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It is hardly an act of noble sacrifice to play a game and chat with friends. I am certain that 'new' players will be as up to the challenge, as we were.
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Since you are a mod, albeit a long time TSO player, it is one thing for you to denigrate customer loyalty. I would hope that EA is not so cavalier, although at this point I am not so sure your attitude misses the mark.
One of the basic tenets of business is that maintaining loyal customers is the golden key.
Any basic business text will tell you that loyal customers spend a third more than new customers, and that referrals are 110% higher from long time, loyal customers. Any company that neglects its loyal customer base will fail.
We have been told that we, the current subscribers, are needed to market the game. EA will be saving marketing dollars if we do the advertising for them. To do this, they darn well better look to the bottom line of keeping us "loyals" satisfied. Indifference and insincerity are not long tolerated by customers, and EA -- not just TSO -- has been repeatedly criticized for these qualities (or lack thereof).
EA needs to reach out and grow a larger subscriber base if this game is going to continue. However, putting loyal customers first should be a priority, especially since EA is expecting US to help grow the subscriber base.
I'm more than a smidge offended by having my loyalty to this game sneered at by you. I hope those on the true business side of this endeavor feel differently.
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Calling for a reality check, and discussing the hard numbers, in the face of puffed-up hyperbole, is not even in the same category, as 'denigrating customer loyalty'.
It is totally about the numbers, because 9k was not enough to keep this game going......no matter how loyal they were, no matter how many account they had, no matter how passionate about the game, they are...the numbers were, and still are not sufficient. And all the drama in the world, about 'loyalty' will not change the math.
The biggest business tenet of all, way above and beyond 'loyal customers', is the bottom line and the whole point of this game for EA....profit....if there is no profit, then 'loyalty' is a completely meaningless issue.
And the bottom line on this debate, is that
customer loyalty to the old game, was not enough to save it, because the numbers just were not there, and have not been, since 2005. There were just too few customers for the old game....it died. Now there is a new game, built from the bones of the old, trying for new customers and it can not be held back by nostalgic rants and demands to return to the 'good old days' or our last chance to have anything of our game remain, will also die.
On a personal note:
I have not 'sneered' at anyone's loyalty, only pointed out that loyalty was not enough, then or now, to keep this game alive in any form.
But I am a bit more than disgusted, that every time someone in City Hall, does not like my comments as a poster/player, they haul out the "Mod card" and try to belittle me and my comments, with it.
I have posted in City Hall (and it's equivalent on the old Maxis boards) almost exclusively since beta: talking, debating, laughing and crying with everyone else. The fact that I took it a step further and volunteered to help maintain the site for everyone's benefit, is
not a badge of shame, and it is an utterly cheap shot and despicable trick, to try to make it one.