Strategy First acquires Malfador Machinations

[Atrocities]

The only real games that it would seem they have are the Malfador ones. Perhaps it was Aaron who bought SFI and not the other way around.

Tim, I read last week on a gaming site that the independant gaming developer is an ever increasing rare breed. The cost of developing, not to mention learning to code, new pc games has dramatically thinned the hurd in recent years.

Whats your take on the garage game independant scene?

[Tim Brooks]

Whats your take on the garage game independant scene?

You are right. With the hardcore games anyway. You can find tons of arcade style games from independents, but the companies like Malfador are an increasingly rare breed (and Malfador doesn't even exist anymore). We find it very hard to find games we think are worth publishing.

And most of the developers that are out there have expectations that are way beyond the reality of what is possible in the PC Strategy Game Industry. We get requests all the time from companies that want us to fund -- usually to the tune of 6 figures their strategy game (and not the whole game, just the last six months or so of development). A game that has that kind of overhead, won't make money -- the developer or the publisher, not even at retail.

When I was developing wargames for the retail market, this could happen although not very often. Back then a strategy title had about a one in twenty chance of making money at retail with a budget of around $500,000. Now, I bet it is one in 50 and the budget would need to be half that amount. There is a reason why the mainstream publishers are sticking with frnachises or going after movie themed products. They stand a chance, but even then the chance is probably no better than one in twenty.

So the outlook is grim, to say the least, for independent strategy companies. Still it can be done. Illwinter (Dominions Series) is on there way up the ladder -- at a stage that Malfador was at with SEII - really ahead of them, because I think they "get it" and have a plan that is working. Another good example is Digital Eel, they are growing.

But, those developers that think that going into retail with hardcore stratgy is going to make them money -- well that is very rare. Just watch what happens with SEV. If they use retail as their major avenue, it will be in the bargain bins within a month or so, and if not, well then we will have to see. Very few companies can make the retail market work, one that is doing so (but I still think there main income is from web sales) is Stardock. But they have a franchise product in Gal Civ.

I spent too many years at retail and know what that is like. Thus our philosophy at Shrapnel. I only hope that the devs that are out there, making strategy titles, can figure this whole thing out. Or there will be even fewer independents in the next several years.

[dogscoff]

Too late now, but Malfador should have sold shares to us gamers in order to retain a level of independence/ closeness to the community. I'd have bought some.

I think thething to remember is that SE5 has been in beta for months so it ought to be at least playable, if not very close to being finished. That means the new owners, unless they really are mind-bendingly stupid, are unlikely to wreck it with demands for loads of unfavourable new 'features'. I guess they might manage to bury it before release somehow, but in that case I'd be willing to bet a few beta copies made it onto the 'abandonware' circuit shortly after.

[Atrocities]

Thanks Tim.

I just hate to see the independant developer base going exstinct. SFI really did a good thing here by grabbing up Malfador before some other company swooped and snared him.

Besides, Aaron can always form a new company later on if he so choses. The sad thing is, Space Empires, and all things associated with that franchise, are no longer his to control. So the name Phong, now belongs to a new master.

I guess at this point, now that SFI owns the rights to the SE franchise, they can force Shrapnel to end its long, much appreciated, friendship with us by having them discontinue support for this forum.

I would hate to see forum close, all the years of posting here, all of the information, the memories, would be gone. When that day comes, it will be one hard pill to swallow.

[Captain Kwok]

I don't see why they would make Shrapnel close the forums - it's free publicity for Space Empires really. If anything, you'd think Shrapnel would want to close them for that reason.

[Raapys]

I'm hoping that they are too late to have any influence on how SEV turns out, so we at least get one more great game not infected with 'mainstream' features to appeal to more people.

[Fyron]

Tim Brooks said:
1) SF promised SEIV at retail. This hasn't happened to myknowledge. Rumors are that they are having a hard time getting back into retail after the bankruptcy due to distributors still being owed money from before the bankruptcy.

Actually, the game has started appearing on shelves in some places in the last few weeks. Quite lame to have taken this long to do it, of course.

Tim Brooks said:
...they are releasing games that need major pathches immediately...

In all fairness, SEIV was in need of patches on release day too. But at least that didn't have teams of programmers behind it.

[Caduceus]

I agree that SFI's track record in the last few years ain't so good.

I would love to hear from Aaron about this, perhaps David can get a quote in betweeng flinging pictures on email back and forth.

SE:V is nearing release anyway, so I can't imagine this will change the outcome (release) of that much unless SFI wants to take it in-house for some polish, which if reports of GCII are correct, might not hurt anything.

The question is that what will the future for the series (i.e. the next iteration in four to five years?)

[Atrocities]

"I'm absolutely delighted to be part of the Strategy First family," said Aaron Hall

[dogscoff]

guess at this point, now that SFI owns the rights to the SE franchise, they can force Shrapnel to end its long, much appreciated, friendship with us by having them discontinue support for this forum.

All shrapnel would have to do is rename the forum (For instance, 'The Spice Umpires Chat Forum') and label it as a general forum for miscellaneous off-topic chat. All the archived threads could remain available, and we'd all still hang out here, and no-one can stop us discussing whatever the hell we liked, be it SE-related or otherwise.

Any company that sent in the ambulance-chasers to shut down our forum would very quickly lose the support of the fanbase. I wouldn't want to support them with my cash, that's for sure, although I wouldn't want to do without SE5. What I'd probably do is pirate se5 and send a cheque for the cost of the game to Aaron in the post=-)

(Of course, this is all speculation. I've no reason to believe that they will do anything to force me to take such drastic measures. If the new owners behave nicely and don't hassle Shrapnel and release se5 Just As Aaron Intended, then I'll be only too happy to buy se5 in the conventional manner and support them.)