Chrono.gg has advertised itself through content creators and influencers for a long time, I personally discovered it through Nerdcubed. But I believe that Chrono Creator is a step in the wrong direction. This is blatantly an attempt for more money without improving the product for the consumer, it is designed to drain the wallets of the exact same “whales” that games with microtransactions target. While I disagree with several Fortnite and Epic Games practices, Fortnite is a perfect example of how a creator system can best be pulled off. The content creators are already producing content involving it, and the creator system simply exists to better reward the people drawing in business. Chrono.gg’s Creator Stores do not serve this same purpose. They are using Creator Stores to create business, not reward content creators, and this is not a positive change for people not involved with the influencers. I will most likely buying from chrono.gg after this change, I clearly do not fit within their target audience anymore.
hm, a business creating more business = wrong ???
their target audience hasn’t changed; it’s gamers willing to buy games. Whether you want to exclude yrself from that demographic is yr prerogative.
I don’t see what the point of this thread is honestly.
I haven’t fully been following all the information about the Chrono Creator stores but I don’t quite understand your point here.
I don’t believe the current system for the main chrono.gg site referal is going away and I am not sure I follow your sentiments about it being anti consumer. This allows the creators to sell keys for games related to them and their content, and it allows followers to purchase keys via the creator. This means the users get a game they were possibly considering buying because of the creators content and are supporting the creator at the same time rather than just getting the game from steam (I assume the creator gets some percentage of the sales from their store) and possibly getting a discount for the user along the way.
So I am not sure how you are saying it doesn’t help reward creators as I feel it is actually doing the opposite, it allows them to sell keys more focused on the creators content and allows the creator to get some of the money generated by the sales just like the chrono referral link. Also I think this sort of site will work out better for youtube content creators as it would have been a bit harder to get content out for the daily sales recommending a game meaning people would have had to watch the video within the 24 hrs the game was up on sale on the main chrono.gg site.
This I just don’t get at all really, maybe if you could elaborate how this is I would understand but its simply people selling game keys, just like Steam or any other reputable key selling site. It’s nothing like a micro transaction in any way and its not supporting a whale culture, they not asking for repeat transactions for the same consumable or something that gives you an advantage in something in any way, its a game key for a price. I honestly cant even articulate this point very easily as I am finding it hard to make comparisons in any way between these two systems.
i’m curious about this thought, how so?
the way i’m reading it is Content creators get a share of things like their own store’s game sales, (because they are “driving” attention to them), a share that they would otherwise not get. And now has the potential offer to set up more than just the daily deal = more games to direct to and more shared revenue to be had ?
or am i missing something?
@lonin @cassgann something you can expand on/clarify if people are taking this new step the wrong way?
Yah i dont really see anything wrong with it, the way I look at it, its a way for people to support people they like and also get games out of it.
I am a bit confused here. If you aren’t involved with the creator stores, the original chrono.gg still exists so I’m not sure how that would negatively impact anyone’s experience if they wouldn’t be using the creator stores anyway (since they are completely optional to use both from the content creator and consumer side). I’m also not sure how this would target “whales?” Could you elaborate further? I just don’t think I’m quite understanding what exactly you may be taking issue with since the term whales is largely associated with buyers for games that are heavy with micro-transactions.
I think this stems from a misunderstanding of how they work and is maybe your base issue with this. The content creators are rewarded for this. The content creators can choose the games as well as the look of the store and do receive a cut of the sales along with Chrono.gg. Both parties are rewarded and the consumer that wants a way to support their favorite content creator can also buy from their creator’s store to support them that way.
The creator stores aren’t replacing the existing daily 24 hour deal Chrono store or the current “supporting” system which is similar to the one that Fortnite uses. If you choose not to use it, there’s nothing wrong with that. 100% optional and from a consumer perspective, nothing was lost by choosing to participate or not participate in supporting a content creator.
HOW DO CREATORS EARN MONEY ON THE EPIC GAMES STORE?
Fans declare their support for a Creator by entering the Creator’s Tag during the checkout flow, or by clicking on a Creator’s link and completing a purchase on the Epic Games store.
I’d also take a minute to look at it from a content creator’s perspective as well. It’s a lot of work to set up a games store so if someone were to approach you and say that they could essentially have something somewhat similar to a build-your-own site for games that they pick, I think a lot of creators would be on board.
At worst, nothing changes for someone that doesn’t support any content creators, at best the customer is able to support their favorite content creators for the games that they recommend.
Thanks for posting your perspective. I’d love to see a follow up. 
The way I see it, Creator Stores basically mean there’s a much greater chance of getting a deal on a game I actually want to play. Don’t get me wrong, the one-a-day sales (sometimes less than that) is a neat innovation that brings a lot of attention, but it also means lots of days where I have no interest in the game in question.
Like Humble’s own Store, it means I get to benefit a content creator for a game I was probably going to buy anyway. The difference is the outlandish percentage. I mean, up to 20%? I know that’s just an ideal/maximum, but still, that’s a huge increase from what Humble partners would typically expect to my knowledge.
So, I can either go to the Humble Store, the Steam store, or a store that happens to benefit a Twitch/YT content creator (iNfLuEncEr if you’re feeling extra cringy) that I happen to enjoy.
From what I understand, it also means said curators can put together lists of the games they recommend. If Civvie 11 happened to be a Chrono partner and have a store decked out with classic FPS titles and personal favorites, well, I feel like the value in that would speak for itself.
Anyway, that’s my hot take on the matter.
I think everyone is confused by the original post, myself most of all…I feel like Chrono devs launched the beta system in the slowest, most controlled, and most cautious manner possible to avoid any controversy.
Nothing but respect for another way to drive traffic through proper channels while rewarding the content creators that truly hustle. That hustle includes constantly creating new videos, streaming, partnering (like with Chrono), and now building these affiliate sites. I am curious about the split (both baseline and negotiated) as I want the game developers first and foremost to benefit from increased sales, plus the content creators to get their due for driving the new traffic, and of course Chrono deserves a portion of the pie for supplementing the process by providing an easy-to-use framework and interface.
From a purely business standpoint, I feel content creators deserve the publishing slice of the pie because a chunk of modern gamers never bother or see traditional TV ads, game trailers, or promotional media. Because the entire purpose of a marketing budget is to drive sales, the costs can range widely – but newer content creators have innovated the low cost method of selling their time and gameplay style. I still don’t think it replaces traditional media (Electronic Arts spent $1,162,000,000 last year on selling and marketing games), but it is growing the pie by helping gamers find games they want to play that they would not have bought if the content creator had not drawn their attention to the game.
Reading everything, I think we can conclude that the OP constructed a vicious business model in their mind somehow.
Maybe their fears will be alleviated if we get a visual diagram of how the creator store benefits consumers and creators?
Or could we get a link to an already established creator store for us to look at. So we can see how a creator’s store appears to a customer. I’ll see if I can search for one…
EDIT: Well, I couldn’t find one. But I found a mention on reddit calling it an affiliate store. Which I don’t exactly disagree with until I see a real sample creator store.
r u serious? then what are these supposed to be?
and u can get some more details on particular benefits for both the store owners (content creators or perhaps anyone who’s willing to do it) and the consumers here too:
r u serious?
WOW WHAT AND 3P!C WORD
DABS
Whilst I don’t think any of OP’s concerns are valid, I do agree that the idea of Creator Stores turns the nose up of a portion of Chrono’s audience. These sorts of influencers have particular demographics, and as someone who falls outside of those groups (as I’d expect would most of the regular forum users) the move towards allying with social media starlets has little appeal. Of course it’s understandable as a form of promotion and to carve a place in the digital storefront arena, and probably a much cheaper and guaranteed result related method of increasing market penetration. Plus it would probably enable the ability to negotiate better deals on games.
However, if Chrono is going the storefront route, if consumers choose not to support those influencers does that mean we get games cheaper and have the influencer cut removed from our price? At the end of the day the cheapest price is going to hold the most appeal.
i really, really, don’t think it looks like does anything close to that
each creator gets their own store, “separate” from chrono, unrelated to the daily deal
i think the best example is to look at the creator stores already set up
it’s not about diverting, taking away from, or diminishing anything from the regular chrono audience and chrono deals, but having a creator’s “own” game store/for their audience, that is otherwise not really possible, beyond bland “catch all” patnerships like gog or humble etc.
say you’re a creator doing a lot of the same content, ex Lobos, so his store might be very soulsborne stocked(provided chrono could arrange it with Bandai)
^unrelated to the chrono store, lobos could then frequently plug his link/store for fans, more so when if they get the select discounts mentioned, or just if fans would rather buy a game, supporting their creator, instead of sending the cut to whatever store they might else buy it from, Steam, gmg, fanatical etc
aside from a potential more “constant” stream of revenue share, it also means not bound by the daily deal, like for people that only plug their chrono daily link for specific dailies with games they were willing to vouch for.
if you notice each creator store has their “own” games, they don’t just share whatever games, they are specifically promoting these games, probably somewhat related to their content. So it’s not really taking away from anything “regular” nor diluting anything if it were just the same XXXgames catalogue they all shared but just with an unique affiliate link -like with gog/humble, it’s more targeted and custom, and supposedly a potential better share, “win win for all”
Yeah, it’s just a glorified referral system for a bigger store front without diluting the central Chrono USP, but just the stronger connection with influencers…well, I suppose as an older gamer it’s a direction that whilst I understand doesn’t appeal to me at all. If for instance I’d like to support someone who earns money from what I’d regard as a dream job, I’d sign up to their patreon and support their content, then look for somewhere to get my games cheap.
why not do both tho?
what benefit do you get of buying a game 75% off on steam/X, -sending 30% to valve/x
vs buying the same game at 75% off, but having, say 6%, go to your favoured creator while the store settles for a 24% cut?
the price, discount is the same, the difference is the cut allocation and getting what you want while tossing an extra/diff support at your creator
the only ones losing out on this, are stores that don’t wish to share with the creators, (whom these days might be the major driving force of some sales), because those stores don’t get “their” cut because it’s bought in a diff store that do support more than just themselves
i’m having a really hard time understanding any downside to this, for any party, store(chrono), creator, or fan/viewer 
(as with any affiliate link/partnership, i don’t think these are really intended for the truly frugal, but more the "spur of the moment"type purchasers, where the "all time low"price isn’t the most significant factor, but if you “settle” for an X price/discount on your avg games already, why not do it the place where it potentially benefits someone you might enjoy)
it might also be a way of support, not just for those just looking for “more”, in case was already say subbed to twitch, patreon, bought all the merch, etc, now an extra avenue for those diehard fans;
but also to those that either can’t afford/unwilling to do a fixed support/sub, but can still use it to toss a random coin at them while getting something(game) in return.
Instead of spending 2$ on bits, that they might not(ie no “sale”), now because they get something they want in return, well they managed to support their creator slightly anyway/ease their conscience by tossing them a few % of the sale in this quid pro quo
^seems like there’d be potential plenty of varying “fan demographics” to be able to reach with this setup/option -with mostly just valve “losing out”(on those few/specific sales)
I think I understand where @xist is coming from. I think you’re getting hung up on the functionality of it. How I see it, it’s more of how it’s perceived. So the appearance of what it is rather than what it actually is.
my point being, i don’t even get how people see that appearance, like, what am i “missing” to get that pov some seem to have?
are we looking at/reading completely diff things? 
like to me it seems either i am missing something fundamental to reach that view, or people are not deciphering the page in the same way/as intended in order to get one side of the perspective in said “stark” contrast
-which means if i am reading it wrong, and it’s “a bad thing”, then that would suck. Or the page needs better clarification, to not make chrono store customers get such glaring negative perception of it/misunderstanding
For me it looks really simple, at least how I understand it. Watch/like/enjoy a certain content creator and like his game choices - get a discounted game he plays / enjoys and get rocking it. He will get a cut from the sale while chrono get a cut by organizing the deal on his behalf and everyone can only be happy about it.
I’m pretty sure you don’t even need to watch nor care about the content creator … if you need his discount … why not use it? I don’t see what’s the issue as well. And if he plays those games regularly… why not just check his content while you are at it? No downsides 
I’ll go from personal view here.
I don’t watch Twitch streamers (or youtube…“influencers”?) on the regular. In fact, it’s rather rare. When I buy games, generally it’s because either it has lots of good Steam reviews, or it’s a game similar to one that I’ve enjoyed in the past.
I’ve already noticed that Chrono has Twitch streams on the page of the daily deal. Don’t get me wrong, I think this is okay. My only gripe is they autoplay -.-. But seeing Creator Stores pop up, my first thought goes to: “is this something Twitch related? it looks like it.”
Since I don’t really watch Twitch, and don’t have an urge to, I start wondering a few questions:
How are they going to promote this?
Is this going to be pushed at me?
How is this going to affect the future of Chrono?
So even though it says it won’t really affect anything, I could see people thinking “Is this going to change/affect what I like about Chrono?”
I guess the other thing I should point out, which I learned very well in college:
People DON’T read!
So it may say it won’t affect Chrono’s normal operation, but people might see it as the new “norm” without looking into it.
Some may be concerned that Chrono is going to become another “twitch outreach” site.
I’ve seen two Tech youtubers that I used to watch go down the clickbait title path (one even said they weren’t going to do that)… and it saddens me. I’ve had a mobile game that I have played for over 5 years start changing and removing the core gameplay that I used to enjoy from the game. So I’m slightly concerned on the roadmap for Chrono as they are implementing stuff that I most likely won’t use. (I actually read up on Creator Stores, I don’t have a problem with them, but the concern of the future is still there)
@onLooSe Yes, when you look into how it actually functions, yes, it’s that simple. I’m trying to go for the guy that sees “Creator Stores” and makes their own opinion without reading literally anything about it.
TBH, the main reason I don’t watch Twitch streamers (or youtubers) is the annoy me most the time. (discussion for a different topic I think)