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Tesla now accepts Dogecoin payments for some of its merch
Tesla is allowing customers to buy select merchandise items using Dogecoin, according to the website and a tweet from CEO Elon Musk
Instagram will let creators sell their products in the app
Instagram will soon let creators sell merchandise directly in the app.
YouTube offers tiered membership levels to boost creators’ revenue
Last year, YouTube took to the VidCon stage to share new ways creators could make money. This year, YouTube returned with updates to those programs. For starters, it's adding new Channel Membership levels. Since last year, fans have been able to pay a monthly fee of $4.99 in exchange for added membership perks like exclusive live streams, extra videos and shoutouts. Now, creators can set up to five different price points and offer varying perks at each tier. According to YouTube, when Fine Brothers Entertainment tested offering multiple levels, the company's membership revenue increased sixfold.
Patreon’s 3 million supporters are good news for independent creators
Patreon has had one clear goal since it launched in 2013: to help artists, influencers and internet creators make money by letting them offer membership services directly to their fans. And that effort seems to be paying off. Today, Patreon announced there are now over three million people supporting creators on its site, of which there are more than 100,000 to date. What's also notable is that the company was able to accomplish this milestone in a rapid manner, going from two to three million supporters (aka patrons) worldwide in just one year.
YouTube lets European creators add a merch store to their channels
Earlier this year, YouTube and Teespring joined forces to launch a shopping hub that allowed US creators to sell custom merchandise directly under their videos. Now, the companies have expanded the merch store to creators in Europe.
YouTube looks to merch and memberships to make creators more money
YouTube is having a busy day at VidCon 2018. Aside from launching Premieres, a feature that lets creators hype prerecorded videos with a public landing page, the company is also announcing new ways for them to make more money. For starters, channels with more than 100,000 subscribers will now have access to Memberships, which will allow viewers to pay a monthly fee of $4.99 to get exclusive access to badges, emoji, livestreams, members-only videos and shoutouts, among other perks. This is exactly what YouTube was already doing with Sponsorships, though that was available only to a select group of YouTubers. If you're a creator but don't meet the 100,000-subscriber threshold, YouTube says it hopes to bring Channel Memberships to more people in the coming months.
Patreon promises a simple solution for selling merch
If you've ever supported a Patreon campaign with merch on offer, you know how painful delivering that merch can be for everyone involved. The creator may have to suffer through hours of mailing goods, and the shipping costs can be as much of a hassle if you aren't willing to pay a stiff premium. Patreon might just tackle that problem. It just acquired the community-building company Kit, and the two are promising a "simple" solution that lets creators sell merch without doing most of the hard work. In theory, they don't have to do much more than design the products.
Das Tal launches merch while making a Greenlight push
If you're excited for Das Tal, now's a fine time to vote with or without your wallet. Yes, both work here. Voting without your wallet is as simple as moving over to the game's Greenlight page on Steam and supporting it if you haven't already; the developers have issued a statement claiming that the game is close to getting Greenlight status and just needs a final push. How can you vote with your wallet? Well, you can grab some Das Tal apparel, coffee mugs, or the like. The merchandise features art from the game's art director, so it's a good way to show off your affection for the game in physical form. You can also check out a video of the game's most recent test update just past the break, although you can't buy that on a shirt. It's hard to display video on a shirt. (It's the same video we covered recently, though, so if you saw it then you can safely skip it.)
Spotify wants to help musicians sell stuff directly to fans
It's no secret that some musicians aren't the biggest fans of Spotify -- or, in general, any music streaming service. Still, there's also no denying that Spotify is often trying to find ways to put more money in artists' pockets. Today, in partnership with BandPage, a startup which allows musicians to create customized fan pages, Spotify revealed it's going to give music makers "powerful new ways" to offer all kinds of stuff to the people who love them the most. For example, thanks to this new BandPage integration, musicians can now sell things like VIP access, secret shows and more to Spotify listeners -- something similar to what Beats Music is trying to do. The announcement comes as, earlier in 2014, Spotify opened up a merchandise store within its service, so this should certainly help act as yet another form of revenue stream for every artist.
Thief, Deus Ex-branded apparel, merch in Eidos Montreal online store
Gaming-themed apparel can be great when done well, but a healthy love for the involved series certainly helps, too. If you're a fan of Thief or feel inspired by Adam Jensen's fashion sense, Eidos Montreal launched an online shop this week full of t-shirts and other apparel. The selection of shirts is joined by a Crippled Burrick cap and pilsner glass, recalling the pub from the original Thief. Initiation hoodies and iPhone cases are available if you're keen on joining The Watch. There's also a Deus Ex-themed coat, lined with the golden triangle design prevalent in Deus Ex: Human Revolution's menus. If you need something to decorate the walls, pre-sales have also begun for two lithographs that recall the Thief and Deus Ex universes. The earliest estimated shipping date for either one is February 26, but since they're from a batch of 250 limited-edition prints, you'll want to place an order sooner rather than later if you're interested. [Image: Eidos Montreal]
Miku, meat and merch: Tokyo Game Show 2013 shopping area extravaganza
The Tokyo Game Show's shopping area is a dangerous place. It's full of adorable, super awesome merchandise from the likes of Sega, Capcom and Namco Bandai – which is good – but the majority of that stuff is way expensive, which is bad. What's worse, the swag-lust induced by simply being in the area is compounded with a terrible sense of urgency; the knowledge that most of this merchandise isn't readily available elsewhere, and this might be your only chance to snag it. We barely managed to escape with our lives, but you can live vicariously through the terror of our wallets. Join us for a quick look at what our children will someday inherit instead of money or land.
Angry Birds soda release makes for huge sales jump
Yes indeed: Angry Birds soda. A Nordic beverage company named Olvi got the rights from Rovio to make some Angry Birds-branded sugar water, and apparently it's a huge hit for them, raising the company's sales by 85 percent. Exports were especially huge, going from 3 percent of Olvi's market to a whole 20 percent, with exports focusing primarily on Spain, Norway and the UK. There's no indication that any of this drink has made it over to the United States for sale just yet, so if you have a chance to try some, you'll have to let us know how it tastes. Hopefully "eggy" isn't a word included in the description. This is far from the last we'll hear about Angry Birds merch, especially with that movie set to arrive in the next few years. You can bet that even bigger companies are looking at sales figures like this, and then lining up to make a deal with Rovio as fast as they can.
Epic's online store covers you in Gears, Fornite and Infinity Blade
If you were worried by the permanence of a "Crimson Omen" tattoo on your chest, you may wish to consider the less drastic measures to support of just getting a shirt with Gears of War: Judgment on it.Epic Games' online store has products covering Infinity Blade, Gears of War, Fortnite and the Unreal Engine – just wait a few seconds for the colors and logo to fully load before you walk out the door.
Guild Wars 2 shirt designs up for voting
Guild Wars 2 fans have been clamoring for a few things over the years. The first repeated request, a release date, was granted just last week. Two other things -- a way to turn into walking billboards for ArenaNet and a way to give the company more money -- are soon to be realized as well. Until now, Guild Wars 2 clothing has been reserved only for the lucky and dedicated few who can get themselves to conventions. Soon shirts branded with the awesome art associated with Guild Wars 2 will be available for the masses. Better still, you can have a say in what shirts get made. There's a small gallery of possible designs hosted on the Guild Wars 2 Facebook page. Check it out, pick your three favorites, and vote for those favorites. The poll is only open until 3:00 p.m. EDT on July 6th, so don't deliberate too long.
New Windows Phone store lets you wear your 'I heart WP' on your sleeve
So you love Windows Phone, but how can you let the world know? Until now, you'd either have to wave your object of desire around, or keep showing colleagues those "Smoked by Windows Phone" YouTube videos. Now, you can simply wear your alliance across your chest, or favorite beverage, thanks to a new CafePress store. Revealed in a Windowsteamblog post, the shop will let you grab mugs, t-shirts, stickers, magnets and more emblazoned with "I Heart Windows Phone" in icons. Not only that, in case all those soccer moms didn't know which side of the fence you stood, you can clear up the doubt by snagging a bodysuit for your youngest. Credit card at the ready? Jump on that source link for the goods.
A Mild-Mannered Reporter: Positive charge
PAX East this past weekend was indeed filled with revelations, but none of them had to do with City of Heroes or any other NCsoft game, really, so I can't even complain about one getting all the love while the others were ignored. And while I could probably try to spin a thousand words out of wanting to insert a Rock Band Blitz-style minigame into the game under discussion, I have the feeling I'd get some odd looks and a rejected column. What I did have opportunity to consider, however, is how pretty much the only thing I've brought up in regard to the Paragon Market has been the many, many choices made regarding it that I consider debatable. The Super Pack and the numerous power sets both have been targets for negativity, and I honestly haven't said anything corresponding about the positives. This seems unfair on many levels. Sure, I think the implementation is sometimes dicey, but there are a lot of parts of the market that are great, and I happily doff my hat to the team for them. So instead of burying the shop, let's praise it.
Life-size inflatable Portal turrets: the secret to a sophisticated home
There are plenty of shows on HGTV that will try to convince you their opinions on decorating are the end-all, be-all definition of tactful home decor, but that just ain't true. In fact, we doubt any decorating show currently broadcast today would recommend these new life-sized inflatable Portal turrets from Think Geek, even though they're clearly the coolest.At $24.99 a pop, these 40-inch replicas can add a touch of sophistication to literally any room in your house, provided said room isn't located in the vacuum of space -- these are inflatable, after all. Best of all, these helpful sentries aren't produced in limited quantities like some other Portal merchandise we've seen lately, which means your only decorating limitation is the depth of your wallet. Remember, nothing says class like the incredibly specific smell of inflatable plastic toys.
Presenting Joystiq T-Shirts for you to buy on TopatoCo!
Look at you. Stylish shoes, sexy pants and no shirt. You used to have some dignity and now you're walking around like some sort of half hobo. Luckily, we've got you covered (literally). Ladies and gentlemen, we're proud to announce you can now purchase Joystiq T-shirts from TopatoCo. Whether you go with Cory Schmitz's retro-inspired look (also available in black) or Josh Smith's sword-inspired design, one thing's for sure: No one will ever again be able to see your nipples without explicit permission.
Hot Topic introduces new WoW merchandise, cute model
Following on the heels of J!NX's new winter line of WoW merchandise, Hot Topic has released a new line of Blizzard-themed apparel just in time for the holidays. Included among the many newcomers to the line are "spray-painted" Alliance and Horde logo shirts, faction insignia wallets, Starcraft II and Diablo III shirts, hoodies with a neat piece of art depicting an Alliance/Horde battle (replete with male model rocking a worrisome mustache) and, for the ladies in your life, a cute purple "Fight Like a Girl" t-shirt with a set of the highly feminine night elf hunter and blood elf paladin. That's right -- now you too can have a qtbelf on your chest, or the chest of a female WoWer near and dear to your heart. As long as she's a size small or medium, anyway. The other sizes are sold out. Speaking of near and dear to my heart, that model! Aye aye aye. For her, if that shirt was available in mens' sizes, I'd buy it even if it said "I play as a female character in World of Warcraft." I mean, I do. Several of them, but. You know. Still. All the new pieces are available at HotTopic.com or at your local Hot Topic store. Remember, those places are guarded by level 14 elite scenesters. Bring friends.
EU-exclusive Frostmourne mug and keychain set now on Blizzard store
You lucky European ducks may just have finally gotten that one thing you can hold over the heads of those Americans with their superiority complexes. The official online Blizzard store is now offering, exclusively for Europe, a set of Frostmourne-themed merchandise. Enclosed in a special box, the set contains one Frostmourne hilt keychain and one insulated metal mug with Frostmourne's runic engravings on one side. Steely-eyed readers may notice that the keychain is the same one as, or at least identical to, the one that came in your BlizzCon '09 goody bag. Of course, this one is "made of rhodium, a rare metal offering even higher quality than silver." The mug, on the other hand, is a never-before-seen piece of merch. The set is, of course, limited edition, so if you want to make this the perfect gift for the burgeoning death knight in your family, you'd best act quickly. Then again, I don't think they like warmth very much. Maybe an insulated mug isn't the best gift idea. I'm thinking -- hear me out -- macaroni necktie.
