I see random threads from people worried about intellectual property theft when it comes to selling blueprints on the marketplace and other places.
What if people could “kickstart” their blueprints and C++ products into the community from the marketplace?
In this sense, I am using the kickstart concept not as a pre-production funding mechanism, but as a gate to allow multiple people buy a blueprint, and then all receive it at once, as well as potentially receiving more support after the purchase based on their feedback. This would allow the creators of the blueprint to set a threshold of value for their work, say 50-100 users that would have to sign on to buy the blueprint/C++ before it ever gets sold.
Anyway, it is just an idea, so use or not as you will. And before anyone asks, I don’t have any intention of selling my work.
Isn’t this what Trello already accomplishes? Unless you mean that everyone has to pay before anyone will get the content. Wasn’t sure if that was what you are saying. If so, I’m not sure if that will work since people have different budgets that may not allow all who are interested to purchase at the exact same time.
Everyone pays, then the content is released, and then hits normal circulation either immediately or after some period of time.
The key is that the content creator reaches some $ minimum(set by them) before their content is released. If people want it, then their minimum goal is met. If not, they can lower the price and try again later.
I think the timescale would really depend on the seller. Obviously if you set a goal of raising tens of thousands of dollars with your blueprint you are going to fail. But a few hundred, maybe even a thousand or two? I think that would be perfectly doable if the product is good enough and fits the right needs.
If ten people just bet 0.1$ it can be low, and how do you deal about people just waiting others to pay the product to get it for free ?
Here is some refunds in case the minimum goal is not reached or the product not completed ?
It’s a risky way while the Marketplace is secure for a finished product.
Bet? The seller sets a price and when that price is reached the content is released. The people who wait, wait. This is about giving the seller an option to earn a certain level of investment before releasing their easily copy-able code to the public.
If the minimum isn’t reached, the seller should try again, same as always.
I am not talking about using Kickstarter, I am talking about adding a crowdfunding aspect to the marketplace for code projects.
I think it’s a good idea but I also think it’s not likely to succeed.
While it would help content creators to ensure they are paid an acceptable base before they essentially give up rights (eg. if not enough people were to buy it they could still have the option of selling it elsewhere as an exclusive asset for example), I think not many customers (and myself included, when/if I buy something). We basically are in an era where content is purchased however and more important whenever required, and that content is instantly delivered. Im not likely to drop $50 on something then to wait for a month, potentially delay parts of a project, just to find out in the end I need to look elsewhere or make it myself. While it works for the type of projects you see on kickstarter, I cannot see it being viable for something like this.
Perhaps Epic can implement a Blueprints Protection mechanism to View/Edit and Network Registration Key process. Blueprints are compiled, so I speculated all one had to do was provide the compiled version *.u?, publicly exposing variables needed for communicating, tweaking in UnrealEd/Engine real-time. I haven’t investigated into any of this, so I’m pretty much rambling.
In my opinion, a Blueprint-based product alone will not generate long term profitability, which is why I plan to supplement my poduct with add-on content.
Spending $50 just to wait and see if I end up getting it is really bad, and I understand you…
But what if someone creates a great ______ blueprints and he wants $300… Well, I’d be perfectly fine to drop like $1 today, go with the rest of my day as usual, and if 299 people do the same - just drop in $1 which, TBH if you are used to online purchasing is nothing, no matter where you live, then it would be really great feeling to have that BP a couple of days later…
I think for this to work, masses of people should be spending like $0.5-$3 here and there, instead a single entity dropping in $50 or so…
Another thing that could work is to make it a progress bar… So, if you’re browsing character controllers for space game for example, and you see great one that you want, you could see it’s progression, ie:
$80 out of $100 collected - 80% Done
And then, if you really want it, you could spend $20 thus unlocking it and be able to download it in a second.
I agree this might not work, but all in all, as long as LOT of people are interested it could work… After much content being priced at $30-75+ on marketplace, spending a couple of bucks or a single buck even doesn’t seems that tough
good idea!!! because soon or later code(plugin,models and go on) always go to cgpersia(and others) so i think better rich goal and release free version, and maybe later add additional options for next goal.
And before anyone asks, I don’t have any intention of selling my work. 