OT = How Does Shrapnel Stay In Business

Atrocities · #1 July 31st, 2001, 12:57 PM

Just wondering how Shrapnel is doing. I mean, you host this web site, and forum, and aside from the 30 or so posters (and I hope customers) we seldom see any other posters.

I was just wondering if business is good?

I would hate to see this site go down. I know that I reqularly recommend SEIV and other Shrapnel titles to PC Gamers, and for the most part, I hope, they check out the site and buy some games.

disabled · #2 July 31st, 2001, 04:24 PM

It's called "playing it smart." Shrapnel knows not to overextend itself and when it sees a good prize. Look at Space Empires IV!

Many companies over extended themselves and look at where they are now. In my job of telemarketing for Home Improvement products, I all to often meet laid off dot-com workers who founded a company, or was involved in the founding, and now have NO JOB.

Shrapnel was smart and kept themselves below the radar.

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HADRIAN AVENTINE
pacea@solar-outpost.com
http://www.hyperionbase.com

Richard · #3 July 31st, 2001, 04:27 PM

You have to remember that less than 1% of folks who buy a game stop by the forums ever. Actually SE:IV is a fairly active forum for a gaming site. If you go to the big boys web sites you will rarely find more than that number of hard core posters...

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Sarge is coming...

Richard Arnesen
Director of Covert Ops
Shrapnel Games
http://www.shrapnelgames.com

geoschmo · #4 July 31st, 2001, 04:54 PM

Plus, what Richard failed to mention because he is so humble, is that Shrapnel is pretty much a one-man operation...HIM!

(And he is probably ridiculously underpaid for the amount of work he does, so that helps to keep the overhead low.

)

Geo

Edit: Richard must have liked the nice things I said about him. I got promoted to Major with that post.

[This message has been edited by geoschmo (edited 31 July 2001).]

capnq · #5 July 31st, 2001, 05:39 PM

There's an old rule of thumb that goes all the way back to the days of FidoNet, at least. For every person who Posts to a message board, there are about ten "lurkers" who read the Boards but rarely if ever post.

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Cap'n Q

The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the
human mind to correlate all of its contents. We live on a placid
island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity, and it was
not meant that we should go far. -- HP Lovecraft, "The Call of Cthulhu"

Atrocities · #6 July 31st, 2001, 05:42 PM

I was a lurker for 3 months before I finally posted. Richard, is SE IV a good selling game? For that matter, what is your top selling game right now?

What are your future plans for more games?

geoschmo · #7 July 31st, 2001, 05:49 PM

Shrapnel won't release actual sales figures, (at least they wouldn't in the past when we asked them) but Richard has said that Space Empires IV is far and away the largest seller Shrapnel has had.

But even at that it doesn't comepare to the sales a "Major" game publisher would have.

Geoschmo

Richard · #8 July 31st, 2001, 06:03 PM

Well we're actually a two man team with many volunteers and contract (ie do some side sound and art work for us) employees

.

Have you heard of the other underground hit Combat Mission? Well SE:IV is starting to get not too far from their projected sales (from the sources I have) if that gives you a clue.

SE:IV has done VERY well for Aaron and us, and it is by far our largest seller (around 5 times our other previous highest seller to date).

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Sarge is coming...

Richard Arnesen
Director of Covert Ops
Shrapnel Games
http://www.shrapnelgames.com

JLXC · #9 July 31st, 2001, 06:26 PM

Good, Hope SE5 is coming along well then?

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I'm an Idiot? Well if that's not the kettle smelling the pot's back!

LazarusLong42 · #10 July 31st, 2001, 08:41 PM

Yes, lurkers, like me, who drop in a post only every so often, make up a large chunk. But, for statistics: PBW has 750 registered and perhaps 200 active Users. I also play Black and White, a bazillion-copy seller--and their forums have probably about the same number of actives, maybe 200. I think _that_ says a chunk. Perhaps more about the community, but any game that can create such a large community following is bound to be doing well.

LL http://seiv.pbw.cc/