Civ 3 Discount for Fanatic's Members?

[Sxythots]

I was just thinking... there are over 1600 Civ Fanatic members... I am sure that as a group we should be able to swing some sort of mass purchase discount with a place like Walmart or Ebay for Civ 3 when it comes out. Who else likes this idea & how would we go about doing this?

------------------

 

[Tact]

MODERATORS!!!!!
Hear our cries!! DISCOUNT CIV3 FOR FANATICS!!!!!!
It's a great Day!!!

 

[Tact]

how...purchase order? Guarantee pricing...advance orders? Online!
first thing we need is a walmart or Ebay rep. to hammer a price out of.

 

[Tact]

Being customers, I found that there customer service # is 1800walmart (go figure) that'd be a good place to start

 

[BlueMonday]

Keep dreaming, cheapskates! If you want to save money, just wait a year or two.

------------------
<IMG SRC="http://forums.civfanatics.com/image_uploads/goodbye3.jpg" border=0>
<FONT COLOR="blue">I take every day one beer at a time; every beer one sip at a time.</FONT c>

 

[Johan511]

I would love to see someone organize 1600 people to do ANYTHING over the internet....LOL
Can't you just imagine the NIGHTMARE


It's hard enough in real life....



------------------
<IMG SRC="http://www.overgrow.com/edge/images/smilies/alien.gif" border=0>

 

[stormerne]

No, I'm not in favour of a Civ3 deal for CivFanatics. And I'll tell you why.

For a start, there'd be a rush to join CivFanatics just to get the discount. I don't want more greedy idiots here. I want more good people who want to give as well as take.

So if you said, for example, only let people with a high enough postcount qualify as a proof of contribution to the board (similar to what they do in business with windfall bonuses), there'd be a terrible rush to generate spam. We don't want that either.

------------------
<IMG SRC="http://www.anglo-saxon.demon.co.uk/stormerne/stormerne.gif" border=0>

[This message has been edited by stormerne (edited July 06, 2001).]

 

[hannibol43]

I was all ready to say I support that idea but stormerne makes a goos point no sense in selling ourselves out in terms of quality for a few bucks right?????

------------------
"Hannibol Ad Portas!"

 

[Sxythots]

Well... in regards to being a cheapskate, those who feel that way are more than entitled to throw their cash away being they are so rich - or better yet... throw it at me.

As for greedy people & idiots joining just for the discount, it seems to me that we would be reaching people who want to own and play civ which I thot was the whole point of Civ Fanatics in the first place... I am at a loss as to why anyone would want Civ3 otherwise. As for participating in the posts or other such things, that is an individual preference... I myself only post or participate when I think or see something of interest. (Also, if I am right, there is nothing preventing idiots and greedy people from being part of our group anyways... they just sign up!)

If Civ Fanatics were to arrange with such an outlet to charge just a tad bit more than the discount being offered, this would provide Civ Fanatics with an income to help improve the site and organization. It would also provide an additional incentive to be part of Civ Fanatics.

As for co-ordinating the efforts of 1600 people, all that would have to be done is for Civ Fanatics to have a link that connects to the provider's site. We place our order through that link, Civ Fanatics gets credited for the sale and voila... everyone is happy (except maybe those who really want to pay top dollar and see everyone else do so too). We make it similar to the requirement to post a message... you must be a member to be able to place the order.

 

[stormerne]

You talk sense Sxythots. Thanks. I was kinda grumpy when I posted my last message - it was before I installed a pop-up killer on my machine.

The point I <u>should</u> have made was this. Bearing in mind that Civ aficionados are likely to buy Civ3 anyway, there would be little marketing advantage for Firaxis to offer a discount via CFC. Where would be their business incentive?

------------------
<IMG SRC="http://www.anglo-saxon.demon.co.uk/stormerne/stormerne.gif" border=0>

 

[Sxythots]

Firaxis is undoubtedly like any other manufacturing firm... resellers who sell their products receive a wholesale price which is substantially lower (approx 50%)than the actual selling price of the game on the street - the more the reseller buys, the lower the price. Otherwise, why would a reseller sell the product... they have staff & other overhead to cover as well as a profit margin.

Civ Fanatics should be that reseller and pass on the extra savings minus overhead & profit to it's members. We might be required to pre-order through & pay Civ Fanatics first (which suits me fine). When the game is released, Civ Fanatics places the order.

We choose a place like E-Bay/Walmart or such because they already have in place a shipping department (to send to individual members) or multiple outlets (where members pick up their purchase). Of course, they will also make a profit but their profit will substantially less because we are placing a huge bulk order through them. For them, it is really just one sale - though of course they have extra costs for individual shipping/pickups. The majority of the profit/discount comes back to us.

 

[Sxythots]

Another interesting idea to encourage people to buy from Civ Fanatics is to organize a tournament for purchasing members only. Offer a cash purse for the team that scores highest after fixed period of time. Cash can come from the profits made in Civ III sales.

I said teams because I think it is a better idea... someone else from a team can fill in for a player who cannot keep their play commitment. The team wins as a group and divides the proceeds that way too.

Anyways... just a thot... but one that might get members, discount & a cash tournament going at that.

 

[SlowwHand]

I know this will drive some here to distraction, but if you're thinking of the 1200 people or whatever here, why not go in with Apolyton and their 10,000 users.
And the Spanish site, include them.
Why not all the boards work together?
I know it's a hell of a concept, still, sometimes working in tandem welds a stronger blow.

And I like the Tribe/Team/Clan concept.
Of course.


------------------
It's In The Way That You Use It
Tuatha De Danann Tribe
ICQ 51553293



[This message has been edited by SlowwHand (edited July 09, 2001).]

 

[TTG]

I think we are all losing sight of a few things here. Firstly, Firaxis will not be selling the game at all; Infogrames will be. Any attempts at trying to get the game would have to go through them or an online mass-retailer (chip n bits or something like that).

Probably more importantly is the fact that this kind of action simply is not done. There are two conceivable ways this could work:
1. The webmasters here or at another site could sell the game through the site on comission, and then somehow share that commission with the board members, don't ask me how.
2. We could all band together and try to bully infrogrames saying none of us will buy the game unless we all get a discount. This would not work because they are a huge corporation and I, for one, would not waste my time. I'm buying the game the first chance I get.

If you're talking about buying up copies of the game wholesale, then that's fine if you can get them. But what if the webmasters here are unable to sell all of the copies? What if they don't even sell half of them? That's quite a risk to sit on 500 or so copies of a game if they won't sell.

------------------
Civilization I Master of masters and webmaster of Civilization III Arsenal

 

[Tact]

Who's talking about webmaster purchasing them, we're talking about pre-ordering, when the release date comes they've already been sold, if we're less expensive than other online retailers (as we'd be doing the reselling)everyone would order from us
infogrames would still make their profit, we'd get our discount...the idea about coordination with the other civ sites, fantastic, we'd be talking about 12,000 potential fanatics at a wholesale price of roughly $15-$20, roughly one $25,000 sale

That's a pretty big #, for any coorporation to take off of one game, one sale

 

[Tact]

Infogrames has been given the link to this forum....
let's see how they like it..

 

[deimos]

exactly.
tact is right indeed. you would still be making one hell of a profiet and all.

 

[Tact]

And if I could do elementary math my post about 12000 potential customers would equal almost a quarter million in sales, (sorry forgot a zero)($250,000)

 

[Sxythots]

SlowwHand's Idea of getting the other sites to join in the concept is a good one... just like the public service unions we have here in Canada which have so many members that insurance companies, benefit companies, & other providers are all climbing all over each other just to be able to offer them exceptional services at the lowest prices. We have the members... why not use our clout.

If someplace... say Infogames as an example... decided they didn't like and didn't participate, then we go to someone who does realize the profit and benefits to be made selling to us... it will be a colossal loss to those who snubbed their noses... no different than a Costco or other discount wholesale store. (and if we are successful doing this, there would be nothing to stop us from offering other games like Master of Orion, etc. too)

As for TTG's comment on how we would divide up commissions and purchasing wholesale copies, Tact is right about the pre-orders. If Fanatics achieves a significant discount beyond the preorder amount, then put the money into improving the organization and a tournament for CASH ($$$MONEY$$$) for purchasers of the game through Fanatics... I am willing to bet we would see some awesome games then that would actually go through to completion!

If by chance we do not have enuf orders... then return the cheques (checks).

So as I see it, the next problem is... we need to be able to use CivFanatics as a business, maybe elect some officers and start the process. This will probably require discussion amongst the moderators... and may require someone amongst us to help co-ordinate the thing between civ boards and actually contact potential providers to see what deals they would offer.

Anyone out there have experience they would like to contribute to a group cause? Maybe in exchange for a bit of the profit?

 

[TTG]

Originally posted by Sxythots:
If someplace... say Infogames as an example... decided they didn't like and didn't participate, then we go to someone who does realize the profit and benefits to be made selling to us... it will be a colossal loss to those who snubbed their noses... no different than a Costco or other discount wholesale store. (and if we are successful doing this, there would be nothing to stop us from offering other games like Master of Orion, etc. too)

Certainly it would be a colossal loss to Infogrames, but a greater loss to us for not being able to play the greatest game of the year: Civilization III. I'm as cheap as the next guy, but not if it means missing out on the real thing.

We could never negotiate with Infogrames. Expert negotiators know that they always have to be able to just take their business elsewhere at any point, and that is something the majority of us CIVILIZATION FANATICS are not willing to do. They could just say no and our little organization would collapse because everyone would just buy the game on their own.

------------------
Civilization I Master of masters and webmaster of Civilization III Arsenal
<IMG SRC="http://www.strategyplanet.com/civilization3/images/ani_swordsman_thumb.gif" border=0>