I should really take the time...

[Crosswind]

To look up a very excellent essay on music-sharing.

It's basic premise is thus: It is pointless for music companies to attempt to shut down mp3-sharing services such as napster, because, even if they are shut down, people will not resume buying records. Why? Because it is a fundamental tenet of human nature that, once we come to regard something as free (in this case, music), we have an aversion to paying for it.

Gamebanshee is the same. All this information, once free, we are now forced to pay for? Hello? Popup ads, acceptable. Make us pay to not see popup ads. But far, far too many internet businesses have failed based on the "give it to them for free at first...AND THEN CHARGE FOR IT!!!!".

Face it: your services are not worth so much that we will not take the time to go somewhere else that has the information for free.

Once, Gamebanshee was my favorite gaming site, harboring a plethora of useful information, well organized. Now, you have chosen one of the more annoying and abhorrent ways of sucking money out of your viewers.

A pity, but thankfully there are hundreds of other similar sites.

-Cross

[Crosswind]

And, in other news, suddenly realizing that this money is just going to pay for the administrator's costs, I feel like an <expletive>.

It still sucks, but it surely isn't my place to cry about it, when I haven't paid or dedicated anything to this site.

-Cross

[Minerva]

Crosswind, hope you have already read the other threads (both here and in the SYM) regarding this topic before the above post.

Originally posted by Crosswind
Gamebanshee is the same. All this information, once free, we are now forced to pay for? Hello? Popup ads, acceptable. Make us pay to not see popup ads. But far, far too many internet businesses have failed based on the "give it to them for free at first...AND THEN CHARGE FOR IT!!!!".

No one forced you or us to pay for this site. If you don't want to pay, then you just don't have to come here. I'm sure you know somewhere else better than GB and free. As you said yourself, "your services are not worth so much that we will not take the time to go somewhere else that has the information for free". Many of us feels this site is worth paying a few coins from our hard earned money, therefore stay here.

Oh, and please think this: When Buck announced his decision, there are some people posted like you. Before even Buck showed up, there were members rushed in to show their understanding and support to the decision and this site. Isn't it telling you something?


[Edit]
Shame, I've been away for a while from the SYM, and this is my first post in many weeks...

[Xandax]

It is as basically as:

Flashlink or *no* Gamebanshee - I know what I prefere.
There is no middle way, Buck have tried them.

Ads/Popups - well we all (most anyway) know that internet buisness and especially advertising revenues have declied massively since the "New Economy" bubble bursted and dot.com mania was over, thus very few sites can survive purly on advetising.
Donations - well this didn't seem to work, otherwise it would not been neasecary to join Flashlink.
No Gamebansee - well I doubt many would like to see this, and thinking of the amount of work people (Buck) have put into the site and community I would really hate to see it go.

[HighLordDave]

Originally posted by Crosswind
your services are not worth so much that we will not take the time to go somewhere else that has the information for free.

Speak for yourself; GameBanshee may not offer things that cannot be found somewhere else, but there is no site that offers all of the things GameBanshee does in such a clear and organised manner.

Let me ask you this, Crosswind: Do you pay for cable television or a satellite dish? Do you have HBO, Showtime or other movie channels? How about for a newspaper? PCGamer magazine? AOL or another ISP?

All of those are examples of premium content. Sure, you're used to getting access to GameBanshee for free, but TANSTAAFL (There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch) and there are a lot worse ways to spend $25 per year.

[Aegis]

I find it hard to believe that a lot of American people here are complaining about the small fee of $24. You wanna here something? Being in Canada, I'm gonna have to pay a fee of almost $50. Now, thats a lo different then your complaints (though, I make that in five hours now). It goes to show that Buck has gotten, if you will, a cult following.

Also, and I know you've(Crosswind) changed your stance on it, but this technically isn't Bait and Switch, as you claimed (though not in those words). Buck has given ample warning before hand (by asking for help, and even posting it before making it live). Generally, a bait and switch happens swiftly, and to me, one and half years isn't a swift bait and switch.

[Jodmos]

Thx to the strong euro, itl cost me a few cents less then 25 $ .I smell cheese here
Have to get flashlink before the euro goes all the way down again.

@Aegis
Why do you have to pay 50 bucks ???

[Aegis]

Blasted exchange rate between Canadian and American dollars... Almost doubles...

[Mr Sleep]

Anyone who might be interested. The finance to keep these sites open is not only labeled at the smaller companies, look here