(08-08-2013, 08:08 AM)Hugmenot Wrote: (08-08-2013, 06:42 AM)campsawyer Wrote: Clupper21, you are running into the fact that APL is not a efficiently run company
It's not the first time you wrote this Alan and I am curious why you say that
I would agree APL is not communicative about the future availability of its products to its general customer base. I would also agree they are too optimistic about estimating how much time and effort is required to produce a game, especially if it's of a different size what they have done under their new process.
But efficiency? I have no clue what are their day to day processes so to me saying they waste time or effort seems a bit strange. We saw a lot of products come back into print the past 6 months and I do not know how much effort that required.
Or maybe we use efficiency in a different manner?
I am not using it in any other way other than to say that APL has not used its resources efficiently and continues to limp along. Simple put Mike B., by his own admission is not a businessman he is a writer and at that an old newspaper man. He has made some bad decisions and had some bad luck that he seems to compound when trying to fix it, as he has admitted in old Daily Content. He has however been able to keep the company going by us die-hards and the grace of God, which I believe more of the later was in play. I believe he continues to on a basic plan of push out games/supplements and whatever will generate cash flow to keep the company going. This has been supplemented by the die-hard developers who continue to believe in the product and us die-hard players that buy it. But this is not a business model for growth just survival.
Other companies have embraced more efficient business models and are actually making money off of it, but APL's lack of broad marketing, limited sales capability, hurry-up production and hand to mouth cash management will keep them where they are.
Simple solutions are out there that don't require grand business plans or large money outlays. This site is one of them, APL should embrace this as a marketing tool, but as far as I know Mike B. is keeping it at arms length. Plays at conventions are little to non-existent. WBC was last weekend and I heard that there was no APL on the tournament tables. Some people had brought some but it was more backroom play from my sources. If you are not getting your product to a wider audience the business will limit itself. These are just a start, there are many more beyond this that others have suggest too. I just seems that Mike B. doesn't see them for some reason.
Lastly, I understand this sounds like another APL bashing, but I am seriously not trying for that. Hopefully, I have articulated points where changes need to happen if APL is going to survive.
