Re: For PBM game moderators

From: "Ryan S. Johnson" <dowrie@guildofblades.com>

Date: Fri, 07 Feb 2003 01:54:25 +0000

> If you think that throwing money, even millions, at a project automatically makes it good or makes it able to take business from established players, I have to disagree.<

No, they probably wouldn't leech that many existing players away. Else
they'll get them, but most will remain your customers as well. But
understand, in this future market against a mega giant such as EA, your
competition is not for the current player base. It is for the future
players; those players pre disposed to playing this style of gaming and
the upcoming Internet generation who already quite well know who EA is
and who are already tapped into marketing venues they use. Do not
discount the power or branding on the market. Or do you REALLY believe
Dungeons and Dragons offers the best reply value of all RPGs on the
current market?

> PBEM players have *seen* wonderful graphics.  They've played sexy looking games.<

But what they haven't done is play a sexy looking game with wonderful
graphics with game play in this style yet.

> I would be far more nervous hearing that Harlequin, KJC, or Silver Dreamer had justed employed a new programmer for a new project than I would of EA.<

What you need to worry about most, should a big giant move into the
market, as EA or some other company, if they do it wisely they'll BUY
one of the above mentioned companies or someone else with an established
history of solid game design in this market segment, and make that
person an integral part of their design team. They have the resources
and technology to bring plenty of programmer to bear and the best
artists and a marketing infrastructure than no niche producer could hope
to match. If they have enough forsight to bring onboard someone with
experience in the market presently with a proven history of game design,
then, most certainly, they will be well positioned to utterly dominate.
If not, then I could easily see them dropping the ball and missing their
targets, dropiing out of the market segment within a few short years.

> You may think this is foolish, but I've heard it all before, seen it all before, and prospered over it all before.<

Really now? So, your company has toppled a software giant of that
magnitude already?

> I would love to see EA come along, do a turn-based multiplayer fantasy PBEM game, with a 3D high-art full-colour GUI.  They'd bring in millions of new players with their advertising budget and explosive approach for me to steadily steal from them.  Yum.<

As that new player base explored the market I'm sure you would benefit
for a while. 2-3 years perhaps. The same as the market is now reaping
the benefits of the reach of the Interet for exporting the hobby. But
once a consumer market educates itself to a new service or product type,
its almost *always* the major brand leaders that dominate the market and
slowly squeez out the little guy. *IF* they can produce a game on par
with the ones you produce currently, with all the bells and whistles
that a multi million dollar budget can produce, competiting to sustain
even as much market as you have today would prove challenging. Unless
you can adapt enough to entrench yourself as the principle provider of a
niche focus within the larger market. If they enter the market and do it
profitably, competiting with the heads up is not a contest that is
likely winnable.

> That would be totally cool.  Every decent PBM firm out there would benefit from it.<

For a while, sure.

>> EA would eventually drop the project in disgust, or alter it to something they understood, but by then they'd have done tons of great work on our behalf.<

Maybe. If they left the market after bringing that sort of exposure to
it, then yes, that would be great for everyone that survived their
passing. Worry if they have someone heading their project, or advising
it, with the vision to merge quality game design with all the glitz. My
guess is there are already a number of decent game designs on the market
today that could be bought up for a song and a dance. Perhaps from now
defunct operations. And selling those designs would likely pay the
creators far more than the made running it themselves.

Ryan S. Johnson
CEO, Guild of Blades Publishing Group
http://www.guildofblades.com

References

Re: For PBM game moderators
"Ryan S. Johnson" <dowrie@guildofblades.com>
Thu, 06 Feb 2003 05:13:38 +0000
Re: For PBM game moderators
madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)
Thu, 06 Feb 2003 11:03:14 +0000

Referenced By

Re: For PBM game moderators
"Ryan S. Johnson" <dowrie@guildofblades.com>
Thu, 06 Feb 2003 05:13:38 +0000
Re: For PBM game moderators
madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)
Thu, 06 Feb 2003 11:03:14 +0000