Digital Press /Portable/ Rarity Guide

[Nz17]

Preface: this is going to be a long post.

I don't think anyone other than perhaps the OP is complaining.

Just like everyone else here, "I'm not complaining." I'm just lamenting the state of things and acknowledging those who have vowed to contribute to give them thanks.

Personally, I just think having a second fund raising campaign going on when the museum campaign is only 1/4 of the way funded is distracting and not a good use of resources.

I'm sure that as I have Joe's direct approval on this matter that he is fine and dandy with it. Actually, from his perspective he is worried that the Museum project is overshadowing the App project! Personally I see them as two very different things for different audiences so there should be little danger of "toe stepping" but rather a positive synergy. I hope the app actually brings attention to all of the other facets of Digital Press to a new audience to help grow the existing audience.

There's no reason this couldn't have waited for another 45 days or been structured in a different way so as not to directly compete for financial resources using the same exact Kickstarter method.

Behind the scenes, there are very good reasons for this project happening now.

I'm happy to help out in any way you need me to, but I would love to know specifically how I can help instead of being expected to come up with my own projects. I'm sure there are other people who are equally willing to help out, they just need some direction and structure.

Just take the initiative like I did back around October 2010 or so and send a Private Message to The Leader, Joe Santulli (DigitalPress on the forum) and ask how and where you can help.

This is the greatest idea ever. Let's hope the prices get updated frequently though, some of the prices on the old digitpress guide are very out of date.

Yes, those online and printed copies are quite old for the most part. However I have personally crafted and already deployed software which, when mass utilized this summer/fall, will cause the Guide to be as up-to-date as the Master Copy and then some! Plus with its ease-of-use, the Guide will be kept as recent as digitally possible by its Trusted Contributors.

do you think you might support barcode scan support like eBay redlight eventually? I would be great to find a boxed game, take a picture of the barcode, and then know exactly what the game is worth/what rarity it is just from that.

Exactly, we will eventually have this feature + 1... for you see, many games are missing boxes or UPC codes, so this app will recognize games from the cover alone as well!

Kickstarter is an amazing tool, but it should never be used as a means of notifying the vast majority of a potential audience to a project. Discussions should be had before hand to determine whether something is needed or wanted long before a fund drive is put together.

Like five months ago?

Frankly, it also seems very risky to distract energy and funds from the museum effort by launching a second project at exactly the same time.

The App project was launched eight days after the Museum project, and the App project will end twenty-one days before the Museum one. That's hardly the same. What do you want, us to wait until we know the Museum is a success? That's quite some time away!

Perhaps someone from the team at DP could do a sticky post in one of the main forums outlining which projects or aspects of the site could use some extra help so that people with relevant skills can volunteer to take them on. I think most active users on here would be happy to contribute.

I'm all for that.

I've said for years that prices should be removed from the database anyway. rarity is subjective, but at least let people edit missing games, spelling errors, etc... People complain about the guide being wrong, give them a way to fix it.

There's a site for that at http://vgcollect.com/ - feel free to help out that community project if you wish as they do appreciate contributions. But as for the DP Guide, there's a whole forum section here dedicated to pointing out needed changes. Have at it.

Just to clarify, as I read his proposal, he is going to only develop the app for Android right now and I would assume an iOS version would require a separate fund raising and development effort.

You shouldn't assume, you should reread. As noted in my initial posts on this subject, "However the underlying technology which will be used to create the app, called PhoneGap, is fundamentally cross-platform in nature and allows for easy release to additional platforms. Therefore upon the success of the Android version further versions for other popular platforms will be rapidly released."

Why "upon the success of the Android version?" Because those app purchases' revenue will be used to fund the purchase of an Intel-based Macintosh computer, as unlike Windows Phone 7, Blackberry, WebOS, Android, etc., iOS is the only one which requires a more expensive and uncommon Mac.

So no, there won't be any additional fundraisers for this app if this first fundraiser is successful. The app will be self-sustaining for future releases.

It seems like the suggestion someone else brought up to create a more universal mobile version of the DP site would better address this issue.

It might, but that wouldn't support the Guide or its Contributors. And though it hasn't been mentioned until now, proceeds from app sales will be finding their way back to the Contributors and Digital Press too to help fund the site and other projects. As for mobile site usage, I suggest Opera Mini or Tapatalk.

I think another critical issue here is that he is looking for people to pay for his investment of time up front and is asking us to buy him a new computer and Android phone which is not something I have seen other people do here or elsewhere in classic gaming communities.

I'm sorry, but I need to prototype and debug the app somehow, and a viably modern computer and actual hardware running Android OS are the most direct route. I only have a ten year old computer here which while good for basic development and Web surfing is inadequate for running the Android SDK or emulator.

And if you haven't seen people in the classic gaming community ask for money up-front for projects, you need to look harder or wider.

It's not a completely charitable effort and I'm not saying it's an inappropriate approach necessarily to expect some compensation for hard work, but it's not like he is stepping forward and assuming all of the risk or volunteering his time.

Should I assume all risk while volunteering, or should we not have a "first penguin?" I'd rather not be orca food.

Finally, I find it troubling that the OP posts several times lamenting the fact that people aren't contributing and then ignores most of those posts explaining why people aren't sold on the idea, instead focusing on the fact that in one week, only a single contribution has been made.

Most of those people did not closely read what I wrote in the first post or the Kickstarter page and are mentioning things that are not really a major dilemma. Either that, or saying they don't have a smart phone or Android device or would pay for something like this, in which case, why listen to people who aren't your customers? I am more concerned with what those who do have a smart phone and are willing to pay for this app want.

You're asking for the community to pay you to produce the app, then asking them to pay again to use it.

Stop spreading this myth and actually read the Kickstarter page. At the $5 contribution level, you get a copy of the app for your pledge. Yes, that's right, PEOPLE WILL ONLY PAY FOR THE APP ONCE. Contribute now and get the app right on day one, or sit on your thumbs and get the app down the road. Either way, same price.

You're taking 10 years of work volunteered by other individuals and using that to make a profit for yourself.

What, are you going to next bemoan about people making money from Web sites on the Internet? Clearly those are technologies created by the collaborative efforts of volunteers with others building atop them with no compensation to the original contributors. Or the fact that the printed Guides see cash go to those who organize DP's efforts and isn't distributed down the chain to all the volunteers who are Guide Contributors who choose to devote their spare time and effort at no charge? Perhaps the Printed Guides and the Online Guide and the app will all manifest themselves out of our collective good will instead of requiring work and money? Some people are willing to take that cost as a lump on the chin and try to make it back after years of effort, but I'd rather ask for the community's help.

And further to the point, I am giving 15% of all the profits from app sales back to Joe to use as he sees fit. I was hoping the "community" would give me the benefit of the doubt and not think I would just take without giving. Mayhaps Joe will use that money to pay for the substantial hosting costs of this site, a Web site which has been nothing but a financial burden since the beginning. Perchance those funds might be used to compensate Guide Contributors, or maybe to financially back the Museum. The choice is up to him. But don't dare say I don't or won't give back.

If you're going to give people access to the DP database, allow them to make updates and corrections straight from their phone. People are complaining about the database inaccurate, you're not thinking of ways to help fix it. Granted, someone will have to verify the changes, but that's why you're making $5 a copy. Justify your paycheck somehow.

My "paycheck" doesn't need to be justified, and that isn't what's being justified here anyway. ProgrammingAce, have you ever even developed a commercial app for sale? The cost of the Price Guide app - which is not pure profit in the bank as most app stores take 10%-30% and that doesn't include investment in hardware or worker's time - is for the cost of development and continued development of the app and new features. A widespread and open contribution channel from hundreds or thousands of users would be much more work to manage than developing and improving the software itself! And as I am merely the potential developer, I don't have a call on how Guide information is handled - that is Joe's call, and he chooses to prefer a cadre of 60 trusted contributors instead of relying on the thousands of unknowns.

Again though, I like the idea -- but if it could be tweaked to be a rarity guide with checklist, with the option for me to make the checklists custom to be the things that I am interested in collecting, it would be awesome for me. I have not (and don't want to) spend the time to add the PAL Dreamcast games to my PDA one at a time, but I'd be all over it (and paying for it!) as an app for a device, if I had said device. I hope we can use constructive criticism to make the device even better.

GOATDan, read the original post again. A checklist feature to mark the games you have, want, and have for trade, as well as condition, included items, and notes for each, will be an included feature.

Thanks for your interest, everyone!