Podcast Interview with Jim Gindin

[Draft Dodger]

Originally Posted by digamma

Are we really comparing buying a thirty dollar video game with a thirty THOUSAND dollar car? Your kidding!

but this car requires batch files if there's more than one driver in the family, so it kind of works.

[Jughead Spock]

Originally Posted by ShaneTheMaster

How about keeping your existing customers interested in the game?? Having many people participate in multiplayer leagues is a benefit to you, right? (Albeit indirectly). At one time, I was in as many as 4 online leagues - now I am in ZERO - mainly because I became tired of the game, and I did not know if the game was ever going to be updated. It was not because the game is bad - it just been 3 years since a major revision.

Letting us know what is on the horizon will keep people interested and have more patience when the current version gets old.


If you're stranded on a boat for a week without food, you will fight harder to live if you can see land close by.

Had I known an update or new version was coming out, I guarantee I'd still be in at least 1 or 2 leagues.

I know I am not the only one that has quit leagues because of this.

THAT is my only concern over this particular business model. Quality multiplayer owners are dropping, the same ones that would probably hang on if there was any glimmer of something coming eventually. Every season, every owner has to make that decision if it's worth dealing with. Since that translates into 4-5 seasons a year in most leagues, that's a lot of opportunities for people to just say 'screw it, I'll give something else a shot'. If I want to play on a dead* product with a hardcore base, I'll dig out FPS 98.

* - I know FOF's not dead, just sayin' that's some people's perspective at times with the silence.

[Hobbits]

Well, I'm glad Jim did the Podcast. For me, it was good to hear the franchise is moving forward and the reasoning behind Solecismic’s marketing strategy. Like most everyone on the board, I’m a fan of the series and share MacPlow’s sentiments that $35 was a bargain considering the amount of enjoyment I’ve gotten from the game.

Jim didn’t reveal much but some statements I found interesting:

(20:10) . . . Are you continuing work on the series [FoF]?

>> “It's been sporadic over the last couple of years.”

(32:52) . . . where do you see the future of sport simulations?

“For multi-player, community web-based is the future and I have to look into if I can bring Front Office to the web.”

(35:00) “. . . the question there being; is it possible to market a PC game today especially one that appeals to such a limited audience?”

(36:45) “There are so many things I would love to do the game that I just don't think would be a good business decision right now.”

(37:00) “I'm really looking into new opportunities right now. Hopefully I'll have some sort of announcement in the future.”

(41:40) “It's been a while since I've worked on TCY.”

(50:20) “Even though I haven't been actively working on Front Office Football it is still the future.”

My thoughts (conjecture). . .

TCY2 isn’t even a remote possibility.

It seems to me FoF is at a bit of a crossroads and Jim is trying to define what the future is. Perhaps Solecismic is considering some kind of partnership which brings FoF to the web. Jim spoke positively of the previous publishing arrangement with EA in the PodCast. And the web is such a different world from MFC programming that Jim would need outside resources to make that a reality.

In any event, his comments at the ~35:00 mark suggest to me that another stand-alone Windows application is unlikely or at least not optimal. Maybe the clients will remain Windows apps but the commissioner/draft components will be hosted on a web server. With all the web server issues my MP league has had that would probably be a welcome move.

~ Hobbits

[Illinihopefull]

I wish a new game would come out tomorrow, but we really do not have much of a choice but wait for whatever comes our way.

Look at all these posts on this topic, I do not think Jim has anything to worry about. Looks like his game is all hyped up no matter when it comes out. To me by reading these posts he still has enough interests that he will not have to worry about sales.

It is like a drug, we are all waiting on the next hit.

[sovereignstar]

Jim Gindin

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Hobbits

It seems to me FoF is at a bit of a crossroads and Jim is trying to define what the future is. Perhaps Solecismic is considering some kind of partnership which brings FoF to the web. Jim spoke positively of the previous publishing arrangement with EA in the PodCast. And the web is such a different world from MFC programming that Jim would need outside resources to make that a reality.

In any event, his comments at the ~35:00 mark suggest to me that another stand-alone Windows application is unlikely or at least not optimal. Maybe the clients will remain Windows apps but the commissioner/draft components will be hosted on a web server. With all the web server issues my MP league has had that would probably be a welcome move.

Great post, IMO. This would be a great direction for the game to take, again IMO, but would obviously be challenging in a different way. I haven't checked in on the success of FM Live yet, but I know that was a ton of work to get off the ground and obviously SI have the benefit of a lot more people.

[molson]

Originally Posted by sovereignstar

Jim Gindin

Classic.

I still have no idea why this is funny, but it always is.

[MizzouRah]

EA is lucky Jim hasn't released a new FOF, I finally picked up Madden this year.

[MLA]

Well I'll keep on waiting. I haven't bought into FOF yet but when the next one comes out I'll be bringing my guys. Web based sounds fine but if that is a derivation of Goal Line Blitz (which lasted about a year for us before most got bored and wondered off) or the new product out of Cyanide with a pay as you go format then that would be a step back.

FOF with easier navigation, revised defense, toning down the impact of the QB & WR, and less predictability in player development and I'll bring my small contribution of 30 or so sales. We'd probably keep on waiting for it but each year it doesn't happen makes it a little harder to keep hoping.

[red95vette]

It's funny as I've popped back in after a long hiatus to check on FOF after buying a cheap copy of Head Coach 09 from Walmart and having it consume more hours than I'd like to admit. EA came very close to hitting the mark with that title, it's too bad it seems as though they won't be releasing another version from what I gather.

Anyway, I like others was thirsty for some news of a possible FOF sequel (with 2d gameplay representation... one can always dream) but it seems like for now that thirst will go unquenched. Sigh... back to the caves I go for a few more years.

[Chubby]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

The interview with Jim starts at the 19:44 mark. Some highlights include...

• "I think there's gonna be a minor maintenance update coming in the next month or so." (20:20) (This is referenced again at around 37:30.)

LINK

"or so"... lol