Topic

Stewart Butterfield on the Pressure of High Expectations

"So why does Butterfield confess to living in “perpetual fear” these days? The truth is Butterfield is under enormous pressure. Expectations for Glitch, which Butterfield describes as a “shared, perpetual game with its own ecology,” are exceedingly high, both because of Butterfield’s personal brand and its ephemeral launch date. (Even after two years of alpha and beta testing by roughly 20,000 gamers, Butterfield declines to disclose when he plans to release the game. “We haven’t finalized [the release date] yet, though the end of September is likely,” he says.)"

Article published today, here.

(Thanks to Welshcorgi who posted it, I saw it in my home timeline.)

ETA: There's more in the article, it's worth reading the whole thing!

Posted 16 months ago by Ximenez Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

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  • "though the end of September is likely'

    Ah yes, it's still the perpetual six weeks away :-)
    Posted 16 months ago by dopiaza Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Awww Stoot, dont stress. This place is awesome! I have every intention of getting as many people hooked as I can :)
    Posted 16 months ago by Innie✿, Obviously Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Dopiaza: It's a long-form "soon".
    Posted 16 months ago by Ximenez Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Interesting what the "shared, perpetual game with its own ecology"  could be...

    Perpetual game with its own ecology? I don't see that now, especially with the diminishing number of quests as you level up, so I'm excited to see what they've got up their sleeves! 

    Any ideas?
    Posted 16 months ago by CYMR0 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • and this is what I'm seeing towards the end of the article...

    " The money will come from subscriptions, in-world advertising, and the sale of virtual items"

    crap...
    Posted 16 months ago by Posh Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Stoot clearly needs more massages.  Too bad only butterflies can get massages in Glitch.

    Also LMAO at "... Glitch’s beta testers play an hour on average — with some playing for up to six hours at a time."  Six hours!  I've totally beat that.
    Posted 16 months ago by larky lion Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @stoot - when things get tough don't make lemonade...make rock  http://snd.sc/oKosjJ
    Posted 16 months ago by coolbettycakes Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yeah, chickens telling you to buy the latest version of Windows won't go down well with me. He does however say that "facebook is to cluttered with ads"... so who knows!

    I am going to subscribe though, hopefully they can see they can make enough revenue off of subscriptions without poisoning the world with adverts.
    Posted 16 months ago by CYMR0 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Posh:  From what I understand, in-world advertising is players advertising their services/goods to each other, not ads for Coca Cola.  Although there was a really interesting discussion about that possibility, let me scare up the thread...
    Posted 16 months ago by Nanookie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Good article. Explains a lot behind the API
    Posted 16 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Well - lets calm down and wait a minute. If the in game advertising is low key - say like a few of the panels in the subway trains, for example - then I am all for it to help support a sustained revenue model that will allow the game to remain free and viable.

    I feel there are so many great opportunities for something like this that it won't be offensive.

    This is after all a part of Stoot - I trust that he will make the proper business decisions that will allow the game to launch, flourish and grow - all while keeping true to the great work that has already been accomplished.

    Here's to hoping that whatever revenue models Tiny Speck can develop are low-key and non-obtrusive.

    Thanks everyone for listening to my $.05 currants worth...
    Posted 16 months ago by Shadowy Time Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I was reading the article aloud as the He of Geeks and the Son of Geeks were assembling a cabinet.  

    Me: Oh this comment from stoot is interesting. "Butterfield says that it’s hard to play Glitch satisfyingly for less than 15 minutes at a time, and that Glitch’s beta testers play an hour on average — with some playing for up to six hours at a time."

    Son: cough cough Mom cough cough

    Me: Eh what?!?!?!?

    Son: I'm pretty sure that stoot is protecting the innocent. 

    Me: HUH!?!?!?

    Son: Um. He's excluding marathon sessions.

    Me: I was sick.

    ETA -- Larky Lion just saw your comment. heh...
    Posted 16 months ago by g33kgurrl Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Stoot has said that there is no chance that there will be outside vendors advertising within Glitch. By advertising, he means advertising for glitch-related stuff, including adds for players to players, as Nanookie described.
    Posted 16 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @larky lion - me too, it should read "some testers play over 12 hours". i did 6 today and only got off cause the world ended. 
    Posted 16 months ago by coolbettycakes Subscriber! | Permalink
  • It's okay g33k, you can admit it.  We're all a little addicted here.
    Posted 16 months ago by larky lion Subscriber! | Permalink
  • she isn't called g33kgurri for nothin!
    Posted 16 months ago by coolbettycakes Subscriber! | Permalink
  • LL - I'm pretty sure that I'm not addicted.

    It's just a glitch in my programming.
    Posted 16 months ago by g33kgurrl Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I wonder if their statistics count you as ending a session whenever you log out because of a game crash or just for a few minutes to eat in real life so your Glitch doesn't lose energy while it's just standing there?
    Posted 16 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • LOL at g33k!

    Here is the interesting discussion:  http://beta.glitch.com/forum/general/5130/
    Posted 16 months ago by Nanookie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Always late, but worth the wait!
    Posted 16 months ago by Lilypad Subscriber! | Permalink
  • CYMR0 , As we level up I think we make quests for others, impromptu games and contests.  As that player generated content catches on we will have plenty to do.
    Posted 16 months ago by Artilect Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I don't see that happening in an environment such as this @Artilect. I would like it to be the case, but alas I fear it not to be so.
    Posted 16 months ago by CYMR0 Subscriber! | Permalink
  • SOON.
    Posted 16 months ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Heavy is the head that wears the crown...Stoot, don't fret.... I am sure this game will be a huge success. I don't see how it possibly could not be. I can't wait to order a Glitch T-shirt and ball cap...
    Posted 16 months ago by napabeth Subscriber! | Permalink
  • What don't you see happening, CYMR0? Player generated content and offsite play? I'm involved in the latter right now with some limited guidance and support by Tiny Speck staff. And there are a few others that are considering this. 
    Posted 16 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
  • This was a pretty terrible article — even though I've done it a few hundred times, I never stop being surprised how strangely reporters twist a conversation around to fit what's in their head.

    And there will never be ads in the game in any normal sense (e.g., you won't see Netflix or Toyota or Pepsi or whatever): we do want to let player advertise to reach other players (for projects, new groups, some crazy religion or company they started, etc.) All in-game & by-players-for-players.
    Posted 16 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Stoot, as a former PR person, I know what you're talking about. 
    Posted 16 months ago by jasbo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • CYMR0, if you're interested in what's coming up in general, I addressed one part of it in a thread called "Where is My Sandbox?" a few weeks back (the linked comment and another a few screenfulls lower down). That's more about sandbox-style play, but we'll also be working on more mini-games, repeatable quests, skills, items, etc., as well. And, hopefully, great things will be made with the API :)
    Posted 16 months ago by stoot barfield Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Yay for no advertising :D thanks, stoot.
    Posted 16 months ago by Cupcake Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Oooh.... our avatars could be incorporated into other games?   That's very interesting.
    Posted 16 months ago by Pirate Apples Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I am pretty stoked for mini-games, especially if they make it to mobile platforms. How much fun would it be to stomp on grapes on my GenericSmartPhone while standing in line at the post office?
    Posted 16 months ago by Lilypad Subscriber! | Permalink
  • No advertising in game.... darn it. I've been trying to get my local market to stock Lemburgers for weeks. I told him I saw them on a subway sign!
    Posted 16 months ago by GavinLeigh Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "This was a pretty terrible article — even though I've done it a few hundred times, I never stop being surprised how strangely reporters twist a conversation around to fit what's in their head."

    it seemed like a bit of a hatchet job, to be honest.

    on the other hand the description of what the game will be, and why it doesn't follow particular trends [facebook, iOS] was very succinct and convincing, as was how what you're doing is different from what zynga does while still approaching similar audiences.

    i mean it seemed like the piece was a hatchet job but your responses were very robust in the face of all that hatcheting.

    the sense i got from it all was that you have taken a couple years to figure out what works, have a clear vision for what glitch is as it relates to what else is out there, and are working on getting it out there.
    Posted 16 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I don't want to sound stupid.... but I don't really understand the article. :/
    Posted 16 months ago by sugarj Subscriber! | Permalink
  • i don't know if this was not in your responses or just not in what the writer quoted, but it would be nice if the following things were included in the piece ..

    no, Glitch is not a Facebook or iOS game, but what you are doing with flash on a technical level is nothing short of miraculous. you need to come up with some sort of buzzword that these reporter types will understand, that articulates the difference between what glitch is and what your typical flash game is .. in terms of performance and immersiveness.

    but more importantly ..

    yes the game is not launched but they should have mentioned that the game has actual paid subscribers despite not being launched yet. that's sorta pertinent.
    Posted 16 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • I agree with Stri, for a few minutes I was confused about how the game related to Facebook, it wasn't made as clear as I think it would have been, because Glitch far far outweighs any Facebook game
    Posted 16 months ago by Laurali Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "you need to come up with some sort of buzzword that these reporter types will understand, that articulates the difference between what glitch is and what your typical flash game is .. in terms of performance and immersiveness."

    It's...jujulicious!
    Posted 16 months ago by Nanookie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • OMG +1million for jujulicious.
    Posted 16 months ago by Laurali Subscriber! | Permalink
  • LOL on jujulicious (and the jujus certainly do look delicious, so it's an apropos combination), but for some reason I don't think it's something the "reporter types will understand".
    Posted 16 months ago by Shepherdmoon Subscriber! | Permalink
  • i left a reply on the piece to clarify that making money off subscriptions isn't some nebulous plan for monetization, but is an existing revenue stream with significant and promising uptake from the player base even though the game isn't yet launched.

    i believe glitch has a lot things to sort out, and express my frustrations about those things quite a bit, but on this particular front i think that glitch is well on its way and am surprised that this fact was omitted given the overall theme of the piece - that glitch isn't launched yet.

    one would think that the existing subscriber base would be of interest, given the game's unlaunched status, and yet the article fails to mention it at all.
    Posted 16 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • stri, you are good people.

    Not that you needed me to say that.
    Posted 16 months ago by jasbo Subscriber! | Permalink
  • What will happen to the game in the event HTML5 takes a serious hold and Flash loses popularity? Apple has shown total dislike for Flash, so that makes a transition to iOS a little unlikely. This has to be a portable game (at least to tablets) and I'm having trouble running it on an entry level notebook chipset (AMD Fusion E350 Brazos). That's better than most Android based snapdragons tablets and the like, where the market growth is happening.

    I like the game a lot, and enjoy it for weird reasons I can't truly explain. I find it best played at the PC in the evening, however that is a shrinking market these days. Where will Glitch fit in?
    Posted 16 months ago by GavinLeigh Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "OMG +1million for jujulicious."

    from a hypothetical future interview ..

    Stewart Butterfield: "Without sacrificing performance, we've been able to push the game's use of Flash to the point where the avatar movement, animation, parallaxed background rendering and overall graphical richness of the Glitch world is at a different level than traditional Flash Games. These improvements have allowed our talented artists and level designers to create a level of player immersion that might be described as Jujulicious™"

    ok, ok - that sounds awful but it's kinda true.
    Posted 16 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Often the first reaction to a truly new thing is one of horror, disgust and/or confusion.  Then one perceives the trueness of it and it seems like jujulicious has always been with us, somehow.  
    Posted 16 months ago by Nanookie Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Right.  An hour at a time. Yeah. Using what sort of clock!?!  LMAO!!

    Stoot -- I'm sure you've had  your share of bad articles revolving around Flickr.  Lord knows I've read enough bad articles, heard/seen enough bad interviews, written/conducted by people who either have no idea of what the article/interview should be about or could not care less.

    Striatic brings up some excellent points!
    Posted 16 months ago by Marla Subscriber! | Permalink
  • "What will happen to the game in the event HTML5 takes a serious hold and Flash loses popularity? Apple has shown total dislike for Flash, so that makes a transition to iOS a little unlikely."

    HTML5 performance gets a lot of underserved hype. by HTML5 i assume you mean the combination of HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript .. but mostly Javascript .. that is commonly understood to be "HTML5".

    while this inaccurately named conglomeration of techniques and technologies is much, much better for nifty [but simple] webpage animations and allowing web apps offline storage capabilities and so on, i invite you to actually look at the animation benchmarks and see how far HTML5 has to go in terms of performance relative to Flash. it is questionable whether it is even possible to build a game of Glitch's graphical complexity in "HTML 5", so it's a false choice.

    as for the transition to iOS, the game can be ported to iOS. it wouldn't be the first Flash game to be ported to iOS either. it's just that the game isn't suited to touch screen based platforms, and on every device to which the core Glitch interface is suited, Apple supports Flash.

    i personally believe that Flash isn't well suited to mobile devices, but that's almost entirely irrelevant. World of Warcraft isn't well suited to mobile devices either. what we will see instead is other sorts of non-flash apps, some "HTML5" based and others that are platform native. these will use art from glitch and provide interaction with the glitch world in different ways that are better suited to touch screens. all that matters is that you will be able to interact with the Glitch world in compelling ways from mobile devices, and you will.

    in short, don't fall into the manufactured Flash vs. HTML5 marketing war that conveniently mirrors the iOS versus Android marketing war. look at the actual technologies, and not Apple or Google's press releases. then look at at whether you'd even want to play Glitch, as it is, on keyboard-less devices.
    Posted 16 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • An hour between Flash crashes, maybe...
    Posted 16 months ago by larky lion Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 to striatic's comments about already having a paid subscriber base whilst still in beta.

    In discussion of poor or inaccurate media reporting, it's maybe appropriate to bring up the Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show/65213
    Posted 16 months ago by Snazzlefrazz Subscriber! | Permalink
  • Though I disagree with Striatic's assessment of Glitch's playability on a mobile system (Stoot's comment about the social features being clumsy on iOS is more apt), he is correct about HTML5's currently limited capabilities.

    For all you Mac Users out there I would highly recommend installing FlashFrozen (99¢ App Store), which allows you to shut down flash with a single menu click instead of having to close the browser (or even restart, as is necessary in some cases).
    Posted 16 months ago by Skwid Subscriber! | Permalink
  • +1 to @striatic's comments about Flash vs. HTML 5
    Javascript and the various browser's implementation of it and the rest of the CSS 3/HTML 5 standard needs to become more robust, consistent, and significantly faster to fully match Flash as far as capability and performance. Right now the only other contenders I can think of right now are Silverlight and SVG.
    Posted 16 months ago by Fokian Fool Subscriber! | Permalink
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