David Braben on free & paid-for content after Beyond (from PC Gamer interview)

[Pville_Piper]

DOOMED!

What? No takers for the corvette? It's only slightly used, I got it from a little old lady who just used it to fly it to church on Sundays and bingo on Thursday nights... Honest! OKAY! She occasionally hit a CZ or 2 on the way there, but really, it's in great shape....

 

[ozrix84]

The more a thread goes on, the more it gets derailed into complete bizarro land. Middle aged dudes who bought a videogame trying to defamate a CEO over an article. What a time to be alive

 

[VR Golgot]

We have seen no facts whatsoever.

Braben's word is not fact. I'm not strictly saying is false, but it isn't fact that because he says some carefully worded sentences, that everything is a-ok.

Sure, these are just statements of intent, not facts.

He is never going to come out and say 'while things are not bad, there are definitely far fewer players than we hoped', or 'We're going to be considering closing ED's servers in a few months if things don't pick up'. The words from any CEO, are never the whole truth. This is just business.

In these areas there are facts that impinge though, and can make statements seem more or less likely. FDev's publicly available financials, although not broken down by franchise, suggest they're doing well, and state they're continuing to invest in ED. Fudging those or their press statements of favourable staffing would be a foolish thing to fluff for a publicly listed company with big time investors etc. Given those backdrops, the scenarios you're positing seem unlikely. And the ones FDev are putting forward don't seem unreasonable.

But sure, ain't nailed on.

An individual opinion means nothing - but a large group does, and gives a fairly good indication of how things are - regardless of how the smaller minority might wish otherwise.

A CEO's opinion probably means a touch more than average. Now how are you measuring these groups again...

 

[bitstorm]

So.

We know nothing more than we did yesterday.

Awesome article.

Except we know now that some time in the future at an unspecified date, but possibly 2019, there will be some content which may or may not be free.

This is good news for LEP owners because it means in 2019 there is a chance you may get something you paid for 2-3 years ago.

Nothing definite mind, I mean software development is hard you know, you cannot expect miracles.

I am middle aged.

 

[Factabulous]

Let's see how people are turning that one into a doom and gloom scenario. I'll start with 'David Braben lied to us before!' and 'How can he dare to announce an announcement!'

We have seen no facts whatsoever.

Braben's word is not fact. I'm not strictly saying it's false, but it isn't fact that because he says some carefully worded sentences, that everything is a-ok. He is never going to come out and say 'while things are not bad, there are definitely far fewer players than we hoped', or 'We're going to be considering closing ED's servers in a few months if things don't pick up'. The words from any CEO, are never the whole truth. This is just business.

The sad fact is, unless someone leaks such information, we'll never know just how many players are active. All we can do is scour the interwebs, and garner a general consensus of how things are. An individual opinion means nothing - but a large group does, and gives a fairly good indication of how things are - regardless of how the smaller minority might wish otherwise.

We have a winner.

Cant help thinking someone needs to step away from the keyboard and think if he'd say these things in person - I hope not.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

The more a thread goes on, the more it gets derailed into complete bizarro land. Middle aged dudes who bought a videogame trying to defamate a CEO over an article. What a time to be alive

You haven't seen ObsidianAnt video comment section. "Liar" is frequently quoted. Some people are just...their minds are OCDed on specific dramas, on specific truths, and nothing changes for them. No need to explain anything to them either. Also ObsidianAnt - nice video btw if you read this - at the end mentioned "might be as well cosmetics", although FD ruled that out last year already quite soon after Zac's announcement. For lot of those were 'say no more' and they just rolled with it.

Positive side there's lot of people saying they are totally cool with supporting game. That wasn't that way year ago.

 

[bitstorm]

We have a winner.

Cant help thinking someone needs to step away from the keyboard and think if he'd say these things in person - I hope not.

He's saying that Braben claiming we have more players than ever is not the same as saying we have more active players than ever.

This doesn't seem that controversial and I'm sure many people would say this in person.

If David said this to me, in any context, in person or if I was interviewing, that would be my first question, "is that active players?" and yes I would ask it. Depending on the situation the follow up might even be, "how do you define active players" but that's just me.

Braben's in marketing mode there.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Sigh

Some people just can't admit they are wrong.

I'm out.

 

[ozrix84]

He's saying that Braben claiming we have more players than ever is not the same as saying we have more active players than ever.

This doesn't seem that controversial and I'm sure many people would say this in person.

If David said this to me, in any context, in person or if I was interviewing, that would be my first question, "is that active players?" and yes I would ask it.

Braben's in marketing mode there.

Like it makes any difference to you as a player. You just need something to complain about.

 

[Kaltern]

We have a winner.

Cant help thinking someone needs to step away from the keyboard and think if he'd say these things in person - I hope not.

Why wouldn't I?

David Braben is absolutely not a liar. He is, however, a CEO of a company that has shareholders.

Lying is not the same as understating, and understatement is not a criminal offence.
Publishing financials, which is again a document required by law, is never going to say 'While we're making a lot of money off the back of out latest IP, we're not so committed to ED, as we believe that game has started to run it's course'. They're going to say what they INTEND to do. Intention is not a promise (I'm sure this exact discussion happened last week somewhere...), and therefore - to be utterly blunt about it - Frontier can say what they like, as long as they don't come out with things like 'promise', 'WILL be investing', or any other unequivocal wording that lawyers would feel uneasy about.

A CEO's opinion, given to the media, about their own company means absolutely nothing. In the interview we're discussing, he uses carefully chosen words like 'we plan to' and 'we're planning'.. Nothing that gives any firm indication of what WILL happen - and this is quite obviously not by accident.

So no, I have no problem in saying what I think. And the overall feeling of a large group of people is far more indicative of something than the word of someone who is directly invested in ensuring only positive things come from what they say.

And again, for the hard of reading, I have NEVER said anyone is lying about financials, or about promises and confirmed DLC or whatnot. That's just what certain people here would like to make out. I am simply trying to put my point across that we have literally no idea what's planned, or more importantly, how well the game is REALLY doing in terms of player base. And I suspect the shareholder report is unlikely to actually give that out as a verified fact - more likely a broad range which will be reasonably ambiguous. Of course, I would LOVE to see a confirmed, official player base count for 2017/2018, without blurring the figures. I want nothing more than this game to be utterly successful for years to come, and all my issues and concerns utterly quashed.

But for right now, given the last 3 years? I'm definitely not convinced.

 

[bitstorm]

Like it makes any difference to you as a player. You just need something to complain about.

Sigh. What am I complaining about now? Or what am I wrong about now?

This is getting tiresome tbh.

 

[Enderby]

Slow clap glacial development that is still unconfirmed.

Well done FD!

 

[Darty]

Wait I thought when braben said that "all of our expansions have been free, and everything you pay for is vanity" he meant this going forwards and therefor wasn't lying through his teeth? I guess not.

 

[ozrix84]

Sigh. What am I complaining about now? Or what am I wrong about now?

This is getting tiresome tbh.

Braben in marketing mode? Really? Go watch some more shrill Yamicks to get your fix, mate.

 

[Kaltern]

What's with the hostility?

 

[VR Golgot]

Why wouldn't I?

David Braben is absolutely not a liar. He is, however, a CEO of a company that has shareholders.

Lying is not the same as understating, and understatement is not a criminal offence.
Publishing financials, which is again a document required by law, is never going to say 'While we're making a lot of money off the back of out latest IP, we're not so committed to ED, as we believe that game has started to run it's course'. They're going to say what they INTEND to do. Intention is not a promise (I'm sure this exact discussion happened last week somewhere...), and therefore - to be utterly blunt about it - Frontier can say what they like, as long as they don't come out a same things like 'promise', 'WILL be investing', or any other unequivocal wording that lawyers would feel uneasy about.

EDIT: This is all cool. But within their bi-annual reports they do they talk in terms such as:

* "...combined with continued strong performance from Elite Dangerous drove a step-up in all financial measures"

* "Elite Dangerous continues to grow its addressable audience and is performing well"

* "Elite Dangerous, which launched in December 2014, exceeded 2.75 million cumulative franchise unit sales."

* "The attach rate of Elite Dangerous: Horizons to the base game continues to grow steadily,"

* "The Elite Dangerous franchise continues to perform strongly and we continue to focus on enhancements within the strategy of further improving perceived quality and sentiment, adding significant long-term new features and supporting the unique evolving player-driven story, which all players experience together. We expect to further expand the player base over the next financial year, adding new content and increasing the audience."

Although broad, they'd still be in various forms of strife if, say, ED wasn't experiencing continued strong financial performance which was helping drive increased revenues etc. Or if they weren't actually accruing new players through the PS4 release, or actually pursuing 'significant long-term features' etc etc.

On public statements, comments on franchise staffing are more specific and potentially problematic than other areas you touch on. This is surely an area in which they could fall foul of investors if they were misrepresenting their investment in specific projects.

These are some major reasons that theoretical talk of the franchise winding up feel pretty overblown and counter-factual.

So no, I have no problem in saying what I think. And the overall feeling of a large group of people is far more indicative of something than the word of someone who is directly invested in ensuring only positive things come from what they say.

What is this large group you talk about. (Is it an uncountable group of people who think like you? )

I am simply trying to put my point across that we have literally no idea what's planned, or more importantly, how well the game is REALLY doing in terms of player base. And I suspect the shareholder report is unlikely to actually give that out as a verified fact - more likely a broad range which will be reasonably ambiguous. Of course, I would LOVE to see a confirmed, official player base count for 2017/2018, without blurring the figures. I want nothing more than this game to be utterly successful for years to come, and all my issues and concerns utterly quashed.

Sure player counts aren't really verifiable our end. We can see trends in the flawed metrics we have, look at signs like continued new sign ups asking for info or discussing the game (of which there are still plenty of anecdotals). I'd say, for what it's worth, that the signs in those areas don't contradict the claim that that uptake and playerbase are healthy, even if they can't confirm it etc. IE there doesn't seem to be a shocking downward trend in either. (I too would love to see hard stats though )

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Why wouldn't I?

David Braben is absolutely not a liar. He is, however, a CEO of a company that has shareholders.

Lying is not the same as understating, and understatement is not a criminal offence.
Publishing financials, which is again a document required by law, is never going to say 'While we're making a lot of money off the back of out latest IP, we're not so committed to ED, as we believe that game has started to run it's course'. They're going to say what they INTEND to do. Intention is not a promise (I'm sure this exact discussion happened last week somewhere...), and therefore - to be utterly blunt about it - Frontier can say what they like, as long as they don't come out with things like 'promise', 'WILL be investing', or any other unequivocal wording that lawyers would feel uneasy about.

A CEO's opinion, given to the media, about their own company means absolutely nothing. In the interview we're discussing, he uses carefully chosen words like 'we plan to' and 'we're planning'.. Nothing that gives any firm indication of what WILL happen - and this is quite obviously not by accident.

So no, I have no problem in saying what I think. And the overall feeling of a large group of people is far more indicative of something than the word of someone who is directly invested in ensuring only positive things come from what they say.

And again, for the hard of reading, I have NEVER said anyone is lying about financials, or about promises and confirmed DLC or whatnot. That's just what certain people here would like to make out. I am simply trying to put my point across that we have literally no idea what's planned, or more importantly, how well the game is REALLY doing in terms of player base. And I suspect the shareholder report is unlikely to actually give that out as a verified fact - more likely a broad range which will be reasonably ambiguous. Of course, I would LOVE to see a confirmed, official player base count for 2017/2018, without blurring the figures. I want nothing more than this game to be utterly successful for years to come, and all my issues and concerns utterly quashed.

But for right now, given the last 3 years? I'm definitely not convinced.

Convinced for what?

You know CEO publicly represents company? And there are shareholders who act on information in this interview? And he doesn't represent it right, and they find out he has been massaging texts...he is in trouble.

Yes, it is not 'truth', it is just opinion and claim, but it has to check out, both financially and legally. it is simple as that.

Also what's this obsession with player numbers? Most of companies DO NOT publicise such numbers, because information can be taken out of context. What's active numbers means for ED? How many log in in a day? Week? Two weeks? Month?

How many times FD have to say game is doing great for you to believe?

If you don't believe, stay that. Don't represent something that is solely your own opinion as some kind of truth. It's not.

 

[bitstorm]

Braben in marketing mode? Really? Go watch some more shrill Yamicks to get your fix, mate.

Do you honestly think the CEO of a multi-million shareholder owned company doing interviews talking about what's to come has not got his marketing head on?

Amaze.

 

[ozrix84]

Do you honestly think the CEO of a multi-million shareholder owned company doing interviews talking about what's to come has not got his marketing head on?

Amaze.

And why do you care?

 

[Gun Star]