Supporting Content Creators
I was perusing the various YouTube channels that I subscribe to recently, enjoying a broad range of high quality content, when I suddenly realised that the majority of them had some sort of optional monetisation scheme associated with them. By realised I mean that it suddenly clicked with me that so many people are trying to raise funds to pay for their production costs. It’s certainly something I can identify with. I’ve been running a blog since 2007 and even that can be a money pit. There’s domain registrations, hosting costs, design work etc. It was even more expensive when I was producing a podcast. That incurred further hosting expenses and then there was the hardware to buy. So I fully appreciate the situation that many YouTubers find themselves in. They spend their own precious time and money creating quality material that many consume assuming that it is all just “free”.
I was perusing the various YouTube channels that I subscribe to recently, enjoying a broad range of high quality content, when I suddenly realised that the majority of them had some sort of optional monetisation scheme associated with them. By realised I mean that it suddenly clicked with me that so many people are trying to raise funds to pay for their production costs. It’s certainly something I can identify with. I’ve been running a blog since 2007 and even that can be a money pit. There’s domain registrations, hosting costs, design work etc. It was even more expensive when I was producing a podcast. That incurred further hosting expenses and then there was the hardware to buy. So I fully appreciate the situation that many YouTubers find themselves in. They spend their own precious time and money creating quality material that many consume assuming that it is all just “free”.
The democratisation of journalism and video production that the internet has brought over the last 25 years has not been without negative consequence. Trying to get paid for any sort of creative gig is an uphill struggle these day. There’s always someone who’ll undercut you, making it very much a buyers market. If you’re unsure about this point, just go look on Fiverr. And of course there’s that tedious mantra of offering “exposure”, which is still trotted out as a bullshit excuse for not paying you for you’re hard work. The gig economy is not all that it’s cracked up to be. So-called “free content” has damaged the notion that good quality videos, podcasts and longform essays have an inherent value. Furthermore, livestreaming and it’s interactive community elements is often seen as appealing to some viewers, as they get their egos stroked as the make a donation. The bottom line is if you produce content on a regular basis, getting any sort of financial return is a challenge.
I am not a wealthy man by any definition. I gave up self employment in 2016 to become a carer to my parents. I have sufficient funds to get by but I have to live within a monthly budget. However, I recently decided that I should try and be more supportive of those who are producing so much of the material that I regularly enjoy. After crunching some numbers I concluded I could afford to subscribe to two YouTube creators. I really wish I could afford more. I would love to be able to be an online philanthropist. However, my personal financial reality means that its just two. I then spent the next 24 hours pondering who to pick. Again, I felt I was short-changing those who weren’t chosen. I currently subscribe to 76 YouTube channels. But eventually I made a decision based upon the following simple metric. Whose videos do I look forward to the most?
As I am a consummate film fan, I am always on the look for interesting film criticism and analysis. There are lots of YouTube channels that provide this, especially when it comes to genre and cult material. But it can be a bit of an echo chamber at times and hard to find a source offering a different perspective. However, Dark Corners Reviews has successfully managed to fill that gap, offering droll reviews of various low budget genre movies as well as incredibly detailed retrospectives of classic actors and film makers. The former are entertaining due to presenter Robin Bailes’ dry sense of humour. The latter are extremely satisfying for the serious film aficionado. Robin is a free lance writer and very knowledgeable on the subjects he discuses. Material of this quality puts some of the extras I’ve seen on officially sanctioned DVDs to shame. Hence I signed up on Patreon to the Acolyte tier, affording me early access to content and additional videos.
In the last few years, I have started taking walking for pleasure more seriously. At present I do a lot of urban walking or I use the Green Chain Walk; a linked system of open spaces covering five London boroughs. My long term goal is to tackle some of the more iconic walks around the UK. But it is a pastime that requires some thought and planning. Hence I found Marek Larwood’s Cool Dudes Walking Club. Marek regularly publishes videos documenting his experiences, which are both informative and incredibly restful. His blog has a very useful gear guide and his entire approach to walking is very accessible and down to earth. Too many enthusiast videos on YouTube seem to fetishize the paraphernalia around their chosen hobby or use it as a means of posturing. Marek’s seems to find the right balance between preparation, equipment and having fun. So again, I subscribed via YouTube, choosing the Super Cool Dude tier.
It seem woefully inadequate to only support two content creators but I would argue that two is better than none. As someone who creates content myself, as well as consuming large swathes of material made by others, I understand the need to see beyond the myth of free content. I benefit on a daily basis through the hard work of others. So hence the two subscriptions. Financially, it works out as the equivalent of subscribing to one or two online games, or a couple of pints of beer a month. So if you, like me, enjoy a lot of online content and look forward to new material each week, please consider supporting some of those folk who work hard to produce it. Nothing is free. Making a contribution is always appreciated and at the very least helps content creators to meet their production costs. Please do what you can. You’ll feel better for it.
LOTRO: Update 28 - War of Three Peaks
Players of the popular MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online were informed just 24 hours ago by developers Standing Stone Games, that the new “mini expansion” would be released today. Under normal circumstances, Update 28 - War of Three Peaks would have just been marketed as a content update and have been free to VIP subscribers, lifetime account holders and purchasable with LOTRO points by F2P players. However, these are far from normal circumstances. From March to May this year, LOTRO enjoyed a major renaissance as the lockdown brought players back to the game. SSG felt so confident in this surge in the playerbase that they made all previous updates available for free. However throughout June, July and August the game suffered major technical problems that lead to the majority of game servers being down for weeks. During that time many players took their business elsewhere or at the very least deferred subscribing until the technical issues were resolved. This left a major hole in SSG’s finances, hence the latest update miraculously became a chargeable “mini expansion”.
Players of the popular MMORPG The Lord of the Rings Online were informed just 24 hours ago by developers Standing Stone Games, that the new “mini expansion” would be released today. Under normal circumstances, Update 28 - War of Three Peaks would have just been marketed as a content update and have been free to VIP subscribers, lifetime account holders and purchasable with LOTRO points by F2P players. However, these are far from normal circumstances. From March to May this year, LOTRO enjoyed a major renaissance as the lockdown brought players back to the game. SSG felt so confident in this surge in the playerbase that they made all previous updates available for free. However throughout June, July and August the game suffered major technical problems that lead to the majority of game servers being down for weeks. During that time many players took their business elsewhere or at the very least deferred subscribing until the technical issues were resolved. This left a major hole in SSG’s finances, hence the latest update miraculously became a chargeable “mini expansion”.
A month ago the new update was previewed on the Bullroarer test server and it became clear that it was just more of the same. IE Just another zone with multiple quest hubs. Essentially the same sort of material that SSG have been producing for the last few years. So if this was to be sold as a “mini expansion” then there would have to be some additional content included as well to justify selling it. Hence, the LOTRO community braced themselves as they awaited the pricing details for the War of Three Peaks, as Update 28 has been formally named. SSG usually sells three versions of an expansion. A Standard Edition, a Collector’s Edition and an Ultimate Fan Bundle. It should be noted there have been controversies in the past over previous legitimate expansions and their respective value for money. Oddly enough, SSG decided not to announce the price or exact content of all three editions until today when the “mini expansion” formally launched. However, marketing emails were sent out to some players so the pricing of the three editions became known by midday.
As you can see, the pricing for this mini expansion” is broadly comparable to the previous full expansion Minas Morgul. Considering that War of Three Peaks is just the size of a regular content update, the prices are exorbitant. The Standard Edition is the only one that I will even consider buying as there are insufficient extras in the other two versions to justify their cost. There has already been a degree of “pushback” over on the official LOTRO forums as players voice their displeasure at the pricing and the entire way this situation has been handled. I suspect that if the outcry is big enough, you may find SSG adding additional content to the Collector’s Edition and Ultimate Fan Bundle to try and redress the balance. But there are wider issues here beyond the mere price of this “mini expansion”. Are we about to see a major restructuring of the games business model? If so, is this change in policy down to SSG or their publisher (and potentially owners) Daybreak Game Company?
Charging all LOTRO players for future content updates may well become the “new normal”. Up until now, content updates have been free to subscribers and lifetime account holders. F2P players would purchase Quest Packs for new zones. However this may not have proven especially profitable. When I play LOTRO I subscribe a month at a time. The monthly fee is £9. Quest Packs cost on average 795 LOTRO points (approximately £8). During the course of a month I could play through two or three zones, making a subscription a lot more economical than buying all the respective Quest Packs. Furthermore, lifetime account holders have always received (up to now) access to all new content updates free of charge, so SSG has never made any revenue of this type from this section of the LOTRO community. It has often been argued that lifetime accounts for LOTRO were sold too prolifically during the game’s early years and as a result there is a large percentage of players that do not have to spend any money except for major expansions. If these current practises cease and everyone who plays has to buy new content three times a year then there is scope for SSG to increase their revenue.
However, if the sale of all new content became mandatory, it would invalidate the need for a monthly subscription. At present the only real advantage of subbing is free access to new content and the following additional services. Mailbox Field Access. Custom character portrait frame. Access All Character Trait Slots. Daily +100% XP*. 500 LOTRO Points per month. Free weekly Gold Hobbit Present.Access All Quest Packs and Skirmishes*. Access All Monster Classes. Many of these could be sold individually via the LOTRO store or bundled into a “starter pack” or something similar. The stipend of LOTRO points is a nice bonus and one that I enjoy but it is totally dependent on a subscription. It therefore isn’t really “free” but more of a quid pro quo. It should be noted that the MMORPG Star Trek Online removed subscriptions as of Spring 2018. Many of the benefits that came with subbing to that game simply became one off purchases.
All things considered, perhaps the release of War of Three Peaks as a “mini expansion” is more than just a short term fiscal adjustment, designed to fill a shortfall in the quarterly balance sheet. It may be part of a complete recalibration of the business model for LOTRO and a way to ensure that all players pay equally for the new future content that comes to the game. If that is the case then SSG needs to ensure that all updates meet a high standard. The LOTRO community is very supportive of the game and has more than its share of “whales” who buy cosmetic items prodigiously. However, potential changes such as these indeed to be implemented carefully and require adept community relations, marketing and PR to effectively sell them to the players. Skills that SSG are not renown for. It will be interesting to see how things pan out in the weeks to come. Firstly with the immediate reception of the new “mini expansion” and its respective value for money. Secondly, whether SSG formally announce a revision of the game’s business model. All of which could be a turning point for LOTRO but whether for good or ill remains to be seen.
