A field guide to ad-free distribution platforms — Online Video News

<blockquote class='posterous_long_quote'><p><strong>UPDATED:</strong> As major content providers and independent creators alike experiment with various new ways of making money off web video, a number of new sites are popping up, rejecting the idea of ad-supported business models. Nothing is ever free, though: To make up for the lack of ads, all of these services include some form of direct payment to the platform, which is then split with the content creator. In exchange, these companies provide viewers with premium viewing experiences and exclusive content, and provide creators with direct monetization of their work. How do these companies match up? Find out below.</p> <h2>Distrify</h2> <p><strong>Founders:</strong> Peter Gerard (CEO) and Andy Green<br /> <strong>Founded:</strong> June 2011 (soft launch)<br /> <strong>Content it hosts:</strong> Primarily feature-length films, though there are plans available for short films and web series<br /> <strong>Can any creator use it?</strong> Yes.<br /> <strong>What the creator gets:</strong> 70 percent of every sale. If anyone registered as an affiliate shares a film, however, they receive 10 percent of the revenue for all sales made from that location, which Distrify and the creator split equally. The first film you upload to Distrify is free — uploading subsequent films costs $3.17 per month per film.<br /> <strong>What it costs the viewer:</strong> Creators set their own pricing.<br /> <strong>What makes it different?</strong> According to international business manager Stephen Green via email, “Distrify puts rights holders in complete control… You can sell films on our platform, and use our technology to build your own platform. Our affiliate scheme incentivizes sharing, so your platform is not just a destination, it’s a launchpad for the viral distribution of your films. We have placed a payment gateway within the Player, and by aligning the point of discovery with the point of sale, a film-lover doesn’t have to leave that site to buy or watch the film. It’s quite simply the easiest way to watch a film.”</p></blockquote>

excerpt! full post by Liz Shannon Miller here:

http://gigaom.com/video/a-field-guide-to-ad-free-distribution-platforms/#

Dying Boy Gets His Own Personal Virtual Wonderland Built by a Game Community in Just Four Days

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This will make you cry (at least a little bit - grazie Gary Hayes for catching):

By Kate Cox:

"Long-time Everquest II player Carri Hoover has a son not quite as old as the game is. Sadly, however, six-year-old John Hoover is terminally ill, with doctors estimating he has only weeks left to live.

Last Tuesday, March 6, she posted a request to the "Norrathian Homeshow" board on the official forums, a place where players who enjoy decorating their in-game houses and guild halls compare notes. She wrote:

This is a depressing post but I need some help. My 6 yr old son has cancer and was recently given 6 - 12 weeks to live.

He has a frog that he likes to run around Tenebrous Tangle Island on; however, it is sparse and he has requested to add trees, fences, stairs, animals and all kinds of other items to make his island fun and exciting.

Are there any decorators out there that would be willing to assist in adding these items (and any others their imagination poses) to help me make the island even more fun for him. I don't know how much I'll be able to accomplish on my own while still providing him quality time to enjoy it.

Fewer than 12 hours later, a team of players had already begun to get materials and systems in place so that players who wished to contribute their real time or virtual money and goods could do so easily. And by the end of the day, Hoover's request had become a rallying point, with players taking it upon themselves to schedule and advertise a server event for Saturday, March 10...."

At Weyland Industries, we’re in the business of Building Better Worlds

Nice...

"ABOUT WEYLAND CORP.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF BUILDING BETTER WORLDS.

At Weyland Industries we apply science, technology and our unparalleled global network of resources to the pursuit of Building Better Worlds.

Everyday Weyland biologists, military scientists, chemical engineers, geologists, mechanics, pilots and more work across our solar system to advance human interests and life. As they labor, new planets, natural resources, industries, modes of transportation, and medical advancements emerge and evolve before our eyes.

As the largest company on the planet we have taken it upon ourself to constantly explore, expand, and discover what lies beyond our own heavens.

50 years ago our founder Sir Peter Weyland set out to change the world. Now, the company he created so many years ago works tirelessly with the same unlimited ambition to improve the world he changed.

Worlds have risen and worlds have fallen. That’s why at Weyland Industries we’re in the business of Building Better Worlds."