This is a subject of some kind..

[MattAn]

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/registration/subscribe

Okay, okay.. Pardon me for sounding a tad bitter and "Oh lord.." about this news, but I mean.. Really?

I honestly can't say I didn't see this coming though. LRR's video quality on the Escapist has been rather off and that's been for one reason... The Escapist. Their video quality is shit compared to what LRR's given its fans in the past. Now, I can understand if this probably wasn't exactly what the LRR cast had in mind or were too involved with in this whole idea.. But come on. I'd rather throw my life savings at the LoadingReadyRun crew for LoadingReadyRun videos, Escapist News Network (which, might I add, is pretty much a LRR series..) and Unskippable.

But there are just shows there I have never watched and/or will never watch again, making this whole "Give us money because your contributions will help fund The Escapist's award-winning news team, video content, and community services, that have made us the Best Game Related Website on the internet two years in a row. So join today - a one year membership costs around five cents per day~!"

Award-winning? Yes, they've definitely won awards.. But for what? A "review" series that isn't really a review series at all when the reviewer doesn't give a shit to review a game properly.

There are certain weekly articles (I shouldn't mention them, but if I had to; Reliable Source) that are just painstakingly horrid with the attitude and wording of things.

..I don't know, maybe I'm just horribly bitter after seeing this.. Seriously though, this doesn't seem right.

[Arius]

We get to pay for access to mobile videos on the Escapist...

And for higher quality videos.

This... I cannot support.

[Friend]

I don't think it's so bad watching videos in a lower quality. I mean, there's nothing to gain by watching a video in high quality. You can still make out what actions people are making in low quality, so it doesn't matter. It will be like watching an old CRT television.

[MotorWaffle]

I think you have a valid point. I imagine a good half of their numbers are only because they have Yahtzee and a good portion of the rest are for the LRR team. Their awards are more a reflection of those people's hard work. That said, I guess they have to generate income and maybe their merchandise just wasn't doing it.

[Matt]

full disclosure: we didn't know that this was the plan at the escaist until today.

but really, what seems "wrong" about this exactly? Unlike the IGN insider move, where IGN locked out a bunch of features, and made you pay if you wanted access to the stuff you'd already been getting for free, the escapist is leaving all free content free, and offering you the option of gaining access to premium content through a subscription model. You don't have to pay anything, and if you don't the site and the content on it will remain fundamentally unchanged.

On the other hand, if you do want access to the premium features, then go to it, and know that your subscription will help to fund our future videos, and series (should we develop more).

-m

[MattAn]

As a note to Friend, it isn't just the HQ videos that's annoying.. There's Behind The Scenes access stuff JUST for paying them money.

What if there's LRR, ENN or Unskippable extra bits? Don't the core LRR fanbase who've been with them for years (I can't talk, I joined here before Desert Bus '09.. Not that long.. But still, I discovered LRR from elsewhere. Not The Escapist. It just made it more awesome that the show I found so entertaining (Unskippable) had a much longer history!

@Matt; here's the kicker, I never frequent IGN. Like, ever. Sony's doing that whole Premium service and still keeping the free stuff for those that don't want to pay extra for the PS3, but what makes it right for The Escapist to cash in on the same thing too?

Making people pay for high quality videos and stuff when (especially with LRR stuff), it was already HQ for free. I would gladly throw money towards LoadingReadyRun for the benefit of the shows you guys do, but after the whole shift to The Escapist, I was extremely skeptical that the ol' LRR fanbase would have to suck up to The Escapist. I dunno, what's the majority think?

[davefp]

I don't see the problem. From what I can tell, we'll still be able to watch the 'low' quality feed just as we do now. So from that perspective, nothing is changing.

Let's not forget that LRR is getting paid to produce Unskippable, ENN etc. That money has to come from somewhere.

Personally I will not be subscribing, but I have no problem with them offering a subscription that has perks. My regular LRR viewing is not going to be interrupted.

[Arius]

Paying for access to higher quality videos leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.

Same with getting full content in RSS and custom titles.

The whole thing seems a bit insulting.

Exclusive member forum access Enjoy private discussions in a special "walled garden" of forums only available to members.

That is some pretty bad wording.

And the way they're playing to the lowest common denominator with "I Hit It With My Axe" just makes this whole thing reek of profiteering.

[operagirl95]

And now I'm so glad my account on the Escapist is already gone.

[MattAn]

Paying for access to higher quality videos leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.

Same with getting full content in RSS and custom titles.

The whole thing seems a bit insulting.

Exclusive member forum access Enjoy private discussions in a special "walled garden" of forums only available to members.

That is some pretty bad wording.

And the way they're playing to the lowest common denominator with "I Hit It With My Axe" just makes this whole thing reek of profiteering.

This. Very yes this. I think it could be a /thread right there. o.o

"Full" content in RSS? Interesting.

Look, I've also had bad experiences with a "premium service". Sharing time~! I once played Final Fantasy XI.. Years into the game, I discovered two podcast sites, Limit Break Radio and Pet Food Alpha (Jaredin on these forums also knows of them). These were both brilliant and thriving communities and were a lot of fun to be around... Then they both sold out. They started donation drives, etc. Originally, it was generic donations, which was awesome. Contribute and help them out! Awesome!.. Then came the "Starbreaker access" and such.. It gave you PREMIUM ACCESS that granted you the "privelidge" to talk to the podcast hosts more in live recordings and in general, more access to them. BUY OUR FRIENDSHIP.

So yeah.. Progressively went downhill and they turned into acting like celebrities, yet they didn't EARN it.

The LRR cast has EARNT that respect and DESERVES donations. You're genuinely nice people who support and care for their fanbase. That's extremely rare on the internet.

[Mad Madam Mimm]

I think it's pretty much summed upin the fact that paying for subscription entitiles you to "whatever title you want!" ZOMG, guys!

It's clearly aimed at people who do watch every video on there and collect all teh medals and god knows what else. If people want to contribute money to the Escapist, I have no problem with that. The crew (and Yahtzee) have to be paid somehow. But should I ever have disposable income and want to contribute, I will be buying merchandise. From their specific websites. It's like buying from independant local businesses instead of buying from the superbigsoullessmart

[Bananafish]

Cool, this doesn't hurt me in any way and gives me the option to view more of the site if I later want to. I'm not sure what the problem is

[Matt]

Re: lrr related behind the scenes: we will continue to host our own extra content here on the site. Enn and unskip are owned by the escapist, so we'll have to see.

Re: all other concerns: if you don't want to pay, don't do it.

-m

-m

[iamafish]

So long as LRR behind the scenes stuff staying at LRR and doesn't get put on a premium Escapist deal that I don't really care about this. I go to escapist to watch LRR, ENN, ZP and unskippable. I read Extra Punctuation every week and occasionally other columns. That is it. The vid quality doesn't bother me because I don't watch it full screen and even if I did I can still see the comedy fine.

Stop complaining people, the Escapist is a business, it has to make money somehow. Embedded advertising is becoming an increasingly non-viable business model on the internet because of the scale of the competition.

Basically expect to be paying internet content a lot more in the future.

[MattAn]

I think it's pretty much summed up in the fact that paying for subscription entitiles you to "whatever title you want!" ZOMG, guys!

But should I ever have disposable income and want to contribute, I will be buying merchandise. From their specific websites. It's like buying from independant local businesses instead of buying from the superbigsoullessmart

The title part really irks me. Extremely. There's absolutely no reason why anyone should have to PAY for a custom title or high quality videos. Sure, donate if you want to say thanks, but don't force it upon your fans.

Merchandise is -always- a better idea. I can't see why a "subscription" to The Escapist will benefit LRR exactly. I'm sure it'll be more likely contributing to the other Escapist-created series mainly. The more money I throw to LRR's store, the better I'll feel, because I know I'm thanking the right people for brilliant work.

imamafish, it's not the content that's really bothering me. It's as Arius and Mimm mentioned. The titles, the high quality videos (which SHOULD have been standard anyway, the original quality is worse than YouTube! The gimmicks/ploys to get people to sign up are just.. Sickening.

As long as LRR stuff is staying here.. Still a pain that any ENN or Unskippable stuff will be for Escapist Premium's only, simply because they have a shiny title, etc.

[goat]

I'm cool with it. I won't be buying in, but I'm cool with it.

[Arius]

I like how the series they use to promote the high quality videos is created through Photoshop and Windows Movie Maker.

"You'll get exclusive access to High Quality streams of our cutting edge video series like Zero Punctuation™"

[MattAn]

Wait, which series is that, Arius? That medieval one or Game Dogs?

EDIT: Damn your swift timing! Also, that too. Ugh, I just don't get it!

And Matt, you're really saying the LRR crew had no idea until today that this was happening? So much for LRR's shiny high quality goodness!

Shamus and their community manager, Kuliani, are practically vomiting advertising for the subscription too.

I swear, if it forms some super supreme secret club that has these little cliques, I will be PISSED. At least the Runners are conducted well. That's plain awesome fun how it is.

[Rikadyn]

Seeing as I've never seen an LRR vid in HD, I doubt I'll notice if I don't buy...

[Master Gunner]

The only things on there that I would be interested in is higher quality and the behind the scenes stuff. As LRR is likely to continue to release their behind-the-scenes content for free, the latter becomes largely irrelevant. I am not going to pay $10 just for a bit higher quality. So instead, I shall wait five years, and buy the DVDs for high quality and ensuring that my money goes directly to LRR.

[MattAn]

Seeing as I've never seen an LRR vid in HD, I doubt I'll notice if I don't buy...

Y.. You haven't? Any of the last years videos on YouTube/LRR Videos page can be set to HD quality. They looks quite awesome.

[King Kool]

Eh, this doesn't bug me at all.

[Rikadyn]

Seeing as I've never seen an LRR vid in HD, I doubt I'll notice if I don't buy...

Y.. You haven't? Any of the last years videos on YouTube/LRR Videos page can be set to HD quality. They looks quite awesome.

My computer complains at the idea of doing HD. It'll do it, but it won't be happy about it.

and that's cause your the King of Kool(s)

[Vanguard]

Well, at the very least I had my subscription status gifted to me by the Escapist staff this morning because I've been a past contributor, so maybe the fact that all of these fringe benefits feel like a "reward" from my perspective is what's keeping me from looking at this from my usual jaded perspective.

At the very least I think there's a better chance of hell freezing over than things like "Loading Time" being shoehorned into this "member's area" so the Runners base can't see them, so as far as that goes consider that bullet thoroughly dodged.

[Mister Fiend]

I don't have a problem with this, what with me being a Rooster Teeth sponsor, but I'm not really into the Escapist community. There's not much reason for me to subscribe, the features they offer don't appeal to me. I'm with Mimm on the "I'll show my support by buying merch" front. But honestly, if I get a better paying job maybe I'll do it just to give LRR some extra support.