Eyo Sama medal 5000 12 years 52 days ago
I very much enjoy iGPManager and I have a paid subscription to it.
I am concerned though about its longevity. Each time I log on I'm afraid that I will see it no longer available.
I look through the forums and I see multiple threads from the developers/producers with "posted 100+ days ago" in various forums. There appears to be no new information about Q2 which was announced to be releasing in July (it's now end of September). It makes me wonder whether it is still being developed. I understand that software development dates can slip (I run 2 development teams myself) but no communication in months makes me, as a consumer, concerned that it may be something worse.
Hopefully I'm wrong, as iGPManager is a great base for what could become the premier race management simulation.
Eyo...
Teo Fabulous medal 5000 12 years 52 days ago
I think all of us share your concerns, Eyo. There is so much potential in this game if it's developed properly. The 2D race feature - when it's available to everyone, anyway - is the best I've seen in an online racing manager game; it's very immersive. But there does need to be some movement and development, especially given the cost to subscribers. When you have a monetary investment in the game like we do, our expectations go a lot higher.
Jack Basford medal 5029 
CEO & CTO 12 years 52 days ago
When we set out in Q2 we were intending to continue our quarterly update cycle. We've since moved away from that, and no longer releasing updates in a quarterly package, but rather when they are ready. The pricing and rewards were part of the update that reflect this new cycle, and since they were easiest to implement they came first. The next update will be to the simulator, then finally the major web update including the new design system. The order is simplicity, not priority. Bigger projects take longer to finish and the small ones don't wait on the big ones anymore.
I look at the product as a customer as much as a developer, so often find myself agreeing with the criticism as much as the praise. I want to get all of these features finished ASAP but it's going to take time. The changes are really far-reaching as the new design system changes everything from the assembly page to how cars are simulated in a race. From a development perspective pretty much everything has changed, even if much of the front-end hasn't. It is a necessary but tedious step which sets up the entire platform to be more open for expansion and other racing series.
Some recent developments may seem less significant from a gameplay perspective (such as sponsor partnerships) but they make a difference to the sustainability of the business as a whole. That sustainability will support continued progress in the long-term. Whilst there are some setbacks in development, in my opinion they are overshadowed by the bigger picture.
And that's something we need to communicate better, where we are headed and the bigger picture. We'll be releasing news more often in the near future to keep you up to date. This post is not a formal announcement of any sort, it's just my take on things today.
Eyo Sama medal 5000 12 years 52 days ago
Appreciate the update, Jack.
You have a great product which can easily head towards becoming an excellent one. I think for most of us it's the lack of news that is a concern, rather than the news itself. Consumers have become greedy for communications and being involved in the feedback loop that creates each release of an application or game. Little regular tidbits are gobbled up and keep the consumer happy for a little longer. Though I'm looking at it from a philosopical perspective and think I understand it, I can tell that I'm often afflicted by the same desires as a consumer.
>> Some recent developments may seem less significant from a gameplay perspective (such as sponsor partnerships) but they make a difference to the sustainability of the business as a whole. <<
I think that's a great development and should really help move the business model forward.
Thanks for the update.
Eyo...
PS. Tony! Hope to see you on the track soon :-)
Jake Goodhall medal 5000 12 years 51 days ago (edited 12 years 51 days ago)
Yes thanks Jack for the keyhole into what is happening.
I agree that more regular updates will keep a lot more people happy, even little titbits as Eyo stated. But I do appreciate this takes time to write and that the devs just don't really have that time atm. Getting a dedicated 'news announcer' would be a step forward and again I know this also takes time to develop and train someone. But I do emphasise that the 'news' announcements don't need to be detailed and of a high quality - just something to keep people informed. A couple of sentences about the Java problems, or the intended improvements with wet weather tyres - that sort of thing. If all those 'titbits' were on a dedicated page then people would be able to refer to them and not complain on the forum about '"when will this and that happen?".
Keeping people involved, included and informed is the way to keep them onboard - the best way to lose people is to ignore, exclude, and alienate them! I absolutely hate to say this but I feel there is to much of the latter and not enough of the former. BUT as you have pointed out, you are addressing this, so it can only get better.
I know this game has potential otherwise I would have given up months ago. An aspect of our 'now & perfect' culture is that people do not have the skill to 'wait with anticipation' - everything has to be perfect right now! - oh well...................
