I've very excited and proud to announce our newest product BattleBids.com

BattleBids.com was developed and invented by the talented team at Auctiva and is patent pending.

What does BattleBids do?

It animates the bidding in an auction giving the bidder a visual representation of their bids. It goes directly into the auction as a small flash file. A couple of examples that we've built include a race car game called Bid Racer. Each bidder is a car and as they bid they can pass other cars and do things like fire missles, do smoke screens, or oil slicks. Another example we're doing is a hot dog eatting contest. Bidders can eat 2 hot dogs at once, feed hot sauce to the other bidder, etc. The person that bids the highest eats the most hot dogs and wins. So you can see the concepts can be very different and fun.

How can it help sellers?

It makes bidding on eBay more fun. It encourages buyers to come back to your items to particpate, watch the action, and replay previous victories or losses.
Both to increase bidding and to also build brand loyalty. We believe BattleBids.com makes bidding a lot more fun.

How can use get a BattleBids.com game into my listing?

Because this is a beta we don't have an automated way to add it your listings. On the BattleBids.com site each of the games has a button to get the HTML so you can insert it into your listings. You'll want to check back over the next few weeks as we will likely be updating the HTML. So if you use it now during the beta please check back after the official launch to get the newest code, or you can insert it into your listings via Auctiva.com when you list once we launch.

I'm looking forward to your feedback, comments, ideas, and suggestions for improvements.

Jeff

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Auctiva Jeff,

Here's a couple examples of it in action:

Nitro Boat Racing for a Comic Book

Bid Racer for an Apple Ibook

Here are 2 listings live on eBay with the Bid Racer application actually in the eBay listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290162756364

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290162749979

Its good that the buyer has the option to bid using the game or the regular way. Will it be fast enough to satisfy those last minute bidders?

booklady

I'd trust it up to about 10 seconds. Beyond that they should probably bid on eBay. But I think most people that bid in the last 10 seconds already use http://AuctionSniper.com or have their own stop watches and methods set up. The bids I've done are all real fast though, but it does depend on eBays API.

Hi Jeff,

Interesting concept. I will (if you like) think about this more. I worked on commercial video games for a good 15+ years. I've worked with Atari Corp., Data East, Electronic Arts, Dynamix, ID to name a few. I left the industry because its simply too much... Too much prolonged pressure, too many developers, artists, modellers, storyboard creators on and on. Unless a dev group hits true paydirt its hardly worth the royalties these days .vs. other coding one can do in more vertical areas.

I'll happily slap some items out at $1 starts and include your flash app if you need testing or whatall.

If you wish to commune direct email me, firststrikepro@yahoo.com.

That would be great.

Tried this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290162756364
I'm wondering how many bidders will set up an account with battlebids.com and authorize them via token to bid through the application? It's good that if you place a bid the normal way you still get a car.
I placed bids both ways and everything worked great.

@ meow
Don't know if you'd be interested but Google has some beta testing going on here:
http://code.google.com/gme/
It's their mashup editor for google gadgets and it's more advanced than their basic editor. It took me a little over a week to be approved, as it's usually full up with testers.

I'll put it in a coupla $1 start bids and see what happens on Friday, that way I can hopefully schedule it to close during a higher traffic time at eBay.

I'm not sure how appealing it will be... Its certainly unique conceptually. I've been busy as busy can be so I have not really had time to think alot about this concept.

Some ideas come to mind right off the bat.

For example lets say a bidder need "solve" some sort of puzzle or perhaps arcade blast em' up to some point count to get purchase incentive, $1 off shipping, free shipping, free merchandise etc. In other words how can a bidding game be turned into a marketing tool at eBay .vs. a more novelty based approach?

Conceptually it might encourage a consumer to bid playing a given game to obtain a savings and/or reward for "winning" at a game.

Another strange idea that just hit my most local neural net would be 2 player or more. Whether its bids driving upward or the reverse, not really reverse auction but instead say cutting off a Buy It Now price? Weird idea huh?

Not sure how eBay'd feel about such things either?

---

Kolstrom: I'll take a look at it. Generally speaking I am always coding something or another up in VB or C++, once in a blue moon Assembly Language. I really want find some time to learn to code with Flash since its now become so popular. With graphics creation I am rather challenged but my fiance is just unbelievable with creating graphics, so that works.

I get just about every "AAA" release of PC Games mailed to me that hits the US/Euro markets due to my prior work in the industry so I sometimes get deflected into playing something. Often they are just looking for my opinion as I dont pull punches.

In fact, we entered into sales completely by mistake. Electronic Arts former CEO came up to me in a CES backroom discussion and manuevered me into it and then some. LOL. I was working some of the AI code for the Maxis "Sim Games" (SimCity, Isle etc...). In fact not long after we handed our low level graphics kernel code to ID which some was used in the original Quake. We'd re-written the entire graphics kernel for the Atari ST computers all in hand tuned 68000 assembler. It screwed! LOL

Anyways... since Jeff's in here some prospect suggestions for Auctiva:

1. Auctiva Stores - It'd be nice to have a gateway page to the stores option. Reason being then store proprieters could use said page to optimize for search engine inclusion.

2. Auctiva Mall - Putting all those stores together under one domain gateway. Auctiva could attempt paid advertising for the landing page, category feature on and on. In the same regard perhaps vertify vendors. ie: There are members and there are gold members whatall with varied standards of customer satisfaction requirement.

3. Auctiva might wish to consider a "ticket system" for vendors. Just as Auctiva (and many many other webs) has a "Support Ticket" system it'd really be a nice thing for vendors in general. Its professional. So as a vendor we can slap in our ad's "Need support... blah blah"...

First it gives Auctiva a good edge on some of the other services (I believe a few of them do have this already) and there are ways Auctiva can generate revenues from it both in say advertising and not or flat rate fee, $5 is cheap cheap for any vendor a month for that professional support ability. To Auctiva such a system would be very cheap to implement as it really takes no storage of any consequence or bandwidth etc.

4. As I said in another thread, a "Optional" profile ability would be nice. So for seasonal this/that, promo's on and on it can be used to inject the information into the template/listing.

5. A Bulk template replace/update function is fairly important to vendors with lots of stuff. We have LOTS of stuff, over 4000 SKU's easily that we need make ad's for (oye). ie: We want add a new store category lets say to our template or anything for that matter. We should be able to select our "Custom template" replace it with the new updated one and have the option to replace all SAVED listings using said template with the new one... So next time we post to eBay the changes take effect.

I have more

Additionally if Auctiva's interested in talking I know how "we" can make more money than either of our businesses could conceive making.

Lastly...

I presume eBay is not going to get all upset with me putting BattleBids in a few auctions?

Should I attempt promote Auctiva within these or will they get bent on that?

I have no issues in helping promote Auctiva in our listings if eBay doesnt get pissed at me. ie: a "custom" field in our custom template where I can inject a "Auctiva... la la la" banner or something thats more visible than the bit down in the gallery.

Kolstrom: Good point. You are right that a bidder can still watch the replays and enjoy the action even if they don't bid through BattleBids. In that case we choose a random action from the list of 6 choices and play that for them.

However we're hoping buyers will want to choose a specific action and taunt as they become more familiar. It's still fun both ways though. The list of taunts is still short right now but we'll be adding a bunch more this week. We've designed it so we can add more with just 1 file change.

quote:

"solve" some sort of puzzle

You are thinking like us. We plan to have some puzzle games so that bidders that don't want to race or compete can enjoy BattleBids too. We plan on introducing more games that match better with eBay's categories and some generic apps that will work with any category. One example being an Auction house style app with an auctioneer on a stage with his gavel and the bidders seated in the audience. We'll of course have some funny actions bidders can choose when they bid! For clothing and womens items we have a few ideas for different apps. One of them being a dance competition where you choose your dancers moves.

BattleBids is eBay approved and ok to put into your listings. We already put a credit into eBay listings you post through us and if you put any more it may break eBay's 3rd party credit rules. They have a page of rules as to what 3rd party credits may be included in a listing. So I wouldn't advise adding any more unfortunately

#2 and #3 we've thought about doing. #1 could be a good idea. We keep track of your Auctiva stores and already do split testing and try different ideas to maximize the number of buyers that click on items. So if we offered that feature we'd want to do it in a way that enhanced buyers looking at your items. Overall I think it would probalby hurt clicks, so it would need to make up for that loss of clicks by bringing more traffic from the search engines. If the net result was more clicks then it's a winning idea.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Auctiva Jeff,

Hi Jeff,

#2 & #3 are natural "makes sense" progressions.

I'm not sure how a gateway page would reduce click throughs. It does not have to be the index or start page for a domain. It simply needs to be the page that indexes with SE's. One page is by no means a miracle. The BEST method to get SE ranking is still static pages (or appear static to SE's in all output even if dynamically generated) with specific content directed towards SEO.

Search Engines (specifically the big three) can generate more click through than eBay does for a particular vendors listings. Its the difference between heaps of vendors within eBay selling same items .vs. a highly directed content at SE's where click through leads to the Auctiva store.

Of course, when the prospect customer reaches it and see's eBay then the decision to purchase, not etc. all comes back into play. While eBay is still considered the #1 marketplace I know for certain that many a retailer have had significant traffic increases and conversion due to people tired of the "ebay experience".

Tis' also why I said how much money do you all want make?

Hi Jeff,

I signed up... let me know when I can create a few auctions and add a BattleBid's thing to them. I SINCERELY hope it does not add a game to every auction/listing?!?!?! This is the type of thing that need be used selectively.

You can insert games now into your listings. We also made an update today that added some minor things like an instruction button within the game and we now show the currency of the auction for foreign bidders.

Do you have a choice on where to place the game in the ad?

booklady

Once we put the option into Auctiva to add them automatically the only choice is to go at the bottom of the listing. There is a template tag for them though so with a customized template you could place it anywhere in your listing.

Right now the only way to get them in your listing is to get the HTML from the BattleBids game page and paste them into your template or revise and append them to your listing on eBay.

quote:

I SINCERELY hope it does not add a game to every auction/listing?!?!?! This is the type of thing that need be used selectively

During the signup I generated the battlebids token, and after finishing checking it out I revoked the token on ebay. Battlebids still says the token is still valid though. What's up with that?? I don't see anyway to change it on battlebids.

quote:

Originally posted by kolstromkreations:

quote:

I SINCERELY hope it does not add a game to every auction/listing?!?!?! This is the type of thing that need be used selectively

During the signup I generated the battlebids token, and after finishing checking it out I revoked the token on ebay. Battlebids still says the token is still valid though. What's up with that?? I don't see anyway to change it on battlebids.

Yes it needs to be used selectively, wonder if it will catch on, many may think it is a game and not do it if they are going for serious ebaying. Looks fun though, will give it try x

All I've got to say about this Battlebids thing is:

You CAN'T be serious.

The last thing sellers need is more stuff to slow down page loads.

quote:

Originally posted by Auctiva Jeff:
Once we put the option into Auctiva to add them automatically

Yesterday (six days after the above post) I checked my settings and the "option" is now there. Apparently, however, offering an "option" means defaulting to "yes" without telling the user. Were there not enough users upset the last time you guys did that? I would've hit the roof if that dopey game would've been auto-appended to the listings I'll put up this weekend.