It's easy to get lost in the details and ignoring the most important question in the failed Goon propaganda book Kickstarter. According to the plan:
The point is that partnership with TMC brings nothing to the completion of this project and gets awful lot of negative attention causing the failure of the Kickstarter. The question is, why CCP thought it's a good idea to partner with TMC on this book? "They come up with the idea" is bad answer. This idea is so obvious that even I suggested something like that a year ago. Even if they gave some original idea, a % from the book sale profits and a line in the credits had been enough reward.
To the answer, we must remember SOMER Blink receiving 30 Ishukone Scorpions, with later CCP comment: "The Ishukone Scorpion was created for exactly this sort of purpose—a promo ship for giveaways and special occasions to be used on multiple levels. It has been given out several times already (including some very analogous to this one) and will be given out again in the future for contests, awards, charity-related efforts, 'thanks' and more." So CCP officially found it a great idea to pay the biggest content creators with in-game items.
The meaning of "content creator" in CCP slang is pretty well explained by Chribba: "content=earnings in terms of PLEX sales". This explains why they are so openly hostile to me: I create no "content" at all. The problem is that the community outrage was so bad that CCP was forced to re-evaluate the "content" created by SOMER, ending with an order to stop "creating content" and when SOMER resumed half year later, they were permanently banned. So CCP half-learned the lesson and stopped giving out expensive in-game items to avoid outrage.
They failed to learn the other half and still want to reward "content creators". Who creates the biggest "content" since SOMER is gone? TMC! But they didn't dare to give them Ishukone Scorps and also Goons have ISK, so they were to be rewarded with real money. In the spirit of "Greed is good", they were to be rewarded with your money instead of theirs. So TMC was invited into a project where they are nothing but a ball and chain, just so they can milk $20-40K. Too bad that they were big enough ball to pull the project down to its death. Since I've given up hope that CCP ever learns that short term greed is never good, here is the moral of the story:
Stop rewarding content creators with anything but non-sellable in-game rewards! Some examples:
PS: we laugh a lot on the medium shield booster carriers. But 3 capital reppers is the other extreme.
- Jeff Edwards writes the book
- CCP gives the Intellectual Property rights
- Players give the money via Kickstarter and send their stories for material
The point is that partnership with TMC brings nothing to the completion of this project and gets awful lot of negative attention causing the failure of the Kickstarter. The question is, why CCP thought it's a good idea to partner with TMC on this book? "They come up with the idea" is bad answer. This idea is so obvious that even I suggested something like that a year ago. Even if they gave some original idea, a % from the book sale profits and a line in the credits had been enough reward.
To the answer, we must remember SOMER Blink receiving 30 Ishukone Scorpions, with later CCP comment: "The Ishukone Scorpion was created for exactly this sort of purpose—a promo ship for giveaways and special occasions to be used on multiple levels. It has been given out several times already (including some very analogous to this one) and will be given out again in the future for contests, awards, charity-related efforts, 'thanks' and more." So CCP officially found it a great idea to pay the biggest content creators with in-game items.
The meaning of "content creator" in CCP slang is pretty well explained by Chribba: "content=earnings in terms of PLEX sales". This explains why they are so openly hostile to me: I create no "content" at all. The problem is that the community outrage was so bad that CCP was forced to re-evaluate the "content" created by SOMER, ending with an order to stop "creating content" and when SOMER resumed half year later, they were permanently banned. So CCP half-learned the lesson and stopped giving out expensive in-game items to avoid outrage.
They failed to learn the other half and still want to reward "content creators". Who creates the biggest "content" since SOMER is gone? TMC! But they didn't dare to give them Ishukone Scorps and also Goons have ISK, so they were to be rewarded with real money. In the spirit of "Greed is good", they were to be rewarded with your money instead of theirs. So TMC was invited into a project where they are nothing but a ball and chain, just so they can milk $20-40K. Too bad that they were big enough ball to pull the project down to its death. Since I've given up hope that CCP ever learns that short term greed is never good, here is the moral of the story:
Stop rewarding content creators with anything but non-sellable in-game rewards! Some examples:
- Game time on their account. They can get them on multiple accounts, but not as PLEX and the pilots on these accounts cannot be sold or create skill packets. So they can play for free, but can't turn it to ISK or $.
- Exclusive skins and clothing that cannot be traded.
- Exclusive titles, forum badges.
- Invitations to focus groups.
PS: we laugh a lot on the medium shield booster carriers. But 3 capital reppers is the other extreme.
21 comments:
What if it was simpler?
What if CCP wouldn't want to spend lot of time and money abd credibility on a project they know wouldn't work ?
What if TMC bring what a publisher bring, ie doing all the background job. And CCP are only here for the money grab ?
Wait that would make sense. Especially for a company.
The money comes from players, so CCP spends money. The time and background job comes from Jeff. Publisher background jobs could come from ... a publisher. I'm sure that they make books in Iceland and no publisher would say no to a pre-funded book. Oh, and TMC has zero experience in publishing books. For credibility, TMC is the last place to ask.
Otherwise, your version makes sense.
Player money =/= CCP money. I'm sorry but that is still true. CCP money == money that player are spending on their IP- the momey invested to make thsm spend money.
TMC had a project. CCP are here for the easy grab and the free advertisement. No tinfoiling needed.
You are still evading the elephant: what did TMC do in this project (according to the plan)?
Doing the project. CCP don't take any risks. They just licence the IP against money. They don't spend time, they don't do anything. They just let the project happen.
As someone that was into organisations that used crowdfunding, the publisher work is tons of works. And CCP was not going to do it anyway. Someone came with an idea that cost them nothing. And bring possible money and long term visibility.
Just sell your IP and let it happens. It is a TMC project. Not a CCP project.
"Doing the project" is a buzzphrase for "nothing".
And CCP is taking lot of risk here. Namely the risk of another T20 scandal, losing more customers over showing impartial and fair.
TMC had the concept, brought together the writer, setup the kickstarter, and brought others into the project, what part of there involvement do you seem to be missing?
I didn't see anyone else stepping forward to do it.
CCP are involved because its their IP.
I'm still struggling to see your point.
A good read Gevlon, and a good way of looking at it. Diana your arguement is lacking in sense here.
CCP have been pushing this out on their media channels, and several staff at CCP have backed the kickstarter. Gevlon hit it on the head that TMC/goons are the wrong choice for this.
@Zero Living:
- the concept was obvious, even I had it as linked
- finding a writer without job is a phone call and a lunch
- setup a kickstarter is like an hour
- who are these "others" and what are they doing?
An interesting post, only ruined by that chip you have.
"This explains why they are so openly hostile to me: I create no "content" at all."
CCP are not openly hostile to you. That CCP Falcon thinks you come off as crazy is...perhaps reflecting a view held by a section of your readers? Read some of your rants out loud to someone, and see how they sound.
But, if CCP are really hostile to you...what are they to Xenuria?
" - the concept was obvious, even I had it as linked
- finding a writer without job is a phone call and a lunch
- setup a kickstarter is like an hour
- who are these "others" and what are they doing?"
So if it's just a phone call and a lunch for an obvious idea and it's easy to set up the kickstarter, why haven't you done it? TMC did what noone else did, they got off their ass and put the effort in. You suggest that they did nothing, but arguably they are the only ones that did something. If like you say it's easy and obvious, then nobody else has any valid excuses for not doing it.
@Anonymous: read out James 315 or "Pope" Maximilian and see how it sound. And see how CCP relates them! They parade with CODE badges and positively roleplay with the "Pope". Or read out the call to arms of The Mittani.
In EVE players are ENCOURAGED to have narratives and roleplaying grudges. Unless of course it goes against the Imperium, because then it's a mad conspiracy theory. Xenuria got his part for the same reason. If I'd do the very same thing against Legion of xxDeathxx, I'd be an awesome content creator in the book of CFC Falcon.
@Next anon: because I'm not CCP games and don't own the IP. ONLY CCP can make this book, and for some reason they choose to do it in partnership with TheMittani Media.
If you mean "why I didn't ask for the same partnership", the answer is "because asking it is just as stupid as asking Taylor Swift to sing a duet with me on full house concert and then pay me royalties after the sold records". Please note that I have the same success in singing as TheMittani in book publishing: zero.
"because I'm not CCP games and don't own the IP. ONLY CCP can make this book, and for some reason they choose to do it in partnership with TheMittani Media."
CCP games don't make books, that's why if someone wants a book made they have to do the legwork and CCP will review it and agree IP rights if they feel it benefits them, as they have in this case. Exactly the same thing happened with Rixx Javix. CCP allowed him to sell art based on their IP. Should he not be allowed to do that either, leaving only official CCP art?
"If you mean "why I didn't ask for the same partnership", the answer is "because asking it is just as stupid as asking Taylor Swift to sing a duet with me on full house concert and then pay me royalties after the sold records". Please note that I have the same success in singing as TheMittani in book publishing: zero"
If you could get Taylor Swift to sing an EVE song and agree with CCP to allow the IP usage through you then yes, you'd certainly be doing a good job even though you neither sing nor write EVE online.
The point is that Jeff Edwards wouldn't just push for an EVE book off his own back, neither would CCP. the only way these pieces of content get created is by someone taking the two and bringing them together. You claim that what they do is easy and obvious, yet you wouldn't do it yourself and others haven't done it either. Why? Because it's a lot more work than you are willing to admit. You're coming to an irrational conclusion based on your emotional response to The Mittani, which is surprising given your stance on things.
Good question about Rixx Javix. My gut reaction is "since Rixx is not playing on the large scale, it doesn't matter". However a local pirate who is roflstomped by Band Apart might disagree. However Rixx only got the IP. Didn't get official cheerleading. Also, he actually did something.
Again: no one did it, because no one was corrupted enough to try it. Most people wouldn't harass CCP (or Taylor Swift) with an obviously bad offer for the off-chance of catching them drunk enough to say yes. Just because no one else was thinking of it, this guy isn't a revolutionary new business man: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3243938/Ex-hedge-funder-32-hated-man-internet-defends-jacking-prices-AIDS-medication-5500.html
"However Rixx only got the IP. Didn't get official cheerleading. Also, he actually did something."
Rixx got an official merchandise table at fanfest to sell from. TMC also did something. They made pictures for the kickstarter (like Rixx does) and videos, got the writer on board, made the kickstarter, took in stories from players, pushed it to the public and if they were successful would have run the marketing for it. When you say "they do nothing" you're being disingenuous.
"no one did it, because no one was corrupted enough to try it"
It's got nothing to do with corruption, it's laziness. Nobody else could be bothered to put in the effort that it takes to do this kind of thing. I'd love to see a book that is done independently of the goons, but TMC are the only people who are willing to actually do the leg work to get it in motion.
"Just because no one else was thinking of it, this guy isn't a revolutionary new business man"
There's a big difference between pressing an idea like they have with this book, and buying rights to a drug then slamming the price up to 750x it's manufacturing cost. What TMC are doing is connecting an artist with an IP owner to produce their idea, something which happens all the time. They aren't even taking a cut of the kickstarter funding to do it either, even though the initial outlay falls on them.
I think if you took a step back and looked at this rationally and without emotional bias you'd realize how unreasonable you're being in your judgement here. You don't like goons, and fair enough you think the book will be biased and shouldn't be supported, that's your opinion and it'd totally valid. Making leaps to conclusions like you've done here though really does you a disservice.
"In EVE players are ENCOURAGED to have narratives and roleplaying grudges"
The problem is that you're not roleplaying anything, I mean sure your GRR Goons campaign could be roleplaying however your campaign against the kickstarter is certainly not nor is your crusade to have the mittani and others permanently banned from the game.
CCP don't like interacting with you as while you do make content for the goons, you're an extremely negative "content creator" as you insult people that don't do things the way you feel they should, you attack CCP and then when they say something even remotely negative about yourself you cry foul and you take things way too far.
Yes, my content is more negative than of Goons whose goal is to make their opponents STOP LOGING IN. An CCP responds with partnerships.
Do you seriously say that all the negative things I've said can be compared to the fanfest speech of The Mittani? And look, CCP is very positive to him.
"Do you seriously say that all the negative things I've said can be compared to the fanfest speech of The Mittani? And look, CCP is very positive to him."
No, you are worse. He slipped up and said something dumb once and was very apologetic. You consistently, on a daily basis, practically call anyone affiliated with the Imperium "shit, moronic, evil, terrible, idiots" and the list goes on, if insinuating they are bad people in real life (when you know not a single thing about them other than from a fake pixelated spaceship game). Goons come up with in-game strategies to deter opponents in various ways resulting in winning war games. You harass and dedicate articles to elaborating on how "Teh gewnies" are awful people and should not exist.
You are, in fact, worse than the Mittani (and all of Goons) and all of your blogs are self projections, reflecting what you, yourself, is and are - the evil person you speak out against.
When a pixel spaceship explodes, the pixel spaceship game is over. A human player gives a "gf" and moves on. An evil Goon sends a tear harvesting mail and trolls in local to make the other player in real life mad or sad. This is being a bad person in real life.
The Mittani didn't "slip", he prepared a slide mocking an appearantly suicidal person and read it out loud.
I never said that the people in CFC should not exist, I said they should stop being Goons.
@Anon another thing, Gevlon is not saying that the guy who's inside CFC is "shit, moronic, evil, terrible, idiots" for life you know... he's aways trying to move people from CFC, so they can become a better person.
Like a religion! (bad example! bad!!) You can be as asshole as you want, but they preach that you can change, be better and join they church so priest can win more money and buy boats and planes.
But in this case you can leave CFC join MoA and kill boats and planes! Awesome.
Gevlons was and is totally right about the whole project!
Strangely enough, for once he argues with reason, but you mittens sex slaves do not want to accept the fact that the money could have easily come by mittens himself, if he had cared to found a book. Instead, he does not want to fund a book, he wants to make profit from it.
By the way, there is a book out already about EVE and ist empires.... Andre Groen sterted a kickstarter when he presented his history of EVe empires and guess what? He didn't need half as much mones as GOONS, he got more than he asked for and the book is available:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sciencegroen/a-history-of-the-great-empires-of-eve-online?lang=de
If the link canot be published, typing kickstarter and andrew groen in you search engine will suffice...
Gevlon is right! Whenever you buy GTC via the GOON affiliate link, you are openly supporting online bullying! Gevlon opposes to that and rightfully so!
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