Preachin the word!

Rogue · #1 February 18th, 2005, 07:35 PM

Okay, I don't know if this is the spot for this post (I cringe at the absence of other posts). If it doesn't belong here, please chastise me appropriately and move the post.

After reading "Sarge's" blog, I've been thinking. I know that times are changing in the industry, it's kinda hard to miss, but I sure hope Shrapnel sticks around for a loooog time. I stumbled on the site by accident a while back and I was blown away. A lot of things that I was merely "wishing" for in PC games is right here. The ability to modify, have more options and things to do in a game, and in general a top notch class "A" finish has made me a regular visitor to the Shrapnel site. It was extremely refreshing to see games where I could do things that in other games prior I'd think to myself, "boy it'd be cool if I could do x, y, or z". True, the quality niche games found here don't have bleeding edge technology that would require a $5,000 system. But the multi-media aspects of these gems are more than just "decent" (imho).

Since then I constantly "preach" Shrapnel's games to my co-workers and friends. A lot of my friends are like myself and remember games that put game play came first and foremost--and we certainly feel that Shrapnel products recapture that feeling and emphasis. True, a couple of my buddies balked at the first glance as they were hung up on the whole "it doesn't use 7.1 surround sound with motion capture!!! But after a few minutes playing some of the games, they were hooked too. So, hopefully Shrapnel is around for a very long time to come, and I'll keep plugging it to fellow gamers when I have the chance.

Annette · #2 February 18th, 2005, 07:45 PM

Wow! While we're sitting around flippin' coins to see who should write the first post, you beat us to the punch

A sincere thank you for your kind words and support!

Alneyan · #3 February 18th, 2005, 07:53 PM

I was considering making the first post (the empty entry in the forum listing was so depressing), but failed to come up with any idea for a post, besides claiming dibs to the whole area, and...

The point, I should stick to the point. So, well done Rogue! I have been trying to do some conversions, with methods ranging from the mundane (persuasion) to the less common (enslave mind), but it hasn't exactly been successful as of yet. Should I abduct a few potential players to "convince" them? Hmm...

RudyHuxtable · #4 February 18th, 2005, 08:34 PM

So do we all race now to see who makes the second post?

Tim Brooks · #5 February 18th, 2005, 08:50 PM

Thanks Rogue! Hearing words like that can make your day -- my day anyway.

What Sarge said is true. We are hanging in there, but it would be a lie if I said that it hasn't been a struggle at times. It is very hard for a niche publisher to find ways to grow - normal advertising routs cost too much for the returns you get. We really want to be here for the long term. We are about to enter our sixth year on July 9th and want that to be only the beginning.

Glad to see you read our Blog too. I just posted a new entry so check it out.

Best to you,

mac5732 · #6 February 20th, 2005, 12:48 AM

Hidey Hoe, Nice place you got here, (where's the brewskis

) In retrospect, I would think that finding good game ideas would be the hard part as most have already been done or are being redone. Fresh Ideas and especially Game ideas IMHO would be getting harder each year. So we need everyone to come up with some good game ideas and give them to Shrapnel and see if they can turn them into another outstanding game.

Kamog · #7 February 20th, 2005, 01:00 AM

Hi, I didn't know there was a separate section of the forum called the Bar and Grill! I should get out of the SEIV area every so often and look around!

Alneyan · #8 February 20th, 2005, 08:03 AM

Well, you aren't so guilty Kamog: the place only opened a couple of days ago after all. But now that you are here, please do take a seat, and please wait for the waiter to come and take your order.

Annette · #9 February 21st, 2005, 12:29 AM

Hey, fellas...what'll it be?

Strategia_In_Ultima · #10 March 4th, 2005, 11:45 AM

I think that Shrapnel should continue to follow its own path in todays marketing-division-controlled games industry for years to come. And even if Shrapnel never gets out of its niche, well, it'll still have a solid fan base (I can think of at least several dozen people on the SEIV Forum that would still buy SEV on launch date, even at a price like $150 or something) and produce high quality games, that will lure many gamers into the fold. Nobody can resist Shrapnel's high-quality gameplay and congenial forum environment.

Oh and Kamog, the First Bar War (BWI, also known as The Great War) between the Won-Ton Violence Take-Out Hut and the Forum Chat Bar & Grill has ended.

And no, we (as Won-Ton patrons) won't be attacking this B&G. They attacked us.