Re: A simple thank you
I don't post here often. but those of you who know me also know I'm drawn to trainwreck threads like a moth drawn to a light bulb. I find it fascinating how a thread can start with something as well intentioned as a "simple thank you" and evolve into a discussion which includes...well a discussion like this one.
I'd like to say thank you to everyone here. Thank you for the kind words and compliments which inspired such thoughtful, passionate discussion. I'm sure Illwinter appreciates your analysis of the best way to bring their games to market, as do we. We never want to lose sight of the fact that without our customers purchasing, playing and supporting our games, we would not be here. And we're proud of our forums where we encourage discussion of ideas, are able to answer questions, and watch the development of a community where players and developers come together to make game play a great experience.
We appreciate those of you who purchase our games through our e-store. And we pride ourselves on making it a positive experience. We accept just about any form of payment out there, credit cards, checks, money orders and PayPal. We offer free shipping on domestic orders via USPS priority mail. We ship to any destination in the world to which UPS and USPS offer service. We have an on-line customer support center where your submissions are answered in a matter of hours, not days.
But we do realize some people are hesitant to order on line, and for them we have available a downloadable order form which can be mailed or faxed to us. And for those who prefer to buy the game in their local game shop, we're there, too. No, you won't find our games in the "big box" chain retailers. But you will find our games in local, independently owned game and hobby shops. And we encourage you to support those brick and mortar shops by spending your gaming dollars there rather than in the chains. You won't find our games in the same store where you buy your vacuum cleaner. You'll find them in stores that are dedicated to the gaming industry.
Just because you find a game on the shelf of Best Buy or EB Games, does not necessarily mean the people involved in putting the game there would consider the release a "success." Only Paradox and Strategy First can say if HOI was a successful release. My observations are that HOI (and GalCiv) were introduced into mass retail by Strategy First. SF is currently operating under Chapter 11 protection from their creditors, including their developers who are reportedly owed 1.7 million in unpaid royalties. Paradox has said publically SF owes them well into the 6 figure range. Fortunately for gamers, Paradox has been able to continue to support their titles since their departure from their publisher. But not all of SF's developers have been able to survive such a hit. This is not a road we want to risk taking - not for us or our developers.
In my personal opinion (and I'm not a developer but I am married to one) the single benefit a developer of a "complex" game realizes by having a title pushed into mass retail is the ego trip. I'm sure it's wonderful to walk into Kmart and see your game on their shelves (even marked down to $9.99). But the reasons you don't see our developers' titles in Kmart are the very core of Shrapnel Games' founding principles. Shrapnel was born out of Tim's experience having designed "complex" games which were published through traditional methods and sold at mass retail. While the games were "successful", it was not a financially satisfying experience for him. Thus emerged Shrapnel Games. You may find it interesting (or not) to read the About Us page on this site. Perhaps it will help explain why we do things the way we do.
That's not to say we're adverse to change. Quite the opposite. We are poised for growth. We listen carefully to what our customers have to say; we watch industry trends; we respond to economic turns; we research and experiment new ideas. We're aware that many companies like ours are expanding the digital download method of game distribution. We watch new releases and listen to what their customers are saying. At this time there is a new release on the market that some folks report has taken over 23 hours to download. We're not ready to jump on that bandwagon. And I think it's interesting that while the dd trend is on the rise, so is, according to CNN and others, the price of games.
Again, thank you for using our forums to let us know what you think. It's important to us. I fear we may be sounding a bit defensive that our philosophies are being questioned. Please know if we do sound defensive, it's because this is our passion; it's our love. And we are most grateful for those who would prefer to purchase our games in a different manner than what we offer, but who purchase our games anyway. We trust you find the games are worth effort. So to you, "a simple thank you."
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