A new business model for GMs and content creators

VengerSatanis · March 09, 2024, 10:20:56 AM

Quote from: Omega on March 02, 2024, 07:33:25 AM
Theres been alot of discussion on Reddit as it comes up once a week or so seems.

The general consensus is that most players start to baulk at anything over 10-20$ a session and really baulk at the 50$ a session mark.

I had actually forgotten all about this thread until now, just been busy with stuff.

Yeah, for that demographic (poor college students, millennials in low-wage jobs, and zoomers just starting out) $50 is probably the most you can consistently squeeze out of players. I'll be going after an entirely different demographic... that guy walking downtown, wearing a suit with gray hair or bald who you've never met and don't know anything about. A whale. Could be someone who doesn't even know what RPGs are. All I have to do is find one guy.

VengerSatanis · March 09, 2024, 10:27:37 AM

Quote from: Spinachcat on March 02, 2024, 10:31:05 PM
Venger, you'd need a super-rich fan whose accountant would write you off as a business expense. Of course, you'd need your accountant to save you from losing most of your profits to taxes. For someone like that, $100k/year for Personal DM would be a non issue.

I have no idea where you could find such a person within an hour drive...and that potential pool of customers drops further when considering how niche your favorite genre is. AKA, I imagine the rich dude would want a DM for whatever their fav genre of fantasy might be and Cha'alt might not be it.

I think your focus on sleaze & sex in games limits your potential audience, but that's your defined niche. I'm unsure how you grow your sales unless you can tap into an undiscovered fandom, especially in this amazing best ever economy.

Yes, it's possible that my GMing could be written off as a business expense, but that's between The Guy and his accountant. I already pay taxes on the piddly income I'm currently generating via the hobby, but something like $50K or $100K would make the accounting actually worth it.

I'm not totally inflexible on the RPG, but I'm definitely going to put my preferences front and center and push for what I think is the campaign I can GM the best of anyone in the world.

I've stopped wracking my brain over sales vs fandom, undiscovered or otherwise, because I have no idea why things get picked up and become super popular... other than the stuff I'm not going to change.

VengerSatanis · March 09, 2024, 10:29:53 AM

Quote from: JanDevries on March 03, 2024, 01:37:40 PM
This is nearly $2000 every two weeks. You're out of your mind. The top earners in the Professional DM sphere earn about $125k a year. The average is about $85K. And many, many are charging a measly $20/hr. I know this seemed like a really good idea when you were baked, but no. Still, I'm gonna bookmark this thread for the lulz.

I hope you do (bookmark it). The proof will be in the pudding, hoss. As I said, I'm not going to actively pursue this until August or September. However, I intend to be well on my way by January of 2025.

VengerSatanis · March 09, 2024, 10:34:08 AM

Quote from: Anon Adderlan on March 05, 2024, 05:52:58 AM
If you're not going to tell me your business plan here I'm not going to click your link, but good luck with your shilling.

Quote from: Omega on March 02, 2024, 07:33:25 AM
The general consensus is that most players start to baulk at anything over 10-20$ a session and really baulk at the 50$ a session mark.

The fact #Starbucks exists and #GenCon sessions are even more expensive once all costs are accounted for suggests customers in general have absolutely no sense of the cost or value of anything.

My business plan...

STEP ONE: Find a rich guy within a 45 minute drive who wants me to GM my CHA'ALT campaign for him and his group every other week, under a year-long contract for $50K.

STEP TWO: Enjoy semi-retirement.

David Johansen · March 09, 2024, 11:48:33 AM

You know, there's always the guy who wants to play the one game nobody else likes. What about pay for players?

VengerSatanis · March 14, 2024, 04:42:59 PM

Quote from: David Johansen on March 09, 2024, 11:48:33 AM
You know, there's always the guy who wants to play the one game nobody else likes. What about pay for players?

While I see the appeal, the more I think about it, the sadder it sounds. You're basically doing all the work as the GM and then, on top of that, paying people to play with you. At that point, you're basically just paying to have friends.

However, if it's for a very special playtest, I suppose it could be like paying subjects to participate in a scientific experiment when you can't find volunteers. Nevertheless, try to find volunteers... or friends.

JanDevries · February 01, 2025, 11:22:33 AM

Quote from: VengerSatanis on March 09, 2024, 10:29:53 AM
Quote from: JanDevries on March 03, 2024, 01:37:40 PMThis is nearly $2000 every two weeks. You're out of your mind. The top earners in the Professional DM sphere earn about $125k a year. The average is about $85K. And many, many are charging a measly $20/hr. I know this seemed like a really good idea when you were baked, but no. Still, I'm gonna bookmark this thread for the lulz.

I hope you do (bookmark it). The proof will be in the pudding, hoss. As I said, I'm not going to actively pursue this until August or September. However, I intend to be well on my way by January of 2025.

Have you found your 50k suck, er, customer yet?

JanDevries · March 11, 2025, 08:09:42 PM

So, how's this coming along?

BadApple · **Today** at 01:38:18 AM

Have you looked into Jubensha?

They are semi-scripted games, usually murder mysteries, that are very popular in China. I have been looking into getting my hands on one in English for a few months now. I think this could do well here in the US with the right set up and marketing.

There was a thread about Jubensha about a year ago.

Man at Arms · **Today** at 02:32:56 AM

Quote from: VengerSatanis on February 28, 2024, 09:44:58 AMWhere there is passion for a particular hobby, there will eventually be monetization. That's just the way of things. Rather than waste time and energy railing against it, let's take a look at what the future might hold, shall we?

I'm of the opinion that one possible evolutionary avenue for the professional GM and content creator facing the destruction of D&D as we know it, thanks to WotC, is the year-long campaign contract. Take any other hobby that wealthy individuals might care to pursue... $50K annually is not a ton of money for such men (and a few women, I suppose, but let's acknowledge that is a smaller market).

Without further ado, I'm going to link my blog post where I wrote out the entire idea. Didn't put this in news and advertisements because unless someone lives within a 45 minute drive of me, none of you are potential customers or clients. Also, I truly want to know what my fellow gamers think of this paradigm shift. It changes the game, changes the economics. For me, it makes what I do a more viable option than GMing my home-game for free and self-publishing on the side for roughly $10K a year.

https://vengersatanis.blogspot.com/2024/02/game-master-to-rich-famous.html

I welcome your feedback! If this is a future business model for GMs and content creators who wish to make RPGs their profession, I believe it's more sustainable than traditional GM for hire gigs and DM's Guild once WotC has their virtual 6e "walled garden with micro-transactions" in place later this year.

Thanks,

VS

Quote from: Anon Adderlan on March 05, 2024, 05:52:58 AMIf you're not going to tell me your business plan here I'm not going to click your link, but good luck with your shilling.

Quote from: Omega on March 02, 2024, 07:33:25 AMThe general consensus is that most players start to baulk at anything over 10-20$ a session and really baulk at the 50$ a session mark.

The fact #Starbucks exists and #GenCon sessions are even more expensive once all costs are accounted for suggests customers in general have absolutely no sense of the cost or value of anything.

Quote from: VengerSatanis on February 28, 2024, 09:44:58 AMWhere there is passion for a particular hobby, there will eventually be monetization. That's just the way of things. Rather than waste time and energy railing against it, let's take a look at what the future might hold, shall we?

I'm of the opinion that one possible evolutionary avenue for the professional GM and content creator facing the destruction of D&D as we know it, thanks to WotC, is the year-long campaign contract. Take any other hobby that wealthy individuals might care to pursue... $50K annually is not a ton of money for such men (and a few women, I suppose, but let's acknowledge that is a smaller market).

Without further ado, I'm going to link my blog post where I wrote out the entire idea. Didn't put this in news and advertisements because unless someone lives within a 45 minute drive of me, none of you are potential customers or clients. Also, I truly want to know what my fellow gamers think of this paradigm shift. It changes the game, changes the economics. For me, it makes what I do a more viable option than GMing my home-game for free and self-publishing on the side for roughly $10K a year.

https://vengersatanis.blogspot.com/2024/02/game-master-to-rich-famous.html

I welcome your feedback! If this is a future business model for GMs and content creators who wish to make RPGs their profession, I believe it's more sustainable than traditional GM for hire gigs and DM's Guild once WotC has their virtual 6e "walled garden with micro-transactions" in place later this year.

Thanks,

VS

So........
If you ran a weekly 3 hour game, for a table of 5 players, for 52 weeks; how much money are you willing to run that game for? (Assuming that you'd be running other gaming sessions, for multiple different groups throughout the week.)

If the cost for the whole group is X, and the individual cost is X/5; can you keep a full schedule of games all year long, at those prices?

If so, you have just found your dream job!!!