The Grab.com Indie Channel

[tc_bobo]

This week a new gaming portal is launching called www.Grab.com, which features an area called the Indie Channel. We’ve set up the Grab Indie Channel to provide another avenue for independent game developers to get their games out to a broader audience.

http://www.grab.com/indie/

We've opened up the site early to indie developers to get your feedback. We hope you’ll consider adding your games to the Indie Channel via the Grab.com Dev Zone.

http://www.grab.com/devzone/

Web games will be hosted by the Grab.com server, while downloadable titles will be linked to your site. You are free to sell downloadable full versions of your games to end users. 100% of the revenue generated by these sales will go directly into your pocket.

Grab.com is part of Intermix Media, which features 18 million unique visitors per month and includes other gaming sites like GameRival.com (2m uniques per month). Grab.com will be our flagship gaming web property for games and is meant to compete with other high profile gaming properties such as Yahoo Games & RealArcade. We will be actively promoting the site to our 18 million unique users and promoting Grab.com to the press and users worldwide.

If you have questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

Thanks,

Malcolm
--
Producer
www.Grab.com

[ggambett]

Hmmm... the site looks really nice. I have just the obvious question. It's free promotion for us - What's In It For You (TM)?

[tc_bobo]

I understand and it is the obvious question. I've been playing cynic for the past month when looking at the Grab Indie Channel because I know all indie developers will look at it with a cynical view. Indie devs have to be a cynical.

What's in it for us is that we have access to the indie development community. When users find an indie game they like and make popular, we know about it first.

It gives us the inside track on contacting the developer and talking about the potential of working together. If we can strike a deal, we would then move the game to the main part of Grab.com where the promotion for it would be a priority.

Thanks,

Malcolm
--
Producer
www.Grab.com

[ggambett]

I've been playing cynic for the past month when looking at the Grab Indie Channel because I know all indie developers will look at it with a cynical view. Indie devs have to be a cynical.
Sorry, that wasn't my intention. I hope you understand our position - the usual scenario is big distributors paying the smallest royalties they can. So your proposition definitely stands out :)

[terin]

I've talked to Malcom on the telephone. Didn't sound TOO shady ;-) (Just kidding Malcom).

I really look forward to getting some of my clients on the site. Little to lose, much to gain. Good situation to be in for us developers/marketers.

[robleong]

Thanks for the info - I've added my games to it.

[Andy]

Nice site. I like it.

I didn't get only why our game didn't get the best rank right onto the fact of submission. :D

Seriously, submission process is long enough. Why you don't use standard length for descriptions from PAD standard at least? And using PAD submission itself could make it top notch. ;)

I'll submit two-three more games when find the time :D

[arcadetown]

fyi... we've worked with Malcolm in the past and he's a great guy.

[Jason Colman]

It looks good to me - I will definitely submit Amju Super Golf when I release v2.0 next week (fingers crossed :) )

[Jack Norton]

Nice site :)
I've already flooded it with some of my games :D

Just an annotation: you're missing the categories Sport, Simulation and Strategy ... and believe me there are LOT of people interested in those ;)

If you want really to differentiate from the same Realarcade clone, put those... me and positech will be grateful :)

[alfie]

Nice site :)
Just an annotation: you're missing the categories Sport, Simulation and Strategy ... and believe me there are LOT of people interested in those ;)

If you want really to differentiate from the same Realarcade clone, put those... me and positech will be grateful :)

Good point Jack.

Also a "Platformers" category is missing, the wonderfull Coin World by Addictive247 would work well in such a category.

Alfie

[BongPig]

Not meaning to sound like everybody else, but I really like the look of your site. Really welcoming. Good stuff.

Ill be getting our games in there asap.

Its funny. Sometimes a site can work so well, that the smallest problem can really stand out. Victim of its own success and all that. Anyway, with that in mind, I also agree PAD submission would just about be the icing on the cake.

I feel bad for moaning....
In ALL other respects, its a great site. :)

[princec]

PAD would be nice, yes. And also the ability to submit JNLP games as well as applets, flash, etc. I could really do with another site trying to evangelise JNLP!

Cas :)

[Devman]

I have a suggestion for your site, too.

I do not think that the banner advertisements mesh with the content of your page. I see cartoons and fun looking games, very kid friendly, and then a woman in a provocative pose is displayed on the banner ad at the top, "find single women in your area".

I would reevaluate who you choose for advertisers. This would turn me off from your site both for submitting games and for purchasing games for me and my family.

Other than that, I think the site looks great.

Devman

[princec]

I think the best advertisers might actually be indie developers...

Cas :)

[ggambett]

Can someone more law-savvy than me explain what does this mean?

THIS DOCUMENT REFLECTS THE POLICY OF GRAB.COM WITH REGARD TO ALL INDIE COMPUTER SOFTWARE GAME SUBMISSIONS, INCLUDING ALL INFORMATION, CODE, SOFTWARE, ARTWORK, TEXT, DATA, VIDEO, AUDIO, PICTURES, FILES AND ANY OTHER RELATED MATERIALS, INCLUDING ANY IDEAS, CONCEPTS, KNOW-HOW, OR TECHNIQUES CONTAINED IN OR RELATING TO SUCH MATERIALS (COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO AS "MATERIALS").

License. You grant Grab.com a world-wide, royalty free, fully paid, perpetual, license to use, copy, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, and distribute your Materials to publish and promote such Materials in connection with the Service offered on this Site and to publish and promote such Materials elsewhere within Grab.com’s network of websites. Such license shall apply with respect to any form, media, or technology now known or later developed.
It's reasonable for the demo - but what about "any form, media, or technology now known or later developed"? What about " INCLUDING ANY IDEAS, CONCEPTS, KNOW-HOW, OR TECHNIQUES CONTAINED IN OR RELATING TO" the game?

[MirekCz]

Looks pretty much as the adnotation under playfirst deal.

As far as I understand it's here to allow them use a screenshot etc from your game in their promotional documents/ads etc... but I guess they can get so much more out of it (like right to create a sequel to your game etc.)

[Bluecat]

Looks pretty much as the adnotation under playfirst deal.


It's a bit different. The playfirst terms don't mention that it is for promotional use. They basically say that they can take your IP and do anything with it for any reason with no obligations to you. That's one contract I'd steer clear from.



As far as I understand it's here to allow them use a screenshot etc from your game in their promotional documents/ads etc... but I guess they can get so much more out of it (like right to create a sequel to your game etc.)

That's what it appears to be. If that is the case, it's not particularly clear and could open the developer up for problems later if the relationship with Grab goes south. (Just look at whats happening between Vivendi and Valve.) Unfortunately, no matter the best intentions of the original dealmakers in any contract, if the contract is ambiguous, there is potential for abuse of the terms later.

[Jack Norton]

Yeah I agree!
Wouldn't be so simple to say:
"We can use any media from your DEMO versions ONLY to do promotion, marketing, affiliation, etc"?

Instead they put "now known or later developed" and then I am already thinking if I made the right choice to submit my games there... :eek:

[arcadetown]

I think the best advertisers might actually be indie developers...Cas :)
Shoot if we relied on that would still be living an the parent's :D What people here don't seem to understand is how little real world control you have on advertising. Basically you provide a space to advertise and the ad network takes care of filling it. You could spend your entire day reviewing the new lineup of available ads or you can do your real work.

Sorry Malcolm, I know we talked about it but been extremely busy... will get to submitting over there soon.

[tc_bobo]

Hey Guys:

I appreciate all the feedback.

The PAD issue is something I'll definitely look at down the road when our programmers have the time.

I'm working on trying to get Casino replaced with Strategy in the Indie Channel. Simulation would fall under Strategy and at the moment Platformers and Sports games would fall under Action.

Regarding the Terms of Submission questions raised - I'm looking into them. And I will also be talking to the legal department and see what I can do.

[maksum]

Just to share my experience with grab.com... I've had a couple games on there since launch and I've noticed an increase in hits to my site and more sign-ups to my newsletter. Too bad I don't have a product yet!

According to grab.com stats, there have been 2,441 page visits for Add 'em Up. Definitely seems like a great deal for indies.

Also, I've gotten to know Malcolm as well through chatting with him about grab.com and various other projects. Definitely a good guy.

Thanks Malcolm.

[Jack Norton]

I'm working on trying to get Casino replaced with Strategy in the Indie Channel. Simulation would fall under Strategy and at the moment Platformers and Sports games would fall under Action.
Good move. I really wouldn't consider serious a site with Casino category on it ;)


Regarding the Terms of Submission questions raised - I'm looking into them. And I will also be talking to the legal department and see what I can do.
I think it would be enough to clarify that you're talking ONLY ABOUT THE DEMOS of the games, and also not referring to sources (C source code, PSD files, 3d models, etc).

Keep up the good work! ;)

[tc_bobo]

Jack, the categories from the main part of Grab.com were dropped down into the Indie Channel as well. Since Casino is a category there, it followed. Though not a lot of indies making casino games, as you know. :o

***


THIS DOCUMENT REFLECTS THE POLICY OF GRAB.COM WITH REGARD TO ALL INDIE COMPUTER SOFTWARE GAME SUBMISSIONS, INCLUDING ALL INFORMATION, CODE, SOFTWARE, ARTWORK, TEXT, DATA, VIDEO, AUDIO, PICTURES, FILES AND ANY OTHER RELATED MATERIALS, INCLUDING ANY IDEAS, CONCEPTS, KNOW-HOW, OR TECHNIQUES CONTAINED IN OR RELATING TO SUCH MATERIALS (COLLECTIVELY REFERRED TO AS "MATERIALS").

The definition of Materials needs to be broad because IMIX is licensing your Materials. We do not want indie devs coming back later claiming that they never authorized the use of certain intellectual property rights included in the Games they upload.


License. You grant Grab.com a world-wide, royalty free, fully paid, perpetual, license to use, copy, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, and distribute your Materials to publish and promote such Materials in connection with the Service offered on this Site and to publish and promote such Materials elsewhere within Grab.com’s network of websites. Such license shall apply with respect to any form, media, or technology now known or later developed.

This allows the developer to modify the Game and keep the same license terms.

***

Each game added to Grab Indie Channel has it's own agreement attached to it. I hope this clarifies the issues.

I know a lot of indies have already uploaded and I'm excited to start featuring them. Web versions to go along with downloads? That would be cool, yet I understand the logistics in building web games, yet they are the most valuable marketing tool an indie dev has, in my opinion.

Update: We're still in soft launch, yet that will be changing shortly and we'll begin to drive traffic to the site.

Thanks for all the kind words and feedback - I'm working to make sure the Grab Indie Channel is a success for both of us.

[Andy]

Following by opinion of another guys from here I do realize that looks like I even got no the right to make marks on Grab.com's job - looks like they are pretty well known professionals. But I'll make some anyway... ;)

That's how good professionals work. They are coming with ready to work, close to prefection idea, site, etc. They are opened to any relations with you. They're not hidding their current starting status (for that concrete Grab.com part of network). They ASK you (as developer) for your attention and your help.

I hope, all of you can remember and count good two dozens of that "just-ready publishers" who were posing in these and dexterity forums like "respectable software house" (who "still got no any .com domain" and their site "would be ready in the next a couple of weeks")

I'm pretty excited to feel the differense.
So, just good luck you Malcolm!