$100K and rising!

[ffutures]

Here's the latest from DrivethruRPG on the Haiti relief package - it's already out of date since the current figure is over $100,000! I've bolded the bits that you should know if you're thinking of buying it.

I have to add that all of this has cheered me immensely because (a) it shows just how generous gamers can be and (b) it means that there are still enough RPG fans out there to raise such a staggering amount - I think that some may have added more money on top of the bundle, but even assuming an average of $25 that's at least 4,000 gamers participating, and probably a hell of a lot more that haven't so far.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

In an effort to hurriedly engage publishers and fans in a charitable relief action for the people of Haiti and the Dominican Republic (following the earthquake that devastated the region), DriveThruRPG put together the single most amazing bundle of products ever seen in the RPG hobby's history. For a $20 donation, fans are given over $1500.00 in RPG books, music, and more.

It killed their servers within hours of going live.

As one fan put it, "I've never been happier to get an error message." The generosity has been utterly overwhelming, and the collective patience of the customer base has been greatly appreciated by the folks at DriveThruRPG.

"It is an embarrassment of riches of the highest order," said Sean Patrick Fannon, Marketing & Communications Manager. "We simply had no idea how huge this would get, and how quickly it would become a massive sensation throughout the gaming world. I've never been more proud of my community or my job."

In order to resolve the server issues, DriveThru employed a "coupon solution" that enabled customers to gain a code that would let them select each of the products in the original bundle for free download. With well over a hundred products, however, this became a tedious and frustrating process, and the customers rightfully complained.

As of now, a new coding has been employed, and now customers are getting all of the products that go with the bundles automatically added to their download lists. The folks at DriveThruRPG care immensely for their customers, wanting the experience to be as easy and enjoyable as possible. While the main focus is to get help to Haiti, DriveThru also wants to leave a positive and lasting impression on everyone who comes to the site.

As of this press release, DriveThruRPG has collected well over $56,000, which will be going to Doctors Without Borders for their efforts in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The "Gamers Help Haiti $20 Mega Bundle" will be available until January 31st. Other relief efforts may continue as needed.

So far I've only downloaded one item from the bundle, the Serenity RPG - I simply haven't had the time to look at the description for every item yet, but there are several other complete RPGs and a shedload of supplements, things like a cutout paper tunnelling machine kit for Victorian settings and cutout figures, etc. etc.

Comments

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

I assume once you've bought it you have as long as you want to download everything?

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

That's right - they're added to your list of purchases, any of which can be downloaded at any time.

[slrose.livejournal.com]

I've been downloading the stuff slowly but steadily over the last three days. I will soon come to the end of the stuff I put in my cart for the coupon. (Which was something like $1100, I may have missed stuff.) It's well over two gigabytes of stuff.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

You don't have to use the coupons any more, it all gets added to your purchases automatically.

[slrose.livejournal.com]

I know that, but I'd already started downloading and didn't want to lose my place on the list, since I'd done that by publisher.

As it is, I finished downloading, and when I unzipped the zip files I found one that hadn't finished so I re-downloaded it.

Of course, actually finding time to look at the files will take a lot longer; I'm home sick so I expect to look at a dozen or so today. (I already had all the FF files, so Diana, Warrior Princess will not be one of them.)

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Diana... isn't a Forgotten Futures supplement - it's a separate RPG.

[slrose.livejournal.com]

True enough. I was just lumping everything you'd done in as FF files.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Isn't that brilliant?

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

It's pretty good news, I think.

[robertprior.livejournal.com]

Servers crashed again tonight (or at least they're so overloaded that I can't establish a connection).

I've already downloaded the bulk of what I wanted (including the electronic copy of Diana to go with the paper copy I bought years ago). Now I'm just filling in the cracks…

We raised over $9000 at my school in less than a week.