How to Fix Rooster Teeth First, Pt. II: Rooster Teeth Early Bird Special

Hey, everyone.

So, as you can tell from the title, this is my third blog on the whole Rooster Teeth First fiasco. Some of you are probably thinking I'm obsessed, and you're right, I am. Why? Because none of it makes sense to me. Now, maybe I don't know the character of RT like I think I do, but it seems to me that this company cares more about its fanbase than most companies and content creators do. So, I'm forced to ask, why would they release new episodes of their biggest shows, i.e. RvB and RWBY, one week after Firsties get them? Yes, I know "early access to episodes" is on the Firstie perks, but by making it a whole week, the chance for spoilers is huge, and most Firsties don't care about the plight of Non-Firsties being spoiled, which creates animosity between the two groups of fans, and NFs then want to take a bite out of RT itself for creating the problem.

Now, here's where I get confused: what made RT think this was a good idea, or how could they not have seen this coming? It's especially stupid because there are other problems with this situation, i.e. NFs have no reason to visit the site now except to purchase merch, but moving merch and RTF accounts would be easier to do with traffic to the site, and there are plenty of reasonable solutions to the problem. Tell me: was anyone really that unhappy when Firsties got new content only 24 hours earlier than NFs? Maybe some were, but when you look at all the other perks Firsties get, they really don't have much of a reason to complain unless they only bought RTF for the early access which is stupid in and of itself because RT makes all their content free eventually, so why buy into RTF if the content will be free eventually? I would've thought most of the fanbase would've been smart enough to go, "Wait a minute. There's only a 24-hour difference between Firsties and NFs getting the content, and NFs get it for free. Why in the hell am I going to pay $2.99/mo just to see a show 24 hours earlier? That's stupid." And then RTF would've crashed and burned.

Obviously, this did not happen. So, either people are dumb, desperate and needy for their content, or they're genuine fans of RT and support most of or everything they do. Now, I will admit that I am constantly surprised by how loyal and generous some fans are. Take RTX for example; people actually buy plane tickets just to attend it. This of course doesn't include a hotel, meals, and either cab fare or car rental. In fact, I just went to Expedia and searched prices for a ticket, hotel, and car rental on a trip leaving Wednesday and returning Monday. Total cost: $2,371. Now, that's pretty expensive. But I did go back and changed some things. I made the trip a week later, dropped the car, changed the departure date to Friday and the returning date to Sunday. The most expensive option was $801 and the cheapest was $710. Adding in the price of RTX tickets are $39 for one day and all three days is $83, this is still a pretty expensive venture, and I didn't even include food. And it's all just to attend a convention. Now, of course, prices will vary depending on how far in advance you book your room and plane seat, how many people are going, and where you're flying in from, but it's definitely not cheap.

And this isn't the only time I've seen fans be genuinely insanely loyal and generous. The day RT came out with the RWBY board game on Kickstarter, they had 80K of their 305K goal and still had a month to go. Watching the Super Best Friend Zaibatsu, they used to have a mailbag series because fans were so desperate to send them stuff. Finally, they relented and in a single mailbag, they received two Blu-ray box sets of Gurren Lagann, MSRP of well over a $1000, in both US and Canadian. They actually stopped making mailbags because people were sending them too much sh*t and it was interfering with their regular record and upload schedule, not to mention all the sh*t they had to pick up from their post office because none of them own a house. Then there's Jessica Nigri; that girl turns out a fan mail video weekly, and again, people are insanely generous and affectionate. It's no wonder she walks around like her farts don't stink. She could break wind and people would be overjoyed to share in her body's natural miasma. Going back to RT, Geoff once got 11 bottles of liquor from fans from RTX. Who are these people who seem to have heaps and heaps and heaps of money and time to spend on their favorite content creators? Think of how these people could change the world if their efforts were properly mobilized. We could end world hunger with the money people are throwing around.

But getting back to RTF, how do we fix it so that there isn't this animosity between fans and the company? Well, if you read my last post where I suggested a few ideas to fix RTF (read it here), there was one that the more and more I think about it, the more I like it. I call the program the Rooster Teeth Early Bird Special, and what it would be is you pay $5.00 and you get early access to a single show for a single season. What if you want two shows? $8.00. What if you want three or more? Just another $2/show after that. Now true, there will come a time when buying RTF will be more cost effective than Early Bird, but for those who only want early access to one of two shows, this is the cheaper and better option. Now, where did I get the $5.00 price tag? It's an arbitrary number I pulled out of my ass because I don't know how RT came up with their prices for RTF. It's possible they can offer Early Bird at cheaper prices than that because a six month subscription of RTF is $19.99 and comes out to $3.33/mo and there's all sort of extra goodies in there, so Early Bird with only one perk, but lasting the course of several months should have an equally competitive price. But, RT would have to offer more payment options than just plastic so our younger and European brethren aren't discriminated against. So, Paypal, money orders, and checks would have to be added.

Now, some of my critics are probably thinking, "Do you know how much work all this would take?!" No, but can you tell me how much work went into turning RT Sponsors into RTF, or even how much work is necessary in maintaining RTF? It can't be all that much more arduous to create and maintain Early Bird, especially if it's made a branch of RTF. Add to that, there's not a single person in all of RT who can cash money orders and deposit checks in a bank? Over 200 people work for RT these days. If the founding fathers can't do it, there has to be someone they trust enough to run the money. And then there's the logo of creating Early Bird; a good chunk of that company is animators and artists. Are you telling me they can't get a logo designed on the cheap? If not, outsource it to a fan. Hold a contest. The winner gets a free coupon for Early Bird. And, the best thing about Early Bird is that if it crashes and fails, RT and Firsties can blame me for it. But, I have a feeling it would be hugely successful.

So, RT Early Bird Special is my response to this issue. It would just be easier to shorten the amount of time between Firstie and NF releases, or to stop touting the Firstie premiere date as the actual premiere date and just keep that information on the DL, but unless people start rioting en masse, I don't think that's going to happen. RT does have a large group of superbly loyal fans. I don't know why and I don't know where they come from, but they exist and they're an "obstacle" that needs to be addressed. With RTEBS, everyone's happy. Well, happier than we were.

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RWBY Speculation: Is Rooster Teeth Shooting Themselves in the Foot, Pt II: How Rooster Teeth Can Fix First Memberships

Hey, you guys.

I know I just released a blog on the whole First fiasco, but it opened up a can of worms. The thing I didn't address in my last post was I didn't offer any ways on how RT can fix First Membership so Firsties can feel like they're getting their money's worth. But before I offer any suggestions on that, let's first take a look at what the rewards already are.

First Membership Perks:
• No ads
• Early access to episodes
• Exclusive content
• Premium series
• Live broadcasts
• 5% discount at the Rooster Teeth Store
• Early access to live event ticket sales
• Third-party discounts
• FIRST panel at each RTX
• Gold star by your profile name

First Double Gold Perks:
• Monthly box of exclusive merch valued at $60+ (known as the RT Box)
• 10% discount at the Rooster Teeth Store
• Early access to live event VIP passes
• Exclusive contests and giveaways
• Monthly Q&A with Rooster Teeth staff
• Double Gold star by your profile name

Alright. Well, I don't know about you, but those all seem like some really kickass perks to being a Firstie or Double Firstie. Problem is, I don't care about any of those things. And I'm going to guess that a lot of other people don't either or they just simply can't afford it. (Another argument I heard was that credit and debit cards, which are needed to purchase a membership, are ubiquitous in the States, but not over in the Europe which is pissing off a chunk of the European audience.) So, what can RT do to fix First memberships so it doesn't seem like they're punishing Non-Firsties?

Well, since early access to episodes is at the center of everyone's bitch, the simplest and easiest suggestion is to simply get rid of it or to tone it down to the 24-hour period of yesteryear. But, is there a way to still offer Firsties early access without punishing NF's? Well, my first suggestion would be for RT to stop advertising their shows as being premiered on the dates that are only accessible to Firsties since those ads always taste like a lie to NF's. Keep that information on the DL; keep it in the Firstie family.

The problem then becomes how do you sell First memberships? Easy; trailers. Offer a taste of First membership with a trailer of what being a Firstie is all about but only use footage that is exclusively exclusive to Firsties, not footage that will be released eventually to everyone. Another option is to take a random video from the First shows and put it up for everyone, but only for a few hours. Maybe they could also make use of pirating and see it as an opportunity to some free, temporary advertisement before shutting it down.

I want to make it clear that I'm not against RT making money or making the money they need to to produce their content, but the way they're going about it is pitting the community against itself and against them. They're essentially punishing people for not being Firsties by allowing spoilers out into the net and creating animosity between the two camps of RT fans. I myself was spoiled by some of the gags in RWBY Chibi this season because of this sh*t. And the ways that I came up with to get around this sh*t ain't rocket surgery or brain science. Hell, if there was a $1/mo First membership so people could only get early access to their favorite content or paying $5 total and get early access to a single show for an entire season, both ways would go really damn far in quelling the storm.

And like I said in my last post, you do need to give Firsties something for their money, but they're getting quite a lot and First memberships are not the only way RT makes its money. Burnie even made a vlog some months ago detailing how RT does. In the video, he interviewed Matt who said RT gets their money through merch, First memberships, YouTube revenue, sponsorships like Blue Apron, and one more way that I can't remember. What's really strange and disheartening is that with these five ways and all the solutions I came up with, it seems like RT is purposely trying to pressure people into buying First and are doing their damnedest to make it uncomfortable for anyone who isn't. And, this sort of vindictive marketing strategy is out of character for them. Are they motivated by greed or has something else got their balls in a vice? I don't know who else they do business with, but it's possible they're in bed with someone they shouldn't be.

Anyway, those are my suggestions on how Rooster Teeth can make First viable without pissing off Non-Firsties. I will continue to monitor this situation and come out with updates as they become available. Which is ironic because I hate journalism. Anyway, for my next Thursday RWBY post, barring any more unpleasantness, I'll be critiquing Yang's character short and comparing it to Weiss' and Blake's. See you then.

Keep writing, my friends.

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RWBY Speculation: Is Rooster Teeth Shooting Themselves in The Foot?

Hey, everyone.

So, as you're undoubtedly aware, RWBY Volume 5 premiered yesterday. I saw it in the theatre on Thursday because I was hoping to get something really good for my money (Spoiler Warning: I didn't). But what did I think of the first episode? Well, I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the others in the theatre did, but I did like it. However, I wanted to reserve most of my judgment until I was able to see it again so I could review it and really go over it. But, there's a problem: Rooster Teeth has changed their scheduling release yet again.

See, last year, they released new episodes of RWBY to First members on Saturday, to non-First members on Sunday, and then to the public a week later. Very few people had a problem with this. And to be honest, I was a Firstie for Volume 4. However, I didn't like it. In fact, I hate myself for it. Why? Well, why was I paying $5/mo, which is what First costs if you don't buy a yearly subscription, just to watch new episodes 24 hours earlier? It's a bloody waste especially since there were times when World of Remnant was released instead of RWBY. (Which is major bullsh*t!) So, after Vol. 4 ended, I cancelled my subscription, and I will never go back because First is full sh*t I don't give two f*cks about.

But now, RT is changing the rules of the game. Now, Firsties get new content the day of its release, and everyone else, including Non-Firstie RT members, get the new content a week later with everyone else. And as you can imagine, people are pissed. And on both sides, too. First members and non alike. Firsties are pissed because some of them enjoyed interacting with Non-Firsties in the community, but now with the release schedule f*cked, when Non-Firsties finally get the content, it will be old hat to Firsties and they won't want to talk about it.  And Non-Firsties are pissed because there's no reason for them to have an RT membership and they may as well watch RT content on YouTube because, let's face the facts, YouTube's video player is light years ahead of RT's player.

So, basically, RT is creating a huge rift in their audience as well as pissing off the people who put RT where it is today. They're basically biting the hand that feeds. And as someone else mentioned, it also offers a larger incentive for pirating RT's new content online which isn't difficult to find. I mean, what is there to gain from this? Make Firsties feel appreciated? Well, that's fine; they are paying to see the content, but Firsties get all sorts of extra goodies for their money than just the regular content. Why the hell do they need this too? When I was a Firstie, I never indulged in the extra content because I didn't want it--I just wanted to watch RWBY. F*ck the other sh*t. Ergo, the only reason RT would do this is because they're becoming more and more corporate and looking to make more and more of a profit because this scheduling change, and the subsequent hope that it'll move a few more First memberships, only really benefits them.

So, now that RT's doing that, what does that mean for me and my blog? Well, RWBY Critiques was never really popular on YouTube, and there's no reason to think it would be much more popular on my blog. And, since I hate myself for buying a First membership the first time around, and since the world isn't going to end just because it takes me a week to see the next episode of RWBY, I will not be buying a First membership. In all honesty, I hope the First program crashes and burns, and all those who came up with the idea and support it get it violent diarrhea. Rooster Teeth is a content creator; by making their content exclusive, or in other words elitist, they are basically saying, "You guys are giving us too much money and we don't want it all, so we're going to piss you off so you will give us less." Content creators should not restrict access their content. It should be available to all.

Now, some of you may call me a hypocrite because I'm a writer, and as a writer, I charge prices for my books. But, RT is asking you to pay $2.99 a month for a year ($36/yr) in advance for a whole bunch of sh*t, most of which, you probably don't care about. And when the year is over, they'll ask you to pay them another $36/yr. I ask for $.99-$12.99, depending on the book and the format it's in, but it's a one time purchase and that copy is yours until the end of time. Also, I'm not asking people who really want the book to pay more--the price is the same for everyone regardless of how strong their desire is. And there are no early releases; everyone gets the book on the same day. Which is a better deal? Which is a fairer deal?

So, I will not be buying in RT's First Membership. Will this hurt them? For my part, it won't. When it comes to RT, I'm not much of a community member and I'm not much of a fan. I have Adblock installed, I don't care about the extra crap they put out, I only watch RWBY, Achievement Hunter, and Heroes & Halfwits, but if I lost H&H or AH, I could continue living, it's really only RWBY I'm attached to, but beyond the DVD, Blu-ray, and soundtrack, I don't buy any other RT merch. But, I'm not going to stop writing RWBY Speculation and doing the novelization because only I stand to really lose by stopping those. And I will do RWBY Critiques, but the release schedule for that will have to be changed. But my relationship with RT will be damaged. I've never been to RTX and because of sh*t like this, I never want to go. Honestly, I'm surprised like f*ck that there are people in RT that aren't mad as hell about this. More than 200 people work for RT; isn't there anyone in that company against this sh*t? I would've thought that RT thought more of the people who made them what they are than just a bunch wallets with eyeballs. So, I now have a lower opinion of RT as well. And it wasn't all that lofty to begin with.

Anyway, that's my piece on this. Sorry it was a rant. But, if you think what RT is doing is f*cking ungrateful and disgusting, let them know. Blow their sh*t up on it, and support the privateers who are privatizing their content so you can access it for free. But, until next time...

Keep writing, my friends.

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