended that Extra Credits use RocketHub. RocketHub's attorney is a close personal friend of mine. We have been monitoring crowdsourcing as an opportunity for a long time.

2) Suggesting that this idea is somehow "wrong" because its not for charity tells me you have no idea what RocketHub is actually for. RocketHub is not meant to be primarily for charitable causes. In fact RocketHub specifically rules out using RocketHub for charity.

If you don't believe me, read RocketHub's official FAQ:
http://rockethub.org/profiles/blogs/your-project-description
"#5 ? Disclaimers: It?s important to explain that RocketHub is neither an investment nor a charity. It is an exchange ? Rewards for RocketFuel. Trade, not aid."

REPEAT: RocketHub is not a charity. Traid, not aid. We're not asking you for your charity for Yahtzee. We came up with some things we thought you might like, such as an exclusive poster. We're offering those things for sale. If enough of you take those offers, then we're promisng to use the funds to send Yahtzee to PAX and do a big meet-up with his fans. if not, then... we won't do that.

Put another way: The Escapist might have just offered signed exclusive ZP posters for sale, like we normally sell our merchandise. Rather than offer to use the money to send him to PAX, we might have used the money to just throw ourselves an office party with bacardi and strippers.

Are you seriously going to argue that (a) selling posters while promising to use money to send Yahtzee to PAX is NOT acceptable, but (b) selling posters while making no promises is acceptable?

Or is the position that The Escapist ought not sell anything, because Capitalism is EEEEVIL?

If you want to sell things to raise money why wouldn't you just say "here is some merchandise for sale?"

I have been a fan of the Escapist for years now and have been coming back every Wednesday since 2007 for ZP. I have grown to really like a lot of the Escapist's other features. This, however, is just kind of offensive.

Are you guys PBS? (Sorry for the reference you wouldn't get non-Americans!)

I have no problem watching the stupid Slim Jim ads or having the popup come up in the bottom half of the screen because I know ads pay for me to be entertained week after week. I have even considered a premium membership because I do get a lot of enjoyment out of this site. This, however, really leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

You guys messed up. This was/is a terrible idea that is alienating a lot of fans. I understand you were trying something new, I understand how maybe one could think this is a good idea, and I understand that this site needs to make money, but it really came off as a dick move.

Admit it, cut it out, and move on.

 

[Roboto]

This thread has now taught me that next time I argue with my girlfriend about anything, I should have pictures of shoes and boots at the ready.

Shoes will fix a LOT, my friend.

I guess this means that Yahtzee is the Christian Louboutin* of the gaming world. ;-)

* Yes, I had to look that up too.

Wait. Everyone keeps bringing up the Allison thing. Wasn't most of the money that was "donated" to her surgery used for the EC guys to open up some indie game studio or something along those lines? How is this any worse?

The purpose of the donation drive was to raise money for Allison's surgery. However, fans gave much more money than was actually needed. Accordingly, Extra Credits are using the surplus funds to further innovation in gaming. Given that anyone who watches Extra Credits does so because of interest in that topic, there's absolutely nothing to which one could legitimately object.

I think it mainly boils down to nobody wants to believe their favorite, beloved website is broke. We associate ourselves with our hobbies, and a call for money can ruffle people's peace in the stability of the whole situation.