[Webcomic] PVP Discussion
- Thread starter Dei
- Start date
What genre of webcomic do you want?
Off the top of my head, Sinfest. Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal is also pretty solid.
Off the top of my head, Sinfest. Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal is also pretty solid.
I don't know with Sinfest. It's kind of become my Garfield--it's the same jokes, nothing changes really, but I read every day.
That's a pretty fair comparison. Usually you see new things only when he radically changes a character or introduces a new one. Since right now he's exploring Pebbles, a lot has felt new, but he does get caught up in routine a lot.
If you see a red button at the end of the strips, hover your mouse over it. There's a little after-comic to read.
To be fair, I know a lot of people who make fun of Dr. Who and it's fans.
Added at: 10:23
That said the strip wasn't even remotely funny.
That second frame, it is so much funnier to me when taken out of context. Just replace the word bubbles with this, then look at them.
"Cole, are you sure we are alone? That no one is watching?"
"Yes, my love, now it is just you and I, hug me closer, so that we may become one."
"Cole, are you sure we are alone? That no one is watching?"
"Yes, my love, now it is just you and I, hug me closer, so that we may become one."
Dave
Staff member
Scott may be on Pacific time, but for me on the east coast, he has 53 minutes left before there was no Friday comic.
I have a feeling there's another story arc starting on Monday, and he wanted it to start on a Monday, so he needed a couple filler strips to pad the way, and they just weren't winners.
I have a feeling there's another story arc starting on Monday, and he wanted it to start on a Monday, so he needed a couple filler strips to pad the way, and they just weren't winners.
And it's still not up on Saturday.
And I agree, but I'm trying to give leeway. Someone made a joke earlier in the thread about PVP being a Tuesday through Saturday comic.
And I agree, but I'm trying to give leeway. Someone made a joke earlier in the thread about PVP being a Tuesday through Saturday comic.
In before free comic, fuck you guys, same excuses, blah blah blah...
It's free because no syndicate would tolerate such a work "ethic". It's free because if it were really his "job", we're his "customers". And no business survives long by continually telling their customers to piss off. no when there are alternatives.
And there are too many alternatives to count.
It's free because no syndicate would tolerate such a work "ethic". It's free because if it were really his "job", we're his "customers". And no business survives long by continually telling their customers to piss off. no when there are alternatives.
And there are too many alternatives to count.
The thing is, it isn't really free. We don't pay for it, any more than we pay for network sitcoms - the advertising pays for it. PVPOnline's traffic pays for the site and is what Kurtz earns a living on. So, updating the strip and keeping his audience satisfied is literally how he makes his living, much like any other entertainer.
There's a saying for this: If your not paying for a product, YOU are the product.
figmentPez
Staff member
It gets back to that saying that people have been applying to Facebook and G+ lately "If you're not paying for it; then you're the prouduct." Viewer eyeballs are what Kurtz sells to his advertisers. Whenever he misses a strip, he's saying "screw you" not only to his fans, but also to the people who are paying his bills, his sponsors. It's a lesson he doesn't seem to be learning as quickly as he ought to.
EDIT: Dammit! Ninja'd by AshburnerX.
EDIT: Dammit! Ninja'd by AshburnerX.
Well, actually he's really doing it to his advertisers. Nowhere near as bad as the VGCats Scott, updating maybe once a month while his ads continue.
That said, let's look at what happens in two scenarios.
1. Scott updates on-time. You check the site once and don't do so again until the next strip is up.
2. Scott misses a strip. You may check twice, or more times, to see if the strip is up yet, whether you're an avid reader or a critic wanting to gloat. Either way, it's more ad views than if he updated timely.
That said, I doubt Scott is looking at it that way. He's just overwhelming himself with projects he's more interested in. I have a feeling that his doing The Trenches is him getting ready to segue out of doing PVP someday if the viewership ever declines enough that it's not worth it. But his numbers are likely pretty high still. What we discuss here is the viewpoint of a small minority. From the sounds of things, his larger audience wants lots of LoLBat and Scratch Fury.
And even then, we're not much different. We demand video game strips because we feel those are funny and he's good at them, but that other side of his audience likely gets annoyed, so he's being tugged in two directions. And when you get down to it, there are LOTS of video game comics. Not all of them good, and I think Scott can really nail them when he tries, moreso than many others i.e. Dueling Analogs or VGCats, but he's apparently working with a more diverse audience than CAD and Penny Arcade, who still have their grip on large chunks of the gaming population who don't read PVP.
That said, let's look at what happens in two scenarios.
1. Scott updates on-time. You check the site once and don't do so again until the next strip is up.
2. Scott misses a strip. You may check twice, or more times, to see if the strip is up yet, whether you're an avid reader or a critic wanting to gloat. Either way, it's more ad views than if he updated timely.
That said, I doubt Scott is looking at it that way. He's just overwhelming himself with projects he's more interested in. I have a feeling that his doing The Trenches is him getting ready to segue out of doing PVP someday if the viewership ever declines enough that it's not worth it. But his numbers are likely pretty high still. What we discuss here is the viewpoint of a small minority. From the sounds of things, his larger audience wants lots of LoLBat and Scratch Fury.
And even then, we're not much different. We demand video game strips because we feel those are funny and he's good at them, but that other side of his audience likely gets annoyed, so he's being tugged in two directions. And when you get down to it, there are LOTS of video game comics. Not all of them good, and I think Scott can really nail them when he tries, moreso than many others i.e. Dueling Analogs or VGCats, but he's apparently working with a more diverse audience than CAD and Penny Arcade, who still have their grip on large chunks of the gaming population who don't read PVP.
figmentPez
Staff member
3. You use twitter or RSS to know when the new comic comes up (which often shows up there before it makes the front page of the site). This results in far fewer hits than if he updated in a timely manner.
figmentPez
Staff member
He complained about something he filmed on Friday (since deleted), but no mention of PvP.
Might be because yesterday was 24 hour comic day.
Good post, QP, would only add one thing.
Seriously, I think he needs his own full-time Khoo, and that's not a bad thing in and of itself. I know lots of folks, including myself, who occasionally need the outside push to stay on point.
Don't forget that this is purely in the short term. In the long-term (or even the medium term) the drop in views due to #2 as people become accustomed to the lack of strip and visit less, is more than enough hurt his ad revenue.
Seriously, I think he needs his own full-time Khoo, and that's not a bad thing in and of itself. I know lots of folks, including myself, who occasionally need the outside push to stay on point.
While I'd understand that, I don't see why he doesn't have a buffer. But that's been the case for years and years.
Yeah, he probably would have at least asked for a guest strip since he'd have known about it well in advance.
I doubt it will work. His own father tore him a new one about not having a buffer a year or so ago. If that didn't work, how will paying someone to tell him essentially the same thing be any different?
Don't doubt the powers of khoo. If you enter into a pact with, he will hold your family at gunpoint if needed.
I can only speak from personal experience, but my family was never good at lighting a fire under me. Counselors/friends/bosses were always better in my case.
It's 8:40 PM on Monday, and PVPOnline is still displaying Thursday's comic. This is not a rare event. Perhaps we should organize a tweet-campaign to post when PVP is late, just a quick "Wonder if @PVPOnline's going to update today" when it's not up by noon. A few dozen people doing that might be helpful.
I'm sure more than a few dozen people have chewed him out by now.
It'd have to be more than him alone, I'd imagine.
And Scott would likely just get defensive. I'm surprised there's no news post mentioning it though.
And Scott would likely just get defensive. I'm surprised there's no news post mentioning it though.