Establish a DRM Free game store within GameVault?

[Alfagun74]

Idea: Append another dropdown category to the library after installations and servers, introducing the "GameVault Store" where users can browse and purchase games. Implement a seamless buying and downloading process while also providing a platform for small game developers to sell their DRM-free games with a fair rev-share.

• Introduce a new category to the Library named "GameVault Store" in the library.
• Replace the download button on the game detail page of games from the store with a buy button.
• GameVault Users can purchase games and seamlessly add them to their Phalcode Account.
• Users can download, install, and play purchased games within their locally installed games as usual.
• Establish a process for game developers, especially smaller ones, to apply for listing their DRM-free games in the GameVault Store.
• Phalcode to manually test games to ensure eligibility and establish fair deals for selling the products on our platform.
• Implement Stripe Connect to facilitate revenue splitting, ensuring developers receive their fair share from the sales.

Benefits:

• Broadened Target Audience, but selfhostability is still the USP of GameVault
• Indie-Devs can publish their game to thousands of people without any publisher bs or weird hurdles.
• Stable source of income for our company

Things to keep in mind:

• We need to think about a solution regarding logins and progress-tracking, as it is very server-centric as of now, but that will need to be reworked when implementing multi-server-connections aswell.
• The Selfhostable GameVault Server will not have anything to do with this. The GameVault Store should be a client-side implementation with an official centralized phalcode backend behind it.
• Refund policies, yada yada

What do you all think about this idea?

[techsideofficial]

Allow users to host the store, without payments, on their servers. This would be good if you want to make a de-centralized store, but they will be free to prevent payment info theft.

[Alfagun74]

Allow users to host the store, without payments, on their servers.

So... Thats literally what GameVault is right now?

This would be good if you want to make a de-centralized store

Im sorry, but i think you completely misunderstood this idea. I wan't no decentralized store. I want one centralized store where clients, no matter if they have a selfhosted server or not, can buy, download and install drm-free games from. Gamevault basically would be like GOG but with the USP of selfhostable servers for your own games.

[Toylerrr]

A couple things to think of

• Costing of the hosting of the files: Azure/AWS will cost a good amount and would have to be something that can handle large amounts of data down/up
• Vetting process: There would HAVE to be a vetting process because the 'players' are going to be trusting that Phalcode isn't distributing malware or inappropriate content.
• Profit cuts: MS store would probably want a cut of IAP depending on your contract with them as a DEV. Then there would be the cut that Phalcode would take on top of that. To keep competitive with the 'lower' user base would probably want to be lower then the 30% that Steam and EGS currently have. (this would cut into the ROI)
• Alienation of Self-hosted Community: This is currently happening with Plex people use the self-hosted side but since for Plex that isnt where the money is they have gone 'full dive' into Plex as a service. This causes a rift and lost of people have jumped ship for Jellyfin. This is just one thread and you can find more.

This could be a great Idea but it has to be executed correctly to not just be another 'game launcher'. My recommendation for making a profit from GameVault model after Plex. One time licensing (or sub but I and most hate subs) giving the user access to the newest tools and QOL addons that eventually get rolled into main and free to use. Keeping some of the better QOL additions behind the paywall.

Things that can be locked behind GV+:

• App packager: Like my applet (but better) built into the GameVault app make it package a zip with the best/optimal settings to upload to server.
• Upload from client
• Hand selected free non-DRM games that people can auto add to their self hosted instance.
• Playnite integration
• Linux/Steamdeck app: (also available via one-time license)
• Client media: trailers and extra metadata besides the basic that is currently included from RAWG.
• Big Picture
• Themes
• Servers List & Multi-Server Connection
• Uploading animated Pictures
• Cloud Saves (Ludusavi integration?)

Then like Plex the addition of non-user content can be added once the 'main' platform is worked out.

Gotta remember who the customer vs the product is, when the focus is selfhosted and client app the customer is the user and the product is Gamevault. When the focus is a marketplace to sell games the customer is the devs selling games and the product is the eyes of the user while GameVault is the means of selling.

This is not me trying to say don't do it, its me saying id hate to see a good project get pushed aside then forgotten.

[techsideofficial]

Allow users to host the store, without payments, on their servers.

So... Thats literally what GameVault is right now?

This would be good if you want to make a de-centralized store

Im sorry, but i think you completely misunderstood this idea. I wan't no decentralized store. I want one centralized store where clients, no matter if they have a selfhosted server or not, can buy, download and install drm-free games from. Gamevault basically would be like GOG but with the USP of selfhostable servers for your own games.

I mean a store, not just everything in your library.

[Alfagun74]

@techsideofficial I honestly don't get what you mean, where should some user selfhosting gamevault get the games from to distribute via store? How should we as a company profit from this and why should users bother?