Partner Agreement

General Chat, Comments
Post Reply
User avatar
gmoore
Posts: 212
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2014 5:40 pm

Partner Agreement

Post by gmoore »

At some point we will be posting a partner agreement. The details will be forthcoming. This agreement will control the module postings, updates, payments and responsibilities. All third parties must sign to be part of the NWE marketplace. This is to modernize our way of doing business.

No new modules or module updates will be made without these agreements being up to date.

Also, all modules not part of the core of NWE may have costs associated to them to download at some point. This will cover the cost to write and support them.

This is all coming up, not implemented but will be prior to the beginning of the year.

Thank you!
Greg
Running a game is like riding a bike ... well it should be!

New Worlds Engine / FunMayhem.com
Helping you get your game concept up and running. Now.
User avatar
KyleMassacre
Posts: 573
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 12:42 pm

Re: Partner Agreement

Post by KyleMassacre »

gmoore wrote: Also, all modules not part of the core of NWE may have costs associated to them to download at some point. This will cover the cost to write and support them.
Can you expand on that a little bit? The way it is written is it sounds like you will charge to have the module downloaded. Are talking about something like a module that I would write? Because that sounds a little unfair. I do have paid modules and I charge my price which is what I see fair for my costs to maintain them and support them.
User avatar
gmoore
Posts: 212
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2014 5:40 pm

Re: Partner Agreement

Post by gmoore »

There are a number of issues.

1) We are collecting money on behalf of others. There is reporting (to government people for example), paypal fees and a cost to do this. We need to make sure this all makes sense (and be fair of course).
2) There is a cost to review other modules that we make no money on.
3) We have free modules (part of our downloads and not third party) that have a real cost to maintain them. There will be no 'free modules' at some point. Not to say they will be much.
4) The module business model may not be good without some guidance.

Nothing bad, just realistic.

Greg
Running a game is like riding a bike ... well it should be!

New Worlds Engine / FunMayhem.com
Helping you get your game concept up and running. Now.
User avatar
hallsofvallhalla
Site Admin
Posts: 12031
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:29 pm

Re: Partner Agreement

Post by hallsofvallhalla »

I am going to put my 2 cents in. I have been in this industry a long time. If this means what it sounds like it means this is a very bad idea. You must keep free modules free. If u take that away u will destroy your future potential user base. If u add cost to your module developers u will lose them as well.
You bought an engine that was built off expectations that the current user base expects. Drastic changes may choke life of the engine. If this engine was $20 I could see adding charges but it's $100. That's more than many AAA engines and same price as Hero engine.
If cost is an issue then let's talk I could host the free stuff.
User avatar
KyleMassacre
Posts: 573
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 12:42 pm

Re: Partner Agreement

Post by KyleMassacre »

1.) PayPal may report to the IRS but with decent tracking you can show the payouts compared to your gains off module sales from a third party. You can also set up quarterly when you do your taxes to perform a payout to developers of their balance. $1,000 in modules sales -> payout to module developers ~$900 (give or take based on modules of $5).
2.) Correct! You don't make any money on my free modules. That counts as a loss right? Plus, when people see free modules for your product you are selling it gives them the idea that they can create something relatively cheap. Thus potentially enhancing your engine sales which is the meat and potatoes here.
3.) Same concept as #2 but all of those free ones are included in your free engine package. Once again, it's a loss to report but also an investment of time to your product.
4.) That's where you would come in to show us the light. You have the authority to deny modules that don't meet your guidelines for developers although there are no guidelines set in stone.

I don't think getting rid of free modules is "Value Added". It is IMHO much needed waste that comes with the engine and market place. Off the top of my head I can't think of 1 marketplace that charges for free merchandise to the end user.

Here are some ideas that I have to tackle some of this but requires your implementation.

We talked before about some sort of developer badge, now I don't want to compare you with MCC but we have people that don't flag us for a module review because they are a trusted developer. If you did that you can cut down on some of your module reviews.

I am not going to stop creating free modules and you shouldn't make it stop either. In the end, we are attempting to help your engine sales by giving free stuff to people to start a game. If I feel like creating a free module then I will but if I have no where to host my free module for the engine then I won't host them.
User avatar
gmoore
Posts: 212
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2014 5:40 pm

Re: Partner Agreement

Post by gmoore »

I understand your concerns. Price is not the objective but lose is not either. We are trying to justify our exposure to the costs is all.
Running a game is like riding a bike ... well it should be!

New Worlds Engine / FunMayhem.com
Helping you get your game concept up and running. Now.
Chromeozone
Posts: 294
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2011 1:21 pm

Re: Partner Agreement

Post by Chromeozone »

RIP to an Engine that was Indie and had a big user base.

Now it turns into a Commercial Product where the powers at be just want money.

It's not really an Indie Resource now is it?
Image
User avatar
gmoore
Posts: 212
Joined: Wed Jun 04, 2014 5:40 pm

Re: Partner Agreement

Post by gmoore »

A little dramatic.
Running a game is like riding a bike ... well it should be!

New Worlds Engine / FunMayhem.com
Helping you get your game concept up and running. Now.
User avatar
KyleMassacre
Posts: 573
Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 12:42 pm

Re: Partner Agreement

Post by KyleMassacre »

I'm just still really confused on this though. Your point #1 was income reported by PayPal, yet you are adding more income that PayPal will report. Also charging for something that the copyright holder is saying is free; surely that needs to be investigated a little more in regards to current script licensing.

On a licensing note, what exactly is this engine released under again?

Also, just for arguments sake. Let's say we move forward with this, are we going to have to create modules based on a license you decide? And what's going to happen to the current modules that are listed in the marketplace?

And sure, what Chromeozone wrote was a bit on the dramatic side he may be kind of write. Not saying this is what's going on behind the scenes at all but it sounds like your not even caring for the customer. Look at it this way:
How many modules do you have there that are written by the community? I don't think of myself as part of the community but a 3rd party that sees potential in the engine with the added bonus of potentially making a couple extra bucks here and there.

Sure, in the future you will probably get more and more people but if this happens you will most likely lose me. Out of 188 modules I hold 19 which leaves 169 that are not mine, minus the 122 that comes free with the full engine which leaves 47 ( I also have like 3 more in the works). I myself account for 40% of the "Community" marketplace. See what your left with?

My vote is don't change the way it is. I wouldn't mind you taking a small fee from all of my paid modules like a $1 cut on the $5 or less modules.

You may lose developers which may end up losing in engine buyers when they see they don't have a lot of options with the engine. This engine is supposed to appeal to people that don't understand programming all that well. Especially since my free ones are basic ones that show some ins and outs of the engine and what it's capable of.
KaL
Posts: 344
Joined: Mon Jan 13, 2014 5:44 am

Re: Partner Agreement

Post by KaL »

If I was the owner of NWE. I would be concern of the cost too but my strategy would be different. Here are the lists:

"My main goal is to get as much users as possible
And charge every module sale the fraction of the cost. "


1) charge $1 per sale (not including tax) for all paid modules
2) reduce the cost of the engine price from $50 seasonal.
3) do a Kickstarter every year for $20 on engine
4) do a competition on who can develop the most module in a month
5) promote new developer sign up

The more user and developer you have is the key:

1)developer: makes products
2)user: buys products

$NumberOfUsers x $1 per sale = $profit (you can change the per sale later down the road)
Post Reply

Return to “General”