Invasion?

[bambam]

When can I buy the Invasion editions? Last I remember they were supposed to be out around Thanksgiving......

[Tournament Master]

bambam said:

When can I buy the Invasion editions? Last I remember they were supposed to be out around Thanksgiving......

Ahhhhhhhh....but Kris never said WHICH Thanksgiving.

[krisosk]

Precisely! ;D

Seriously, Invasion will be available when we roll out the new sites. As things are looking, that should be very soon now.

Sorry I can't be more specific...


~ :-Xsk

[LWPD]

bambam said:

When can I buy the Invasion editions? Last I remember they were supposed to be out around Thanksgiving......

You're not hallucinating BamBam...Novemeber it initially was!

Here are two critical suggestions from someone who would genuinely like to see CotG Online succeed:

1. Going forward it would be extremely beneficial to develop a more disciplined release schedule: when people are being charged under a timed subscription format...time is a wasting asset and delays in releasing previously announced 'new options' for consumers is extremely unattractive marketing and a potential killer in terms of scoring re-subscriptions.

Unless a game set can be released with absolute certainty at a specific point in time...with the unveiling to the public for purchase being a mere formality...it's best to say nothing at all than fail to deliver on raised expectations. Since I purchased 2087 I have seen posts hinting at the release of the three Invasion sets for both November and December...and now here it is mid January with 'the subscription clock ticking' and there has still been no definitive release. While I'm sure there are valid reasons 'why'...that is not an endearing level of output to build the brand on.

Issues of working through and overlooking various 'bugs' aside...It's reasonable for consumers to want as much practical value in the projects they purchase as possible. Striving for achieving timely releases where new game edition options are made available at the time when they were originally said to be available should be a priority going forward. Being vague about new releases is bush league and not an adequate substitute under a scenario where 'time' is being paid for.

2. The need for greater transparency with regards to future set releases: this goes back to 'time' being a wasting asset under a subscription format. As a consumer I love having 'coming up this year' content menus presented for the products I buy. For example WWE always releases a listing of 'upcoming DVD's' for the new year to peak audience interests.

When someone buys a 6 or 12 month subscription to the Game Table and/or Stat Tracker...it would be extremely helpful to also have access to a general menu of what 'new options' will be made available to them over that period.

It can't be stressed enough that under the subscription format CotG Online is selling value in accordance with purchased time...consumers need to know what they are getting not only in the 'here and now'...but also in terms of what options will be available to them with-in said scope of time. If my subscription runs out in say July...but in August the Classics Era is set for release...it may just set up a re-sub. If there's nothing ever definitively announced and releases are done haphazardly...or worse yet are consistently pushed back...it may just spark a drop out.

Just some things to seriously consider going forward. The two principles go in concert with one another and on a personal level would help to improve my enjoyment...and hopefully that of the broader market once the release hits that stage. I think at the end of the day that's what everyone ultimately wants to see happen.

[bambam]

agreed. I'm not using the stat tracker much 'cause I'm waiting for the new editions to be released! I'm done with 2087, time to move on.

[krisosk]

Unfortunately, delays are inevitable...with such a small, tightknit community having immediate access to guys like myself, Larry, Todd, and Tom, we do our best to keep everyone "in the know" as to the development process of certain projects.

With COTGonline, I prefer that method as opposed to being completely tight-lipped. If we were a larger, less personal company, perhaps...

So as opposed to being secretive, we like to share information with the community as it becomes available. To avoid disappointing customers, exact release dates are rarely if ever announced. Invasion Online happens to be an item that was lost in the shuffle of the companies 'year end reorganization,' but, there are only a few formalities in the way of us releasing a plethora of Filsinger Games newness, Invasion included.

Thank you guys for your patience and understanding...and as always, the feedback and suggestions are greatly appreciated!


~ :-Xsk

[LWPD]

Just to be clear...this is not about an issue of being pro or con 'secrecy'...sharing info and then delivering on what is shared in a timely manner would be ideal. It's akin to Tom's use of Spoilers with the Cards and Dice format. The key difference is that with CotG Online 'time' is a wasting asset. Setting and then meeting deadlines is much more of an issue because what is being sold to consumers is not only CotG content...but the very ability to use CotG content. That needs to be very clear and taken seriously from every perspective.

Announcing a new release for 'sometime around Thanksgiving' and then delivering a few days or even a week or two with-in that time frame would be fantastic service that would have brought more value to my subscription by expanding my options...that's not what has happened.

In this case the announced Invasion release is now running weeks (actually months) behind. To this day I still don't know when it will be ready...it seems as if no one does. Yet as we speak 'time' is ticking away...that's not good. When I'm being charged for use of a service...timeliness is a top concern. I'm sincerely hoping this is an aberration and every effort will be made to ensure that there is no repeat of this scenario in the future.

[krisosk]

No clarification necessary, Paint...I know of noone else on the board who thouroughly explains their points as well as you.

Anyhow, to continue to keep the community "in the know," it should be revealed that the Invasion Pack has been ready since around Thanksgiving..."ready" meaning colored, the books formatted, and the data entered into COTGonline.

Initially, it was supposed to be released around that time, but based on the sudden collapse of the Online catalog, the priorities of the very small Filsinger Games staff shifted from releasing Invasion to securing a new catalog provider, populating it, and getting it back Online for customers as soon as possible.

With the temporary catalog eventually up and running, we hoped to release Invasion prior to the holidays, as that's obviously a good time to make it available. However, with the catalog situation pushing the rest of our schedule back (which consisted mainly of the large tasks involved with completely redesigning all the Filsinger Games websites in time to coordinate with the release of Tom's Stan Lee project), Invasion's release was delayed temporarily yet again.

It was then agreed upon that the actual release of the Invasion Pack would coincide with the unveiling of the new Filsinger Games websites, allowing it to headline our New Releases.

As all is going now, this unveiling is scheduled to occur very soon...

I don't mean to sound like I'm creating excuses, but I want to be sure that the fans and community here are aware that the situations that might cause a delay aren't occuring because we aren't taking things seriously. Quite the opposite actually...

And yes, I'd like to also hope that the delay of the Invasion Pack release is an aberration.

If I discover that the 'unveiling' of the sites becomes delayed past what's currently expected, it will be possible to make Invasion available for purchase sooner.

As usual, I'll continue to do my best to keep you all posted.



~ :-Xsk