Put my demo on your CD, get kickback.

[ErikH2000]

For people that sell CD versions of their games, would you consider the following proposition:

1. Add the DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold (http://caravelgames.com/Articles/Games_2/JtRH.html) shareware demo to your full version CD. (Don't add it to your setup program or anything intrusive like that.) I will give you one setup executable. It will install a version of DROD that has buy links including an affiliate ID for you.

2. Set up a Plimus account to receive affiliate payments (if you don't already have one).

3. Make 15% commission off every DROD sale from the shareware demo.

Easy, right? No HTML coding for you. No rearranging of your precious website. No customers fretting over possible spyware bundling. Just add a demo setup to your CD image and get a little extra money coming in. If you want to see some more sales, maybe make an autorun webpage with links to both your full version game installer and the DROD demo setup installer.

I'd consider variations of this deal. E-mail me at erikh@caravelgames.com if you like. I don't really care for the private message thing because it gives me an extra inbox to look at.

-Erik

[Nexic]

If I was selling on CD I might consider this, however I'd need a lot more than 15% commission, and I think you will find so will most other serious vendors. (Serious being people who will sell enough copies to actually make you any sales at all.

[ErikH2000]

I'm willing to talk about different deals with people. It's just easier to show one concrete example than say "if x than y". The 15% is less than a typical affiliate deal, but I stress that the affiliate need not add my game to their site or represent it as being part of their offerings. So in my mind that should make the deal more attractive, hence 15% instead of say... 30% like I'm giving other affiliates. If the person can do more to promote my game, like announce the game on a large mailing list, for example, then I'd go up on percentage.

Or maybe I'm way off, but it seems reasonable to me. I'll see if there's any takers.

-Erik

[papillon]

OTOH, you're getting access to a "better" customer - one who's already shown willingness to buy games. I'd think it should be about the same percentage as any other affiliate deal.

But I haven't finished working out my on-CD deals anyway. :)

[jankoM]

I think it's a great idea. Not that it can make you millions, but it's good in practicall ways. Uses that 690 MB that are left on CD. Can make some aditionall income without much hassle. Customers are happy gecause they get more. (I don't want to be mean but I think many customers don't even know the difference between demo and full version.)

I sell some CD-s but it's for kids, so probabbly DROD wouldn't fit in. At least if I remember it correctly. I will play it again.

[ErikH2000]

I think it's a great idea. Not that it can make you millions, but it's good in practicall ways. Uses that 690 MB that are left on CD. Can make some aditionall income without much hassle. Customers are happy gecause they get more. (I don't want to be mean but I think many customers don't even know the difference between demo and full version.)
Right! I put a bunch of extra demos and freeware on my CD just to give the customer a nice surprise. I didn't bother to ask for affiliate commission (although I did get permission to distribute where applicable), because I just wanted to add some extra value to the CD. Some demos have a lot of play value too. I've got Spiderweb's Avernum 1 demo on there which takes days to complete. The DROD demo is actually a big giveaway because all features are enabled, there's no time limit, and players can import new levels as much as they want. I've had some players go months playing the DROD demo without buying a full version (I know it's dumb, but I have my reasons).
I sell some CD-s but it's for kids, so probabbly DROD wouldn't fit in. At least if I remember it correctly. I will play it again.
Well, give it a look. I've seen kids as young as 8 get really into the game, but most players are 13+. I don't know your situation, but I'd think that as long as some portion of your customers might enjoy the game, you've got nothing to lose here.

-Erik

[ErikH2000]

Also, responding to Nexic's and Papillon's doubts about the low commission, I'll say that if there is some extra promotion to players that the demo is on the CD, such as in the product description on your website or in an autorun menu of the CD, then I will happily go up to 30%. Basically if you trouble yourself to recommend the game and draw attention to it, then that's worth more.

And also even another deal, even simpler: if somebody has a similar audience to mine, in terms of genre and size, we could just forget the affiliate stuff and put each other's demos on our CDs. I've sold 70 CDs since April, and have a new print run of CDs coming up in the next few months. It's not a lot of eyeballs, I know, but maybe you get 5 sales for lifting your pinky finger.

So this is kind of a wacky way to look for deals, just publicly spouting offers that may or may not apply to people. Maybe I would have been better off privately approaching people, but I don't know who all might be interested. I think I'm inspired by that empty space on CDs and how it goes out to qualified customers. Something should go there--hopefully my game. If I'm hitting anywhere close to a deal you'd be interested in, then just send me an e-mail (erikh@caravelgames.com) and we can work something out.

-Erik