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Chris Roberts hires his brother and wife as executives
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I would imagine the people she was promoted over must be a little pissed off.
Funny thing is, if a high profile owner / CEO / executive of a AAA company were to pull half the crap Roberts has, these same people would be screaming bloody murder about it.
AN' DERE AIN'T NO SUCH FING AS ENUFF DAKKA, YA GROT! Enuff'z more than ya got an' less than too much an' there ain't no such fing as too much dakka. Say dere is, and me Squiggoff'z eatin' tonight!
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I think a large part of fanboyism is that once people have sunk a certain amount of money into something they just enter a state of denial.
Sandi has been part of CIG marketing since day 1.
Erin has been in charge of Foundry 42 (Single player Squadron 42 game) since day 30?!
The only thing new is Erin has just been dumped a heap more responsibility on his lap when the other guy left.
I don't know why anyone is freaking out about this. If anything Erins past is well proven, perhaps even moreso than Chris.
What are you talking about? The game is like 5% done. Look at whats available to actually play. Wow. Lets spin around in space awhile and shoot at each other. We know the last 10% of the game got cut off, no FPS part of the game after all. And this is only the beginning of the cuts. It won't even be fully complete by 2016. It's to immense of a project to hit that deadline. He'll toss you all a crumb(Module) to keep you all on the hook for another couple years. After all, for him it's good business.
I could also tell you the games 50% done, but do you have any proof beyond words on a forum or blog? Are you there in the studio checking files? So then, you only have his word for it.
Out of curiosity, I'd like to see what he and the wife are making. I'll bet between the two of them, they're pulling down 6 figures a year. Easily.
This game will be released incomplete, with the words 'We'll be adding more as we go down the road.' as their new money making slogan.
This reminds me of the Nexon and NCSoft dispute, where the family tried to take over NCSoft (or something along those lines).
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2015/06/134_173347.html
Yoo Jeong-hyeon, who is wife of Nexen Founder and NXC Chairman Kim Jung-ju"
Not disagreeing with you on Chris Robert's case but I think people needs to stop looking down upon actress/model in general.
Just because they are in modelling in showbiz doesn't mean they are uneducated. In fact, there are many who are ultra-educated.
For example, Mr Robocop Peter Weller is actually a history lecturer at Syracuse. Mayim Bialik from Big Bang Theory actually has a doctorate in neuroscience at UCLA.
I think the issue is having experience in the relevant field.
Apple (highest market value of ANY company, worldwide)
Steve Jobs (College drop-out, travelled India to learn Zen instead of working)
Have fun
She was there when the whole team consisted of 3-5 people doing the Kickstarter trailer. One was Chris Roberts, one was Eric "The Wingman", one was Sandi. No one was getting paid anything back then. That was at T-3 months (T being November 2012).
She was not promoted over anyone ... there was no one else back then, especially not in marketing. She was "VP of marketing" when marketing consisted of 1 person - herself.
And people - its an UNCONFIRMED RUMOUR that Sandi is Chris Robers wife !
My personal opinion - those two are close (in whatever way).
Have fun
Another Gamestop Clickbait victim.
FPS module is NOT, i repeat, NOT cancelled. Its is NOT "indefinitely" postponed as Gamestop put into their clickbait headline.
The FPS module is delayed because code needed reworking. This will most probably happen a few more times for this module and/or other modules during the development of Star Citizen.
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/14815-Star-Marine-Status-Update
**sigh ** Qui sait lire est un net avantage.
Have fun
In theory ... yes.
In practice ... many who read the headline understood "AAIIIIIYYYEEEEE FPS IS CANCELLED ::: DOOOM !!!" and stated as much on the internet. Often. Loudly. If they had actually read the article at Gamespot they would know its only delayed. But that was already too much to ask for. And OF COURSE Gamespot knew exactly why they used the clickbait word "indefinitely" instead of writing "has been delayed".
Have fun
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
come on Mu77tley, it´s not like it has been cancelled right?
My guess is, it will be ready for Gamescom! There I said it, made an estimation
But that puts the onus on the reader, if people assume that the headline means X when it means Y (and is clear in the article) is it fair to call it clickbait? Typically when a studio delays something they give a revised date, 'GTAV for PC delayed for 3 months' etc so perhaps this is why they use the term indefinitely. Can't please everyone
You've got me confused with someone else.
I think we'll see more of the FPS at Gamescom but I don't honestly believe they're anywhere near releasing it. I expect we'll get something for the xmas holidays.
So, instead of talking to HR about why she didn't understand her position's title, she decides it's a better idea to tell the general public. Seems legit.
"The simple is the seal of the true and beauty is the splendor of truth" -Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar
Authored 139 missions in Vendetta Online and 6 tracks in Distance
I would say that Erin is a great choice... He is the one of two brothers that can get shit done. Maybe he will be able to cool down Chris a little and set up reasonable timelines and goals. Well, like he did before.
As for Sandi... I would say that se is qualified. By now, se does have 3 year practice as VP of Marketing in biggest crowdfunded project. She was there from a start and by how things are going for SC, she did not do a bad job.
None of them are new positions... Sandi, as I said, was there from a start, and Erin is taking work for Alex, which left.
So, where is problem? Should they sack Sandi even though she is doing her job well, or not give Erin position which he shown in past he can do and it needs to be filled fast.
Fine, we'll compromise. I'll get my way & you'll find a way to be okay with that.
Please tell us the name of the wife of Chris Roberts.
Because no one else on the internet knows for sure. And if they know, they do not tell the general public.
The answer is NOT Sandi Gardiner ... at least not unless you have proof. That she is his wife is an unconfirmed rumour.
Have fun
I would agree.
As I mentioned earlier a friend of mine is an opera singer. Actress who sings opera. She is now a very successful casting agent.
A girlfriend of mine was an actress and went to school for it. She ended up working for Merck, then being promoted as marketing/events and then was hired away by another company that worked for Merck as they loved what she did in events/marketing.
One friend of mine majored in flute and is now a sort of analyst at MIT.
I think people see "model/actress" and not unjustifiably so, think of "celebrities" and some of the nonsense that comes out of the media.
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
This /
That's why I will never contribute to anything crowfunding related. Besides, I've never been a gambler.
Some products are so innovative or bring a marketing appeal in some moment, for a short period (like the own case of the SC funding), that it does not matter who is in charge of the marketing in the first moment.
BUT, along the road, the thing becomes bigger, in a so high scale that someone without experience can't and won't hold itself and have the broader view necessary to understand impacts about their decisions, unless been a true genious, with marketing and strong capabilities to hit the customer thinking and see what they want in their bloods (like SJ, one in a billion) - please don't compare Sandi Gardiner with Steve Jobs... nobody would ever hire her to such position in the game industry but Roberts... even now... and telemarketing girls that don't speak my language correctly have more capabilities to sell a product that someone is not really interested, than her (and that is what Steve Jobs was capable of, selling to people not interested... not only to fanboys camping until the store opening to buy the new iphone).
Something very basic in this area is:
- Making money
BUT, it's not just that ALONE! People that is amateur have the trend to follow:
- Making money... No matter what.
Short-sighted.
When your customer is more specialized or niche... keeping trust is more important sometimes than get his money. For this kind of client you say : "No, I won't sell this to you... its not for you". That's what ALL business that live in the long term working in a nich market do. Those who does not make that, destroy themselves in the medium/long term due such attitude of pointing fingers and selling "no matter what" and "problem of the customer, he shouldn't be dumb and should inform themselves better... I don't care".
In the game industry and crowd-funding we have a very near case of a company doing exactly that. Not exploiting customer and knowing how customer behave. Trying hard, to avoid put people in too much investiments so earlier, or putting them in a long long time torture machine, because it obviously cause impacts in the future. Anyone with a little more than short-sighted can see and can understand the public that is dealing: this company is Frontier Developments, that one, that for this exact same reason, did not put ships to sell, or added more and more development time and people waiting for more and more time. And tried to avoid bring too many people earlier. In other examples, of other business, you will see the same attitude... again... when you are dealing with specialized customers AND/OR a niche.
So, it becomes worst when the person do not understand the behavior of the customers of that kind of product, or presume that a feedback of tiny group of fans, strongly biased/passionate, means anything to reflect majorities, so they do things that SEEM ok (because all the time the yes man says yes man), but IN PRACTICE, cause terrible effects for the future of the company and for the perception of people about them, all the rest of the people.
Let me give you your OWN example.
You complained about the press making headlines: "CIG delayed FPS indefinitely". Someone that has no experience, or does not know anything about how GAMERS see this, will say:
- Well... that's correct. Nothing wrong. The definition fits.
But YES! Just as you said, GAMERS in general, not all them obviously, understand indefinitely as CANCELLED!
So... I am SURE that press was ironic and provoking ... as you said... bait. (because they actually have the experience, know how gamers think, many of them, and know that it would cause polemic, discussion... exactly what is good for getting audience).
And then I finally can come with my point:
Just as you know that gamers will understand the thing in such bad way, resulting in a bad feeling about CIG and its bussiness, a bad rep, people losing trust, closing their pockets and so on...
Why the hell you and mainly CIG, don't see the impact that these ship sales and ship prices associated with constant delay announcements WILL SOUND for gamers?
Why the hell to persist with that for so long when you already have 4 times above the budget?
Why to be so coward and do not show by your own attitude, that you trust enough in your future, that will sell copies of the game, and instead, keep milking people, even knowing of this collateral damage for their image, trust, making people lose patience more quickly and making people, naturally, more angry with the most of the minor mistakes (and we know that many of the CIG mistakes were not even minor)?
Why to bring too many people so earlier, when WE ALL can SEE that along the road, many people will end disappointed? It's a niche for god sake. Burn people and you will end without people.
Only a person totally out of the reality of the game market for too many years (Roberts) or someone that never worked in the area (Sandi) or fanboys (if Roberts do something is ok, if the EA do the same, they are evil) cannot see how bad it is all this pursuit for easy-money?
I know! People are ignorant! They are kids without patience blablabla! But what he hell are you thinking that will accomplish screaming that all the time? You are not going to change the world calling their ignorant? No. It won't change anything. Just produce more bad eyes and bad perception to this "social network" that is necessary to maintain this game and make it grow, and for the company itself.
If a mere "indefinite" you and I know that cause harm... what about all the above? This "MASTER" plan made by the actress/model, that yes... started leading the matter ... but was kept... and one of this days, THIS YEAR, Ben Lesnick confirmed in that show that SHE is the marketing team.
And look to how many bs they did, amateur mistakes... like those ridiculous bait-and-switch that they did. She is not just without experience, short-sighted and cannot see the future consequences or see how gamers think or react (just like Roberts), but also she and he, definitely are fans of shady marketing tactics, to get more money that wouldn't give them otherwise, if they were honest about many things.
Uhu! Got more easy quick-money! But what about the consequences for the image/trust/future? Retention (the most important thing for any MMO). Nothing? No harm? You gotta to be kidding. Open your eyes. The harm is visible even today.
Making another parallel with the press example... their marketing approach, It's like if Roberts screamed the word indefinitely every day, every minute to everyone. All that he does and how that reflects, is exactly like that. So, in what planet those people live that couldn't imagine any collateral damage?
And worst than that... failing to see that THIS collateral damage is what is going to kill any chance of this game, and impact terribly in the crowdfunding and the genre.
"Oh, but but Minecract... but but Half-Life 2 took longer"... For god sake... nobody gave a dime for those games so earlier and were faced with what I call "A Torture Machine" for so long.
IF, just like HL2 they just revealed tiny stuff from time to time, no cash grabbing involved and then boom, release, THEN this example of Roberts and its fans would fit and I would agree that taking longer would be "ok". But THAT's FAR to be the case of SC. First because they never will end to be so innovative for a certain public like Minecraft was. OR mass appeal like World of Tanks and Half-life 2. Second, because no game had a "Torture Machine" as Star Citizen project built.
You CAN'T HOPE that suddenly, all people will just look to the end and scream: "helmet, helmet, helmet" and any bug will be just like any bug of other game, or that all the people won't look to the game (most of people) always remembering of the years of ridiculous overpriced ships been sold, and promises of "we are going to change the world" ... all those USELESS messages that those amateurs put in their marketing and they keep screaming, and that only will make more harm to them in the medium/long term and with the perception of the public.
Perception and its consequences in games. Definitely Chris Roberts, Sandi Gardiner and Ben Lesnick never heard about this. They only see... fans around... everyone who gives them a dime, is "a fan" of their personas.
No... majority IS NOT!
"Oh, lemme make a poll to see what people think"
What a hell! Only "fans" will vote. What "perspective" they will get from them. From the fans. Only. NOT from the customers that they will need, much more than fans, to sustain this game and this company in the long term. Or, you people really think that fans are enough? Well... Look to the Eric Peterson's campaign and the Starfighter Inc. funding campaign. Look to what happened.
Fans, most of the, pledged for those games too. And look what happened. Shut down everything that Chris Roberts is doing now. Let's start again. He uses a platform of an honest person that will look that is not Roberts financing himself to make it "funded" and have some power to avoid people buying multiple accounts.
And start the crowd-funding campaign again from zero TODAY.
Star Citizen would never be funded by more than 5k individuals. Roberts never will fund any project except if his target was very low that those 5k individuals will manage to fund it in a month.
Because? Because they already kept their marketing ridiculous approach that are burning them to the entire world, for too long. And don't bring me that counter, because that is a joke and fake and the falsity of that counter was even confirmed (accidentally obviously) by Chris Roberts.
tl;dr:
There are two options at this point:
1-) Keep the amateurs, praise them, applaud them = flop
2-) Bring true professionals and let them (Sandi/Ben), you know, in some trainee position that would be the only role that they would be capable to assume in any serious company not managed by Chris Roberts... stop the ships sales and have the balls to show that the company is not going to ignore that people can end disappointed, and in other words, CARE with the customer, not pushing them absurdly due his passion to make crazy things, or letting other people that they are just focusing the project to milk the whales, as well as acknowledging the reality of how gamers react and the huge weight that the long wait + cash grabbing will give to them and to all people around (target public) in how they look to the game in the end, thinking in the consequences of all that for their future, remembering that they can't attract too much more than a niche (Feet in the ground), because or they ruin everything, making "a game for the masses", that the masses never will play anyway and only will piss more the hardcore ones, and even if the hype attracts more people now, that is TERRIBLE, because they are putting more and more people in the "Torture Machine" of the long wait, disappointments, delays, cash grabbing, implemented things that weren't like the way that they dreamed, etc. etc.
Stop ship sales.
If they do that, this project MAY have find the time to break, before the railroad ends and the train wreck. May have. Definitely they already took too long to shut down, but maybe, as there are many years yet until release, people would kind of forget until there and slowly, from now until release, the impression would be better of general people about them, exactly because they stopped the cash grabbing.
Otherwise, keeping that until near of day one or for much more time, will be impossible to the break works.
The marketing is going to kill this game. No matter what games come out. And then, when you try to figure out WHY? The reason is very easy to see... just look to the previous experiences of the people in charge of these matters in CIG... oh wait... they don't have any. Sure, even professionals can be short-sighted. But better to try another that keep people that is not just short-sighted, but also arrogant (with any customer that do not praise them as gods or criticize too much their areas), with celebrity complex, and proven already in this project many many times, that despite flaws, they never learned from those flaws.
They can keep saying "Oh, but we work hard" forever! They simply does not have the skills and capabilities for the job. Probably someone else wouldn't need to work so hard as them and would get much better results for the whole, for their financials, for the image of the company and for the gamers... a two-way road street... a balance were everyone wins, not just CR pockets and fanboys who think that the huge success of this project, is if CR be able to buy a new airplane for his personal collection.
A very ...verbose ... answer.
My response is shorter. Those "amateurs" - as you call them - are so "unsuccessful" that EVERY SINGLE DAY a few THOUSAND new people pledge for the Star Citizen project. And no, its not people buying their 18th extra account. You see many many new people on the forums all the time. And you see a ton of SC backers at conventions (and no, its not the same crowd globetrotting with Chris Roberts from con to con). So - those are not fictional new backers, as you are so fond to claim.
If the marketing department achieves such customer acquisition rates in other companies, they would be "employees of the month" many times in a row.
So .. obviously ... their decisions seem to have been good decisions. They brought results. They bring results.
It was a simple idea ... which has not been done quite like that before. "CONTINUE THE CROWDFUNDING UNTIL GAME LAUNCH".
Not everyone likes it. But it obviously works.
And if you say "Bringing in more new backers is bad ... " ... on what planet do you usually live ? EVERY marketing departement in EVERY company will ask you that question if you state that bringing in new customers is a BAD thing !
Have fun
Steve Jobs was a genius.