Interplay Going Under

[Gandalf Parker]

There were alot of things they did which caused them problems. One of the things I like to point to is their advertising policies. Every game they had they liked to do full-page full-color ads on in every major game magazine. Remember seeing those every 10 pages or so?

There are good intentioned people in every marketing area who inform people in their own field how things should be done. I heard it when running a mud, I heard it when working for ISPs, I heard it during the dot-com boom, and I hear it now in the area of games markets. "If you dont do what the big guys do then you will crash and burn". But thats alittle too simple.

What they should be saying is "if you want to be like the big boys then watch what they do and do that". That would be less arguable. But as far as the crash-and-burn part it then becomes "that way you will either be big or crash big".

In none of the areas Ive worked in have I ever seen crash-and-burn for not doing what the big guys do. I HAVE seen it because people decided to go ahead and DO what the big guys do. It was always regrettable because they were always doing well where they were before they took the chance. There is always room in every niche and level for someone who does it well. And if anyone doesnt like it then there is always the option to do it themselves. Dont try to convice my favorite (insert whatever organization here) to do it for you.

In gaming terms what would that be? "I request that you make war on that other nation. Dont worry, I will be right behind you"

Gandalf Parker
-- (suitable sig)
Me: Some play to win or lose. Others play to stay in the game.
Them: Are we talking about games? Or about life in general?
Me: Exactly.

[ July 10, 2004, 14:52: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[Atrocities]

With all fairness they went under not because of their advertising practices, but because they spent to much time developing games and not releasing games.



Decent
Decent II
Decent III
Decent Freespace
Freespace II
Bolders Gate
Bolders Gate II
Star Fleet Command
Star Fleet Command II

Were all excellent games with effective advertising. But since then, NOTHING. What really hurt Interplay was the lack of support for their games.

[Azselendor]

Advertising costs a lot of money. Interplay spent a small fortune on it. It may not have pulled them over, but it is one bad business plan they had.

I think interplay just got too complacent with development and stopped making good games - or at least interesting games. They just kept cranking out games expecting to get thier royalities advance and to have thier publishers hand them money and cover development up front when they came knocking.

Then one day, everyone stopped answering the door when they came knocking.

[Gandalf Parker]

If there was just one answer then of course everyone would not do that and would win. InterPlay has always been an example because they were fairly extreme. "Look! InterPlay runs full page ads in every gaming magazine for every one of their games". Im thinking that must be a sizeable gamble which raises the bar on the break-even point. Now Interplay is still an example of "Look! InterPlay used to run full page ads for every one of their games".

I dont know that things like that are a do/dont-do thing as much as a touchy measurement of scales and best use of resources. How MUCH do you do. Im thinking that we here should have no problem understanding this. Action shoot-em-up gameplayers might have a problem but tactic strategy war gamers should be able to see the concept of having to consider a scale-balance in everything you do.

Im just guessing though.