General Discussion

I'm here for Will and Norm and their Tested.com site.  I followed them over from Maximum PC.  I enjoy them and their spin on things.  However, I do not use the other sister sites here at Whiskey Media.  Apparently, Giantbomb is kinda of big and their podcast has a following.  Yet, apparently, a lot of people over there on their section are whining and complaining.   They love everything there, esp. the podcast, yet they can't make themselves pay a nominal fee monthly to help support what they love and enjoy.   
 
Is it just an age thing perhaps?  I understand a lot of people here are young and students and most likely are poor or cheap.  Is it an internet thing where users of the net feel entitled to free content with no strings or financial support from the user?  Seriously, if you like these sites and use them daily, such as myself, you should be willing to fork over a small amount of money per week.  F*** I don't even use the other sites on Whiskey Media and I feel 50 dollars a year is cheap to pay just to get access to Tested for that time and hell, they're throwing in a cool looking t-shirt with the 50 bucks.     
 
$50.00 divided by 12 months =  $4.17 per month 
 $50.00 divided by 365 days =   $0.14 per day  
 
$50.00 goes to all the websites at Whiskey Media.  You get a nice piece of clothing out of it too (if you live in the USA which the vast majority of users come from) 
 
I only wish Whiskey Media was giving away a Tested.com themed shirt instead and that PayPal was a viable paying option.  
 
By they way, if you don't know yet, this is most likely how the internet is going to be in the coming 10 to 20 years.  The model of giving away things for free and hoping the provider just gives away good stuff for free are not gonna last in many things.   Things like Tested and Whiskey Media cost money and advertising banners on sites don't cover all the bills.  But apparently a lot of internet users have been spoiled and trained to think free media will always be around.   

i really dont think its about the money for the giant bomb fans its more the fact that there withholding a part of the podcast which is really time sensitive (sort of) a week to  encourage paid subscriptions.  kinda like having dlc locked on a disc  you don't get it unless u pay  or wait and get it for free when u lose interest
just my opinion 

I just don't like throwing money away, and I don't see anywhere near fifty bucks' worth of value in what the subscription plan offers. Again, I'll be subscribing as a "donation" of sorts to try and help the site out, but to me this subscription plan is just as unappealing as Hulu Prime or any of the other premium services I don't subscribe to.

@buzzcola:  
 
I understand that point, but the owners of Bombcast could make it easily all-or-nothing subscription based.  I think its generous of them just to give the first hour away for free, and supposedly a lot of the content most listeners like will be jammed into the first free hour.   

I would not say I am cheap because I buy a lot of games and other things but nothing in the list of features interests me or is worth it to me, it is that simple. I have absolutely no problem with ads and have never used a ad blocker in the years I have been using the internet. I have no problem that they have a subscription but I just wont use it unless they add something to it that I feel is worth it.
 
 I understand  that since I live in Ireland I would still have to pay an extra 10 euro on top of the subscription so that they could ship the T shirt to me and since I live in Europe they don't even sell ads to me so  thats more lost revenue.

@lane:  
 
I'm fine with calling it a donation.  I like Tested enough to donate money.  Call it a subscription if they want. 
 
50.00 dollars 
-15.00 t-shirt which you get mailed to you
========== 
35.00 subtotal    
 
for 35.00 bucks your money goes to support the Tested site, podcast, and forum you use daily and like being part of for a full year.  Lane your probably at the Tested site far more than anyone else here.  probably here more than the Tested staff too.  35.00 divided by 365 is 10 cents a day for a year (and thats for all the sites here, not just Tested) 
 
I'll be paying the 5 dollars today for the month subscription, and when I have the extra 50 bucks within the next month I'll be getting the yearly subscription / "donation" account.   

@Tartarus:  
 
If you live in Europe, then I understand the t-shirt not being an enticement.   I have no disrespect or bad feelings towards you and other Europeans because of those factors.  My choice of words are not meant to be directed towards you.  My original thoughts of the topic thread are directed to my fellow citizens in the USA.

@BaskervilleManor:   
if they did that i believe it would kill the site. i believe a great chunk of the fan based was hooked by the podcast. 
if there gonna start a subscriptions they should offer new features,perks and a lucha deer shirt (hint hint)
but to take the bombcast and break it up seems like a slap to the face for all those who supported the podcast from the beginning 

 
again just my opinion

@BaskervilleManor: 
 
I'm fine with calling it a donation too, right up until the point where I'm required to "donate" to continue using the site in its fullest capacity.
 
Also, the Bombcast thing isn't going to work. If people want to listen to it, they're going to listen to it. I'm giving it three months before the impassioned plea for subscribers to stop uploading early releases.
 
Also also, I'll probably give away my shirt. Contest thread incoming.
 
Also also also, to any Whiskey guys reading all this: I still love you, I swear. Muah muah muah.

I for one can't wait for HD video and the friday show thing, some of whiskey's best content is when two or more of the sites come together to create. Also on the bombcast point, I could easily listen to a bombcast from a year ago and still find it as entertaining as a new one today. People that listen for breaking news and current events on the bombcast baffle me, it's the banter I come for and that is timeless.

@lane:  
 
Just out of curiosity Lane, what would make you feel that 50 bucks a year would be justified to give?  What would you think as worthy benefits or extras that would be needed to justify a yearly 50 dollar subscription? 
 
And I can't do anything about piracy.  I think its lame to pirate things that one can easily afford to pay for in most cases.  Most people have jobs and can cough up a few bucks a month if they truly like using said material.  It's not like Tested and Whiskey Media are asking 5 bucks for each podcast made each week.

I'm right on board with lane on this one.  
$50 is just too much cash.
I would gladly pay up to $20/year for a subscription to Tested.  I simply do not use the other sites, and do not feel like supporting them. 
 
Also, it is cheaper to subscribe to PCGamer and MaximumPC and you get a magazine with those.  There is only so much cash I can dole out to yearly subscriptions.
 
Honestly, these guys would make loads more dough on merchandise (Shirts, coffee mugs etc.) 
 
JUST DON'T SPLIT UP THIS IS ONLY A TEST PODCAST!!

@Forte:  
 
Those are valid and good counter-arguments.   But you probably do concede that Tested / Whiskey Media will eventually need to take in money.    I too wish I could support only Tested.com but sadly all the sites are tied together.  Kinda like cable.  You like one or two channels a lot and find the vast majority of them to be lame or of non-interest.

@BaskervilleManor: I wasn't taking it as if you were insulting me or anything like that just nothing in their plans interest me and the T shirt thing seems silly since I live in Europe and that they seem to be missing a market for their ads in Europe too. I am not angry at them or anything just not interested.

I've spend more per month on subscriptions to... Ahem... Adult themed sites that I frequent a lot less and... Well I won't bother with the rest of the comparison. My point is that maybe to some it seems like a large amount of money but that's a very small part of the bigger picture.

I don't mind calling this a donation/subscription/death threat w/e.  To keep a site atleast like Tested.com going is well worth my $50 that I put into this.   Even if I am not a top poster on the forums or completely knowledgeable in everything I post/read in on the forums I still like to learn.  Hell just the videos that they post on this site are well worth I think.  Not always relevant, but entertaining to say the least.  
 
Everybody will have there opinion of what has changed, but they will either get over themselves or walk a away with with there tail between there legs.  
 
SO I SAY LESS QQ MORE PEW PEW! 
 
That is all.

I think it's bullshit about cutting up the bombcast. I love the bombcast, and I will gladly stare at ads until my eye bleed, but when you take something away it isn't a donation anymore (which i'm cool with) but a subscription ("fuck the rest of you" move). Now I don't think Whiskey Media has it in for me, and I know they care about the loyal fans, but add features, don't remove them. 
 
If this happens to the Tested podcast I think there will be blood. 

I could almost guarantee that 95% of the people complaining either don't understand why they should have to pay, or are young and simply don't have disposable income or access to a credit card. People have forgotten or are too young to remember how much magazines used to cost before websites with atrocious advertising came about.

@Avarix:  MaximumPC is only $15 for a one-year sub.

My credit card company do no let me make purchases overseas, gutted :(