Delays and their causes

[Justaidan]

When CF is delaying release: "I believe they're doing the right thing. Releasing perfect game is #1 priority if they want to succeed".

When any other company is delaying release: "ASDHXASDHSDBVCASKDGAWSD ?FFFFFFFFFUUUUU WHAT RELEASE FUKINTHINGALREADY I WANNA PLAY DAFHASDASD"

Oh dear god the forum goers are reasonable!

Quick everyone put on your troll hats!

[Tsugumi Henduluin]

When CF is delaying release: "I believe they're doing the right thing. Releasing perfect game is #1 priority if they want to succeed".

When any other company is delaying release: "ASDHXASDHSDBVCASKDGAWSD ?FFFFFFFFFUUUUU WHAT RELEASE FUKINTHINGALREADY I WANNA PLAY DAFHASDASD"

True to a certain extent I suppose, but there's a reason:

CF is a small 3-man company with very little funds, but that nevertheless tries to provide their customers with as good a service/game they can.
On the other hand, when other games are delayed, it's often a game by a company that has millions (if not tens of millions) to throw at the game and its production process, with years, perhaps even decades, worth of experience when it comes to planning. They generally don't really have an excuse for delays; they should be able to plan better. Barring any "acts of God", of course.

Another issue is that CF so far has kept in constant touch with their fans, explaining just why exactly the game was delayed and, perhaps even more importantly, apologized for it. Most other companies just go "deal with it, lol". Those kinds of attitudes obviously don't help your relationship with your customers.

If CF had done the same thing, that is, delay the game without any sort of explanation, you bet most of us here would be coming after them with pitchforks and torches. Myself included, probably.

[neonie]

I think the only thing these delays are affecting are people who care deeply for what Cape Fulgur's doing and are eagerly awaiting this game.

Dunno man. For me, it's exactly because I love the CF guys and what they do that I prefer these delays over a buggy release.

Well we aren't really disagreeing with each other, sure it's better for them to release a non-buggy release. All I said is that we are both people who were affected, that doesn't necessarily mean something super negative, but at the very least we still have to wait a little longer for the game.

I don't really mind all that much I have to wait a bit longer, I wouldn't have minded a bit buggier of a release with patching. To be honest, I'm a pretty apathetic person.

[Xmalek]

i have only one thing to say :

advice_arche6

(Ps : 15$ ultimate instant buy)

That link isn't hosting your picture. Also you should probably host things your self.

It isn't "my picture", i just googled it...

[neonie]

i have only one thing to say :

advice_arche6

(Ps : 15$ ultimate instant buy)

That link isn't hosting your picture. Also you should probably host things your self.

It isn't "my picture", i just googled it...

That's a bit semantic, and not the point of what I was trying to say at all.

You wanted people to see the picture. It wasn't hosting the picture because it was bringing up a "please do not hotlink" icon. If you want people to see the picture, you should host the picture on imgur or another reliable picture hosting service.

[LilithTome]

Ouch, I understand. Ouch, though, I simply cannot wait. Thank you for having your priorities in order.

Registered here, just to say I have been counting every single day eagerly. For the day to be called "30", for Fortune Summoners to show up on Steam, and for me to click the purchase button savagely. And I had to have something to do to pass the time awaiting your game. And so I'm here. Oh, only a few hours until the day says 28, only a few hours...

Hopefully I'll stick around. This forum must surely be awesome. This is a great introduction right, I don't seem crazy and obsessed at all.

[dkellis]

Another issue is that CF so far has kept in constant touch with their fans, explaining just why exactly the game was delayed and, perhaps even more importantly, apologized for it. Most other companies just go "deal with it, lol". Those kinds of attitudes obviously don't help your relationship with your customers.

If CF had done the same thing, that is, delay the game without any sort of explanation, you bet most of us here would be coming after them with pitchforks and torches. Myself included, probably.

The explanations have certainly helped.

However, I don't really give CF any leniency for being A Small Three-Person Company, even though being a small three-person company is probably the only thing that allows them to give the aforementioned explanations in the first place. CF is A Business, like EA or Starbucks or the nearby hawker centre stall I like to go to for lunch, and while I may appreciate their friendliness in communicating with us, I understand that when I pay money it's a business transaction for a good or service I desire, rather than a donation or tip jar for friends or a Worthy Cause.

So I'm not angry with the delay as such, to the point of pitchforks and torches. (I generally don't get angry with cases like this, apart from my usual very narrow hot-buttons, like regional restrictions.) I accept that it's going to happen, and there's nothing anyone, whether myself or CF, can do about it.

But it does mean that unless the next few releases change the trend, I'm going to treat any initial announcements of release dates from CF with skepticism. Understanding that These Things Happen does not really excuse the situation where These Things Keep Happening.

[SilentCaay]

CF is A Business, like EA or Starbucks

Woah, woah, woah... Throwing around insults like that might get the game delayed indefinitely. Don't worry, CF, we don't think you're like EA or Starbucks. A business, tried and true, sure, EA/Starbucks, no. LOL

[RenaTheArchmage]

Admittedly, the wait is killing the "SQUEEEEEEE!" factor a little bit, but I wouldn't call it a deal breaker. Both announcements of delay were a "Good News, Bad News" situation, rather than a "herpderp we screwed up lol give us $25 now plox" thing.

The first time, it was to announce that LizSoft had finally agreed, after some no doubt shady and borderline legal negotiating tactics, to let CF lower the price. The second time was more of a "please bear with us" thing, but it was still better than simply saying "Moving apartments, game not finished".

That said, I do agree with dkellis as well, that this sort of thing really shouldn't be a continued trend (not that I really have any room to speak, as I Schedule Slip all the time, and, obviously, have never localized a game) if CF hopes to grow. Of course, after only three games (but three fantastic, fantastic games), inexperience is a given. It isn't a sign of incompetence (quite the opposite, seeing how they handled it), it's simply a sign that, well, they've only had about seventeen months of experience in the business, and only a fraction of that has been managing publicity and announcements.

Yes, I was disappointed as the next guy to come home on the 24th only to discover the delay, but I can wait another week.

Speaking seriously and humbly, may I suggest that Carpe Fulgur become the kind of company that tries to appease fans with The Goodies, such as wallpapers and fun, hype-building things like that?

Woah, woah, woah... Throwing around insults like that might get the game delayed indefinitely. Don't worry, CF, we don't think you're like EA or Starbucks. A business, tried and true, sure, EA/Starbucks, no. LOL

It could've been worse. He could've said Ubisoft.


Now we probably should stop this, lest they decide to put in a new, "innocuous and user-friendly" piece of "Game Enjoyment Enhancement and Protection Software" into Fortune Summoners.

[LilithTome]

EA is a terrible company that insults indie folks, pumps out brown brown shooters and sports games, and generally seems to hate customers.

Carpe Fulgur is clearly more like a long lost brother or sister than that that.

Think of Carpe Fulgur as more than just a business. Think of them as Recette Lemongrass. Sure, "Capitalism, Ho!" and all that, but is Recettear really just another business? And would you just allow poor Recette to starve? No, you wouldn't.

And she deserves all the store expansions in the world. Look at how much she appreciates it and she does for us.

EA are more like the dungeon monsters in my opinion.

[QC]

But it does mean that unless the next few releases change the trend, I'm going to treat any initial announcements of release dates from CF with skepticism. Understanding that These Things Happen does not really excuse the situation where These Things Keep Happening.

^
This is a very important thing to keep in mind, and something I hope SpaceDrake will be keeping in mind in the future.

While I "Understand That These Things Happen," the fact of the matter is that they ideally should not happen. Especially in any frequency. The hope is that the guys a CF are keeping their eyes open and treating every mistake as a learning experience. And, to be honest, the latest delay is evidence that they're doing just that. Trying to get the game to a point where zero/minimal patching is necessary is an admirable cause (even in a world where console games get updated/patched/etc now). It's just that now it's opened up another issue. It's become at the cost of pushing release dates. Not a major deal, but still something that would need to be reined in in the future. Continually falling into the same trap will only make people lose faith in your ability to successfully do whatever the task at hand is. So, hopefully, CF has learned from this.

Because yes, they are a business. Even though there's some of us who think of them as more than just a business, not everybody can afford to throw money around without good reason. So far, CF has given plenty good reason, and I believe they will continue to.

[neonie]

CF is A Business, like EA or Starbucks

Woah, woah, woah... Throwing around insults like that might get the game delayed indefinitely. Don't worry, CF, we don't think you're like EA or Starbucks. A business, tried and true, sure, EA/Starbucks, no. LOL

I think a better comparion would be Nippon Ichi or Aksys. They seem to be in the same way as those companies.

Both are also fantastic to their customers and know their fanbase very well.

[RenaTheArchmage]

I think a better comparion would be Nippon Ichi or Aksys. They seem to be in the same way as those companies.

Because CF is a localization team, I think that N1 would be an equally horrid comparison.

I mean, I love the Disgaea series to death, but whenever I think "Nippon Ichi Publishing", I think GrimGrimoire.

And I don't ever want to equate CF with GrimGrimoire.

[neonie]

I think a better comparion would be Nippon Ichi or Aksys. They seem to be in the same way as those companies.

Because CF is a localization team, I think that N1 would be an equally horrid comparison.

I mean, I love the Disgaea series to death, but whenever I think "Nippon Ichi Publishing", I think GrimGrimoire.

And I don't ever want to equate CF with GrimGrimoire.

Nippon Ichi is putting out the Atelier games right now, a series SpaceDrake has said he wanted to work on, and you can't deny Nippon Ichi puts out obscure japanese games very few other companies would, and also have enough respect for their fanbase to leave the Japanese audio in their games (unlike Atlus)

[RenaTheArchmage]

Admittedly, I have not (but want to have) played the Atelier series.

But I've played GrimGrimoire.

And I /hated/ GrimGrimoire.