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Easy Allies |OT| The New Era

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Fanto

Fanto

Is this tag ok?
Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,863
Phoenix944 said:
So I took the 5$ patreon thing but actually I don't really know how this works lol
Are they going to send me a link to the podcast? Or do I have to check something myself?

I assume it's not active yet though because it said that my first payment will begin on april 1st.

Also, the VAT taxes for France is 1$ :( I don't know how taxes work really but I assume it won't be going in EZA pockets :/
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I just recently subbed and it was relatively easy to find it. You go into the "Posts" section of their patreon page and just scroll down. You'll find the podcast, the group stream voting, cup of jones, and other posts that are only for people who are subbed at that tier.

There's also a private RSS feed that they have that you can use in a podcast app to get things as soon as they go up. That shows up on the "Overview" tab on the right side.
 
Hasney

Hasney

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
18,650
Mikey Jr. said:
Strange review I'll be honest.

Feels like Huber barely mentioned any negatives at all. Felt like he was going to give it a 9.

Didn't have a good balance to it. When the video ended, I was just left with a "thats it?" feeling.

Maybe I'm wrong.
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The story is a huge part of the game and got some major points against it.
 
Stowaway Silfer

Stowaway Silfer

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 27, 2017
32,819
Mikey Jr. said:
Strange review I'll be honest.

Feels like Huber barely mentioned any negatives at all. Felt like he was going to give it a 9.

Didn't have a good balance to it. When the video ended, I was just left with a "thats it?" feeling.

Maybe I'm wrong.
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No negatives doesn't mean perfect score. Games don't start high and get points docked until the end. What positives are there may not be impressive enough to warrant a higher score.

But scores are stupid anyway
 
ZeroNoir_

ZeroNoir_

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,732
Phoenix944 said:
So I took the 5$ patreon thing but actually I don't really know how this works lol
Are they going to send me a link to the podcast? Or do I have to check something myself?

I assume it's not active yet though because it said that my first payment will begin on april 1st.

Also, the VAT taxes for France is 1$ :( I don't know how taxes work really but I assume it won't be going in EZA pockets :/
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Download the Patreon app. It will alert you.
 
Stinkinmushroom

Stinkinmushroom

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
4,708
Phoenix944 said:
So I took the 5$ patreon thing but actually I don't really know how this works lol
Are they going to send me a link to the podcast? Or do I have to check something myself?

I assume it's not active yet though because it said that my first payment will begin on april 1st.

Also, the VAT taxes for France is 1$ :( I don't know how taxes work really but I assume it won't be going in EZA pockets :/
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Honestly, the Patreon app is all you need for all the stuff. Its pretty well done, you'll have all their posts including Cup of Jones and the podcasts on wednesday among other stuff. Cheers
 
JayC3

JayC3

bork bork
Administrator
Oct 25, 2017
3,857
Oh, also in case anyone didn't see this, this is Brandon's anniversary message on Patreon:
Happy Anniversary, Allies!
Getting this enterprise off the ground was one thing. Lasting two whole years is another. When we got into this Patreon I was elated because it meant that I was going to keep doing what I love. Now it means even more, because of the amazing opportunities that are opening up to us. We can gather around the gloriousness that is video games, but things like Box Peek and our second Concert this past weekend are on another level for me. They're something that a greater audience can enjoy. It's work that you can appreciate without knowing who we are. It's stuff like this that we've wanted to make, and you've asked about, for a long time. Seeing pieces of it finally come together fills me with a joy that's hard to describe.

Some of the greatest bits of creativity come from you, the community. We had to stop requesting "And For That Reason…" entries during the podcast because there were just too many good ones to talk about. Our Community Showcase continues to impress each month, and some of my favorite conversations have spawned from excellent questions and submissions. So as year 3 begins, I encourage you to maintain that engagement. Introduce yourself to people on Twitch, ask me that burning question on Cup of Jones, contact us through Patreon when you have a concern. We have tremendous strength in numbers here at Easy Allies. Not just money, or subscriptions, or followers, but people with opinions to express and dreams of where we can steer this crazy ship.

I've never been prouder of the fine gentlemen I work with each day, and the incredibly supportive audience we're fortunate enough to entertain. I look forward to talking to you about some fun stuff we have planned in the coming months. Each step of the way has been built by you, no matter how much you donate, or how long you've been an ally.

It was a fun party this week. Time to get back to work!

- Brandon
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VanWinkle

VanWinkle

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,096
I don't even know if it's POSSIBLE to sustain 50k through Patreon at this point. I mean, they've been hovering around the 40k mark for almost their entire time as a business. It seems like their ceiling except in temporary bump cases. And I mean, don't get me wrong, 40k is amazing. That's a wonderful amount to be consistent at. And I'm certainly not acting like they're resting on their laurels. They've been making improvements to their production for quite a while now, and I appreciate that. But the Patreon is not growing.

When it's been around the same amount for this long, I just don't see how it can do anything but continue staying around this point without some kind of drastic changes.

Are non-Patreon revenue streams not counted towards the goal for a studio? Or are they just too miniscule to count? Or are they too inconsistent to count?
 
TheDarkKnight

TheDarkKnight

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,546
VanWinkle said:
I don't even know if it's POSSIBLE to sustain 50k through Patreon at this point. I mean, they've been hovering around the 40k mark for almost their entire time as a business.
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Naw they only stabilized at 40k+ after the one year celebration when the new 40k tiers showed up and some new tier shuffling ($7, $2, $60). In year one they popped up over 40k for the e3 of Dreams and a couple moments

And I don't think the stream money is nothing but it's not used regarding the tiers. Jones has said part of the 50k is the finances, the other is the confidence of the audience numbers is there. Honestly if they could grow the lower tier patreon numbers they'd get there. I still think Jones should do a sample of the cup of jones for non patreon to get a feel for what that show is. It's great he's finally made it a weekly show. Showing a sample might help since it's the one thing that is 100% exclusive (except D&D I guess)

You can see it here

https://graphtreon.com/creator/EasyAllies
 
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Elfforkusu

Elfforkusu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,098
lol, everyone else is playing Sea of Thieves with a ship stuck at port, meanwhile Brad is on the enemy ship playing Counterstrike
 
Karu

Karu

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
2,004
I like the idea, DarkKnight. Maybe even do a special "Hello, new fans!"-episode and just put it as a one time deal on YT. With the right messaging it imight work and I just can't imagine current Patreons would be mad about that.
 
Axass

Axass

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
1,384
Karu said:
I like the idea, DarkKnight. Maybe even do a special "Hello, new fans!"-episode and just put it as a one time deal on YT. With the right messaging it imight work and I just can't imagine current Patreons would be mad about that.
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In fact it's one of those things patrons asked him to do more than once, especially regarding the L&R episode, yet Jones refused to do.
 

Deleted member 5604

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,575
Silfer said:
I'll have to check it out lol. Didn't expect this kind of stuff out of the free YT Audio Library. Already subscribed to the dude's channel.

Also, I love how well it fits the "Start of a New Life" vibe from the start of Don's video.
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Another track that immediately comes to mind that Ian used by Otis McDonald is



I think he may have actually used this one twice actually.
 
Maiar_m

Maiar_m

Member
Oct 26, 2017
129
France
Phoenix944 said:
So I took the 5$ patreon thing but actually I don't really know how this works lol
Are they going to send me a link to the podcast? Or do I have to check something myself?

I assume it's not active yet though because it said that my first payment will begin on april 1st.

Also, the VAT taxes for France is 1$ :( I don't know how taxes work really but I assume it won't be going in EZA pockets :/
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

It's pretty important that you do though :D VAT in France is 20% for most services and goods (some goods have special, lower taxes such as medicine and food because, you know, living).

Those taxes are collected by the companies selling services / goods and part of the money flow they reinject within the public funds (alongside corporate taxes ie: pensions and part of healthcare).

Of those 5$, most go to the Allies, some of it goes to Patreon, and Patreon taxes you (5*20)/100 (so 1$) separately to ensure most of your money goes to the Allies and the VAT is paid by you without being at a loss for the content creators.

Hope that helps.
 
LiquidSolid

LiquidSolid

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,731
The Third Heat said:
No, I don't think fundraising in general is a bad idea. What I was talking about and what I think Jones has been afraid of is putting the studio up as "the thing" they're aiming for as part of a fundraising drive. It's not like it's something that can just be bought wholesale from the funds; it's an ongoing expense and so the Patreon would need to maintain high numbers. It's a risky venture to assume that just because they haven't dipped below 40K after a fundraiser, that they also wouldn't dip below 50K. But yes, fundraising works and EZA should consider it in the future, if only to get funds for better equipment or something. Reconfigure the tiers and do a 12 hour stream and I think they'll see some progress.

I had no idea Kinda Funny had that large of a sponsorship tier. I think that could simply be a matter of "this is what we feel we're worth" kind of thing, because Greg is definitely more of a face and a name than any of the Allies, Kyle included. I don't think it'd be ridiculous to maybe consider higher sponsorship tiers for the flagship podcast, to at least try it out, but that's not my decision to make. I wonder if they also back away from that because they don't want to feel beholden to advertisers. When you get people forking over that much cash per month, there is an implied power balance that could be troublesome if say, they don't like something Kyle does or something Ian says.

And I agree: ditch the studio as a goal. I think it made sense back when things were getting rolling, but it needs to be something that isn't dictated by Patreon numbers, but rather the actual financial reality of their organization.
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Sure, I wasn't necessarily saying that a fundraising drive would be specifically about getting them to 50k, just that it helps.

As for Kinda Funny, I haven't really looked into it but based on a quick look, they seem to get a similar number of views as the EZA Podcast, so I'm not sure that's it. That's just on Youtube though, not podcast subscribers, so that might be a different story. And yes, Greg is a more prominent figure in the industry than any of the Allies. Dude has a ton of charisma and really knows how to promote himself, which is something the Allies are still often weak at.

antennastoheaven said:
But it's also worth noting: They have access to stats we can't see. They probably see that the fundraisers were pushing people that already donate instead of driving new patrons. And they can see the timeframe where this bump decays.
Maybe they don't think it's sustainable to keep pushing for new fundraisings in this way. They actually did a patron drive where they recognized new patrons specifically. It's a concern of theirs.

So... what are the options? Well, geting more subs and convert them to patrons.

Subtle changes like the podcast titles/thumbnails, or guesting on other places (Huber and Blood on KF, recently) and bringing in guests (Ben Hanson on the podcast) to shows like Box Peek are all things that will help them getting their name out there outside of their current fanbase.

That's why I really don't understand why people criticize that they're not trying enough to "grow". They can't just keep adding goals. It's more important to do what they have now the right way (retrospectives, sleuths) than changing it up just for announcements sake.


(And that 6300 patrons number... that was before Patreon tried to change their payment percentages, right? Because that didn't help and ended up making people unpledge)
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That's a fair point, I'm sure they have more information than us, but we can see the patron numbers very easily via Graphtreon and they did rise following their anniversary stream last year. I don't think that was the entire reason why their funds rised, it was probably a combination of both existing patrons upping their pledges and new patrons, but they absolutely did convert some fans into patrons.

As a side note, it looks like they've just dropped below 40k for the first time in a year. :(

I agree they've been doing some really good stuff recently. The group stream layouts and thumbnails have looked significantly more professional, the podcast titles are a decent change and guest appearances are a very good idea. But I don't see what's to understand about the criticism. I think people can go way overboard with their crticism and can also be very unrealistic with their suggestions but EZA have been welcoming criticism (or at least constructive criticism) since the very beginning and have made a number of changes as a result of it. It's healthy to always look at what's working and what isn't and try to change those things that aren't.

I also think it's important for a group like EZA to have some spontaneity, like Don's series, Brandon Plays Pokemon, Box Peek (though we've known about it for a while) and so on, not just work on what they've got. It's always fun to see them do something different every so often. Giantbomb's been around for a decade and yet their current Dragon Ball Z Kai podcast came out of nowhere and is easily one of the best things they've ever done IMO (and reminds me a lot of Brandon Plays Pokemon).

And nope, the Patron payment changes was in December, so that wasn't the reason for the drop.
 
ZeroNoir_

ZeroNoir_

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,732
When we criticise it's because we want them to thrive and be successful not to troll. At least I

And oh god the Nazi question in the latest cup of jones
 
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janusff

janusff

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
18,142
Austin, TX
I'm finally listening to the latest Frame Trap and that part when Ben asks Huber what he wants from GoW. FATHERLY EMOTIONS.

I lost it. Huber is awesome.
 
klastical

klastical

Member
Oct 29, 2017
4,712
War Recon Zero said:
When we criticise it's because we want them to thrive and be successful not to troll. At least I

And oh god the Nazi question in the latest cup of jones
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I genuinly believe that everyone here wants the best for EZA. In my experience this is the best place on the internet to discuss them. It's the middleground between the overly positive forums and the overly negative subreddit. EZA seems to be in a bit of a funk at the moment and I hope they can pull out of it soon. I want nothing but the best for them.


I loved how Jones said it didn't seem like bait and then read the questions and it seemed like super obvious bait to me...
 
The Third Heat

The Third Heat

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,551
WarRock said:
The Huber bathroom story, bahahaha
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It's funny how people after so many years still think Huber is "performing." I think that sentiment has lessened, but it always bugged me that people would level those kinds of accusations. Hearing stories like that one warm my heart. I still think him watching the Yakuza 6 trailer on his phone while they were doing the Labo reactions is one of my favorite Huber moments of all time. Proved once and for all that this is how he lives his life.

Never stop being you, Huber.
 
ObbyDent

ObbyDent

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,910
Los Angeles
"EZA is in bit of a funk"

Says who? The overly critical fanbase here? For all intents and purposes theyre on top of their game right now.
 
ShadyK54

ShadyK54

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
4,272
Texas
ObbyDent said:
"EZA is in bit of a funk"

Says who? The overly critical fanbase here? For all intents and purposes theyre on top of their game right now.
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giphy.gif


No need for the spice over klastical's opinion. I somewhat agree, at least in terms of Patreon number stuff.

Infinite content wise, they've been on absolute fire & I hope it stays that way heading into E3 for maximum hype.
 

Phoenix944

Member
Oct 28, 2017
925
Maiar_m said:
It's pretty important that you do though :D VAT in France is 20% for most services and goods (some goods have special, lower taxes such as medicine and food because, you know, living).

Those taxes are collected by the companies selling services / goods and part of the money flow they reinject within the public funds (alongside corporate taxes ie: pensions and part of healthcare).

Of those 5$, most go to the Allies, some of it goes to Patreon, and Patreon taxes you (5*20)/100 (so 1$) separately to ensure most of your money goes to the Allies and the VAT is paid by you without being at a loss for the content creators.

Hope that helps.
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I'm only 27yo, it's still too early for all this adult stuff :p

Thanks for the explanation :)
 
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