Dark Force Entertainment Discussion Thread

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by miribeau

He was an amateur wrestler, not a pro wrestler.

I can see why I was confused since every site that references DeFalco mentions him as a "former professional wrestler".

Originally Posted by miribeau

3) They are absolutely encouraging scalpers. A hard limit of 2 per customer is the only solution to this problem. Unfortunately, that means actually placing a hard limit of 2. People might revolt.

We all know that is complete horse shit... who would revolt, the scalpers? Technically, no one needs more than one. Just give everyone an opportunity to purchase the titles they'd like when it comes to limited releases.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by TripleHBK

Just make sure you stay away from those Parlors in Florida... they've got a list of names and no one wants to see "The Great Owl" amongst them.

No worries.

“The Great Owl” is a very common name.

[Dark Force]

Originally Posted by whedon

there is nothing about him being a wrestler beyond him saying so, only google results are reviews of his films saying it. I'm not crying at all just pointing out the double standard. df threatens violence and its fine, imply he's tacky and that's a no no. As for failed, at this stage df is a CR reseller that is closed more than it's open, hardly a story of success.

A couple of people close to Bill actually reached out to me, on here and elsewhere to say that they feel he is being taken advantage. It's shitty its got to the point where df is using the fact that Bill could die to drum up business but if that's success to you then it says a lot.

Actually Whedon you're wrong again. I never claimed nor said anywhere that I was a pro wrestler and don't believe everything you read on the internet. That bullshit all got started right after Chaos when I started seriously getting into bodybuilding and was hanging out with real pro wrestlers like Rob Van Dam and Batista. Apparently the press and the internet thought because I looked like a pro wrestler than that's what I was. But what I have done my entire life being from Boston is real fighting. I started with Karate classes like every kid at the age of 13 and have been boxing now for almost 15 years along with various other styles of MMA. I've been involved with a lot of very tough crowds including pro wrestlers, pro MMA fighter, Hell's Angels and other motorcycle gangs...etc. The bluray movie collector crowd by far being the tamest. Any one of them talking to those guys the way some of them talk to me on here would really get a first hand look at what real violence and brutality is cause they have no idea other than maybe what they see on watching movies like Chaos.

[Dark Force]

Originally Posted by mja345

You're an absolute clown. They're selling a product and making it difficult to buy to create artificial scarcity. It's completely clear what they're doing. Let's put aside Bill's health, which is a separate discussion, and discuss how insanely scummy this business model is.

Artificial scarcity??? Why don't you come down here then and pack the hundreds of orders we got in under an hour and then tell me to my face we're creating artificial scarcity clown.

[DaveyJoe]

[mja345]

Originally Posted by Dark Force

Artificial scarcity??? Why don't you come down here then and pack the hundreds of orders we got in under an hour and then tell me to my face we're creating artificial scarcity clown.

Why don't you put the product up like a normal business, my man? The clowns here are the people that are making you look bad. You should tell Ruined and Miribeau to take it easy because they're hurting you. There's nothing to be gained from those two court jesters.

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by Dark Force

Artificial scarcity??? Why don't you come down here then and pack the hundreds of orders we got in under an hour and then tell me to my face we're creating artificial scarcity clown.

Dave, only offering a fraction of the total quantity available for sale and then taking the site down for long periods (the majority) of time does create a sense of scarcity for folks. It also enables and encourages the scalpers because they can then claim that customers can't get it anywhere else (which is true at that given time because your site would be down and quantity isn't available) and that it's sold out (which is a misrepresentation). And when this cycle repeats itself it only encourages them even more.

I don't think anyone doubts that you received a lot of orders, but I'm sure your customers would still prefer that the full quantity be made available and that the site stays up permanently. I don't think many would complain if it took you a month to fulfill all orders if you received hundreds to thousands of orders during a short period of time. People just want to know that they secured a copy of said title (whatever that may be) and to be able to order without it being such a difficult process.

[Blu Titan]

Please make your points without insulting or “attacking” other members. I am not about to read pages worth of this debacle now. However, members that attack other members will be suspended. Thanks.

[Blu Titan]

I am not here to defend DF or it’s business practices. However why is everyone jumping on him now? He is only doing what Bill has done since day one...creating demand and discussion by controlling supply. It’s the SAME story.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I am not here to defend DF or it’s business practices. However why is everyone jumping on him now? He is only doing what Bill has done since day one...creating demand and discussion by controlling supply. It’s the SAME story.

I have the same question. If you go back to like page 6 of this thread and read forwards it really looks like some people have an ongoing grudge with Dark Force and or plain don't like DeFalco due to his personality traits / history / appearance.

Not everyone but a handful that keep igniting negativity whenever and wherever possible.

The fact also remains, DeFalco may want to run Dark Force as a micro label that he runs in addition to his full time job. He may not want it to be a massive thing like some of the other labels. And if that's the case he's not going to have the staff to handle more than a few hundred orders a week.

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I am not here to defend DF or it’s business practices. However why is everyone jumping on him now? He is only doing what Bill has done since day one...creating demand and discussion by controlling supply. It’s the SAME story.

Blu, I think most people disliked Bill's practices too, but the difference was that you could also purchase most of the releases from at least one other store (i.e. Ronin, Diabolik, SAE, etc.). The limited DF store hours only began with the new Big Commerce store, I don't recall Dark Force getting nearly the backlash when his Big Cartel store was almost always open.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

Blu, I think most people disliked Bill's practices too, but the difference was that you could also purchase most of the releases from at least one other store (i.e. Ronin, Diabolik, SAE, etc.). The limited DF store hours only began with the new Big Commerce store, I don't recall Dark Force getting nearly the backlash when his Big Cartel store was almost always open.

Thats very simply because the sales of SWOAN have exponentially blown away everything else DF has ever sold. We are just seeing this now because it's DFs first super fast selling title.

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by Ruined

Thats very simply because the sales of SWOAN have exponentially blown away everything else DF has ever sold. We are just seeing this now because it's DFs first super fast selling title.

Name another new release where the store was previous down for a long period of time prior to being offered and then limiting the quantity to 200.

We already know that halloweentreats and the_californiakid received over a hundred copies of SOAWN between the both of them.

[AKNewbie]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I am not here to defend DF or it’s business practices. However why is everyone jumping on him now? He is only doing what Bill has done since day one...creating demand and discussion by controlling supply. It’s the SAME story.

With all due respect:
This was Bill's model sans advertising/promotion (and also that it wasn't a monopoly). We always told Bill he could sell more than 300 if he would promote his products. DF has done this and look at the response. The controlled supply chain doesn't work with the promotion model, it only frustrates his longtime supporters.

EDIT: In case anyone has forgotten, CR exclusives (from Diabolik, Ronin, SAE) were also available from Bill (when his store was open). To my knowledge, the only alternative to the DF superstore is ebay.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

Name another new release where the store was previous down for a long period of time prior to being offered and then limiting the quantity to 200.

We already know that halloweentreats and the_californiakid received over a hundred copies of SOAWN between the both of them.

The Carrier started out limited to 200 copies also. That one didn't sell good for obvious reasons. The store goes down when DF reaches it's current shipping capacity or is restocking.

Those other sellers may be dealing on the side with Bill, not necessarily DF. There was a seller a while back called Halloween Products or something that Bill sold a whole bunch of Cavegirl to long after it went OOP. Historically Bill has sold stuff on the side to third party sellers (ie the exterminator) for Amazon/eBay.

[s7e]

I own 166 Code Red blurays. I've never had an issue buying a single one of them, even with a lot of them being retailer exclusive or from Bill (also has a store that isn't open 24/7). I had plenty of time to purchase even titles such as Necromancy. I have purchased from DF once before with a mostly good experience (gave me a deal on a few titles, however one had a crushed case and damaged art). But this marketing stuff is too much. He basically exposed Bill for his own promotion. Even Bill managed to ship out orders and he doesn't have 25 years of MMA training and a perfectly chiseled Greek god body like our savior DF. If you can't handle the demand, how about give the product to a retailer that can. Also seems weird there are lots of resellers flipping numerous copies on ebay. Something just isn't right with all this, and I don't believe it for a second. I'd take old Bill and his complaining any day over this. I like supporting smaller companies that release solid products. Bill may have threatened me a few times, but at least I was able to purchase titles from him and support his label, even if he wasn't fully appreciative of it. DF comes along and this marketing shit is making it so I can't support Code Red products.

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by AKNewbie

With all due respect:
This was Bill's model sans advertising/promotion (and also that it wasn't a monopoly). We always told Bill he could sell more than 300 if he would promote his products. DF has done this and look at the response. The controlled supply chain doesn't work with the promotion model, it only frustrates his longtime supporters.

I don’t agree with the method at all! All I am saying is that DF “learned” this from Bill. No doubt, David is more disciplined and has “improved” on Bill’s tactics. However, Bill has always tried to control demand by limiting supply. Complaints = a title getting pulled only to be offered at a higher price later.

[Ruined]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I don’t agree with the method at all! All I am saying is that DF “learned” this from Bill. No doubt, David is more disciplined and has “improved” on Bill’s tactics. However, Bill has always tried to control demand by limiting supply. Complaints = a title getting pulled only to be offered at a higher price later.

If Dave wants to IMO he has enough eyes on his label now to take it to the next level, with a full-time staff etc. Not sure he wants that though.

[AKNewbie]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I don’t agree with the method at all! All I am saying is that DF “learned” this from Bill. No doubt, David is more disciplined and has “improved” on Bill’s tactics. However, Bill has always tried to control demand by limiting supply. Complaints = a title getting pulled only to be offered at a higher price later.

There is no arguing with that. Spot on.

[horroru]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I am not here to defend DF or it’s business practices. However why is everyone jumping on him now? He is only doing what Bill has done since day one...creating demand and discussion by controlling supply. It’s the SAME story.

You're right Titan, and that's why I won't pick up a title through their site.
I've always had great service and no games from Ronin Flix, Severin, Mondo Macabro, or just going through Diabolik.
If some consumers like a supplier who "creat(es) demand and discussion by controlling supply" then awesome, enjoy the ride. I'd rather deal with a label that tells their loyal customers when a release is going on sale, what the price is (no floating prices), and that has a professional online store that is open 24/7 like a normal website.

Originally Posted by gbm82

"Most manipulative individuals have four common characteristics:

They know how to detect your weaknesses.
Once found, they use your weaknesses against you.
Through their shrewd machinations, they convince you to give up something of yourself in order to serve their self-centered interests.
In work, social, and family situations, once a manipulator succeeds in taking advantage of you, he or she will likely repeat the violation until you put a stop to the exploitation."
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/b...-relationships

I feel this way as well, that DF is manipulating their customers rather than just offering their product for sale, and that kind of marketing is a turn off for me. Also the large amounts that the 2 scalpers are selling on ebay is very suspect, less said about that the better.
Again, if that's your thing and you like this approach then cool, support them.
If not though, you can't post a complaint here and then a day later post how you got your copy of SOAWN - if you bought a copy, you are supporting their marketing model.
Just my thoughts, not sure how many agree with me, but if the faithful DF supporters here want to get excited about their releases and post Facebook updates and whatever, that's their right. If they think this kind of marketing is fun and exciting, good for them.
I personally find it disingenuous and so I won't reward/support it until it changes.