Do SI listen?

Let me just make it clear; I'm not having a go at SI in any way in this post.

I first seen this in a "What i'd like to see" kind of post. It was quite a while ago now and I can't actually remember the exact wordings of the poster, but it was something about SI responding to the "What i'd like to see" kind of posts, or not responding in that case.

Fair enough if they don't reply, hopefully that means they are working hard to bring us a better game in the next installment.

Then (due to joining another forum for another game) i got thinking do SI even actually read the posts?

On this other forum (a game being produced by Monte Cristo) actual development staff of the game actively post, disscuss and debate the introduction/deletion or improvement of features. After recent survey conducted on their forum it was decided to completely change a massive feature of the game due to negative feedback. Also due to "popular demand" on the forums the game will get some brand new major features which are sure to be a big hit with many of the fans. There is also a blog written by devlopment staff which explainhow new features will work etc. that give just enough to wet your appetite without giving to much away. I know that SI alos do this.

As i said im not having a go at SI here I was just wondering on how much attention SI pay to our views here and what you guys feel about this - discuss!

I can assure you SI read these posts. You'll not notice it, but they get a lot of ideas from the forum, and are constantly about. I agree that they don't get as actively involved in threads as they perhaps should, but there are reasons for this. For example, if many ideas have already been discussed, and SI have already replied to such a thread, then 6 months later the same idea is posted again, do you think they would need to post AGAIN to tell people how they feel on the idea?

And well posted, thought out ideas usually get a reply. Ter is constantly about the forums, and more recently I've noticed a few others about here too.

Members of the Sports Interactive team do read these forums, although a general shift in the attitude of forumers here in the past year or so has led to them being reluctant to post here. SI like to keep their developments under wraps as they are in a highly competitive market and don't want rivals stealing ideas, so they release information about the game closer to the game date.

Ideas here have been picked up by the team, most notably the 'fog of war' where attributes are hidden until you gain significant knowledge to be able to realistically know about the player, and the manager career earnings in the user's personal screen. The best way to get your idea seen by the SI team is to post in the wishlist which is read regularly by them, particularly when it comes to ideas time (which has now passed for FM09). However, if you have an idea that you want to generate discussion rather than simply to be seen by the producers then feel free to post it in its own thread. You will find that some threads have been tagged by the makers so that they can find them easily. Whether this means the team are looking to take the idea up I can't really say.

Yes, for FM08 SI did do a blog explaining some of the new features, and they may do one for FM09. Different games producers have different ways of doing things, so Football Manager is produced and brainstormed in a different way to City Life (I assume that's the title you are talking about) is. In summary, just because they aren't posting, don't think they aren't watching.

Ok well im happy enough to take your word for it that SI do read these.

I'm not sure if you guys were, but it kind of felt like you thought that i was bitter about them not responding (perhaps to myself in another post). It's nothing like that but as you said they don't responde that often and as i said thats fair enough, but due to they lack of responding I was curious as to whether they actually read all the views and opinions here.

Seeing how it didn't take Ter even more than 30 minutes to reply to my excessive long post (http://community.sigames.com/showpost.php?p=1420285&postcount=2942) in a thread 30 pages long, makes me believe that they do read all if it ;-)

Especially since he comments on what I ask.

Yes, of course. It's a long process from liking an idea to getting it in the game, though.

The blogs for the FM08 features was a fine idea and i do hope they use the same format for 09

SI do listen, and they do still post on here, although not as often as they used to. bud, just because you dont see them talking (or typing) doesnt meant hey dont read. this is their "official" forums after all, and if theyre going to look anywhere for opinions, then it would be here.

I believe they read, or at least they have someone who is responsible for the forum and he/she reads regularly. Of course they can not respond and satisfy everyone. I also think the more they write here the more people complain here so they may cut their posts to avoid individual rage posts from unsatisfied users.

For the improvement/wish list forum, I think it will be good for everyone if a an active forum mod takes the responsiblity of such topic and constantly updates the summary in the first post, deletes obsolete posts and stop people from starting to chat within the forum. Obviously so far once such topic starts it grows quickly and with lots of irrelevant posts it becomes unreadable. I believe if someone regularly cleans it up, it may serve a great purpose

A large number of the development team, testing team and research team are all very active on these forums.

Plus I think they're kind of busy to respond to every post, you know with all the games and stuff.

To be fair, Muxx, I've seen a lot of posts from SI on the forums, and I've seen developments along the lines of responding to player wishes.

The response time to 'wishes' or 'general consensus' may be a bit slower or more methodical than in a 1st generation game with enthusiastic new developers, but it is still there. SI don't debate features, which is wise of course, but its also a sign of their maturity perhaps that they don't bother much with the eternal debates which have no easy answers.

Then again, I must say that I am constantly and continuously worried about the 'development economics' of FM. It seems to me that the franchise is a license to print money, and as such will contain no innovations or for that matter, much effort, without some kind of competition. I do see that the individuals from SI that post have a care about their product and efforts, so no beef with any one person. But as a unit I just can't see how the peculiar and rare economics of the franchise can help them in any way, make a good product. In all venues such a situation leads to dissolution, apathy, and termination, so far as I can see.

Certainly there is a solid core of very conservative fans (and developers) who's unwritten but steadfast rule is: "Thou shalt not stop printing the monies".

And well they should take this attitude I think. Who wouldn't? But I don't think such a situation is favorable for much else besides the continued stroking and polishing of the current model, and I don't expect it. Thankfully no such monopolies exist in the public sector. Oh wait, damnit. LOL.