General / Off-Topic I Guess I'm Just Too Old To Understand Modern Business. Especially Games.

Ralph Vargr

Ralph Vargr
Having been born in the Eisenhower Administration, I guess I'm just too out of touch with modern business methods. I've been told, bluntly, that although my credentials are *quite* impressive, that younger persons were preferred, because they had natively grown up in a technologically advanced society, and were more adaptable and flexible than I was. Also, they were cheaper, and more easily intimidated due to student debt loads.

So, I'm reaching out to all you cool kids, to help me out with how things are done, nowadays.

In my day, I had to come up with something called a "business proposal/case", write it, have it analyzed by an accountant, and go find financing from sources other than fans on a internet forum.

Let me know if these means to gather capital for a business venture are no longer valid:

Retained earnings from previous business.

Venture capitalists.

Forming a corporation, and issuing stocks (shares to you Brits), or bonds, or preferred shares.

"Borrowing" from relatives and friends.

Self-financing.

Busking/Standing on streets begging.

And, worst of all, getting a loan from a bank.

All these means require some demonstration that there will be a profitable business or service to pay back monies acquired.

Now, it seems that all I have to do is make a promise of future delivery to either Kickstarter backers, or existing customers who are awaiting delivery at some (generally) unspecified point in the future. It is even possible to shame existing customers into buying products or services that they do not want or need, due to peer pressure and social media (or addiction). The use of fear tactics, particularly the mantra that if monies are not provided, the business will fold, seem especially effective.

I guess that I'm not sociopathic enough to make it in today's business world. Especially online games. Being honest is a design flaw I have long suffered from. :(

Help me out here. I need to learn how to be a ruthless (redacted), and young gamers are a great resource for finding that talent. :)
 

Bomba Luigi

Bomba Luigi
Is this some convoludet way to say you don't like Kickstarter/expansions?

Not really sure, its all very confusing and does not make a lot of sense.
 

Mohrgan

Mohrgan
You imply that making a Kickstarter campaign that is successful come without making a case. It doesn't. Look at all of the conversation that went on to get E: D through the process. When I was researching about the game, before I bought it, I had to just pass over much of the stuff because the volume was too high. Go start a campaign about something you do well. Then you may see what it takes in this new arena.

Maybe those potential employers were right, you may not have the flexibility they are looking for. I was born in the Kennedy administration, but I can see that it is the same drill as the old days, just on a new stage. Rather than convincing 'Money' that you have customers, you can now convince customers you have a product.
 

streki

streki
Ralph Vargr said:
Now, it seems that all I have to do is make a promise of future delivery to either Kickstarter backers, or existing customers who are awaiting delivery at some (generally) unspecified point in the future.
Click to expand...

All i can tell is is that I gave Frontier £100 in November 2012 for the promise of a game.

I have received everything that I paid for.....

- First round beta access
- Lifetime expansion pass
- Collector’s premium boxed edition
- Polo shirt
- Pin badge
- Paperback copy of Elite: Legacy
- A3 galaxy map
- Digital copy of The Dark Wheel
- Digital download of the Elite Dangerous music
- An NPC in the game bears my name (*as yet unconfirmed)
- Founders world access
- Sol permit
- Long range version of the Cobra MKIII
- Start game with upto 4000 free credits
- Freagle
- Access to the private backers’ forum

Plus some additional freebies (that weren't promissed) that FD added just because they appreciate the support from early backers...

- One of five in game ships
- reduction of in-game insurance costs
- Cobra MKIV exclusive access

If its of any comfort to you, I can tell you that this team delivers. ED is a very polished product, with regular updates applied in a timely manner. If FD say planetary landings are coming in 2015, I have no reason (based on their performance so far) to believe that this won't happen.

Other kickstarted ventures have been disasters, yes....Its always a risk, but this risk has paid off big time.

Well done, FD.



Disclaimer: I was born during the Nixon administration, so not really a "younger person" (but always a cool kid).
 
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Jason S

J
Also in the past governments used to be tied to a gold standard, now they just increase debt and print money.

The world in many ways seems a bit more unstable.
 

ellay

ellay
The simple fact is, putting your money into a kickstarter campaign is not necessarily a financial investment.

In the case of Elite, it was my chance to help turn a twenty year dream into a reality.

Without the kickstarter campaign, it would still only be a dream..

I think Frontier have done a superb job so far, and long may it continue.
 

Ralph Vargr

Ralph Vargr
Mohrgan said:
Nit-picking makes employers happy too. How about commenting on the content of my post, rather than one grammatical error?
Click to expand...

It was fun. :)

Here's your comment: You are suckers. Just because one project succeeded, does not mean that you have to be blackmailed/bullied into supporting another.
 

Krait_79

Krait_79
Ralph Vargr said:
Having been born in the Eisenhower Administration, I guess I'm just too out of touch with modern business methods. I've been told, bluntly, that although my credentials are *quite* impressive, that younger persons were preferred, because they had natively grown up in a technologically advanced society, and were more adaptable and flexible than I was. Also, they were cheaper, and more easily intimidated due to student debt loads.

So, I'm reaching out to all you cool kids, to help me out with how things are done, nowadays.

In my day, I had to come up with something called a "business proposal/case", write it, have it analyzed by an accountant, and go find financing from sources other than fans on a internet forum.

Let me know if these means to gather capital for a business venture are no longer valid:

Retained earnings from previous business.

Venture capitalists.

Forming a corporation, and issuing stocks (shares to you Brits), or bonds, or preferred shares.

"Borrowing" from relatives and friends.

Self-financing.

Busking/Standing on streets begging.

And, worst of all, getting a loan from a bank.

All these means require some demonstration that there will be a profitable business or service to pay back monies acquired.

Now, it seems that all I have to do is make a promise of future delivery to either Kickstarter backers, or existing customers who are awaiting delivery at some (generally) unspecified point in the future. It is even possible to shame existing customers into buying products or services that they do not want or need, due to peer pressure and social media (or addiction). The use of fear tactics, particularly the mantra that if monies are not provided, the business will fold, seem especially effective.

I guess that I'm not sociopathic enough to make it in today's business world. Especially online games. Being honest is a design flaw I have long suffered from. :(

Help me out here. I need to learn how to be a ruthless (redacted), and young gamers are a great resource for finding that talent. :)
Click to expand...

It's a matter of solvency. All businesses need to be solvent. To maxmise your solvency you want your debtors to pay as soon as possible and to pay your creditors as late as possible

By allowing you to pre order something a company is improving its solvency!
 

Ralph Vargr

Ralph Vargr
ellay said:
The simple fact is, putting your money into a kickstarter campaign is not necessarily a financial investment.

In the case of Elite, it was my chance to help turn a twenty year dream into a reality.

Without the kickstarter campaign, it would still only be a dream..

I think Frontier have done a superb job so far, and long may it continue.
Click to expand...

You got lucky. It's unlikely anyone short of a government can fund programming complex enough to simulate a galaxy's economy, or create planetary environments that won't suffer from the "they all look alike" woes of exploring.
 

Patrick_68000

Patrick_68000
I have given £150 during the kickstarter. But because Frontier is a company of 20 years, solid with a good reputation. And also because I wanted the game to be done. But otherwise I do not like this principle to pay before ...
 
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