Question about BMT Micro and royalties (unsure if this is the appropriate place to ask)

[Solo]

Okay, so on BMT Micro the cheapest plan requires a minimum of $1.25 in royalties per sale at a rate of 9.5 percent, which means selling my game for about 12 dollars at the cheapest? Is that right?

But wait, the Webseller Plus plan actually has a royalty RANGE of eight to fifteen percent? How does that work? Does this mean $9.99 or ten dollars would barely make the cut in that case? $1.25 is the minimum royalty there as well.

Again, sorry if this isn't the right place to ask.

 

[Shaz]

Not really sure what you're asking. There's no "minimum" price you have to set for your game - unless you're asking how much you have to charge if YOU want $10 per game sold?


Also not sure on your "9.99 or ten dollars would barely make the cut" - what cut?


For a small company just starting out, the Standard or Plus plans would be the best - which of those you choose depends on whether you are having a separate demo file and want them to host it, and whether you want them to put your game into their online catalogue (given that the catalogue could have EVERY piece of software being sold through them - not just games, and not just RPGs) I seriously question its value (it'd be like putting your boxed game on a shelf in a store's shoe department and hoping it sells).


Both of them have a minimum $1.25 fee per item. The 8% on the Plus plan is only if you're selling your game for $200.01 or more per copy, and 8% of that would be significantly more than $1.25


If you want $10 for your game, after the BMT fee, you'd have to sell your game for around $11.25 on the Webseller Standard plan (which would give you $10.18 in your pocket). On the Webseller Plus plan, you'd have to charge $11.77, since products less than $40 have a 15% fee. So that's a difference of 50 cents per game sold, to have the ability for them to host your demo download and put the game on their very untargetted catalogue. And that 50 cents goes to BMT, not to you. You still end up with around $10 either way. I know which one I'd be taking


Note, BOTH plans will host your full game download. The Plus is only of use if you have a demo AND a full version. If you're using some sort of DRM that cuts the player off after the first hour, you don't need the demo hosting.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

You can also try Gumroad, it's worth checking out your options...


on the BMT thing, that might mean that even if you sell at $5, you will still pay $1.25 royalty... normally, things like that means you pay either the minimum or the percentage royalty, depending on which one is higher...

 

[Shaz]

Yes, if you sell at $5, you will still pay $1.25 royalty.

 

[Solo]

Basically what I'm asking is that, if I want to sell my game for $7.99, which plan should I choose? CAN I choose the Webseller Standard plan and sell it at that price? Or do I have to sell it at a price so BMT Micro gets at least $1.25 in royalties per sale?

Also, my demo is hosted on Mediafire. Is it okay if both the full game and demo are not both hosted on BMT Micro? My website would link to both sites in that case, for both the full version and demo separately.

By "make the cut" I meant, I was under the assumption that I had to sell the game at a price where BMT Micro would still get the $1.25 royalty, meaning I would have to adjust my game's price accordingly...

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

if the 10% is below $1.25, you'd pay $1.25 dollars... Now if you're gonna exceed that $1.25 dollars minimum, then I guess you pick the one with the lower royalty rate...


Now, on $7.99, I think it doesn't matter which plan you get since the 10% or 15% are both below $1.25, so you'll still end up with paying $1.25

 

[Solo]

Okay, so the 9.5% rate isn't a restriction then? If my game is priced so low, I would just pay a higher royalty on it so they get at least $1.25, is that it?

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

Yes... As I and Shaz said on the posts above, if the %royalty is below the minimum, you'll simply pay the minimum...

 

[Shaz]

You don't have to set your price so that 9% is $1.25. They will take 9% or they will take $1.25 - whichever is the higher amount.


So you can sell your game at $5 if you want to, and they'll still take $1.25. This means they're taking 25% of your sales instead of 9%. In this case, it wouldn't matter which of those plans you were on - both of them would take the $1.25, since both the 9% and the 15% are lower than their minimum amount.

 

[Solo]

So in other words, I shouldn't choose the plan based on the royalty rate or the price of my game, but what the plan offers. And as Shaz said, being listed in their catalogue is really no big thing.

However, I'm still wondering if it's okay that the full game would be on BMT Micro, and the demo/trial version on Mediafire.

 

[Shaz]

Yes, that is fine. They do not dictate where you put your demo. They just charge you a higher % if you want them to host it for you.


Is there a reason you WANT to put it on mediafire? If not, I'd consider the Plus plan. The only time you would really need to choose between them is if you're selling your game for a high enough price that the 1.25 would be below the 9% or 15% fee. If it's not, and you're going to be paying $1.25 no matter which plan you're on, then I'd go with the one that offers more for the same price. UNLESS you intend to offer more games down the track for a higher amount.

 

[Solo]

Is there a reason you WANT to put it on mediafire?

Well... it's actually on Mediafire already.

The only time you would really need to choose between them is if you're selling your game for a high enough price that the 1.25 would be below the 9% or 15% fee. If it's not, and you're going to be paying $1.25 no matter which plan you're on, then I'd go with the one that offers more for the same price. UNLESS you intend to offer more games down the track for a higher amount.

This is something to consider... if that were the case, would the Standard plan be best?

 

[Shaz]

Considering that the Plus plan only offers better than 9% if you're selling at $200+, I would definitely go with the Standard.

 

[Solo]

All right, thanks. To be clear, would the Comprehensive plan not make much sense in my case?

And one more thing (so sorry!). Were I to have an affiliate program with Amaranth (or a similar site) through BMT Micro that took 30% in royalties, that would be on top of BMT Micro's royalty (let's say about 16% in this case), correct? Meaning, whenever the game is sold through the affiliate site, I would be paying a total of 46% in royalties per sale, and I myself would be getting 54% of the profit? But if someone bought the game directly through BMT Micro, I would only pay the 16% royalty? Can this happen simultaneously, people either buying the game through Amaranth/etc. OR BMT Micro directly, with the royalties being different depending on/through which site the game was sold?

 

[Shaz]

Here we go ... look at the prices in the left column that you would consider selling your game for, then look at how much BMT Micro would take, and how much you would get afterwards, under each plan.

Game ------- THEY TAKE ---------- ------- YOU GET ------------Price Standard Plus Comprehensive Standard Plus Comprehensive5.00 1.25 1.25 1.00 3.75 3.75 4.00 5.50 1.25 1.25 1.10 4.25 4.25 4.40 6.00 1.25 1.25 1.20 4.75 4.75 4.80 6.50 1.25 1.25 1.30 5.25 5.25 5.20 7.00 1.25 1.25 1.40 5.75 5.75 5.60 7.50 1.25 1.25 1.50 6.25 6.25 6.00 8.00 1.25 1.25 1.60 6.75 6.75 6.40 8.50 1.25 1.28 1.70 7.25 7.23 6.80 9.00 1.25 1.35 1.80 7.75 7.65 7.20 9.50 1.25 1.43 1.90 8.25 8.08 7.60 10.00 1.25 1.50 2.00 8.75 8.50 8.00 10.50 1.25 1.58 2.10 9.25 8.93 8.40 11.00 1.25 1.65 2.20 9.75 9.35 8.80 11.50 1.25 1.73 2.30 10.25 9.78 9.20 12.00 1.25 1.80 2.40 10.75 10.20 9.60 12.50 1.25 1.88 2.50 11.25 10.63 10.00 13.00 1.25 1.95 2.60 11.75 11.05 10.40 13.50 1.28 2.03 2.70 12.22 11.48 10.80 14.00 1.33 2.10 2.80 12.67 11.90 11.20 14.50 1.38 2.18 2.90 13.12 12.33 11.60 15.00 1.43 2.25 3.00 13.58 12.75 12.00 15.50 1.47 2.33 3.10 14.03 13.18 12.40 16.00 1.52 2.40 3.20 14.48 13.60 12.80 16.50 1.57 2.48 3.30 14.93 14.03 13.20 17.00 1.62 2.55 3.40 15.39 14.45 13.60 17.50 1.66 2.63 3.50 15.84 14.88 14.00 18.00 1.71 2.70 3.60 16.29 15.30 14.40 18.50 1.76 2.78 3.70 16.74 15.73 14.80 19.00 1.81 2.85 3.80 17.20 16.15 15.20 19.50 1.85 2.93 3.90 17.65 16.58 15.60 20.00 1.90 3.00 4.00 18.10 17.00 16.00 So, if your game is $6.00 or less, the Comprehensive Plan would be the best one. If your game is more than $6.00, the Standard Plan is the better one. And we've already established that until you're looking at selling games for over $200, the Standard Plan will always beat the Plus Plan.Consider that if you sell through portals like Amaranth and Aldorlea, you're going to have to give THEM a % of your sales too. But that doesn't make a difference as to which plan is better at each price point.

 

[Solo]

Thank you so much for that comprehensive list, Shaz! You're always such a big help.

Consider that if you sell through portals like Amaranth and Aldorlea, you're going to have to give THEM a % of your sales too. But that doesn't make a difference as to which plan is better at each price point.

Right, and that's what I was asking in my other question; if I have an affiliate program with Amaranth, and I'm paying 16% in royalties to BMT Micro, that adds to up a total of 46% in royalties paid, right? But if the game is sold only through BMT Micro, I just pay 16%. However, can this happen simultaneously, as in someone buying the game either through Amaranth OR directly on BMT Micro, with differing royalties? If they buy through Amaranth, I get 54% of the profit. If they buy directly through BMT Micro, I get 84%. So I can have an affiliate program with Amaranth, but the game can also be bought directly through BMT Micro. Is this correct?

 

[Shaz]

Absolutely!


What you need to do is set up your game on BMT and specify the price. Then you set up an affiliate contract on BMT and specify what % affiliates will get (this will be based on the selling price, not on the leftover after their fees). You should do this sooner rather than later.


When Amaranth or Aldorlea advertise your game on their site, they don't send customers to your direct game link, but to the affiliate link instead. But on your own site, you link directly to the non-affiliate sales page.


When a sale is made through Amaranth or Aldorlea, BMT makes note that it's an affiliate sale and records their (Amaranth's or Aldorlea's) affiliate id against the sale. They know proceeds of that sale will go to the affiliate and the remainder to you. When a sale is made through your own site, BMT notes that it's a direct sale and the entire proceeds go to you, after their fee is taken out.


At the end of the month, you'll be told how many copies were sold directly from your own site, and how many through each affiliate. You'll also be told how much those sales were worth, how much each affiliate got (and BMT will send that money to them - you don't have to do it), and how much you end up with overall.

 

[Solo]

Got it. Awesome!  I hope we can get something great going here.

 

[Shaz]

This thread is being closed, due to being solved. If for some reason you would like this thread re-opened, please report this post and leave a message why. Thank you.