Supporting affiliates

[techbear]

I could use help with my understanding of affiliates. I've released GunRaven, and already I've had www.gamexzone.com contact me about being an affilate.

He wants 35%, plus a modified demo (which he called a "separate distribution kit") that points to him or to RegNow with his affiliate ID attached. I'm okay with that.

First, does he plan to host that special version of the demo? Can I assume that other affilates who want special versions are prepared to host the file? Or will I have to host a dozen different versions of my demo (which swmirror probably won't allow)?

Second, what do you do to streamline the process of making special versions for affilates?

Third, what other requests might affilates reasonably ask of me? Their logo in my game? Special content?

Fourth. I know that the only constant in this business is change, and HISTORICALLY affilates have given me hardly any business (because most of them seem to be kids packing a webpage with every link they can get their hands on). However, GunRaven in late 2004 could be a whole new ballgame.

So, in your opinion, how much time should I spend cultivating and supporting affiliates for GunRaven right now? Can I expect them to drive most of my sales, or not many?

Fifth, my web logs tell me that http://www.download-online-games.com/ is the number one referer to my website, by far. But my attempts to contact this affilate and cultivate a relationship have gone unanswered. Am I doing something wrong? How should I reward and reinforce the relationship?

Thanks!!

[papillon]

(Caveat - Personal opinion, NOT deeply experienced with affiliates)

If they want a special build, they should host it themselves.

Extra content or their logo - only if they've already established a very good relationship with you and are pushing you lots of sales, to the point that they're practically a publisher for you. If they're doing you good, then keep them happy, but there's no sense you knocking yourself out for every affiliate opportunity that comes along.

[James C. Smith]

We ended up building an automated system which allows any affiliate to download a customized version of any one of our games with the affiliates ID burned into the game. In the past I spent a lot of time make copy after copy of the same game with different IDs or purchasing links for different affiliates.

[Sirrus]

How did you go about putting together an automated affiliate system, if you don't mind explaining...

[ggambett]

How did you go about putting together an automated affiliate system, if you don't mind explaining...
I do it the cheap way :D

The installer saves its filename to the registry, and the game looks for that name when you click the BUY button or any button that should carry affiliate information.

So you download the regular Betty's Beer Bar (http://www.mysterystudio.com/bettysbeerbar.php) demo from our site - bbb_demo.exe. If you are Plimus affiliate foobar, rename the installer to bbb_demo_plfoobar.exe and distribute it. RegNow 1234, bbb_demo_rn1234.exe. And so on.

This scheme breaks if the user downloads the installer and renames it before executing it, but I doubt that's a common pratice for casual gamers.

A slightly more involved method should be letting the installer itself save the affiliate info to the registry, for example having the download script on the site customize a NSIS script, running it (it works fine under Wine, and Kai-Peter has compiled it to run natively on Linux) and distributing that executable.

[Diodor Bitan]

Original post by ggambet
I do it the cheap way

That's exactly what I do :) Nsis code:

FileOpen $9 cmdline.txt w ;Opens a Empty File an fills it
FileWrite $9 "dio was here $CMDLINE $\n"
FileClose $9 ;Closes the emtpy file

I wonder if there is a way to have the server automatically offer the gamename.exe file for all the gamename_xxxx.exe requests on the server (where the x characters may vary).


Original post by papillon
If they want a special build, they should host it themselves.

I would prefer to host the file so I can update it without further hassles.

[Alan_3DAGames]

Most download sites (affiliates included) will usually host the file themselves.

Although, there are some advantages to hosting the file yourself.

(1)... Its an easy way to track how many downloads that affilate is getting.
(Especially if you have a different file for that affiliate to link to for their download).

(2)... If you make any updates, you can be sure the affiliate version is also quickly updated.

(Plus the affilate is happy, as they have less work to do, as they don't need to update the
file themselves, plus they save bandwidth and storage space).

So it can be worth while. :)

[ggambett]

I wonder if there is a way to have the server automatically offer the gamename.exe file for all the gamename_xxxx.exe requests on the server (where the x characters may vary).
Probably with some .htaccess trickery involving the rewrite engine.

[Mike Boeh]

Probably with some .htaccess trickery involving the rewrite engine. Yeah, there are 2 ways to do it actually.
1 is with symbolic links and a php redirect.

The other is to have php actually serve the file.

I do it on my site, then i have the installer hardcode the affiliate ID into all the links from the game. That way, even if a cookie is deleted, the affiliate still gets credit.



<?
$a = $HTTP_GET_VARS["afl"];
$fn = $HTTP_GET_VARS["file"];
$fn = str_replace ( "_afl", "", $fn);

if (strlen($a) < 1)
{
$a="retro64";
}

if (strlen($fn) > 1 && strlen($a) > 1)
{
$fn2 = $fn."_".$a.".exe";
}
else
{
$fn2 = $fn.".exe";
}


$productFilename = $fn.".exe";

// You need to specify the REAL path for your file and not the URL
$fullPath = getcwd()."/downloads/".$productFilename;

if ($fd = fopen ($fullPath, "rb"))
{
$fsize =filesize($fullPath);
$fname = basename ($fullPath);

header("Pragma: ");
header("Cache-Control: ");
header("Content-type: application/octet-stream");
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=\"".$fn2."\"");
header("Content-length: $fsize");

fpassthru($fd);
}
?>

[simonh]

then i have the installer hardcode the affiliate ID into all the links from the game.
How would you go about doing that then? Surely links that are contained within the program exe itself, can't be modified? :confused:

[Mike Boeh]

How would you go about doing that then? Surely links that are contained within the program exe itself, can't be modified? :confused:
The my games use the same .url files the start menu does. So I just modify those at install time....

[simonh]

I see. Interesting idea.

[James C. Smith]

We have a PHP program serve the file and embed the affiliate ID in the file as it is downloaded. An affiliate can link to this PHP URL or download his version and host it himself or download it, burn it on CD and distribute it that way. But no matter how you do it, the affiliate ID is embedded in the installer EXE as the file is served from our HTTP server.

[Kai Backman]

We have a PHP program serve the file and embed the affiliate ID in the file as it is downloaded. An affiliate can link to this PHP URL or download his version and host it himself or download it, burn it on CD and distribute it that way. But no matter how you do it, the affiliate ID is embedded in the installer EXE as the file is served from our HTTP server.

I'm interested in how you do this. Are you able to sign the files as well (to make the SP2 proof)? What installer do you use so that you can leave the ID outside the standard packing algorithm?

[DFG]

Pete at download-online-games.com is a friend of mine if you want him to contact you.

I would say an affiliate has to prove his worth before taking the extra time to add perks for him. Maybe set a standard of minimum sales or downloads that have to be met before you do extras. Otherwise, I would think you would not be using your time very effectively.