Dtoid Premium

[Mr Andy Dixon]

As you've no doubt seen, Dtoid is going to be implementing an optional premium membership in the coming months:

http://www.destructoid.com/half-of-d...--247904.phtml

http://www.destructoid.com/community...--248168.phtml

What sorts of things would you lot like to see happen with that?

[Tarvu]

Don't touch the forums for one thing.


Le thoughts

I'd want to know if it would be like an annual thing, or one time purchase, or if there could be a choice between such options.

Burning through the comments, I've seen a few suggestions and made a few myself. There have been a lot of people wanting to be promised premium access to the editorial team, please ignore those guys. Ignore the folk that think paying money should get them closer to the front page gods. They're people with lives outside writing for this site and don't have a requirement to throw themselves into the community, which is fine. Ignore the folk that think premium accounts implies premium contribution on blogs and in comments too. No clearly visible distinction between members.

Any serious paywalling on blogs could present issues for the many users who run secondary accounts for recaps, podcasts, personas and FNF posts. I'd assume your blog moderation team could easily make up for that anyway.

Automatic competition entry could cause issue and butthurt for non-US residents like myself. I saw somebody request automatic claiming of beta codes, which would deprive people who want them for the sake of people who could possibly play them.

A few people have knocked around the idea of featuring blogger reviews and such. Forgetting the whole premium debate for a moment, I've thought for a while that games on Destructoid could do with some sort of dedicated page with a feed of all associated news (like when the tag for it is clicked from an article) and with the main Destructoid review featured most prominently. It would then serve the Destructoid philosophy to allow bloggers to submit their own reviews, which having been checked over by new or current members of the volunteer army, could also be featured on these game pages. I don't see that many blogs having a proper crack at game reviews so I reckon something like that could be well received.

I'd be happy with a simple pin badge for my troubles. Or any decent merchandise. Since leaving Splitreason the Dtoid store has had precisely nothing worthwhile. ScottyG rightfully described it as hot-topic level generic "video game" tshirt designs.

[Aaron Mxy Yost]

That will not be happening as long as I'm here. No regular content is going to be crippled or taken away for non-subscribers. We'll probably do a forum badge for subscribers though.

[Mighty Hatman]

I only use Dtoid for the forums and the occasional news article anyway.

[Tarvu]

That will not be happening as long as I'm here. No regular content is going to be crippled or taken away for non-subscribers. We'll probably do a forum badge for subscribers though.

I like that idea.

I was a bit terse above, I have been thinking about Dtoid premium most of the day and have yet to formalise a verbose opinion.

[Edd Strid]

Don't touch the forums for one thing.

Who'd want to touch it, it's diseased and highly contagious.

Hell, I used to pay for IGN to have no ads (I hear your laughter) and access more guides years back so I can easily fork out some dosh to support Destructoid, as many know this site has helped me a lot personally so if there's more ways for me to contribute and support it then I'm all for it.

[GlowBear]

I've already said I only recently started using ad-blocker for video streaming sites & didn't think about sites like this. Dtoid ads don't bother me so I wouldn't mind adding it to an exception list. As for what I'd want in a premium deal-I dunno at this very moment. I don't even know if there should be such a thing, least of all one that can be bought. If people want to support the site simply allow the ads. But do many here even click them?

[Tarvu]

It's not just clicking them that pays out. Them just being displayed on the pages does it too. Otherwise they'd make practically jack shit.

[Scield]

I'd pay hands down for an ad free site. I really do feel bad blocking the ads on Dtoid but they slow my system down a lot so I have to sometimes, mainly when I read front page articles. Not really when im in the forums. Anyway, I would like to see the full RSS feed reinstated because that's how I mainly read Dtoid articles. I have so little time at home to sit in front of a computer and my work blocks videogame related sites so I have to read from an RSA reader on my phone. I also like the idea of member only contests. Maybe then I'll finally have a damn chance of winning something. But in the end if it meant saving Dtoid I would do anything really. I would hate to see the site get sold or to close down. Niero has done a great job with it and it deserves to succeed.

[PhilKenSebben]

I allow ads already. I don't use blockers, because I know the places I love make their living off such things. I grew up without a DVR and have patience and time. I think the premium is a good idea, as long as it doesn't lock shit away or fuck non paid folks in anyway. Like members only contests for certain shit, but non paid also gets a cool contest at the same time. Shit, I'll even donate some of my for contest stuff if it'll help. Y'all know I chuck out free games constantly. I don't know. This whole thing makes me sad. I love this place, it gave me friends and a family, when I was at my lowest. It has made the highest all the better. I don't want to lose it.

[Aaron Mxy Yost]

It's not just clicking them that pays out. Them just being displayed on the pages does it too. Otherwise they'd make practically jack shit.

Yup, the money is made mostly on views, not click-throughs. Just allowing them to be displayed generates revenue.

And just to remind people, any annoying ads you see (auto-plays, pop-ups, full-page, shady stuff like MMO gold, etc), please email support@destructoid.com so Niero can tell the ad guys to remove them. We contract with a network to provide ads and set guidelines on what's cool to show and not, but from time to time that stuff goes through against our wishes. If we aren't made aware of them, then we can't tell them to stop. Please include your region and any other details too, since the ads vary depending on where you are.

[Neeklus]

I'm posting this here because I've tried four times on the Comments thread and each time it's failed. Maybe Premium can be used to fix all the bugs that persist around here?

Anyway, my two pence:

I have been visiting this website for a long time. For a brief time I posted on the forums. A few of my blogs even got joyfully promoted to the front page. Despite my lack of community “presence” these days, I go nowhere else for my games news.

However, I will never, ever, pay to use a site such as this. I begrudge paying my monthly WoW bill and that is for an ever expanding video game that has not been replicated anywhere. I can get my video games news elsewhere. I can join a forum elsewhere. I can write my own inane blog and post it on the internet elsewhere. And I can do these things for free.

I sincerely think a paid membership is a poor idea. It rallies against everything that I believe Dtoit stands for - frank and honest reporting about video games. When you bring money into it frank & honest becomes blurred. It quickly becomes about the customer. It quickly becomes the whole Kane & Lynch Gamespot debacle. It quickly descends to customers screaming “I pay your wages, do wtf what I want/post wtf I want”.

Yes the market place is changing. Everything is changing thanks to rapidly advancing technology. How you choose to ride the wave though is crucial. Do you go the way of The Humble Bundle or Kickstarter where everything is transparent, happy and honest? Or do you become the vapid EA-replicant game forum for the internet, where you can only read one of Stirling’s articles if you pay some day-one DLC cost?

Please don’t become replicants.

[Tarvu]

I don't think they want to charge you for just checking the site. That would be pants on head retarded.

And if premium users could be free of Disqus I'd be all over that.

Also, paid membership is a poor idea. They know that. But the point is that advertisement revenue alone doesn't work for a site with techy, sometimes entitled readers.

[Aaron Mxy Yost]

Yup, it's about adding perks for paid subscribers, not removing content. If you don't subscribe (and you're under no obligation to do so if you aren't interested), then Dtoid will remain the same as it has been for you.

[TurboKill]

@Neeklus Don't forget that it'll be optional and non-intrusive..

That said, depending on the pricing and if the perks are interesting enough, I might bite. I can't come up with anything to add as of yet. Unless we add a premium game strategies & extras section? That might require hiring someone else though. [shrugs]

But like Tarvu said: Don't touch the forums.

[GlowBear]

Ah didn't think views helped too, well then makes more sense now (I was probably thinking in an Adsense mindset).

[Panzadolphin56]

I wouldn't mind more random original content from some of the Dtoid writers, maybe more about the more abstract or thematic elements of game design.

Also, that 'multiple reviewers on a game' thing somebody mentioned in the comments of the article.

[BadStar]

I would be more than happy to throw a little money at Dtoid even if I don't receive premium content in return. As long as this robot ship keeps sailing I'm happy.

[keisal]

I love this place, I don't use adblock but I'll do what I gotta do to support this place. I'd be more than happy to pay for a premium subscription, especially if it meant getting some extra content.

[Revuhlooshun]

Donations are a better course of action than a premium membership. You don't alienate readers by segregating the community; you don't have to withhold content behind a paywall; people are more likely to donate out of good will than they are to pay for something that they can already get on the internet for free (gaming news and insight); and people will probably be willing to give more money in donations than whatever set amount of money they'd be charged for a membership.

Once or twice a year, do a fundraiser to augment ad revenue. Preface it with an explanation as to why it's necessary to the survival of the site, much like the one Niero posted today, so that it doesn't come across as outright opportunism. Give those who donate some sort of special recognition, like a post at the end of the year with all of their names. This is a model which has been used by The Nation magazine since its founding in 1865. The Nation has never made a profit in nearly 150 years of operation, but it perseveres because it has a loyal, dedicated community and readership that is willing to keep it afloat (much like we have).

There's also a certain psychological aspect at play here that makes donations more attractive than a membership. I won't pay for a membership because whatever you offer me will not be worth the value--there are too many other alternatives and competitors that I can turn to for the same quality of content without having to pay for access to it. I would donate once or twice a year though, just out of solidarity. Many people, I feel, share these same sentiments.

I'd post this on the front page, but it'd just get flooded under the 300+ comments.