Re: new online footy PBeM

From: madcentral@aol.com (MadCentral)

Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 00:00:00 +0000

>>It may have an impact, yes. The more complex management simulations will
still soar above your average, run-of-the-mill games on the net but, when
they are to be offered free merely as a loss leader to draw people to the
website, then the problems begin.<<

<yawn>  Not again!  Not ''free email games spell the end of commercial PBM
Shock Horror Probe!'' <grin>

>>The development costs of this product have been considerable - the flash
front end is superb, for example - and it is something that won't be matched
by many that would give away the end result.<<

Seems to me there are new free footie games every other day of the week.  A
pretty front end doesn't make it a good game.  And even if it *is* a good game,
it wont *touch* the commercial ones in the UK... unless they are planning to
give it free by post too?  Because over 90% of the young player base in the uk
ONLY wants to play footie PBMs by post.

>> PBM is finding that technology
is starting to nibble away at the edges of its once proud domain.<<

The only thing nibbling away at the edges of a domain are current climate in
the fields of entertainment.  Our sort of games aren't fashionable (not that
they ever were, but less so now.)  But these things come and go.  Fashions rise
and fall.  PBM, like roleplaying and the other 'related' niche hobbies, will
see a rebirth.  Then they'll move aside again, ad infinitum.

>>By offering such a "starter" product for free, the lifeblood of PBM, the
younger market, may well be leeched away.<<

The younger market has never been the 'lifeblood' of anything other than Sega
and the ilk.  Younger players grow into more mature gaming styles through time.

Steve T.

References

Re: new online footy PBeM
"Steve Pritchard" <steve@spelbind.demon.co.uk>
Wed, 20 Sep 2000 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Re: new online footy PBeM
"Steve Pritchard" <steve@spelbind.demon.co.uk>
Wed, 20 Sep 2000 00:00:00 +0000