Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: 999000 on September 25, 2006, 12:33:57 PM
-
Ok Dale, I know your not going to share any secrets......But Would total hours played by the community per month or week ? be a satifactory indication of success of new changes?
999000
BTW I'm still looking into the Turkey farm thing
-
Deleted
-
Posted by Pyro in the New Arena Setup, Part Duh
Quantum physics sounds like meaningless drivel to me but that doesn't invalidate it. Now I can't share proprietary data but I did think that how we monitor our business would be self-evident - if not in detail at least in general. I'll elaborate but before I go on, I'm curious; how do you think we measure what we're doing? Just by the BBS?
Our business is very measurable in many different ways. Our customers move through our system and one way we can measure is to see how many people make it to the various points along that journey to give us an indication of how we're doing in any particular area. It's self evident but I'll spell it out. Person comes to website --> Downloads game --> Creates trial account --> Plays trial --> Subscribes --> Deletes --> Possibly returns. Do you see anything unmeasurable there? That's our life cycle and it goes on every day.
So how do we tell if things are healthy? Some indications the game is healthy is when we are converting a good percentage of trial accounts to subscriptions and our subscriber deletes is held to a good percentage. If gameplay and/or social conditions degrade, a smaller percentage of trials subscribe and a bigger percentage of subscribers delete. I didn't think that would be a real shocker but maybe it is. It's not rocket science or quantum physics and its not black magic. It's just fundamentals. Our bottom line is driven by delivering the most fun to the most people. That's what drives our decisions.
-
Health of the game?
What determines that is how many paid subscribers there are, not on how many hours a player is in game. I would guess that as long as you subscribe, and the less you play, the wider the profit margin for HTC.
Protesting by 'playing less' is silly. Either quit or play a whole more and make sure you get your whole $.50 a day worth.
The bbs whining is free...
-
It must be an odd business to be in. My business I provide my customer with a service. They pay me. If they are'nt happy the way I plumbed their house, they call another plumber next time.
With flight sims, there really are'nt alot of other "plumbers" to call. The owners can be more of a dictator, on how they operate, more independent and free from thinking "man, I hope I don't lose this account".
That said, the customer can feel somewhat worthless. He is paying for a service, and feels as though even though he is one in thousands, his money should be appreciated. When he feels slighted, his only recourse is to threaten to quit, and when he gets the "See ya!" reply, he gets angry.
Now he starts to dislike the owner, simply because it seems the owner, is'nt as passionate about the customer's patronage, as the customer is about the owner's product.
Its an odd relationship. The only thing that would normalize it, is better competition in the flight sim dept, and we all know there is'nt much else of value out there.
We also know we are invisible customers, numbers, and there is no way to have a personal relationship with all of us. As long as the game is fun...more fun than watching Jeopardy and eating Twinkies every night, I will continue to play.
-
A plumber is hired / contracted to do a job for a customer. HTC aren't hired by each player to build them whatever game they want. Certainly not at $.50 a day. AH 'customers' pay to use what HTC has created. Each one of the 1000s of players HTC has had over the years all have their idea of 'how the game should be'. The players don't create the game HTC does. We pay to play the game HTC created. If HTC changes the game they owe us nothing. We either like or we don't. If we don't they we either suffer under our own dislike or we quit.
-
Look at it this way.....
you got 3 plummers in town, they all charge the same, but one uses substandard material, the second works sometimes, but quits without warning at others, and then there is the third. The third one use good equipment, things are well maintained, it allways works, but he does things his way. To him its the "right" way because after all its his bussiness. You may not agree with him with how he does stuff, but hey thats the way it is.
You still have a choice of which to use. To me, as long as it works, Im getting my moneys worth I'm ok, I can put up with his eccentricity's :)
-
Originally posted by FiLtH
As long as the game is fun...more fun than watching Jeopardy and eating Twinkies every night, I will continue to play.
Glad to hear that, Filth.
You know, the AvA could use another mission or two, spawned by your febrile brain.
- oldman
-
Well Im home recovering from minor surgery Oldman..we'll see :)
As for above comments...again I just saying the relationship is odd is all. More like Coca-cola. If they change the flavor, its their choice to do so.
-
Originally posted by FiLtH
It must be an odd business to be in. My business I provide my customer with a service. They pay me. If they are'nt happy the way I plumbed their house, they call another plumber next time.
With flight sims, there really are'nt alot of other "plumbers" to call. The owners can be more of a dictator, on how they operate, more independent and free from thinking "man, I hope I don't lose this account".
That said, the customer can feel somewhat worthless. He is paying for a service, and feels as though even though he is one in thousands, his money should be appreciated. When he feels slighted, his only recourse is to threaten to quit, and when he gets the "See ya!" reply, he gets angry.
Now he starts to dislike the owner, simply because it seems the owner, is'nt as passionate about the customer's patronage, as the customer is about the owner's product.
Its an odd relationship. The only thing that would normalize it, is better competition in the flight sim dept, and we all know there is'nt much else of value out there.
We also know we are invisible customers, numbers, and there is no way to have a personal relationship with all of us. As long as the game is fun...more fun than watching Jeopardy and eating Twinkies every night, I will continue to play.
FiLtH-
Salute! That was a clear and excellent summation of what is really at issue here. I've tried to say the same thing often, but not nearly as well. There are things I like and things I don't like in this game. I only comment on those that really seem to be a pain for me and others, meaning make me not want to play. Doesn't mean we are 'right' or 'wrong' about them either, just concerned and/or upset about the prospect of not enjoying the game.
However, the real issue that makes me mad is what you indicated, and that is the 'perceived' way HiTech addresses (or does not address) general dissatisfaction that is voiced in here, and the lack of any real business relationship. It's less the original objection that I'm upset about, than it is the overall attitude that is being conveyed.
Can't say it's all HiTech's fault either as this is a difficult relationship to maintain, and an often unsatisfactory means to communicate it. I do think they could do much better with it, and maybe that's one of the more important 'changes' HiTech should be working on.
What I've experienced over a year and a half, 'seems' like a real lack of interest in communicating what is happening and why, or showing any genuine feeling of concern by HiTech when a large group of customers feel they have a significant problem.
-
One thing I can say is I dont have 12 year olds calling me telling me Im stupid. That has to get old after awhile, and is probably a huge factor.
-
Filth: I do not agree on your assesment.
Online games have a totaly different aspect than a normal customer busness relationship.
Simple example Customer A whats to have a P51H put in the game with no perks.
I say sorry it would unbalance the game.
Customer A then tells me Im a moron and that I do not listen to customers.
He starts screaming throwing a tantrom calling HTC bad things in front of other customers, for the other customers satisfaction I remove customer A.
Because do those other customers realy wish to listen to that type of behaveor ?
If I change anything or do not change anything, some people will like the discision, some will not.
2nd almost all my customers comunicate with each other on a dailly basis.
So when someone says I do not listen, respect, or try make happy. What is realy happening I'm just trying to make some other customer happy.
So it realy becomes simple, ANY attempt I ever make to please a customer will cause some other customers to be un happy.
Do not take this as me complaining, it is what it is, but also understand it requires a different mind set on how to handle issues.
Now lets talk track record a little, When I started AH there were 3 other sims to compete with, 2 others are still around. Strange thing was I had to compete with myself for a good long time.
AH now has gained the bigest market share of in the online FS world, this dosn't meen I get to stop doing the things to increase the customer base. Or that I get to stop doing the things that made it successfull. But in such a social enviorment, do you realy believe I do not respect, listen to ,try please, and comunicate with customers? In reallity pleaseing customers is my only goal. How to accomplish that goal is a continual learning proccess.
Do you realy belive the market share that AH took just happened or could it actualy be that we have always tried to do our very best to please customers. And that is what took back over the market?
And a final note. In the gameing world, you need to give the customer what he wants, not what he ask for. Because the 2 are vary rairly the same thing.
Sloehand:
While I agree with your wish. Consider a few things.
1 Since the last change I have spent at least 75% of my time comunicating with customers.
2. There are 7 total people at HTC, one of those persons primary job is to communicate with customers every day.
3. Anytime a customer wish to talk to me personaly I answer the phone talk to them.
HiTech
-
I said it must be an odd business to be in. I was'nt trying to compare our businesses, rather contrast them. No offese was intended, I was trying to put into words how it feels to be an online customer. Its just my opinion, you are free to disagree with it.
-
No offese was intended
Absolutly none was taken, in fact I thought is was a very good post.
HiTech
-
I love you guys
-
hitech.
No matter what the state of the game is at any particular given moment, I admire your courage and your innovation. One thing for sure is we can't call you complacent. This is a very good thing. Thank you for your constant effort and your wonderful game.
As a business owner myself, I have some inclination..... I say no way could I deal with the mess you have to deal with, even with medication. :lol Even in just my imagination, the thought of your troubles and woes (people jumping down your back all the time) makes me want to crawl under a rock and hide. :)
[EDIT] Please don't pick on me please, this is just my 2 cents. TY
Think about this. How would some of you guys like a thousand people jumping all over you in mean and ugly ways. Saying the things some of you say? Just imagine. Not a very pleasing thought, is it. Shame Shame. And for what? Because hiteck is tying to keep the game we love so much viable, and up to date with continued success? Shame Shame. Just because we have a passion for this game, that does not give us the right to act like mean spirtied idiots. :aok
-
HiTech, that was the most well-thought-out reply I've seen yet. VERY clearly explains the amount of time, effort, and love that go into this game.
I just recently signed up to fly again due to the arena change. I always love seeing what so many people are crying about, and I gotta say, it's actually a little better this way. The horde is pretty well gone, even in LW when I was flying. Being a manager I understand that some people cannot be pleased no matter what you do, but they are in the minority.
Unfortunately this minority is also rather vocal when they don't get exactly what they want. It may seem sometimes to you, Dale, or to subscribers of the game, that EVERYONE hates the game, hates the staff, and hates the other players, but the majority are just silent. People don't usually call you up to say "Dude, I love this game!"
But most of us do.
-
HTC has installed toilets in everyones house?:huh
ok so be it. we all have new toilets to .. um play with. either um "sit " or get off the pot, but for gods sake lets stop telling everyone repeatedly how we used to um.. "sit" on the old toilet.
like someone mentioned you cant please the entire community with the exact same install, but the way I look at it is now I have 3 new rooms in my house and each one has a different set of fixtures!
(ew must have a butler too because I keep getting my arse handed to me in there :lol )
:aok :aok
ps lw needs an exhaust fan yet;)
-
So, from what I'm reading (if you read between the lines;) ) is that everyones really grateful that I play AH.
This IS a good thread, and I thank you all
-
Sorry 9, kinda got side tracked. As for hours Im still playing too much. Not quite as much as last, but still around 80 so far.
-
Heya FiLth.. 2 things if I may. 1st'ly, your avatar? All these years I thought it was a rotten quahog clam opening up and spewing it's guts out. (really!). Just now noticed that it's a spilled unclean cup of coffee! Like the old lady leaves on the counter every morning.. Nice.
2nd'ly..
So? If I try to re-plumb my own leaky faucet? Are you saying that Dale will return the Arena settings back to normal? (as I'd so loved them before). :-D JK.
Actually? And strangely enuff.. since I can't get into the arena(s) where all the peeps are of late (max'd out), I actually had time to attempt fixing the 3 leaky faucets in the house! Ruined all 3 of 'em. Thank God for you pro plumber dudes. that's why God gave us mortal men "checkbooks".
brother!
RV6
-
The real difference between the way the arena is no and the way it was before. Before if your side was down to 4 fields and in the bucket you had no where else to go. It was the AvA, or suffer, or log off.
Now we have choices, if Midwar is messed up, we can go to early. If there are not enough players in early, we can go to late.
Short term yes he'll lose some customers, long term, HTC will hang onto many that more that they would have lost with the old setup.
-
my opionion observation on the new arena setup and possible reasons.
TOD - planned new addition to AH flight SIM game.
An intelligent way to introduce players to the early war planes, as we are all aware - la7's, p-51's, 262's, and other uber rides are the first choice of new players - once TOD starts - early war sets - they will have a steep learning curve - and I am sure many of the current player base - probably - just a magic guess - Spit 1 drivers - probably 75 % of the players have driven it at the most - once - what better way to get everyone to learn to drive these rides? Actually it is probably a good idea to promote the idea to the player base to prepare for the TOD release, and to enable yourself to advance in the learning curve that is planned- to do a good shuffle through all the arenas.
I have noticed in EW - most of the people in there are long time players - which is a mistake for squads - squads should be promoting amongst themselves to tour through all the arenas to gain experience in all the rides. If they are smart they will relax the -everyone fly on the same side - I know the WM's ( the ghey squad I'm in) and other squads like the Burger King's do not have a strict rule on flying for one side if the sides are unbalanced - it makes sense for the game - as long as there is no "spying" going on ( on a side note - I try to send guys to other side of map for cv's for chuckles if they bite on it lol)
I like the new arena setups - if I want to fly with squadies - I can find them - if I want to just try an arena - I do, just wish more players would figure out that it would be more fun for them and others in the game to switch sides - the -I'm a **** - and thats the only country I fly in - kinda is out the window and IMO kinda lame anyway.
NwBie
-
RV6 its an avatar for the Battle of Britain scenario. Since Im in Ju88s I thought a cracked tea-cup was fitting :)
-
omg! i thought it was some kind of clam too... too funny.
now I see the tea cup!
-
As long as the game is fun...more fun than watching Jeopardy and eating Twinkies every night, I will continue to play. --FiLTh
:aok Nice summary statement! Count me in!
Regards
Sun
-
Originally posted by hitech
Filth: I do not agree on your assesment.
Online games have a totaly different aspect than a normal customer busness relationship.
Simple example Customer A whats to have a P51H put in the game with no perks.
I say sorry it would unbalance the game.
Customer A then tells me Im a moron and that I do not listen to customers.
He starts screaming throwing a tantrom calling HTC bad things in front of other customers, for the other customers satisfaction I remove customer A.
Because do those other customers realy wish to listen to that type of behaveor ?
If I change anything or do not change anything, some people will like the discision, some will not.
2nd almost all my customers comunicate with each other on a dailly basis.
So when someone says I do not listen, respect, or try make happy. What is realy happening I'm just trying to make some other customer happy.
So it realy becomes simple, ANY attempt I ever make to please a customer will cause some other customers to be un happy.
Do not take this as me complaining, it is what it is, but also understand it requires a different mind set on how to handle issues.
Now lets talk track record a little, When I started AH there were 3 other sims to compete with, 2 others are still around. Strange thing was I had to compete with myself for a good long time.
AH now has gained the bigest market share of in the online FS world, this dosn't meen I get to stop doing the things to increase the customer base. Or that I get to stop doing the things that made it successfull. But in such a social enviorment, do you realy believe I do not respect, listen to ,try please, and comunicate with customers? In reallity pleaseing customers is my only goal. How to accomplish that goal is a continual learning proccess.
Do you realy belive the market share that AH took just happened or could it actualy be that we have always tried to do our very best to please customers. And that is what took back over the market?
And a final note. In the gameing world, you need to give the customer what he wants, not what he ask for. Because the 2 are vary rairly the same thing.
Sloehand:
While I agree with your wish. Consider a few things.
1 Since the last change I have spent at least 75% of my time comunicating with customers.
2. There are 7 total people at HTC, one of those persons primary job is to communicate with customers every day.
3. Anytime a customer wish to talk to me personaly I answer the phone talk to them.
HiTech
Thanks for the informative post , HT!
Good read.:aok
Nice thread guys.
Regards
Sun