Report To The Stakeholders

[The Wrathchild]

As always, thank you, mr. Jackson for the insights into 2008 as i was and the plans for 2009.

It's good to hear that SJGames is still alive and kicking, and that it is doing the right things to remain so, even if those thins aren't quite the priorities one such as myself would like to see - but we had that song alrady last year.

Focussing on GURPS, I note that it prioritywise come up in fifth place, but comparing that to the plans that the good dr. Kromm has been hinting at, it seems that we GURPSists will have reason to be as pleased in 2009 as we have been in 2008 - and for this costumer, that rates "very pleased, indeed".

So - good luck for the next year, all! May your games be smash hits and profits acceptable! ;-D

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by The Wrathchild

Focussing on GURPS, I note that it prioritywise come up in fifth place,

At least GURPS is on the priority list.

Some of us would like to see at least token support for Car Wars, In Nomine, Toon, and other older SJGames products, but "[e]verything else is a non-priority, something to do if the priorities are under control."

<deep sigh>

Yes, I know - SJGames is a business, not a hobby. They're doing what they have to do. And they did give Ogre some support last year, so there's still hope for the other older lines...

[walkir]

Originally Posted by The Wrathchild

As always, thank you, mr. Jackson for the insights into 2008 as i was and the plans for 2009.

Yes, first and foremost: Thanks for those really interesting informations!
Where's the blushing Smiley if you need it...

[Mailanka]

I note that their profit margins increased and that their volume of PDFs have improved a great deal. I know I personally spent quite a chunk of change last year on PDFs.

I'm really curious how much of GURPS is still supported by printed books, and how much is supported by PDFs, and I'm waiting to see when that changes over and PDFs become more profitable than printed volumes.

[The Fox]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

I note that their profit margins increased and that their volume of PDFs have improved a great deal. I know I personally spent quite a chunk of change last year on PDFs.

I got to see numbers. e23 did very, very well for us last year.

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by robkelk

Some of us would like to see at least token support for Car Wars, In Nomine, Toon, and other older SJGames products, but "[e]verything else is a non-priority, something to do if the priorities are under control."

<deep sigh>

Yes, I know - SJGames is a business, not a hobby. They're doing what they have to do. And they did give Ogre some support last year, so there's still hope for the other older lines...

Hear, hear. As you and I are both all too aware, that "stuck in the pipeline" category included at least two In Nomine projects. Like you, I took some hope from the emergence of Ogre ... not to mention the fact that a lot of GURPS 3e stuff has now made it to PDF, which I hope will clear the way for some virtual IN stuff in e23.

As always, Steve, thanks for the honest look back and look ahead. May 2009 surpass *all* our expectations.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

As always, Steve, thanks for the honest look back and look ahead. May 2009 surpass *all* our expectations.

With the parade of bad news items coming down the media stream, I'll be glad if they have another year in the black.

Sail on!

[stefanj]

Always nice to see a straight-up assessment of a business. Even better when it is largely good news.

So, boardgames are hot, eh? But there are fears that the big ones are too expensive? Well, I've got a great idea for a game design that uses ramen noodles and cans of potted meat food product. Send me a $10,000 advance and it is yours.

[Phil Masters]

Originally Posted by walkir

Considering the price of a dollar and the increase of electronic product, was there a noticeable increase in foreign sales? (You can't export a PDF, can you?)

Well, yes you can, in the sense that SJGames can sell PDFs over the Internet to purchasers in other countries. Of course, this means that the purchaser ends up getting clobbered for currency conversion charges through their credit card, Paypal account, or whatever.

Just now, with the fall in the value of sterling, some of us are likely to get stung a bit more for PDFs - though I for one tend to think of them as cheap enough that this isn't a huge issue. I don't know whether the company tracks the location of PDF purchasers, which would be necessary to discover if exchange rate fluctuations were affecting sales.

[walkir]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

Well, yes you can, in the sense that SJGames can sell PDFs over the Internet to purchasers in other countries. Of course, this means that the purchaser ends up getting clobbered for currency conversion charges through their credit card, Paypal account, or whatever.

And here I thought the first answer to that would be something along the lines of "Yes, from open office." ;)

I bought a lot of PDFs last year, paying in Euros, so for a time they were nearly dirt cheap. But isn't "export" about selling stuff to foreign countries, physically crossing the border and coming into customs checks?