New Business Idea for PC Games, Feedback Appreciated

[gord]

Right, basically, your business will fail.

If you dont provide the software, just keys, they need to "obtain" the software. This would be through some other download service.. torrents. In order for it to be on torrents someone has reversed engineered the game, breaking the law.

Your business model relies on law breakers, which are business critical.

There are specific issues with reverse engineered titles, such as patches and updates too.

 

[MNuTz]

lol, its like banging your head against a wall.

I dont think it really matters what any of us say, he thinks this is an amazing idea and wnats to go through with it.

It wont work. FULLSTOP!!!

You could setup a website selling just the serial keys, and you could keep the software as long as the customer agreed to it in the terms and conditions.

However, you are encouraging people to go out and download a pirated version of the game because they know they can make it legal with a serial key. The fact that your not breaking the law doesnt matter because you are encouraging others to do it. That will also cut into the profits of other companies, you will make enemies and then you will find yourself on the receiving end of a law suit.

Why dont you send an email to a games developer or a publisher and see what they say about it!

 

[MooSey-UK]

am i reading this right?

a customer "obtains" a game strangely without it's serial # and you per chance happen to be able to sell a serial # for that game?

in stating that you are not responsible for how a customer obtains the game yet you can provide a code for it, you my friend are advocating piracy.

piracy ****** me off. games are'nt expensive and piracy just causes draconian methods of security and prevents more studios making games for pc's.

i think a swish of the ban hammer is needed here.

 

[gord]

i think a swish of the ban hammer is needed here.

You cant ban people for stupid ideas. Stupidity is not a crime until your so stupid you break the forum rules.

 

[MNuTz]

You cant ban people for stupid ideas. Stupidity is not a crime until your so stupid you break the forum rules.

actually, he is talking about warez/piracy and has obviously stated he doesnt care about it and is, in fact saying its ok. I imagine that that is breaking the rules

EDIT: I have a suggestion for you though, althouh there are sites out there already that do similar things.

1) Create your website and have fast downloads.
2) Sell the customer the serial key and then send them a download link for the game which they download from you.
3) You then also post them their copy of the game and manual etc.

I hate buying games from steam as you get nothing for it, just them saying that you have actually got it. I like a manual to read through and a case to sit on my shelf.

 

[Sweetloaf]

I think I hear a padlock and key on the way!

 

[Dr_Evil]

You would need to obtain the rights to sell serial keys from the software publishers. If they do give this to you, which I seriously doubt, you will still have to pay them a percentage of your sales.

I think most people would want to buy a full copy (cd/dvd + serial) so they have everything together.

 

[Chaos]

As mentioned Gamersloot already do this and they dont just do it for mmorpgs they do other kind of games to and have been around for a while, maybe you could join there reseller program

 

[Timdog]

you could give them the serial immediatly then post the discs 2 them

 

[chimaera]

Problem 1.

In the end of the day the percentage of people who download warez copies and then want to play online is very small, not enough to sell hundreds of copies i'd wager. Add on the percentage of people whose dog eats their manual and you've still got a very small user base.

Problem 2.

A bulk copy of a game would be say £24 with a RRP of £30, your price would be about £26, so £2 profit per game.

Well for you to run a business out of your house that involves you going through boxes and e-mailing codes and designing a website for it all with a secure background database. All for £2 profit per game with a small user base

Add on the fact the mentality of people who download warez = they don't want to pay, someone who illegally downloads game for free would have to be pretty desperate to want to fork out cash for a valid serial, its just not in their mentality, people who want to play online will just but a legal copy from the start.

Ain't gonna be successful my friend.

 

[digisatman]

you could give them the serial immediatly then post the discs 2 them

thats the only way of running the business tbh, u cant just "keep the discs", but still , business wont last.........** basically promoting people to pirate the game.

 

[AdladUK]

I see so many problems with what you your trying to do and its mostly to do with the legal side of things.

My first impressions were you had a good idea but you were trying to justify it really without thinking of course the view of the actual game publishers.
You do as a business have a responsibility with regards your product and its effect on the market. To shrug your shoulders and imply where they get it from is none of my business really smacks of ignorance.

Chris

Thank you for taking the time to post that.

I still don't understand the angle you're coming from though.

I buy and pay the wholesaler exactly the same as say Game does. The publisher gets exactly the same % profit from me as they do from Game.

Why would this be a bad thing?

 

[AdladUK]

Right, basically, your business will fail.

If you dont provide the software, just keys, they need to "obtain" the software. This would be through some other download service.. torrents. In order for it to be on torrents someone has reversed engineered the game, breaking the law.

Your business model relies on law breakers, which are business critical.

There are specific issues with reverse engineered titles, such as patches and updates too.

Oh. Right. It WILL fail. Thanks

Who's to say the customer hasn't already obtained the software?

That way I'm not encouraging anything. In fact I'm converted them from evil to good

 

[AdladUK]

lol, its like banging your head against a wall.

I dont think it really matters what any of us say, he thinks this is an amazing idea and wnats to go through with it.

It wont work. FULLSTOP!!!

You could setup a website selling just the serial keys, and you could keep the software as long as the customer agreed to it in the terms and conditions.

However, you are encouraging people to go out and download a pirated version of the game because they know they can make it legal with a serial key. The fact that your not breaking the law doesnt matter because you are encouraging others to do it. That will also cut into the profits of other companies, you will make enemies and then you will find yourself on the receiving end of a law suit.

Why dont you send an email to a games developer or a publisher and see what they say about it!

If that's the way you feel about my responses then maybe you should not even bother posting in the thread?

I appreciate the time and views of everyone. Just because I try to answer them doesn't mean I'm being some arrogant fool with tunnel vision.

Otherwise what would be the point in me posting the thread in the first place?

 

[AdladUK]

am i reading this right?

a customer "obtains" a game strangely without it's serial # and you per chance happen to be able to sell a serial # for that game?

in stating that you are not responsible for how a customer obtains the game yet you can provide a code for it, you my friend are advocating piracy.

piracy ****** me off. games are'nt expensive and piracy just causes draconian methods of security and prevents more studios making games for pc's.

i think a swish of the ban hammer is needed here.

How the heck am I "advocating piracy"?

The customer is buying a legal serial. The publisher is making exactly the same money off that sale as they would from a title purchased in a Game store.

Wow talk about jumping the gun

 

[AdladUK]

So according to this thread I'm:

- Arrogant
- Stupid
- A piracy advocater
- Have a business idea that WILL fail

And should be banned.

Thanks a lot guys, not sure why I even bothered coming here for feedback

 

[AdladUK]

As mentioned Gamersloot already do this and they dont just do it for mmorpgs they do other kind of games to and have been around for a while, maybe you could join there reseller program

OK thanks will check that site out.

Cheers

 

[AdladUK]

you could give them the serial immediatly then post the discs 2 them

Not a bad idea, thanks

 

[AdladUK]

Problem 1.

In the end of the day the percentage of people who download warez copies and then want to play online is very small, not enough to sell hundreds of copies i'd wager. Add on the percentage of people whose dog eats their manual and you've still got a very small user base.

Problem 2.

A bulk copy of a game would be say £24 with a RRP of £30, your price would be about £26, so £2 profit per game.

Well for you to run a business out of your house that involves you going through boxes and e-mailing codes and designing a website for it all with a secure background database. All for £2 profit per game with a small user base

Add on the fact the mentality of people who download warez = they don't want to pay, someone who illegally downloads game for free would have to be pretty desperate to want to fork out cash for a valid serial, its just not in their mentality, people who want to play online will just but a legal copy from the start.

Ain't gonna be successful my friend.

Thanks for the post, some interesting questions raised.

I'd totally disagree with point 1 though. More and more games are online enabled. BF2142, Supreme Commander, C&C3... Just a few that come to mind. These games kinda suck without multiplayer...

Problem 2 is assuming you know what the prices for wholesale game are Obviously there has to be a reasonable profit in it. But say £3 or £4 per game... That would be worth it (considering it's only delivery of a serial).

Again the people who download warez have no choice but to go legal these days

 

[AdladUK]

piracy ****** me off. games are'nt expensive and piracy just causes draconian methods of security and prevents more studios making games for pc's.

Perhaps your anger should be directed in a different direction.

EA last year posted profits of close to a 1/4 of a billion $.

So much for piracy killing the business (not that in any way I'm saying piracy is OK).

EA are probably the people most responsible for preventing studios from making PC games. How? Well they buy them out before they get the chance. They are like the Borg from Star Trek