Easy Allies |OT2| Love & Reset

[Yasai]

That's because there is little if any correlation between a viewer's enjoyment and the success of the overall project ;-) The way I read it most posts so far were individual wishes for the Allies output without any regard to success in numbers.

I agree with the aforementioned sentiment, that some calls for change might not be the cause for a decrease in interest in the content. Looking at myself my moods and interests fluctuate quite a lot. It's the way of the world, lol. Doesn't mean the love won't be reignited a couple monthes later

 

[jondgc]

That's because there is little if any correlation between a viewer's enjoyment and the success of the overall project ;-) The way I read it most posts so far were individual wishes for the Allies output without any regard to success in numbers.

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That's true, and completely fine. Enjoyment is entirely subjective - I just mean clearly outside of this thread, with so many long-term patrons, there are hundreds of other people who must be enjoying it just fine due to the uptick in subs.

 

[sora87]

The youtube subs do keep ticking up but overall views on videos aren't really improving, with a lot of their output still below 10k sadly.

 

[Joqu]

Yeah, I'm just talking about my personal feelings here. I'm sure EZA will be fine in terms of numbers.

That's true, and completely fine. Enjoyment is entirely subjective - I just mean clearly outside of this thread, with so many long-term patrons, there are hundreds of other people who must be enjoying it just fine due to the uptick in subs.

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Well, to be fair whenever you see an uptick in subs those people have yet to go long-term, so who knows how they'll be feeling after a year or two. (Hey, hopefully great, because I like to think EZA's future will continue to be a bright one.)

 

[Phendrana]

I echo most of these complaints tbh. It's surprising to see that it's such a common sentiment even here.

The E3 coverage was great as always, but...I can't say that I've felt any real benefits of the studio as of yet. Obviously I'm happy for the Allies to be working in a more comfortable (and air-conditioned) space, but...the content hasn't picked up or even increased in quality at all as far as I've noticed. Granted that might be due to my own tastes not really aligning with what EZA has been focusing on lately? Trailer Jones and the Top 10's have largely been disappointing, and Mysterious Monsters just isn't my cup of tea.

Going back further: I hope Kyle doesn't read this, but...Box Peek has really felt like a colossal waste of resources imo. It has dominated his time for so long, and I never quite understood why it was an EZA production in the first place? It never seemed like the kind of thing that would translate many new viewers into patrons, because it's so wildly different from everything else that EZA produces. Being a fan of Box Peak has no bearing on whether someone would enjoy the regular EZA stuff.

I really dislike what they've done with the studio space, too. I know it was never going to be as cozy as the garage, but it's really flat looking even as far as YouTuber studios go. Most of the decisions being made for that room just seem ill-advised tbh. Take the new TV's for example. What do they add? They're not being used for anything interesting, and the desk is so close to the wall that the Allies cover 70% of the screens anyway. And that stupid beam still annoys me lol.

I was hoping that the studio would result in more one-off scripted videos, or even some quick reaction videos when big news drops right after the podcast has been filmed. And more stuff like that amazing bit at the beginning of the last betting special. It feels like we're just getting the same as before though, and in a less visually interesting setting.

1st Tuesday of August

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Awesome, cheers!

 

[RugoUniverse]

I don't think it can be understated how losing Ian from the group for ~2 months, and then Huber soon after, can impact the dynamics of Easy Allies; not just from a sheer production standpoint, but from a sheer creativity and joy perspective. And I don't mean to say they should have been around - not at all - but it's part of the magic of EZA how the group really shines when all nine are combined. With Brandon gone for the foreseeable future, the group dynamic will change yet again. I'm glad that EZA allows everyone to get much needed space when necessary, so I do not fault them for it in the slightest, but it is a reality of how their audience will perceive their content because they're not getting the "full experience".

Also for what it's worth, you can put me on the side that the studio is 1000x better than the garage in every conceivable way. I like the way the studio looked, even before the screens. I do not miss the garage whatsoever, and can't believe they were able to sustain their level of quality filming there for so long with 9 people.

...I do miss Sophie though!

I think it's funny that here on ResetEra whenever there is a lull in content this thread devolves into "EZA is doomed" or "EZA needs to drastically improve" (I know I am overly generalizing here). We are definitely our own bubble here, as mentioned, their patron count is at nearly an all time high, and their E3 coverage brought in more YT subs than ever before. The facts are that to those new followers, they are just meeting EZA for the first time and are loving what they're seeing - so much so that they're subscribing to them on multiple channels. Meanwhile, everyone here is long in the tooth and reminisces for days of Gundam building. It's definitely fine to criticize them and hope for bigger and better things for the Allies, but I think the tone of these conversations end up a little too dire for how they are actually performing.

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It's just constructive criticism (and for once on the internet I think truly constructive!). I don't think anyone here thinks they're doomed, just in a bit of a funk. As long as it doesn't devolve into the kind of stuff you see on the disaster that is their subreddit I think it's all good.

 

[Holundrian]

Luckett_X weekly clips was canned cause it didn't do the numbers (10k average) and it was relatively too much work with the other stuff going on at the time.

 

[Joqu]

Going back further: I hope Kyle doesn't read this, but...Box Peek has really felt like a colossal waste of resources imo. It has dominated his time for so long, and I never quite understood why it was an EZA production in the first place? It never seemed like the kind of thing that would translate many new viewers into patrons, because it's so wildly different from everything else that EZA produces. Being a fan of Box Peak has no bearing on whether someone would enjoy the regular EZA stuff.

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I generally agree with a lot of what you're saying, but I'm gonna have to give my thoughts about this part.

I do think there's something to be said about how Box Peek has affected Kyle's output. I really like it, but it has basically taking up all of his time and I don't feel like that trade-off has been worth it. Having him tied up in the Box Peek project for such a long time can feel a little frustrating.

That said I personally really feel like it's important that EZA can feel like a creative outlet for any of the Allies involved, and I'd never want them to feel limited by things like how an EZA production should feel. The fact that EZA can put out wildly different content like Box Peek in addition to their more traditional videos is actually a huge part of the appeal to me. I really wouldn't want them to limit themselves to what will convert viewers into patrons, you know?

 

[Spinx]

Quick Looks with at least two Allies.

Dew it.

 

[LycanXIII]

I miss Fun/Dumb Game Mondays. I really don't think Kyle should be doing near 8 hour streams making a Gameboy Game when he's still making Box Peek.

 

[RugoUniverse]

I miss Fun/Dumb Game Mondays. I really don't think Kyle should be doing near 8 hour streams making a Gameboy Game when he's still making Box Peek.

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I just miss weekly game streams from him at this point!

 

[Roubjon]

I miss Fun/Dumb Game Mondays. I really don't think Kyle should be doing near 8 hour streams making a Gameboy Game when he's still making Box Peek.

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I don't see the problem with it. He does it because he enjoys it. I also find it a lot more interesting and motivating to watch than him playing another silly game. I really enjoy fun/dumb game streams too, but this is a really cool side-stream that feels fresh.

 

[Sheldon]

Since it's time for this quarter's edition of the annual airing of grievances, I'll repeat what I said when the thread had the same discussion four months ago: The 52k tier is secretly the most important tier, because it provides a buffer between studio-level-income and not-studio-level income. Full playthroughs are a perfect fit for that slot, since they are desired by the community but don't require a huge additional commitment of time or money (both of which would eat into the buffer). If you want to scrap guaranteed monthly full playthroughs or fold them into the studio tier, I'd like to hear ideas for what could replace them as 52k goal that's equally or more attractive and requires as much or less investment.

 

[Luckett_X]

Luckett_X weekly clips was canned cause it didn't do the numbers (10k average) and it was relatively too much work with the other stuff going on at the time.

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I'm not seeing the work and other stuff, especially if that 'other stuff' is below 100 viewer streams. It was always a flimsy excuse considering YT views isn't the main income anyway. Its an old metric of success leftover from GT days.

Interviews currently do sub 10k (another reason I feel they need to be packaged into a more cohesive weekly show), EZAnime currently does sub 5k. Clips was regularly in the 9k-10k bracket. It remains one of the situations where EZA needed a management position of "We're still doing the Clips, get to work" because they are constant and living advertisement for the entire outfit going forward.

 

[The Third Heat]

Yeah, the past six months has been the only time in EZA history that I've considered dropping my pledge. It's hard to pinpoint why. But I think their reaction to the whole Full Playthrough Funday debacle with a *shrug* and a "We'll get 'em next time" was kind of telling for me: Either they're too busy to care or they've grown complacent in letting the Patreon dictate what they do, rather than trying to stimulate the Patreon. Meaning, they're not keen on having one more thing to do, so why push to get it?

I still firmly believe natural growth is better for the company overall, but I also believe things like Patreon fundraisers and the like are incredibly positive for the community in terms of morale. I still regard the Better Stuff Before E3 fundraiser as peak EZA. It was such a great moment to see the community band together. It energized us as a group and the Allies felt it. But I haven't felt anything like it since, though. Just more of the same, which is still good, but hardly as exciting.

 

[Holundrian]

I just disagree that full playthroughs are a perfect fit we've had them for months now and only reached the goal once(and when we reached it, it was around the time when everyone was still riding high on hopes for the new studio) it's not enticing at all.

I was very excited the first time but the way the uncharted playthrough turned out was a HUGE turnoff. The Huber/Bosman horror game streams we got prior just because they wanted to do it and the Damiani/Huber S rank coach streams were so much better than what we got there.

I lowered my pledge back after that and haven't really found reason to raise it. It doesn't feel good as a goal to me and the first showing was lackluster.

I'm not seeing the work and other stuff, especially if that 'other stuff' is below 100 viewer streams. It was always a flimsy excuse considering YT views isn't the main income anyway. Its an old metric of success leftover from GT days.

Interviews currently do sub 10k (another reason I feel they need to be packaged into a more cohesive weekly show), EZAnime currently does sub 5k. Clips was regularly in the 9k-10k bracket. It remains one of the situations where EZA needed a management position of "We're still doing the Clips, get to work" because they are constant and living advertisement for the entire outfit going forward.

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It's just what the damiani post said from back then. *shrug* https://www.patreon.com/posts/note-about-clips-21480085
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Joqu Agreed, but also I really liked box peek so of course I'm going to value the circumstances that let it happen a lot.

 

[Phendrana]

That said I personally really feel like it's important that EZA can feel like a creative outlet for any of the Allies involved, and I'd never want them to feel limited by things like how an EZA production should feel. The fact that EZA can put out wildly different content like Box Peek in addition to their more traditional videos is actually a huge part of the appeal to me. I really wouldn't want them to limit themselves to what will convert viewers into patrons, you know?

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I do like the idea of them having that freedom, but...ideally those kinds of passion projects would be smaller in scale. Because surely the most important thing for EZA atm is to keep growing and growing? The higher they go in terms of patrons/viewers, the sooner they'll get to a point where they can hire extra staff and then have the extra time needed for those creativity-outlet type projects.

In fairness I think Box Peak originally was intended to be relatively small-scale, and Kyle just didn't realize how long it would actually take.

 

[MrMette]

Since it's time for this quarter's edition of the annual airing of grievances, I'll repeat what I said when the thread had the same discussion four months ago: The 52k tier is secretly the most important tier, because it provides a buffer between studio-level-income and not-studio-level income. Full playthroughs are a perfect fit for that slot, since they are desired by the community but don't require a huge additional commitment of time or money (both of which would eat into the buffer). If you want to scrap guaranteed monthly full playthroughs or fold them into the studio tier, I'd like to hear ideas for what could replace them as 52k goal that's equally or more attractive and requires as much or less investment.

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I understand that it is enticing for a lot of fans, but I don't think it is from a new viewer's perspective.
A lot of people don't want to watch people play games for hours on end, let alone full playthroughs. I see this as a goal for the fans that like watching streams.
Not for most of the youtube subs (and possibly even patrons).

Like I said, it doesn't entice me for example (but I am not the target either as I am a patron since day one). I will probably watch some of it as I love watching them play games every now and again (I will watch a lot of Easy Livin for example), but I'm probably not going to watch most of their full playthroughs (depending on the game).

I do agree that it's not a bad idea to have a 52k goal and I understand why they chose this one as a lot of people were asking for it. It takes a lot of time away from other things/jobs they have, so it makes sense to make it a goal.

To counter my own point:
I don't think they should do anything for views. They should do stuff they love doing. So in that sense, it doesn't matter how it does. Who cares how much views something gets if they love to produce it. As long as it isn't only those types of things, their fine.

But it doesn't seem like the current 52k goal is something that's enticing enough to have people raise their pledges or that bring in at lot of new patrons (let alone Jones' Live thing, but again, that's just me. I love how much he wants to do it, but I have zero interest for it). I do think Jones'Live show can put their name on the map a bit more as far as publishers and devs go, which is beneficial for sure.

 

[Joqu]

I do like the idea of them having that freedom, but...ideally those kinds of passion projects would be smaller in scale. Because surely the most important thing for EZA atm is to keep growing and growing? The higher they go in terms of patrons/viewers, the sooner they'll get to a point where they can hire extra staff and then have the extra time needed for those creativity-outlet type projects.

In fairness I think Box Peak originally was intended to be relatively small-scale, and Kyle just didn't realize how long it would actually take.

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Yeah, Box Peek wasn't intended to take up as much time as it has. So I agree, really.

 

[sora87]

I've been watching a lot of Eurogamer content recently, mainly their fantastic Dark Souls/Bloodborne full playthroughs.
Average of 1 hour 30 mins every week, lightly edited and easy to do. That'd be perfect for them and it could even be something they put on the main channel because right now there's nothing on there of them actually playing games except for a few random easy updates.
They're at their best (imo) when there's a few of them playing through a game and just shooting the shit.
The studio should have lead to things like this. Putting it at the 52k goal and then saying it'd only be once a month on top of that is just so disappointing to me.

 

[jondgc]

It's just constructive criticism (and for once on the internet I think truly constructive!). I don't think anyone here thinks they're doomed, just in a bit of a funk. As long as it doesn't devolve into the kind of stuff you see on the disaster that is their subreddit I think it's all good.

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Oh yeah definitely, everyone's points are very valid and constructive...the day we drift into Reddit territory will be dark times.

-----

Just saw the Streets of Rage 4 composer news and just got super excited for Huber, but then I remembered a story he mentioned about learning of the Streets of Rage 4 reveal via a text from his brother (IIRC), and I immediately got sad again. I am sure this game will be extremely bittersweet for him.

 

[arkon]

I think they assumed that there was enough demand for the Full Playthrough Fridays that setting it as a $52k goal was a good idea because if they hit that regularly they have that nice buffer to the $50k studio goal. Hasn't worked out that way. I imagine they might have some announcements around Easy Livin' for any sort of retooling?

For my part I'm as content with EZA as I have ever been (well, I 'd love to have the Gundam streams back). Thought their E3 coverage this year was arguably their best yet under EZA and loved the betting special and bets setup this year. I watch the podcasts (EZA, Friend Code, Frame Trap) and generally check out the group streams each week.. That's enough for me to keep pledging at the level I am ($1 tier). I'm not that interested in the higher tier rewards so don't feel the need to increase my pledge. Even if I were interested I don't think I'd be able to pledge at those levels the same way. Like if they put exclusive shows behind $5 or $10 dollars I'd probably bump up for the month that they finish releasing them and then drop back down the next month. I don't pay much attention to the patreon totals. The only time is when someone brings them up in this thread.

 

[LycanXIII]

I'm not expecting announcements until Jones gets back, but they need to change something to get the dollar amount back over $50k.

Didn't they say the lease was for 3 years?

 

[Holundrian]

Betting special was def content highlight so far this year for me. After that the maximillian dood frametrap.

 

[MrMette]

I'm not expecting announcements until Jones gets back, but they need to change something to get the dollar amount back over $50k.

Didn't they say the lease was for 3 years?

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I'm sure they aren't in dire straits yet. They get some money from Twitch and Youtube as well (probably mainly Twitch with how Youtube is going, but still).
A couple of new sponsors will get them right up above 50k. Not doing D&D is probably costing them a couple of D&D tier people as well (but I don't know how filled those slots were when they were still doing D&D).

I honestly feel like they are doing fine as long as they don't drop too much with their number of patrons.

I do agree that big announcements will probably have to wait until Jones gets back.

Betting special was def content highlight so far this year for me. After that the maximillian dood frametrap.

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The skits were very good and I loved the idea. I didn't specifically like the actual betting special, but for different reasons ;). Which is why I can't say it's my favourite. That said, I do think it was a lot of fun to compete with them and I liked the structure of the pre- and results show (and again, I was in tears from laughing during those skits).

I think their E3 coverage was really good this year (except for the technical troubles). I think the 3 rooms worked well together during the press conferences. It certainly can be improved, but it was a solid start imo. It has probably been their best E3 coverage imo.

I also really like the streaming stage in general. It worked really well as a stage during the monologues imo and I just like the cozy vibes and it seems I am one of the few people who really likes the TV-Windows. It's something unique and it's cool to check what is running on them every once in a while.

 

[arkon]

Oh yeah. How could I forget the guest appearances. Really enjoyed those appearances on the podcasts. Freshened things up for me sufficiently.

 

[Brot]

I joined the EZA Patreon day 1 with a $10 pledge, reduced it to $5 in the second year and reduced it again to a symbolic $1 in the third year.

EZA are not GameTrailers and I'm fine with that. I'm honestly fine with no more Final Bosman ever, considering how much contempt Kyle seems to have for this show (watch the Box Peek EP5 Q&A around ~1:34:00). I understand that they don't have the production capabilities or manpower anymore to produce a lot of short-form content. I get that and I'm very understanding of it. But it's been 3 years and from the perspective of someone who liked their shorter stuff, barely anything interesting or exciting seems to happen since the launch of the Patreon.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I think they have fewer regular shows listed right now than they launched with and the only big addition is Mysterious Monsters (which is excellent and I love very much and don't want ever to go away). This is not necessarily a bad thing but it's not like they replaced TTE, Game Sleuth and Retros with something new and worth 2 or 3 shows. The Patreon-exclusive shows are fun and I actually like the limited run of these shows but the break between the individual shows is just too long.

Mysterious Monsters is probably my favorite new thing EZA has ever produced and even if it's not the case it does make the impression that it's stuck in Fumble Town. I understand why they shot 3 episodes in a row for time reasons but it was kinda shortsighted because it gives them no room to learn from the inevitable production mistakes that come with producing a new show. Instead you have to wait 3 more months to see improvements. What makes the show so great is the possibility for new guests. As fun as it is to invite randos from the community (Noah wrecking Kyle was the fucking best), how do you not publicly reach out to fucking Frank O'Connor when he promotes your show on Twitter to at least attempt to make something happen. It doesn't mean it's ever going to happen but at the very least it's worth the try. Goddamn. I'd much rather have guests on the game show than some promotional interview show and I assume it would make for better content as well. The way Brandon talked about interviews as content makes the current top goal even more bizarre. Instead of getting the usual "how awesome is your game/so awesome" while promoting their game, I'd much rather see developers and guests thrown in the ring

This brings me to the EZA Live Show and how much I'd rather see guests on Mysterious Monsters than on some promotional interview show. The way Brandon talked down on interviews as content in the past makes the current top goal even more bizarre. Instead of getting the usual "how awesome is your game/so awesome" while promoting their game (which he himself mentioned as a problem), I'd much rather see developers and other guests thrown in the ring and I assume it makes for better and more importantly unique content as well.


The studio itself is great and the TVs in the background are a great addition, making the stage feel complete now. The lack of content on those screens is, again, understandable due to the lack of budget at the time and something that Jones has said they're going to be connected down the line. But until then it should be possible to stick a thumb drive with the animated logo from the Twitch waiting screen in and put it on loop. That easily beats the static image.

Box Peek is cute but it's not cute enough to sacrifice anything else Kyle could be doing instead. I'm happy for Kyle that this show is the most proud he's been of something (his words) and I understand where Brandon is coming from when he says he wants it to be EZA's biggest thing ever and promote the hell out of it (paraphrasing here) because it's so unique and fun. But it's never going to happen with a schedule like this and I'm honestly not seeing the return. This is fine, in a way, because not everything has to be for me. But aside from the podcast, which I still enjoy and remains the only gaming podcast I follow, there's little else from Kyle to look forward to.


I'll keep following them as they're my favorite personalities in the gaming space and I'm always going to stay hopeful because the potential is huge with them. It's just annoying that everything seems to take foreeever.

 

[MarcoGorgar]

Since it's time for this quarter's edition of the annual airing of grievances, I'll repeat what I said when the thread had the same discussion four months ago: The 52k tier is secretly the most important tier, because it provides a buffer between studio-level-income and not-studio-level income. Full playthroughs are a perfect fit for that slot, since they are desired by the community but don't require a huge additional commitment of time or money (both of which would eat into the buffer). If you want to scrap guaranteed monthly full playthroughs or fold them into the studio tier, I'd like to hear ideas for what could replace them as 52k goal that's equally or more attractive and requires as much or less investment.

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GOOD POINT!

 

[Stinkinmushroom]

I still regard the Better Stuff Before E3 fundraiser as peak EZA. It was such a great moment to see the community band together. It energized us as a group and the Allies felt it. But I haven't felt anything like it since, though. Just more of the same, which is still good, but hardly as exciting.

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I completely agree with this and i'm still shocked that when they finally had their studio, their 1st stream was 4 hours, with monopoly.
I was honestly expecting them to do a big blowout with a 12h or even 24h megastream.

A fundraising stream for Gamescom or TGS for example would be great. 'SEND THE ALLIES TO GAMESCOM + MEETUP'. 2k for 1 ally, 3k for 2 allies, 6k for 5 allies etc. I'm surprised this hasnt been planned and has never been discussed. I would love to give an extra buck for incentives like these.

 

[LycanXIII]

I completely agree with this and i'm still shocked that when they finally had their studio, their 1st stream was 4 hours, with monopoly.
I was honestly expecting them to do a big blowout with a 12h or even 24h megastream.

A fundraising stream for Gamescom or TGS for example would be great. 'SEND THE ALLIES TO GAMESCOM + MEETUP'. 2k for 1 ally, 3k for 2 allies, 6k for 5 allies etc. I'm surprised this hasnt been planned and has never been discussed. I would love to give an extra buck for incentives like these.

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CoJ: They were planning a Charity Stream before E3, but studio set up put that on hold. They are planning a fundraising stream before the end of 2019.

 

[jondgc]

I completely agree with this and i'm still shocked that when they finally had their studio, their 1st stream was 4 hours, with monopoly.
I was honestly expecting them to do a big blowout with a 12h or even 24h megastream.

A fundraising stream for Gamescom or TGS for example would be great. 'SEND THE ALLIES TO GAMESCOM + MEETUP'. 2k for 1 ally, 3k for 2 allies, 6k for 5 allies etc. I'm surprised this hasnt been planned and has never been discussed. I would love to give an extra buck for incentives like these.

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I pitched it to Cup of Jones, but I'd like them to fundraise for this type of event as a major milestone for next year, the big 5th year anniversary. I pitched a fundraiser for sending everyone to EVO, renting a house in Vegas akin to Easy Livin, and basically creating E3-type content from inside EVO, then having people back at the house stream fighting games. It would be a big, themed, event that could be marketed towards the FGC, and give fans another place to travel for a possible meetup. Many people flock to Vegas for EVO, whereas it might be more difficult to justify travel expenses to fly to LA to see EZA in Concert.

I'd be on board for anything of this nature, especially things that serve dual purpose of covering an industry event and creating fun content for their fans.

 

[MrMette]

I completely agree with this and i'm still shocked that when they finally had their studio, their 1st stream was 4 hours, with monopoly.
I was honestly expecting them to do a big blowout with a 12h or even 24h megastream.

A fundraising stream for Gamescom or TGS for example would be great. 'SEND THE ALLIES TO GAMESCOM + MEETUP'. 2k for 1 ally, 3k for 2 allies, 6k for 5 allies etc. I'm surprised this hasnt been planned and has never been discussed. I would love to give an extra buck for incentives like these.

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Imo the main priority should be getting new people onto their Patreon, not keep asking the same people over and over for money.
I personally would be ok with an other fundraising stream as it has been a while, but there is no way this will keep working as well as it did last time. It probably will the first couple of times, but then some people will get tired of it.

You can't keep asking for money next to the Patreon as it comes over as greedy.
Yes, the stream itself was fantastic, but it will possibly cost you the couple of patrons who after a long time of doubt finally caved and supported them on Patreon, only to see them asking for more money. I can also imagine that not every one of the Allies are comfortable to keep asking for more money.

I understand why you wanted a longer stream for the studio (I really like those streams as well), but remember that they are human beings and they have a life too. You are asking them to crunch for 12 - 24 hours straight (it's obviously the same thing for Easy Livin, especially with a couple of people gone).

 

[Stinkinmushroom]

Imo the main priority should be getting new people onto their Patreon, not keep asking the same people over and over for money.
I personally would be ok with an other fundraising stream as it has been a while, but there is no way this will keep working as well as it did last time.

You can't keep asking for money next to the Patreon as it comes over as greedy.
Yes, the stream itself was fantastic, but it will possibly cost you the couple of patrons who after a long time of doubt finally caved and supported them on Patreon, only to see them asking for more money. I can also imagine that not every one of the Allies are comfortable to keep asking for more money.

I understand why you wanted a longer stream for the studio, but remember that they are human beings and they have a life too. You are asking them to crunch for 12 - 24 hours straight on one day (it's obviously the same thing for Easy Livin, especially with a couple of people gone).

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Well, it didnt need to be all allies for that long. Could be people coming in and out with 3-4 minimum.

And hey they are about to do it for 50h a 3rd time in a few weeks, so its not like it's out of their comfort zone.

 

[Aero]

I miss Fun/Dumb Game Mondays. I really don't think Kyle should be doing near 8 hour streams making a Gameboy Game when he's still making Box Peek.

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Does anyone know how close he is to finishing the Gameboy game? Kyle's weekly streams used to be my favourite EZA content after the podcast but the making a Gameboy game streams are not really my thing.

 

[MrMette]

Well, it didnt need to be all allies for that long. Could be people coming in and out with 3-4 minimum.

And hey they are about to do it for 50h a 3rd time in a few weeks, so its not like it's out of their comfort zone.

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I know. I love Easy Livin, but it's not healthy and potentially dangerous when they are going home after those 2 long days.
Also, it's one thing to do this once a year as a sort of holiday with the company, it's an other of doing something like that 4 - 5 times a year.
Them deciding this for themselves doesn't make it any less crunch.

They asked money for E3 as they knew they could have used that equipment for the studio as well and because they needed the support.
As far as Gamescom and TGS goes (I understand why people love going to Japan, but TGS is probably not the best show to go any more from what I understand). I would love them to go there as well, but are enough Allies interested to go? It always sounded to me that Gamescom is fun to go for the pressdays, but the public days are apparently hell on earth and are to be avoided.

 

[Roubjon]

Does anyone know how close he is to finishing the Gameboy game? Kyle's weekly streams used to be my favourite EZA content after the podcast but the making a Gameboy game streams are not really my thing.

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He's not close at all. This will take him at least a year I think, probably longer.

 

[VanWinkle]

I just want to say I love the studio. Now that the screens on are the main stage, I love both shooting locations. I, along with most, wish more game streams happened there, but I do love the place. And I think all of their shows have jumped up in production quality over the garage.

 

[abrack]

Yeah nothing wrong with people airing reasonable grievances, but personally I'm still pretty happy with how things have gone. I don't agree that full playthroughs being the 52k goal is "borderline insulting" but everything else I can see where it's coming from.

 

[Slim Action]

The 2018 fundraiser put them on a steady upward trend for months; I think it would be a good idea to do an event like that around once per year.

 

[Dirtyshubb]

The 2018 fundraiser put them on a steady upward trend for months; I think it would be a good idea to do an event like that around once per year.

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I'm a huge fan of the allies and was a patreon day 1 for quite a while, dropped off due to saving money and recently started supporting them again, but I have to ask, why?

Like i got that the last money drive was to get better equipment and that's totally fine but if they start doing a yearly fund raising drive I would really start to give them the side eye.

They already have one of the most successful patreons around so to then ask their most loyal fans to repeatedly give them more money would feel really dirty.

I appreciate that there are nine of them and I'm sure things are tighter then they could be in other jobs but the idea that again, their most loyal fans, should repeatedly give them even more money then they already are just feels wrong to me.

If it's for charity of something that would be fine but f9r anything else it would just seem slimy.

 

[jett]

Quick Looks with at least two Allies.

Dew it.

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This is what their "preview" videos should be, ditch the edited/narrated videos. Personally, I also don't like the format they have where it's two guys talking to each other about the game frankly, with random game footage shown throughout, mostly disconnected with what they're talking about. Sometimes they don't even have new footage or footage at all. One of my most liked moments of EZA@E3 was Damiani commenting over his own gameplay recording of the Link's Awakening remake demo, with others Allies reacting/commenting alongside him. That was really entertaining.

 

[jondgc]

The 2018 fundraiser put them on a steady upward trend for months; I think it would be a good idea to do an event like that around once per year.

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The key to that fundraiser was 1) the clear goal, 2) the timing of it. I'm a little concerned if they try to hold a fundraiser that inches closer towards the fall, people might not be able to contribute due to the holidays. That was a wildly fun event, but it marked a landmark step for them in getting a major equipment upgrade. I feel like for another fundraiser to have that kind of impact it would be to fund a new show they're producing, but with Mysterious Monsters already off the docket, I'm not sure what would carry that same impact.

 

[MrMette]

This is what their "preview" videos should be, ditch the edited/narrated videos. Personally, I also don't like the format they have where it's two guys talking to each other about the game frankly, with random game footage shown throughout. They're so boring. One of my most liked moments of EZA@E3 was Damiani commenting over his own gameplay recording of the Link's Awakening remake demo, with others Allies reacting/commenting alongside him. That was really entertaining.

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They aren't always allowed to show footage though.
But I do agree that it would work well for the games they can show footage for.

But I do like their normal previews as well, so yeah.
I usually don't mind watching or listening to people talk to each other about games, so the current format works for me as well. I do understand that people can find that boring. My sister doesn't like watching Nintendo Directs as she gets bored very quickly of just people talking on video (even though she likes Nintendo and she is interested in the news that comes out of those Directs) the same for podcasts.

 

[E.T.]

I watch the weekly Playstation Access segment where the crew answers a gaming question which delve into their experiences on a light hearted level. Would love something like that for EZA.

Also after watching PS Access play through the entirety of MGS3, all it reminded me of was Brandon plays Pokemon again. A show which could have been amazing with different allies introducing one another to a genre or game they have no clue about and having a one hour recap for the week.

Also as a side, I feel like some of the podcasts and talking segments suffer as there are allies that are definitely not suited to long format discussions and struggle to articulate themselves clearly, which hurts discourse and flow.

 

[Stinkinmushroom]

I'm a huge fan of the allies and was a patreon day 1 for quite a while, dropped off due to saving money and recently started supporting them again, but I have to ask, why?

Like i got that the last money drive was to get better equipment and that's totally fine but if they start doing a yearly fund raising drive I would really start to give them the side eye.

They already have one of the most successful patreons around so to then ask their most loyal fans to repeatedly give them more money would feel really dirty.

I appreciate that there are nine of them and I'm sure things are tighter then they could be in other jobs but the idea that again, their most loyal fans, should repeatedly give them even more money then they already are just feels wrong to me.

If it's for charity of something that would be fine but f9r anything else it would just seem slimy.

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I understand what you mean, but they are not specifically asking patreons though. Not sure why you make that connection. They are just aksing any viewer

 

[Bloodworth]

The upward swing of the Patreon has more to do with the changes we made at the same time as the fundraiser, although I think the fundraiser played a role in sparking that initial awareness. Adding exclusive shows really gave something tangible for people to pay for.

As for the thread's topics for the past day, there's definitely sentiments I disagree with, but I'm not going to argue with people point by point. There are also a few common threads worth considering.

I think we are using the studio more than people realize, and there are a ton of advantages that don't really translate on camera. (Don goes there to edit all the time.) Others like bringing in guests and doing more preview discussions don't seem to get quite as much recognition as I'd like, but I think are really important. I also wonder if maybe we did "too good" with the space before, which makes it hard for people to see the night and day difference between the two. I couldn't imagine anyone who had physically been to both spaces preferring the garage.

That said, our momentum has definitely gotten a bit knocked around with personal matters since we moved in. We are regularly making improvements and adjustments behind the scenes, and we are having lots of similar discussions of our own about where we want things to go from here.

 

[Dirtyshubb]

I understand what you mean, but they are not specifically asking patreons though. Not sure why you make that connection. They are just aksing any viewer

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What do you think think is more likely, some random person comes across the fundraiser and decides to give them money or the people who already pay them money decide to give them some extra to help support them?

I'm not saying they are explicitly asking patreon supporters for money but realistically that's who's gonna be giving them the money.

 

[Stinkinmushroom]

What do you think think is more likely, some random person comes across the fundraiser and decides to give them money or the people who already pay them money decide to give them some extra to help support them?

I'm not saying they are explicitly asking patreon supporters for money but realistically that's who's gonna be giving them the money.

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I guess. My reasoning is more 'i pay a patreon, dont need to give on this fundraiser.' , while non patreons would thibk 'ive watched their content for free and cant pay a patreon every month but i might aswell help them out for once'

 

[Zeroro]

Didn't see this mentioned anywhere in the thread, but Huber's getting treated RIGHT with the Streets of Rage 4 soundtrack.

 

[MrMette]

I guess. My reasoning is more 'i pay a patreon, dont need to give on this fundraiser.' , while non patreons would thibk 'ive watched their content for free and cant pay a patreon every month but i might aswell help them out for once'

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I don't think that's how it works. People who don't give to Patreon are either not fans of Patreon or aren't fans of spending money monthly like you say and sure, it's possible those people will donate.

The other group are people who don't want to spend money on youtube creators. A fundraiser isn't likely going to get them to spend money anyway.

I can almost guarantee that the main group of people that gave money to the fundraiser were also patrons of EZA.

It's different if the fundraiser is for charity, but it looked to me like the fundraiser they had for E3 2018 was funded for a large part by patrons (I might be wrong, but that seems the most logical to me).