Follow up on "Were did everyone go"?

[Lusche]

Forgive me for asking but was this a gradual drop off that wasn’t checked, or a sudden drop due to AH3 or something else? I quit in 2010/11 so I was part of the problem I guess lol just shocked how empty it is now.

Basically a steady loss of total population over the past 10 years.

[100Coogn]

If just 1% of that 40000 stayed I’d be happy.  Forgive me for asking but was this a gradual drop off that wasn’t checked, or a sudden drop due to AH3 or something else? I quit in 2010/11 so I was part of the problem I guess lol just shocked how empty it is now.

Sorry bro.  This game is dated and would need many more than 400 players to save it.

Coogan

[Arlo]

Sorry bro.  This game is dated and would need many more than 400 players to save it.

HT's a small shop. He likely already has more than 500 regular/long term active accounts (whether they actively play is another thing - me being a prime example) and I'd consider that much of a monthly income to be sufficient life support. I think you have 'saving' and 'growing' confused.

[100Coogn]

HT's a small shop. He likely already has more than 500 regular/long term active accounts (whether they actively play is another thing - me being a prime example) and I'd consider that much of a monthly income to be sufficient life support. I think you have 'saving' and 'growing' confused.

I am quite aware of this.

Coogan

[CptTrips]

HT's a small shop. He likely already has more than 500 regular/long term active accounts (whether they actively play is another thing - me being a prime example) and I'd consider that much of a monthly income to be sufficient life support. I think you have 'saving' and 'growing' confused.

I'd hope it is more than that.  Have you done that math?  It'd hard to run a software company on that.

At what level would you define "saving" mode? 

Are you seeing any evidence the attrition has stopped?

[Arlo]

I'd hope it is more than that.  Have you done that math?  It'd hard to run a software company on that.

At what level would you define "saving" mode? 

Are you seeing any evidence the attrition has stopped?

HTC isn't really a typical 'software company.'
 
Since Skuzzy has retired here is the employee list (including the owner):

Dale "Hitech" Addink
CEO

Doug "Pyro" Balmos
Simulation Specialist

Carrie "Rosie" Brooks
Office Manager

Dan "Waffle" Greve
Art Director

Regarding attrition, who sees any evidence, either way? Player time online doesn't always equate to total paid accounts. The community has matured/aged. Most of us are more casual players than we used to be and maybe a few hours a month either tides us over or is all we can devote with real life getting in the way. We can all assume/presume/project/guess all we want. The books are in shop data and the company isn't publicly owned. Even as is, the game has regular upgrades dealing with virtual reality and game tweaking. That's more than some games working on a larger scale.

Many of us saw what a small sim being bought by a larger company with deeper pockets can result in (EA buying AW). Dale saw it, as well. In the 20+ years he's devoted himself to AH it seems quite obvious this is his baby and he'll take care of it as long as humanly possible. I'm not seeing a case of denial or desperation on his part.

[CptTrips]

HTC isn't really a typical 'software company.'

You think 500 is sustainable?  (I'd hope it's closer to 1k), not to mention if it's continuing to decline. 

That would be ~89k/yr revenue right?

Salary, health, utilities, server hardware, bandwidth, web/download hosting, dev machines upgrades, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.

That wouldn't meet you criteria for "save" mode yet? 

Are you a Liberal Arts major? 


Oh, and the next economic downturn is probably around the corner.

[Arlo]

You think 500 is sustainable?  (I'd hope it's closer to 1k), not to mention if it's continuing to decline. 

That would be ~89k/yr revenue right?

Salary, health, utilities, server hardware, bandwidth, web/download hosting, dev machines upgrades, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.

That wouldn't meet you criteria for "save" mode yet? 

You might have missed this the first time but regarding attrition, who sees any evidence, either way? Player time online doesn't always equate to total paid accounts.

Are you a Liberal Arts major? 

History, which is part of the Arts an Science department at Texas Tech. As are my Poli Sci and Anthro minors.

Oh, and the next economic downturn is probably around the corner.

For the vast majority of American citizens it's an ongoing thing. If you can find a way for the entire devoted AH community to remain outside financial struggles of one kind or another then please start a thread focused on such. I would gladly give you a kick-back.

So what's up with the doom and gloom toe to toe forehead bonking you think you need to have with me? I was fairly certain your interests and mine ran the same direction, AH-wise.

[Tripp]

1. Young people don't give a damn about WWII and related aircraft. It as foreign to them as the franco-prusian war of the 19th century is to us.
2. They don't have joystick setup and play using a mouse.
3. They don't have an underlying passion for aircraft and air combat.
So they look around and see nothing that will hold their interest. And off they go.

All very good points. Here is a comment on each one.

From fd ski

1.   “Young people don't give a damn about WWII and related aircraft. It as foreign to them as the Franco-Prussian war of the 19th century is to us.”
I agree with this. Given the educational criteria used in public schools these days, it’s understandable. Any effort by us or anyone is not going to change it.


2.   “They don't have joystick setup and play using a mouse.”
There are ways to help resolve this issue. 1. Whatever it takes to advertise a two or three available low-cost joysticks in a “recommended equipment” section of AH. 2. Refer new people to forum or outside sites to acquire equipment. 3. Work a deal with one supplier to offer discounted equipment through the AH membership process.


3.   “They don't have an underlying passion for aircraft and air combat.”
Look at the time they spend on videos. Build a section of well thought out video short films of action in WW2. The right choices here could raise awareness and excitement.

"So they look around and see nothing that will hold their interest. And off they go."





And frankly, I doubt anything can change that - other than Tom Hanks producing 8th AF series.

[The Fugitive]

HTC isn't really a typical 'software company.'
 
Since Skuzzy has retired here is the employee list (including the owner):

Dale "Hitech" Addink
CEO

Doug "Pyro" Balmos
Simulation Specialist

Carrie "Rosie" Brooks
Office Manager

Dan "Waffle" Greve
Art Director

Regarding attrition, who sees any evidence, either way? Player time online doesn't always equate to total paid accounts. The community has matured/aged. Most of us are more casual players than we used to be and maybe a few hours a month either tides us over or is all we can devote with real life getting in the way. We can all assume/presume/project/guess all we want. The books are in shop data and the company isn't publicly owned. Even as is, the game has regular upgrades dealing with virtual reality and game tweaking. That's more than some games working on a larger scale.

Many of us saw what a small sim being bought by a larger company with deeper pockets can result in (EA buying AW). Dale saw it, as well. In the 20+ years he's devoted himself to AH it seems quite obvious this is his baby and he'll take care of it as long as humanly possible. I'm not seeing a case of denial or desperation on his part.

I think "Pyro" has been gone for a while now.

So that doesnt leave much to work with.

[Arlo]

I think "Pyro" has been gone for a while now.

So that doesnt leave much to work with.

And then there were three?

[molybdenum]

If just 1% of that 40000 stayed I’d be happy.  Forgive me for asking but was this a gradual drop off that wasn’t checked, or a sudden drop due to AH3 or something else? I quit in 2010/11 so I was part of the problem I guess lol just shocked how empty it is now.

It was a gradual dropoff toward the end of the AH2 era, and when AH3 went live a significant # of people 's computers couldn't handle it. There were also teething problems early with AH3 that made me consider leaving the game even before GV dar pushed me over the edge; and I'm certain I was not alone in that regard.
And now it's sort of a momentum thing. People are leaving because it's less fun because fewer people are playing.

[Arlo]

People are leaving because it's less fun because fewer people are playing.

Seems a self-perpetuating problem. I wonder if any of them can figure out what to do about that?

[Meatwad]

It is just my opinion, but the younger crowd seems to have the ADHD mentality and if they cant get instant action within 5 minutes or less, they are bored and quit

[Shuffler]

Too lazy. Once they saw they could not buy themselves king.... gone. That and no free handouts.