The Frugal Gamer?! wtf?

[quote name='dafoomie']There are ways around it, some kind of a user voting system where popular deals are on the front, maybe in a small area. But, that sort of defeats the purpose of having recent posts on the page. Just having the recent posts right on the front is probably good enough. Maybe videogame deals should take up the entire space above the fold, that would be better than trying to put every single little deal that comes along in the blog area.

The people that lurk contribute ad revenue. Probably more than I do since I adblock everything.[/QUOTE] Maybe some use of the digg.com software except for games only. I think I'm onto something!
 
My thoughts, Cheapy:

The deals on the main page are essntially what got me here. I saw a plug for the site in Official XBox Magazine about two years ago, and after saving literally hundreds of dollars on video games, I got sucked in. That said, I have to admit I was a lurker for a very long time, especially since all I had to do was check out the front page and go on my way.

When the deals on the front page became more scarce, I started frequenting the forums, got more involved in posting, etc. etc., and here I am. Truthfully I am here now more for the community aspect (and the CAGcast) rather than the deals. CAG has definitely evolved since I first joined, but in a good way. It now seems to me like a video game website by gamers for gamers, instead of the rigid corporate format of Gamespot or IGN.

Anyway...what all this rambling boils down to is that CAG is much more than deals now, at least for me. Maybe you should consider taking the site in a new direction. The deals would still be the highlight, of course, but a redesign is longggggggggg overdue, and I think promoting the community/contributing aspect is the way to go. I also regretfully agree with the above poster who mentioned a name change. While I love Cheap ASS Gamer and all that it stands for, I think the word "ass" just makes it too difficult to be taken seriously by retailers and other media outlets.

In conclusion, PLEASE keep making CAGcasts, and keep Wombat around for a good, long while. That's solid gold entertainment right there.
 
[quote name='PawnTakesKing']My thoughts, Cheapy:

The deals on the main page are essntially what got me here. I saw a plug for the site in Official XBox Magazine about two years ago, and after saving literally hundreds of dollars on video games, I got sucked in. That said, I have to admit I was a lurker for a very long time, especially since all I had to do was check out the front page and go on my way.

When the deals on the front page became more scarce, I started frequenting the forums, got more involved in posting, etc. etc., and here I am. Truthfully I am here now more for the community aspect (and the CAGcast) rather than the deals. CAG has definitely evolved since I first joined, but in a good way. It now seems to me like a video game website by gamers for gamers, instead of the rigid corporate format of Gamespot or IGN.

Anyway...what all this rambling boils down to is that CAG is much more than deals now, at least for me. Maybe you should consider taking the site in a new direction. The deals would still be the highlight, of course, but a redesign is longggggggggg overdue, and I think promoting the community/contributing aspect is the way to go. I also regretfully agree with the above poster who mentioned a name change. While I love Cheap ASS Gamer and all that it stands for, I think the word "ass" just makes it too difficult to be taken seriously by retailers and other media outlets.

In conclusion, PLEASE keep making CAGcasts, and keep Wombat around for a good, long while. That's solid gold entertainment right there.[/QUOTE]

I'm going to have to largely disagree... CAG is really nothing at all like other gaming websites, in fact, CAG is usually dead last on most information or it's taken off of some other website. A good majority of people here don't even venture outside of the deals forums, as posts in other forums are frequented by the same group of people over and over... I still say the deals are the strongest part, whether it's on a forum or the front page. I prefer the forum, since things get updated fast, and the front page might not always keep up.

The CAGcast's are nice I supposed, I've never listened to one, but I don't think CAG needs to be some all encompassing gaming site like IGN... that was never really its purpose.

Moving this website away from the deals in any sort of way means I'll just find a new place to go grab deals from, since I don't come here just for the video game talk... that's just a nice diversion waiting for the next big deal.

I'm not real sure that retailers take deal sites seriously anyways... I really don't think major corporations would agree with the tactics here (everyone knows Best Buy dosen't). For instance, I don't think Circuit City would be happy with everyone buying their stock early for the $9.99 sale, or Best Buy is going to be happy about everyone photocopying a $10 off coupon, or Blockbuster is happy that people have exploited their trade-in system. Most deal sites work just outside the corporate grasp, and they are better off that way.

Whether the site has ass in the name really dosen't make a difference, I think.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']I'm going to have to largely disagree... CAG is really nothing at all like other gaming websites, in fact, CAG is usually dead last on most information or it's taken off of some other website. A good majority of people here don't even venture outside of the deals forums, as posts in other forums are frequented by the same group of people over and over... I still say the deals are the strongest part, whether it's on a forum or the front page. I prefer the forum, since things get updated fast, and the front page might not always keep up.

The CAGcast's are nice I supposed, I've never listened to one, but I don't think CAG needs to be some all encompassing gaming site like IGN... that was never really its purpose.

Moving this website away from the deals in any sort of way means I'll just find a new place to go grab deals from, since I don't come here just for the video game talk... that's just a nice diversion waiting for the next big deal.

I'm not real sure that retailers take deal sites seriously anyways... I really don't think major corporations would agree with the tactics here (everyone knows Best Buy dosen't). For instance, I don't think Circuit City would be happy with everyone buying their stock early for the $9.99 sale, or Best Buy is going to be happy about everyone photocopying a $10 off coupon, or Blockbuster is happy that people have exploited their trade-in system. Most deal sites work just outside the corporate grasp, and they are better off that way.

Whether the site has ass in the name really dosen't make a difference, I think.[/QUOTE]


not to meantion CAG has a ton of lurkers. I've bumped into tons of people when either waiting outside for a store to open for a huge deal they have or even just talking to friends on campus. They say all they do is watch the deals forum and that's it... CAG is the most lurker friendly forum out there and I don't mind as long as one of the lurkers don't screw over everyone else.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']
Moving this website away from the deals in any sort of way means I'll just find a new place to go grab deals from, since I don't come here just for the video game talk... that's just a nice diversion waiting for the next big deal.
.[/QUOTE]

Indeed.

Dave
 
[quote name='RelentlessRolento']not to meantion CAG has a ton of lurkers. I've bumped into tons of people when either waiting outside for a store to open for a huge deal they have or even just talking to friends on campus. They say all they do is watch the deals forum and that's it... CAG is the most lurker friendly forum out there and I don't mind as long as one of the lurkers don't screw over everyone else.[/QUOTE]

That makes me wonder how much traffic the Deals forum gets vs. the rest of the forums. Hmm... Good question for the CAGcast!
 
[quote name='daphatty']That makes me wonder how much traffic the Deals forum gets vs. the rest of the forums. Hmm... Good question for the CAGcast![/quote]
A lot, definitely.

By comparing the viewers of each forum directly, you can see the average forum on here gets about 23 - 25 viewers, where as the "Video Game Deals" forum has over 125 viewers!

Edit: Hmm... looks like the Microsoft forum has about 116 viewers, I wonder what's happening today to get that kind of response. O__O
 
[quote name='daphatty']That makes me wonder how much traffic the Deals forum gets vs. the rest of the forums. Hmm... Good question for the CAGcast![/QUOTE]

Yes, but Roufuss doesn't listen to the cagcast, makes me wonder why we even do them
 
[quote name='Wombat']Yes, but Roufuss doesn't listen to the cagcast, makes me wonder why we even do them[/QUOTE]

Might as well take that section out where you talk about Roufuss every week, at the very least.
 
[quote name='shipwreck']Might as well take that section out where you talk about Roufuss every week, at the very least.[/QUOTE]
Eh, that just started about a month ago, so they can probably find another user to be the target without too much continuity being lost.
 
Haha, maybe a fun new thing for each Cagcast would be short bios of famous CAG members? If Cagcast is already as "niche" as some are attesting, might as well go all the way and do something wacky like that.
 
[quote name='Wombat']Yes, but Roufuss doesn't listen to the cagcast, makes me wonder why we even do them[/QUOTE]
You'll keep doing them if you want the ANTIDOTE! :twisted:
 
When non-deal content is posted on the front page, it tends to get a lot of attention from gaming blogs. Cheapy's analysis of the PSP Value pack, Best of E3 awards and rocksolidaudio's review of Gitaroo Man come to mind. Having regular editorials, interviews, or essays on gaming from Cheapy or other select forum members might help improve the content on the front page.

Also you might consider highlighting reviews from the reviews forum by running them on the front page. Many other sites have come to CAG looking for writers and reviewers for their site, so there is obviously a large pool of writers out there. If you could encourage them to post to the reviews forum, it would add something to the community.
 
[quote name='Vegan']Haha, maybe a fun new thing for each Cagcast would be short bios of famous CAG members? If Cagcast is already as "niche" as some are attesting, might as well go all the way and do something wacky like that.[/quote]No
 
[quote name='Genocidal']The increased amount of deals on the front page has definitely been noticed and appreciated, even if I'm not using em.[/quote]

Agreed, but I still can't stand it since the redesign. I just popped to see if it had changed recently :lol: :rofl:
 
[quote name='RelentlessRolento']not to meantion CAG has a ton of lurkers. I've bumped into tons of people when either waiting outside for a store to open for a huge deal they have or even just talking to friends on campus. They say all they do is watch the deals forum and that's it... CAG is the most lurker friendly forum out there and I don't mind as long as one of the lurkers don't screw over everyone else.[/quote]

Well, I know of some other really nice friendly lurker forums, but CAG I could imagine is one of the better ones. Still, I know that way too many lurkers in my area watch only for the deals and then hoard and swipe them all the fucking time now it seem for me.
 
[quote name='dafoomie']The frontpage here was never really that signifigant... Its not real practical to put a lot of deals there for two reasons. Its too much work for one person, and there are enough deals on a regular basis that it would be flooded with insignifigant or time sensitive stuff, things that are more important or ongoing (like CC) would never last.

There are ways around it, some kind of a user voting system where popular deals are on the front, maybe in a small area. But, that sort of defeats the purpose of having recent posts on the page. Just having the recent posts right on the front is probably good enough. Maybe videogame deals should take up the entire space above the fold, that would be better than trying to put every single little deal that comes along in the blog area.

The people that lurk contribute ad revenue. Probably more than I do since I adblock everything.[/quote]

No no, I think that the only deals that belong on the front page are maybe stuff like the weekly ads or deals that like you said will last, but nothing truly substantial so people can troll and then hoard. I have my fare share of hoarders now in my area. Just wet people's lips so that they will sign up and then you have another member.

Also, I guess that the vast majority of lurkers contribute more ad revenure than I do. When I don't browse CAG at a family member's house or at work or school or something, I usually have ad block. I hate to say it, but to me the ads are just too much and too much a pain on the eyes all over.

[quote name='Kayden']10 a day? That's a slow day. :lol:[/quote]


Same. I think my average currently is 17 posts a day or something like that. It used to be at 23-25 :rofl:
 
Good job updating the front page about the early DS Lites being sold , CheapyD.

CAG is getting a lot of good publicity because of it.
 
I feel like Superman in Superman II when he comes back to defeat General Zod and says to the President, "Sorry I've been away so long. I won't let you down again."
 
[quote name='CheapyD']I feel like Superman in Superman II when he comes back to defeat General Zod and says to the president, "Sorry I've been away so long. I won't let you down again."[/QUOTE]
The only thing that would make that funnier is if you had a Cheapy avatar with a cape.
 
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