Transparency Agenda Daily September 28th 2016 - Retailer and Distributor...

Transparency Agenda #35: Reaper's Bones II does 1 million in one day...

Maybe you missed this: Diamond Distributors Offers In-Store Digital Sales

Ok here is a little new report that came out on Wednesday, Diamond Distributors Offers In-Store Digital Sales, that I hope a lot of you saw.  If you didn't take a second and go read it it is kind of important to the future of electronic distribution of comics and even RPG material.  Now after you read that, go over to Webcomics Weekely and check out episode #76 podcast on this same subject.  As I have been talking about this topic for nearly 6 years, it is nice to know that someone has finally build a system where digital products can be sold at a retail location.  While I hope it would have been One Book Shelf to jump all over this one, it looks like the big gun of Diamond Distribution (also owner of Alliance Game Distributor) has taken the lead on this.  While thise my not be profitable for everyone in the comic and RPG industry, there are a few that will do very well with this change.  Basically this is a variation of the Bit and Mortar program done right for the 21st century.   Go to the retailer and he will take car of you, with actual and now virtual products and the money pie for products get slit even further.  But the funny part is, NO ONE (in the RPG industry at least) IS TALKING ABOUT THIS!!!! This could be as big a change to the RPG industry as RPGNow was. Selling digital content to retailers, if done right, could be good for both sides.  Let's see what happens.  Talk to you later...

When is a hobby not a hobby? When it is a business…

I read this today at Highmoon Ponderings and I was a little surprised with some of the responses from people about the “hobby” business they run. When talking about this industry I often notice that “You can’t make a living in this industry” comment. I see it A LOT.

But what I find it funny is so many people DO make a living in this industry. Diamond Distributors is the largest hobby and game entertainment distributor in the world (They also own Alliance Game Distributors and the owner of Diamond Steve Geppi is a partial owner of the Baltimore Orioles) and they have over 500 people working for them all over the United States, generate $500 million dollars yearly, and have been in business over 20 years. And they are only ONE distributor. Why do we always think of the comic and gaming industry as “small potatoes”? Why are we stuck in this?

We are the most creative people in the world and we act like we are partly retarded. WHY? We create amazing worlds out of nothing. We expand imagination. We get friends who have known each other for decades together to get together and interact with each out, often without the use of electricity. We make ready and math fun. We teach you to calculate probability faster than anyone outside of Las Vegas. And best of all, we run business where the end goal is making people have fun. While this started as a hobby, we have built it into a business and we need to stop giving into the self doubt that what we do is not important OR better yet that you can make money at it. Years ago the same thing was said about comic books, but now every major entertainment studio shows up at San Diego Comic Con. We have to stop selling ourselves short and we have to actually WORK at making this industry successful.

If you think it can’t be done, Look at Paizo. In less than 5 years they have gone from a loosely affiliated publishing arm to the number #2 played RPG company on the planet. And don’t kid yourself people outside of this industry have noticed. Hollywood is always looking for the next big thing. So when Paizo announces in the near future that they are coming out with a video game or an animated Saturday morning cartoon don’t be surprised. If this hobby has become a business, treat it like a business. It will be better for both of you in the long term. Talk to you later…