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Establish a DRM Free game store within GameVault? #85

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Establish a DRM Free game store within GameVault?#85
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❓ questionFurther information is requested🤑 monetizedThis feature will cost money

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@Alfagun74
Alfagun74
opened on Jan 6, 2024

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?

Activity

  1. Alfagun74
    added this to GameVault: Public Roadmapon Jan 6, 2024
  2. Alfagun74
    converted this from a draft issue on Jan 6, 2024
  3. Alfagun74
    added
    ❓ questionFurther information is requested
    on Jan 6, 2024
  4. Alfagun74
    changed the title [-]Establish a Game Marketplace on GameVault?[/-] [+]Establish a Game Strore on GameVault?[/+] on Jan 6, 2024
  5. Alfagun74
    changed the title [-]Establish a Game Strore on GameVault?[/-] [+]Establish a Game Store on GameVault?[/+] on Jan 6, 2024
  6. Alfagun74
    changed the title [-]Establish a Game Store on GameVault?[/-] [+]Establish a DRM Free game store using GameVault?[/+] on Jan 6, 2024
  7. Alfagun74
    changed the title [-]Establish a DRM Free game store using GameVault?[/-] [+]Establish a DRM Free game store within GameVault?[/+] on Jan 6, 2024

  8. Animakura commented on Jan 6, 2024

    @Animakura
    Animakura
    on Jan 6, 2024

    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.

  9. Alfagun74 commented on Jan 6, 2024

    @Alfagun74
    Alfagun74
    on Jan 6, 2024
    ContributorAuthor

    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.

  10. Alfagun74
    moved this from 📃 New Issues to 🔮 Maybe in the Future in GameVault: Public Roadmapon Jan 7, 2024

  11. Toylerrr commented on Jan 8, 2024

    @Toylerrr
    Toylerrr
    on Jan 8, 2024

    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.

  12. Animakura commented on Jan 15, 2024

    @Animakura
    Animakura
    on Jan 15, 2024

    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.

  13. Alfagun74
    added
    🤑 monetizedThis feature will cost money
    on Jan 15, 2024

  14. Alfagun74 commented on Jan 15, 2024

    @Alfagun74
    Alfagun74
    on Jan 15, 2024
    ContributorAuthor

    @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?

  15. MobileManiC commented on Mar 2, 2025

    @MobileManiC
    MobileManiC
    on Mar 2, 2025

    It does not make any sense for users to host a store, that does not fit to GV concept afaik.

    What would make sense is original idea of this topic that Phalcode would host a store that will allow users to obtain new games for their library an easy way.... if I understand the original idea properly :-) It would also allow Phalcode to get some additional income source to improve long-term sustainability of this project.

  16. Sixdd6 commented on Mar 2, 2025

    @Sixdd6
    Sixdd6
    on Mar 2, 2025

    Deleted my comment as I clearly missed the point.

  17. Alfagun74
    transferred this issue fromPhalcode/gamevault-appon Nov 6, 2026
  18. Alfagun74
    added this to GameVault: Public Roadmapon Nov 6, 2026
  19. github-project-automation
    moved this to 📃 New Issues in GameVault: Public Roadmapon Nov 6, 2026

  20. Alfagun74 commented on Nov 6, 2026

    @Alfagun74
    Alfagun74
    on Nov 6, 2026
    ContributorAuthor

    Migrated from Phalcode/gamevault-app (was #330) as part of the GameVault 2 release. GV1 is feature complete, so the remaining backlog moves here and gets re-checked against the new frontend.

  21. Animakura commented on Nov 6, 2026

    @Animakura
    Animakura
    on Nov 6, 2026

    Why did I just get randomly notified about this lol

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