IMPORTANT: Professor Tier Leaving August 1st

Hello Patrons - I have an important announcement. Effective August 1st, there will no longer be a $12 tier. 

I'd like to start by saying thank you to everyone who is on the Professor tier. That level of support was so incredible and helped boost my production values to a level I never thought possible. 

So why is the tier leaving? The reasons why are as follows:

Shipping Costs

The cost of shipping has skyrocketed since I first introduced the tier in early 2020. This means that every time someone signs up & I send out a notebook, I am losing money. International shipping is even worse. 

YouTube Metrics

One of the perks of the Professor tier was to have your name in the credits. I thought this would be a fun way for supporters to be involved in the video. Unfortunately, it is hurting my metrics. People are not sticking around until the end to see the suggested videos on the end cards. For example...

- on the "Sega's 3 Biggest Mistakes" video, which does not have credits, 25% of viewers click on a new video to watch at the end. 

- on the "How the Mario Characters Got Their Names" video, which does have credits, only 4% of viewers click on a new video to watch at the end. 

21% is a very large number, resulting in many lost views, potential subscribers, and more.

I have thought about ways to keep people watching while the Patron list rolls, but ultimately, the easiest solution is to remove them. 

Ultimately, my goal is to get as many people as possible to watch and enjoy the videos. So I feel removing the $12 tier is the best way to help the channel. 

The final video with Patreon credits will be Super Mario Kart. Anyone who was on the Professor tier in July will be listed. 

I hope all this makes sense and thank you for your understanding. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. 

IMPORTANT: If you are currently on the $12 tier, you will need to change to the $7 tier (Grad Assistant). Otherwise, once the tier is deleted, Patreon will automatically move you to "no tier." Then you will not get any perks and still be charged $12. Unfortunately, I do not have the power to move people to different tiers manually. 

Of course, you are free to keep donating $12 monthly. Just keep in mind there will be no more added benefits. 

After August 1st, I will message everyone who has not moved to a new tier as a reminder.

- Norm