Wow, all I can say is "Wow".   I've just listened to that entire segment and I understand Brad so much better now.  He really has a sensible head on his shoulders!   I sorta got that from being part of these forums through the whole Elemental learning process (and I'm glad I didn't quit the forums when I initially said I would), but such a frank interview was very refreshing for a CEO of Brad's stature.  And there's not too many CEOs that people can actually feel comfortable referring to by first name only.

Best regards,
Steven.

Interesting interview.  I didn't learn anything of substance from it.  But enjoyed it all the same.  And there were little tidbits of clarifications.  Like Brad saying he actually had held a couple jobs.  In a posting in these forums, he'd made justification for something or another by saying he had never worked for anyone else.  That he had come right out of college and founded Stardock.  Missing the whole working for someone else experience. ;~p

If he is doing things out of PR, he's doing a damn good job of it.

Best regards,
Steven.

Lying about Misrepresenting stuff may gain some short term advantage.  But I think in the long term your much worse off for it.  You lose credibility and become that guy who will say anything to cover his ass or to get his way.  Brad makes a joke? in this podcast that he has to "..tell horrible terrible lies to get the top tier talent here".  He says this in a couple different ways.  And I've read him say it in interview and in SD blog.  So either it's true, half true, or is just a false excuse.  Whatever the case, this raises a white lie red flag.  Enough of these little red flags get raised and I begin to doubt a persons word.  

One red flag thats had a big impact on me, is all the hype Brad put into his decision to expand SD's game unit.  It was marketed as the ultimate in post sale support.  All these resources were being devoted to fix War of Magic.  Then later Brad says there are only 3 people working on E:WOM, the rest are focused on E:FE.  I'm sure that some of the E:FE team bounce around and help out with E:WOM.  But that is still very different than surpassing industry standard in regards to post sale support.  He's done what everyone else does... reduce staff on game X to focus on game Y.  He had told us that he was increasing E:WOMs staff, but in actuality he has reduced it.  

There are a number of other red flags which have been raised.  I won't belabor this.  I just don't put much trust in what Brad says anymore.  I still respect the guy, but I've gotten the feeling that his famous openness isn't what it's cracked up to be.  It's beginning to feel like standard marketing cheese.  Either outright falsehoods and misrepresentations, or weak conviction.  Likely a combo, but with some earnest intent.  

Jesus, really?  Brad's giving me two free games.  You are really searching for a reason to bitch.  Do you read what you write?  Does it sound justified in your head?  What the fuck do you think is fair?  What should Brad do?  You don't want to make FE a standalone?  Well, I think most of us agreed, including Brad, Jon, and Kael, that WoM was too flawed in design and to really make a better game, they started from scratch.  What more do you want?  Instead of just fixing WoM, which he is doing too, he is remaking the fucking game and giving it to you for free!  Are you delusional?  Isn't that above and beyond what any gaming company has ever done?  I don't remember any other fucking company giving me free games like that? 

I agree with what Xia is saying... I mean really... you wouldn't see Blizzard Entertainment or EA giving away free games and ALSO advocating to FIX a game they screwed up.

hehe - "My jet fuel doesn't pay for itself." 

Still listening to this podcast now.  Thanks for giving another interview!

uh... what?  That was in the discussion about the "lovely" weather in Michigan and that perhaps locating there doesn't offer the same climate as in CA. 

Or... its a joke.  The weather in Michigan and Ohio is often craptastic.

As far as the staffing allocations for elemental, mayhaps you have a point there.  But that said, they are still pushing patches 8 months after launch.  If I only need 3 dev's to meet the release schedule of a patch (and that is deemed an acceptable timeframe), I doubt I'd assign more folks to work on the project.

Quoting just because it should be repeated.  Most reasonable post of the day.

damn straight!

Lord Xia is once again the voice of reason.

I have no problem with the decision to put most of the resources into E:FE.

It will be a far superior game and it will be free.

I can't fathom how anyone would think this is a bad deal.

No one's perfect.  Brad made plenty of mistakes with Elemental, but he's taken every reasonable step to fix the problem.  Now we just have to see if they pay off or not.  With the FE info given so far, I am optimistic, and I even think Brad's WOM work has a chance.

WhiteElk, I hope you realize that Brad was joking on some of this stuff, or being sarcastic- it was rather obvious to me.  That said, it does take more to bring talent to Michigan, as let's face it, it's not exactly a tech mecca.

Nugent needs to move back.

Nice interview Brad.........

Not alot has changed in my opinion about SD's customer support.  I've seen people ask for and then say they got partial refunds as per the GBR.  Though in this instance it is more precisely product support that I am interested in.  But in that to I have seen the near weekly patches.  Big time kudos to them for all that.  But I'd have liked to see E:WOM finished.  It's been being finished for 3/4's of a year.  Dragging out its finish in order to reallocate resources to another title seems to me to be the opposite of what Brad was talking about just a couple months ago.  

Now I know, he says that SD games are never finished because SD famously keeps on updating the game into the foreseeable future.   But you know what I mean.  Like in fun playable state kind of finished.  The fun may be subjective, but the OOM's and graphic glitches are not.  Though as Brad says, it may be that it's only a small fraction of people who experience these errors.  But I've grown to doubt things.  Enough little white lie red flags have been raised that I have begun accurately anticipating some.  Excuses and justifications, ass covering and positive spin.  To the point where I was able to predict the general tone and content of this latest interview.  Once I get to that point of having predictions proved, then I begin placing more value in those collective flags. 

Those two examples I used in my first post are as I say, just a couple of many.  By themselves they don't mean much.  But they add to the rest and the whole has taken my notice.  I used those examples because they were used in the interview.  

 Anyhow, I won't be taking part in E:FE unless I have opportunity to review, and then accept gamestops term of service and privacy policy Before they take over our customer accounts... with enough time that I may cancel my account in writing as per Stardocks terms of service. I do not want gamestop to have opportunity to monetize my customer account information.  Thats my own decision and the consequences are mine to accept.  But from the day I purchased E:WOM, I have been interested in it's completion not its sequel.  I can see how the changing of priority from E:WOM to E:FE is acceptable to many or most.  And I can see how it is good for SD to focus on a new game that they can sell, versus one that they have already sold.  But this is different from what we were told would happen.  

I withdraw from my part in this conversation as this direction I've gone has developed the potential for too much negativity.  I had wanted to share my point of view and perhaps engage in dialog that may modify my pov or solidify it.  This reasoning is not worth any trouble over.  If someone feels they need to respond to what I have said, you are welcome to PM me.  If you want to publicly discuss any aspect of this, then PM me a link to a new thread created for the purpose.  Apologies to any who has suffered from the negativity ;~p

WhiteElk, you're still getting FE for free.  You can judge from that.