Frogboy Frogboy

Brad returns to the tech world

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Brad returns to the tech world

from JoeUser Forums

For the past few months, I’ve been on my long promised sabbatical.

2009 and 2010 were horrible horrible years personally. While my company had good financial years, they were both professionally disappointing.

In the Summer of 2010 things really came to a head with the launch of the first title in the Elemental universe (War of Magic).  It was a disaster. And it became obvious that no particular sector of the company was getting sufficient attention.

Sometimes, you just need a big shock to get change done.  So we sold off Impulse to Gamestop, brought in industry veterans to take over running the software unit and the games unit and beefed up the management teams across the board. 

Selling off the most profitable part of our organization may seem crazy until you realize that its profitability was allowing us to mask our underlying lack of focus. 

I was slowly killing myself (and my senior staff who did the same thing) by taking on Boxer’s philosophy – I’ll work harder.

I’ve been starting to get back into the fold by checking out some of the cool software projects we’ve got going and fixing up War of Magic a bit before diving into Fallen Enchantress, Sins: Rebellion, Object Desktop 2012, etc.  But I feel a lot better knowing that all these projects have people dedicated to them rather than competing for the limited hours a week I was able to give them before.

145,224 views 46 replies
Reply #26 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I am 100 % with You Aleatoric.   Reading that again the return focus is games and more games, my fear is, we will see a list of Object Desktop 2012 with even more discontinued apps. I still hope, I am wrong.

Reply #27 from Elemental Forums Top

Even though I am a gamer, I'm curious to see what the other side offers.  There's a couple of things I may get someday.

 

 

Galactic Civilizations IV
Reply #28 from Elemental Forums Top

Has Brad been involved in the non-gaming part of Stardock before? I thought he has other guys running the application side altogether, while his own focus is on running the whole company & dabbling in games. His personal passion is games, after all.

Though I guess Impulse might've stripped a lot of resources from the apps side of Stardock. I hope the apps side has gotten resources back after the sale.

Reply #29 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Sir_Linque, reply 28
Has Brad been involved in the non-gaming part of Stardock before?

X|

Reply #30 from Elemental Forums Top

Just for clarification, by 'before' I mean in the past couple of years. Not since inception.

Reply #31 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

If Impulse is gone, how will we get the GC2 update?

Reply #32 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Snarkotamus, reply 31
If Impulse is gone, how will we get the GC2 update?

 

Impulse is not gone for games, and I imagine Stardock will still distribute its games through Impulse even though it is now owned by GameStop.

Reply #33 from Sins Forums Top

Just in time--Jobs has retired and Apple is vulnerable and weak!  You can do iiiit! :ninja:

Reply #34 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Sir_Linque, reply 28
Has Brad been involved in the non-gaming part of Stardock before? I thought he has other guys running the application side altogether, while his own focus is on running the whole company & dabbling in games. His personal passion is games, after all.

Sir_Lingue....pop out of 'Elemental' for a moment....hop on to Wincustomize.com and search [for example] 'Frogboy' in the Windowblinds gallery.

We all like our 'Games' but a lot of us [Brad included] are skinners too ...;)

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Reply #35 from Elemental Forums Top

Where does he find the time? That man sure gets around.

Reply #36 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Sir_Linque, reply 35
Where does he find the time? That man sure gets around.

On his off days...when he's not being an all-round nice-person-to-know he's a work-a-holic.

Probably what he needs is a holiday....

And here I am in Melbourne, Australia, just re listed as the world's most 'livable' city yet again...;)

Reply #37 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Jafo, reply 36
Quoting Sir_Linque, reply 35Where does he find the time? That man sure gets around.

On his off days...when he's not being an all-round nice-person-to-know he's a work-a-holic.

Probably what he needs is a holiday....

And here I am in Melbourne, Australia, just re listed as the world's most 'livable' city yet again...

Living proof bribery works. ;)

Reply #38 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Jafo, reply 36
Melbourne, Australia, just re listed as the world's most 'livable' city yet again...

Quite a feat, considering YOU live there!!! XD :rofl:

Reply #39 from Elemental Forums Top



I was slowly killing myself (and my senior staff who did the same thing) by taking on Boxer’s philosophy – I’ll work harder.

Sorry to focus on this but I just had to. Is this Slayers_Boxer you are talking about? Is Brad a Starcraft fan? :)

Reply #40 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting BoXXi, reply 38
Quite a feat, considering YOU live there!!!

Oh hush, Bryan...you know I'm a "nice guy".

On an aside...I'm hoping to snaffle something at our Moto...for you.   [the rest of the planet hasn't a clue...but that's their loss]...;)

Reply #41 from WinCustomize Forums Top

WooHoooo!! Any snafflings gratefully received!!!! \o/    (Maybe you can get me a carbon fibre Ducati frame.... I'm sure there'll be at least four in the skip out back...... LOL)

And Abigail says if you can get her Marc Marquez's autograph, she will love you forever........  :)

Reply #42 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting BoXXi, reply 41
And Abigail says if you can get her Marc Marquez's autograph, she will love you forever........

That sounds....

...interesting...

Tell me....Abigail's not your dog....correct?...;)

Marc Marquez....hmm..last bloke I had a yarn with was some guy called Hayden ... sounded a bit like Schwantz...except shorter...;)

Reply #43 from WinCustomize Forums Top

haha.... no, Poppy is the dog, Abby is the daughter. I doubt Hayden will be in the mood to talk to ANYONE if that bike ain't sorted!!

I think Marquez is even shorter and lighter than Pedrosa...... if that's possible!

Reply #44 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting BoXXi, reply 43
I think Marquez is even shorter and lighter than Pedrosa...... if that's possible!

Heck...he'd be measured in negatives....;p

Pedrosa is a short-arse as it is...;)

Reply #45 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The fish must have stopped biting, or you caught your limit.;)   Whatever the reason, Welcome back!

Reply #46 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

Welcome back Frogboy!

Its unfortunate that you had to sell off Impulse. Hopefully you don't need to anything else drastic for you guys to get your focus back.