Your Opinion (important..kind of)

So I was thinking about taking GDUnderground.com and turning it into a Soacial Network with a website, social network system, and forum. It would be the same concept as the current (unfinished) GDU, but over time companies (gaming) could pay us to advertise their stuff. The idea here is imagin Facebook, but geared toward hobby and commerical game makers? What do you think I am 95% thinking about doing it?

If I did this here is some of what the new GDU would offer (some are Admin use only):

1) Live audio/video chat
2) Twitter/Facebook Login available
3) member Billing (for commerical developers)
4) IPB Forum(may not be intergated into social net work)/or another (depends on something)
5) Privacy of member profiles can be easily customized
6) Members have the option of designing their own profiles
7) Members can find each other using multiple search criterea
Profiles have walls, activity feeds and other great features
9) Messages can be sent to multiple members at the same time
10) Messages can be sent to members of specific sub-groups, events
11) All outbound emails keep your network's look & feel
12) Public or private sub-groups can be created by members
13) Members can share photos, videos and discussions within groups
14) Mass messages can be sent to members
15) Events can be private or public.
16) The creation of new events can be moderated by the network owner
17) Sub-groups on the network can create their own events for their members
18) Every member gets their own blog
19) Members can embed videos and photos into their blogs
20) Members can embed YouTube videos and photos into their responses
21) Members can add photos to multiple public or private albums
22) Members can embed videos or upload them and have them encoded by us in minutes


The list is short, but I;m sure you all know facebook so a complete list is not needed.


Respectfully,
Mad Klown/Kage Kazumi

It looks like a really good idea. But, do you think that the desire is out there?

think about it, take all the members of rmrk, then take at least half of the current members numbers and you have some individuals who may use this. Add the rest of the game maker community sites and you may or may not get 500 000 potential users. Is this idea easy enough or cost effective enough, so much so that it could be made for 500 000 users?

of course this is a broad number
and I would definitely love to see this happen

See my post here. You now have me convinced that you're just another of these people.

Yeah, agreeing with Forte and Roph, I don't think that there are enough people who are willing to make a "facebook" of game makers. Anyways, I don't think that you have a clear goal of what your trying to accomplish. IIRC, you goal is "To give people a place where they can find the latest news and information on new and existing software", and I'm not sure how adding random features into your website is going to help further this goal.

Btw, you do realise that Facebook is a social networking site for socialising, right?

Yeah, IDK Mad Klown. It's a very small market. And 500 000 is way too optimistic a number. Most of the people who use Maker programs aren't that enthusiastic and mostly only go online to look for resources, not to join a community.

I think that what you describe would, generally speaking, be a neat idea. Giving the users more control over the process where they can create pages and stuff might help foster creativity. But ultimately, I don't think it has a wide enough appeal. Sorry.

It looks like a really good idea. But, do you think that the desire is out there?

think about it, take all the members of rmrk, then take at least half of the current members numbers and you have some individuals who may use this. Add the rest of the game maker community sites and you may or may not get 500 000 potential users. Is this idea easy enough or cost effective enough, so much so that it could be made for 500 000 users?

of course this is a broad number
and I would definitely love to see this happen

The network thing is not much of an issue here it is nothing more then an extra section of the site for member to utilize. The main concept behind GDU is giving people as much up-to-date information on the latest news and happenings with the software they use. It's in no way meant to be the "next facebook crazy" as that would just be crazy. The social network is just an added feature which we have different use for it.

See my post here. You now have me convinced that you're just another of these people.

KEY: Colored text are quotes from Roph in link topic above.

"I don't mean it in a bad way, more as an observation, but one thing I can say after being at RMRK for 5 years is that these kinds of things almost always universally fail."

And I have been making websites for 15 years some for just simple pleasure and some to generate a revenue. I have attempted many ideas when it comes to website and community building and have seen my share of ideas fail for this reason or another. I have also seen my ideas take off to create a thriving and working community. When I was 20 I went through a phase of trying to make a RPG Maker XP community/site and it failed due to my inactivity and overall uninterested attitude in the whole thing. I mean when I got down to it I gave up because "who wants another RMXP site?"  Plus I have done my home work for this project. Even without the whole social network it would a site first of its kind, which many think is a good idea; not because it would be the first of its kind, but because of the main purpose behind it.

"This is 2010. You can't take a Dubai style attitude with a new site of "build it, and they will come". Maybe 5+ years ago perhaps, but not now. I firmly believe that if RMRK didn't exist and it were to be created now, it would fail/die from inactivity or nobody caring."

And what crazy person would even imagine such a crazy thought; build it and they will come? In the business of website (profit or non-profit) your site will go no where with out advertising. Posting topics on places like this is just a warm up. Any person would know you can't expect a "build it and they will come" attitude else wise like the people before them they will fail for one reason or another. Now as for your theory on if RMRK where created today I could agree with you on this simply because I have seen MANY RMXP/VX geared sites die or even change (rmxp.net/org). No site or community is built over night, no matter how cool I or anyone else thinks the overall idea is or will be. Plus as I was told by the owner of GameProducer.net and the other indie game developers their, " a site with your concept could be very successful, even today. But will you just do the same old mundane advertising or take it serious and invest money into it. After all GameProducer took time to catch on, but my unrelenting determination got it where it is today." But me coming into this (regardless of how my topics appear) and my thinking are far from, "build it and they will come." This is the modern age so such talk can only ruin a business or site.

"Some symptoms of such sites are being eager to have as many "features" in the hopes of getting traffic. Adding blogs, galleries, shoutboxes, arcades, even trash like calendars and clocks. Also things like contests which I notice you've done. It's been done many times before. None of those sites exist any more."

Well I can tell you that I own a few IPB licenses and at one time had plans to use them for other sites (7 years ago; renewing my license for what ever reason). But when I added them it was not thinking along the lines of, "more features and they will come" attitude. The shoutbox was there until the chat room was installed, I don't have an arcade, I added the blogs because some people use them; but not me, and the gallery would have replaced the same old mundane resource forum. Anything I added I added with a purpose behind it that would have been essential to GDU or it's members. As for the contest I have not seen to many advertising topics where people have did this and I will admit it was a hope to get new members (active), but I knew it would not be rolling in the masses or that they would even stay active. Truth be told people are more prone to join something and be apart of it if it is already active and thriving. The site is missing content and the forum and site design where different this would turn even me away. But like I said before I have been doing this for 15 years and even ran a website design business successfully for 5 years before I got board with it.

"I wouldn't start community site without significant demand for it."

You have to learn how to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run buddy. This same concept can apply to making a website and community. Plus that statement is ignorant thinking regardless of how many sites you have seen fail. The reality of it is they failed because of the PERSON not the IDEA itself. I don't plan on it becoming the next big thing, or even dreamed it would have. After all dreams get you know where, planning, dedication, and work do. So if it fails it would not mean that the IDEA failed just the PERSON who tried to act on it and failed for more than likely not taking it serious or loosing interest.

Yeah, agreeing with Forte and Roph, I don't think that there are enough people who are willing to make a "facebook" of game makers. Anyways, I don't think that you have a clear goal of what your trying to accomplish. IIRC, you goal is "To give people a place where they can find the latest news and information on new and existing software", and I'm not sure how adding random features into your website is going to help further this goal.

Btw, you do realise that Facebook is a social networking site for socialising, right?

Everything I add I add for a reason. The social network when the idea was mentioned to me by someone at GameProducer.net I did not look or even think about creating a gaming social network. They relaid how I could use such a feature which would make review software that much easier on the GDU staff. SO regardless of what a social network is for that's not quite the intent of GDU to use it except in a different way.

Yeah, IDK Mad Klown. It's a very small market. And 500 000 is way too optimistic a number. Most of the people who use Maker programs aren't that enthusiastic and mostly only go online to look for resources, not to join a community.

I think that what you describe would, generally speaking, be a neat idea. Giving the users more control over the process where they can create pages and stuff might help foster creativity. But ultimately, I don't think it has a wide enough appeal. Sorry.

I understand. I have found some like the Social Network idea and some don't. But when do we ever use every feature a place offers?

SIDE NOTE

I thank you for replying, this so far has been an interesting discussion. I hope more will add their opinion.

EDIT: Okay, I proof read and corrected what I found wrong. I'm sure I over looked something and apologize in advance.

Respectfully,
Mad Klwon/Kage Kazumi

I think it's a bad idea to make more social networking sites.

I think it's a bad idea to make more social networking sites.

Well I never really said I was going to do it. That would be pointless to ask people their opinion only to later do it. The purpose was to see what people thought of the concept.

The purpose was to see what people thought of the concept.

I think it's a bad idea to make more social networking sites.

That's what I was giving you.

The purpose was to see what people thought of the concept.

I think it's a bad idea to make more social networking sites.

That's what I was giving you.

I know, but most people replied as if I was going to do it. And I decided not to and just go with my origianl plan. Like Roph said to many features are not always good. Some poeple liked the idea, but after reading people opinions and looking at it financially ($175 a month) it would not have been worth it in the long run.