Topic
Dear Tiny Speck,
My condolences on the downfall of your wonderful game, but I am not here to add to the crowd of sorrows and grieving over it's loss. Rather, I would like to tell you why I am personally responsible for its collapse: I didn't put a penny into it. I'd like to tell you why.
For those who think that a good idea and sitting around the campfire singing Kumbayah will solve the world's problems, I've got some news for you. You're all going to starve unless somebody gets off their duff, finds food, and feeds you. Note that in step two of that process, the Little Red Hen story is in effect, so you better be damn sure the hen has a good reason to feed you. Or, better yet, feed yourself. In any case, however good your idea is, it's life is limited until somebody is willing to cross your palm with silver.
Glitch has been a wonderful game, time sink, social adventure, and challenge for me. The best description of it I've seen in the forums was A Toy. And a wonderful toy indeed! Even so, those servers cost money to power, the programmers to produce, and so on. But like any online game, you are selling intangible goods, and must thoroughly provide for three things needed to attract and keep PAYING customers: Utility, Vanity, and Gambling.
First, an aside for your marketing folks: I'm a mid-50s semi-retired career military type with management and executive experience, as well as lots of computer development. I'm attracted to challenging games in many forms, and I'd like to continue this by relating Glitch to the only two other online games I've put money into, Quake 3 and Perfect World. And now, back to the explanation.
Utility – Adds to, enhances, or continues game play.
Vanity – Social interaction providing recognition.
Gambling – Quests, challenges, puzzles, etc, which provide failure/success outcomes.
For those who want to invoke Maslow and game play: Survival/Utility; Social/Vanity; Actualization (the pursuit of)/Gambling. For those who want to try Jung: Don't. Just don't.
Consider Quake 3, a first person shooter which has a large following on individually hosted servers. I enjoyed the game for the action (Gambling) and people (Vanity) I met online. Eventually, I found a high-speed variant called Vogon (Utility) which markedly increased the challenge of the game. Because I liked it so much, and the supporting forum (Utility, Vanity), I kicked in money occasionally to help pay the server costs.
One of the Q3 players introduced me to Perfect World, which is a huge MMORPG allowing me to have several characters of different levels and skill types (U). As the game developed for me, I met and squaded with fun people (V), encountered interesting puzzles (G), and decided to purchase upgrades for my characters (U), specifically relating to storage and transport. I've since learned that the really, really good gear is hugely expensive in game funds, and takes ridiculous amounts of questing to ever achieve. But the players who want this stuff can buy it with cash (U) and are visible to other players (V) as having this unique equipment. Consequently, I've viewed my cash infusions as rent for playing the game, and don't want to put any more money into the game otherwise. I'm happy playing for the fun (G, V), not the boasting value of having the uber-weapons.
So then, back to Glitch. Social (V)? Heck yes! Fun stuff to do (G)? Yep. Upgrades to help you do them (U?) Also yes. Anything I really need to pay for? Nope. Having a big (or non-default) wardrobe is not my thing, so Vanity clothing is not a sale for me. Likewise, fun furniture (more V) isn't that attractive, at least for something I can't buy at Auction (U).
In short, I helped kill the game by not buying what you were selling. Looking back on early days in the game, if the Subway cost some coin, and I didn't have much in the way of Teleport skill, I would have considered $5, maybe $10 for a 10x Teleport/Day and free Subway pass for, say 90 days, a good deal. That's the sort of Utility item that would have appealed to me, at least until I got my Teleport 3 and 4 skills out of the way. And that would have been cash coming in for you.
At any rate, I do hope this gets some gears turning when your team gets going on its next project. May it be fun and profitable.
Thank you and farewell!
Replies
- So, this is all your fault?
-
I contributed more than I probably should have (I'm unemployed) and I enjoyed everything and I think I tried everything. I have been willing to continue paying for a FREE game and buying virtual goods (which I will lose). As a result, TS is giving me a nice refund which I would gladly let them keep if I had income.
I love that we did not have to buy anything to advance in the game (except with XP/iMG which had no financial cost). But, maybe that is part of the reason Glitch (and Faunasphere) failed. Maybe successful games succeed because they do make people pay to advance. I played Gardens of Time at Facebook. What a great game! I loved it. It was "Free" supposedly but I reached a point where I could not continue for "Free". In order to advance two things were required: recruiting players and paying for addons. I was unwilling to do either of those things and quit the game. Perhaps though, that is the way to keep a game alive financially apart from soliciting investors. As a player I don't like it. As a game developer I might find this the way to attract more individual investors (gamers). I hate that practice but some FB games have been going for years that way. At this point I might even have been willing to pay to advance here but recruiting new players is out. I don't like being bombarded by my friends and relatives with pleas to play games and I refuse to do that kind of begging myself no matter how much I love a game. I have told people about Glitch and advised them that it was a good game. I have shared information on how to sign up. I have not, however, begged them to come. I have not spread the word far and wide on many forums, etc. Maybe that is the way I have failed Glitch. I am not a very social person (never knew how) and I don't have a wide group of friends to appeal to. Those I know came here with me so there was really no one to appeal to.
I have had a great time here and I regret that the game cannot continue. I can understand financial and technical reasons why the game is closing but emotionally it is not bearable to think about. If I were a very wealthy person, I would back it all the way until my last dime sank to the depths of Jal never to be seen again. Alas, I have no resources. So, I wish the development team and staff all the best and truly hope they all find outlets for their amazing talents and are very successful in the future. - (edited. but i would still love to have a yeti.)
- I think they've said in a few places that the funding/revenue wasn't as big a deal as the future of flash and the ability to attract large numbers of players.
- +++++++++++++++++++ Bribs.. Other comments are helpful too.. particularly the future of flash. Perhaps we are all doomed, from now on, to falling off the rising cliff of technology. Permanence may be a disappearing phantasm.. I grieve for the loss of our Glitchistence. I'm doing my best to look forward and I have to give my best hope to something good in the future.