Hi all, first time poster here. If this has already been discussed, my apologies. My friend and I were discussing Decipher’s strategy for marketing this game based on 10% cuts lifetime for referral. This sound like a great idea, but one part where I feel like there may be a bit of a “tread lightly” area is in the area of involving retailers.

As we have heard so far, if a retailer makes a referral, they will get the 10% bonus lifetime, and then the corresponding FM for the area will receive 5%. While this seems like a great way to involve retailers, be cautious in this area.

Many times, our best resource for demos or referrals will be players already playing games in a store or retailer. We should however, in my opinion, hesitate from referring them using our referral while directing them to the Fight Klub site while in the store or doing a demo in the store. Retailers are the backbone of play space, they are one of the primary ways that community based games are driven. If we cut them out in an effort to get the “extra 5%” instead of taking the 5% and letting the retailer get the extra 10%, we may be shooting ourselves in the foot.

Although this may seem like common sense to many, I thought it was worth pointing out, as many will be thinking to themselves “Why would I let my store refer and I only get 5% when I could just refer that person for 10%”. The answer, is that by having a retailer on your side, you are setting yourself up for success in the future. There is nothing like having a non-disgruntled and happy shop or retail owner who is on your side, especially when you are earning them lifetime earnings for simply hosting tournaments or demos.
As a tournament director a few years ago when directing LOTR and .HACK, I found that when the retailer isn’t happy, they will do everything to demote your game and promote things that will earn them money.

The point: Make sure your thinking about the big picture when you have a potential new player going to the site. It’s my opinion that if they are a regular to the store and you are doing the demo in the store or retail space, or on behalf of the retail space that it is in your best interests to make sure the story is making some $ on it.

Thoughts? Am I way off? Discuss, and again sorry if this has been brought up before.

Perhaps players with a good reputation within a store may elect to work out a deal with their store owner. I could see a worthwhile exercise in doing a deal with your store owner that you will send all players to them so they can sign up through the connector ID allowing the store owner to reap the benefit of getting some additional revenue in return for you getting a discount on store purchases. This will benefit the store owner as they actually make money on all those that sign up and buy through Decipher, thereby making them more willing to hold tournaments, etc, and you get a discount on anything in the store.

That’s likely what I will try and work out with my local stores. A store-wide discount would be more valuable to me than 10% sales on FK.

If the store is going to be a Connector, and go for the 10%, and funnel 5% into local mentors, then you don’t recruit in the store. Period.

But if the store is going to be a regular Mentor, where he gets 10% ONLY, then he has to earn his keep, even in his own store.

The way I see it, being a Connector, and funneling 5% back into the local playerbase, is their way of saying “don’t recruit on my turf”. As long as they are actual Connectors, they earn the right for us to leave players be at the store. (now, if you bring a possible recruit TO the store, that’s something entirely different) If they would rather be a Mentor than a Connector, then we are equals, and I have no problem “battling” for recruits. More or less, this means “if you own a shop, sign up that shop to be a Connector or I have no qualms with making you earn your keep”. :D

Whats to stop store owners from referring themselves?

I see it different Alpha. I see the Connector’s giving the 5% to one FM/M for their work of demoing the product, etc. Lets say I teamed up with a Connector, I would do a demo once a week and promote the Connector, while not there the Connector would sign people up and give me 5%.

So they get a free 10%, and I get a free 5%. Works for everyone.

I don’t think he gets to CHOSE who gets that 5% though. Based on what we know, those 5% from people the Connector’s recruit will be distributed into the Mentors in the area. How they determine that, we don’t know.

(Edit: I noticed I had bodged some of the quoting. Fixed now.)

I agree 100% with Darkhorse. I’d rather recruit in the Retailer/Connector’s name and get 5% of that, plus 5% for everyone the Connector signs up by itself, than get 10% of only my own recruitment efforts. Afterall, 5% of 30 people is better than 10% of 10 people.

I also agree with AC. It would definately be bad form to recruit in your own name inside a store that’s a Connector. And I think stores should be Connectors, not mentors.

I don’t think he gets to CHOSE who gets that 5% though. Based on what we know, those 5% from people the Connector’s recruit will be distributed into the Mentors in the area. How they determine that, we don’t know.

With the new information we now have, this is a bit clearer. I’m mostly referring to this bit from the Q&A with Warren:

Answer from Warren: Blaiser, see AC’s question above. There are some spoilers in the video on how the relationship works between Retailer/Connectors and an ‘Official Mentor’ representing that store.

If you are the best suited to help those players, then all you need to do is agree on that point with the Retailer. The program, then protects you both and serves you both as well as serving the players in the best manner possible.

Make sure you do a good job as a Mentor and get that deal with your local Retailer/Connector. It’ll make you some money in the end, and, like Darkhorse said, having a store on your side will always be good.

I like the movie Walk the Line. :p