Re: [Epic] An amazing thing!!

From: Peter Ramos <pramos1_at_...>
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 1997 22:26:55 +0000

> There is a major difference between the two companies. One is a company that
> encourages fun playing, dosen't care whose minnies you use, heck even
> carboard cutouts are fine for them. And they are much cheaper.

This brings an interesting point. I view companies as things that evolve
over time. All companies start with an idea in the beginning, at this
stage they want people to learn about the idea use it and are remarkably
sympathetic to what people think or say. This is logical of course,at
this stage if this werent done the idea would die-end of story. If the
idea catches on they enter a period of rapid growth, they still value
peoples opinions because at this point they need the publicity that good
recommendations can give, bottom line-more exposure and endorsement by
the public translates to more sales. Later on though they reach a
plateu, at this point they dont need peoples opinions that much because
they have achieved preeminience in that gaming field and more
importantly at this point the company has grown from the hands of the
creators and now bows to a group of investors. In here lies the key,
investors is the word, not gamers, the company is now guided by profit
and people who do not play the game and never in thier life probably sen
it played-its all profit margin at this point.

At this point begins the descent, this is mainly due to that we all must
understand that these hobbies occupy a small niche in the corporate
business world, games are not comodities-not essential like food and
other things that people need therefore the potential for growth is
limited by the size of the gaming community. In here lies the great
danger for companies the size of GW, what happens when that limited
community for whatever reasons do not respond to the products? Obviously
finiancial difficulties ensue and the irony is where do they turn to?
The gaming community that spawn them in the first place, those whom in
there rise have trampled,abused or just ignored.

For those who follow other companies and games may recognize T$R's
plight(I consider them equally greedy and uncaring in thier field as GW
is in its own). T$R is in descent, years of antagonizing and ignoring
what the public wanted is beginning to shhow, and what are they doing?
The obvious, try to listen to the people who got them there-you the
customer! Will it work only time will tell. GW is on this same route,
for now they ride the high wave, but how much more abuse they can pile
on customers until they too sink in financial crisis? That too only time
will tell.

Sorry for the length guys, I was a retailer for many years and saw
companies come and go because they forgot who gave them thier sucess-you
the customers paying your hard earned cash for a good fun time!

Thank you
Peter
Received on Mon Feb 17 1997 - 22:26:55 UTC