The Hampster of doom Comments - Brought to you by JoeUserhttp://hampster.joeuser.com/rss/comments© 2006 - 2008 Stardock Corporation. All rights reserved.Nonsense and other sillyness...en-us2008-08-08T21:29:142008-08-08T21:29:14http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.htmlStardock Rss Generator v1.0, Andrew Powellinfo@stardock.comapowell@stardock.comGollumshttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045
For the cost of WinCustomize, Stardock could purchase prime time TV spots for commercials

Television? What's that? Oh yeah, my parents used to use it to get the news, and watch movies on, before the Internet allowed us to verify news stories, and subscription based movie rental places allowed us to watch as many movies as we want, when we want to watch them.

Seriously though, television advertising does target a different audience. How many WC visitors are from outside the U.S., or don't watch channels that might carry a Stardock ad? You might be isolating current users/developers as well as gaining a different type of audience. I don't think there are many people who come to WC on an even semi-regular basis that don't share it with friends. Word of mouth advertising has always proved more effective than any other medium.

It is very true though, that it is hard to justify an expenditure that can't sustain or pay for itself. But have you gotten any marketing 'experts' that are directing you to switch AWAY from an Internet based advertising structure ( and wincustomize can be seen as an advertising expense for Stardock ) TO a television based structure? If so, I would recommend getting a second opinion. Even those tech companies that do advertise on TV, still advertise on the Internet. Talk to some good tax attourneys who can help write some / all of the expenses from WC off as advertising expenses! ]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16Gollums on Why I love WinCustomizeMurexhttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045 I have been buying both ObjectDesktop and a subscription for 4 years. I can't say that I love Wincustomize and it is not the first place that i go to when i am on line. For the most part I have not found it to be a friendly place. But I do like the program and I like to skin. I think that Wincustomize serves the community of skinners and skin users as no other site does. I do enjoy seeing the work of other skinners and downloading and using skins. So I will continue to update both Objectdesktop and my subscription.]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16Murex on Why I love WinCustomizeGeorge Rogers Jrhttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045 Yes! I have WC on my desktop as an icon, system tray, start panel, etc! It's the FIRST place I go when I'm online! I don't care - my subscription isn't due till next Sept, 17th of '06, but I'm renewing right now! As of 10/03 there's only 106 recorded for the subscription drive!! WC has a long way to go if it's going to meet that target #!!!! ]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16George Rogers Jr on Why I love WinCustomizeBeesleyhttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045 I have to agree. Like Hippie, Wincustomize is the first place I go when I get online. I love this site and, for the most part, it's VERY friendly with a lot of great people that are a lot of fun to chat and interact with. Keep up the good stuff, Brad & gang.]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16Beesley on Why I love WinCustomizeFrogboyhttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045For the cost of WinCustomize, Stardock could purchase prime time TV spots for commercials.

]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16Frogboy on Why I love WinCustomizePhaseNoisehttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045 Well, 90% of what people use the site for is obtaining things to go along with stardock products they purchased - in many cases expressly because of the large amount of goodies they saw here.
So wincustomize is a great marketing engine for object desktop first, community second IMHO.

Having said all that, I've been a user and fan of Stardock's products since as long as they've been around. I was one of I believe 3 people (Brad included) in a compuserve chat room to discuss the Shipyards expansion to GalCiv (the OS/2 version). How times have changed!
In any case, I'll gladly support companies, er, communities that cater to things in which I have interest. My 20 bucks is en route. ]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16PhaseNoise on Why I love WinCustomizeHippiehttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045 I agree. When I first got on the net, I just fumbled around. Then I found Wincustomize. I bought Object Desktop, and now, Wincustomize is the first place I go when I get on the net. I get news on upcoming Windows and other stuff. Plus, if I have a problem with any Stardock app, I recieve an answer in a very short time. Great support is what I'm trying to say. This is, IMHO, the most friendly place on the net. I told Lightstar a while back, there are only a few places I trust on the internet. My ISP, Wincustomize, and Lightstar. I also love Wincustomize.]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/88045Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16Hippie on Why I love WinCustomizeCorky_Ohttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/81510 I just wanted to second the good review of the newest release of DX3.

The builder, client, and IconX access via the systray icon is a big plus - very easy to load things, and invoke the settings dialogs.

I use Konfabulator a bit, and have never thought of it as a sophisticated program in any way, unlike DesktopX which obviously has a lot of potential to be used by both the novice user to load some goodies, and by the true desktop developer who can create many fun objects/widgets/gadgets, as well as complete desktop assemblies to really show off the potential of the program.

Nice job on the update, Stardock. ]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/81510http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/81510Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16Corky_O on DesktopX 3.1 a winner!fudoshihttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/81510 a good comment brad ,just one point please and a little help,in your preveiw recentley it showed a different interface for desktop x3 1 i am running on beta versions i downloaded new update to 3 01 and in sdc object desktop it is showing as 3 10 042 ?is thise correct please , ]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/81510http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/81510Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16fudoshi on DesktopX 3.1 a winner!Brad Wardellhttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/81510I appreciate your comments.  Really, DesktopX is designed to let you do whatever you want with your desktop.

Now, why have we concentrated on widgets? Lots of reasons, some personal (we really like them) and others practical -- the press, for whatever reason -- seems to like to cover them.  Or at least, they seem to like to cover them if a Mac developer or Apple itself deems them interesting while selectively ignoring that user-created mini-applets as a practical reality originated on the PC three years earlier (but I digress).

But you do have a point - even with all the hyping, and I don't mince words, widgets have been over-hyped, I'm guilty of it as well, there is little evidence that they're a big deal outside of certain sectors. 

I think part of the reason we keep pushing it is because we like Konfabualtor.  I may not agree with Arlo's marketing tactics which seem to be based on implying that he's "invented" something we had years before him. But he has forced us to become sharper and make better software and get our ducks together.  In the old days, we'd just bundle objects and themes made by other people randomly.  Because of Konfabulator, we now put together our own stuff to bundle as well and we've started to carry this practice over to WindowBlinds and our other products.  Companies need competitors, even friendly ones, to force them to improve themselves.  After all, Konfabulator used to cost $25, now it's $20 and I suspec that's because of DesktopX.

And finally, the other reason for widgets is that we've been transitioning to gadgets.  We get a lot of corporate interest for widgets but they dont' want to have to buy 1000 licenses just to run some internal network monitoring thing they've made.  So that's why we're migrating to widgets.  We're happy to sell them just a few copies of DesktopX Pro and work out a support agreement.

With all that said, this Fall we'll be moving back to making cool desktop stuff.  Our game team resources will start to free up a bit and we'll be able to make some really neat desktop and objects.

]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/81510http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/81510Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16Brad Wardell on DesktopX 3.1 a winner!Uglebhttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391 EA? Are you mad? They're a pack of blood sucking parasites! They're also a publisher, not a developer. They simply own a legion of developer companies and tell them they can't do anything remotely risky as it might lose them a few sales.]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16Ugleb on Stardock best game company EVER!FuzzyMatrixhttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391 Yep yep... and being bigger it has more effects (on ingenuity, innovation, quality...). but with the same outlook, I'd now say "and Stardock". I think that I saw many companies until now, and I stick to this. And the other side of the medal would be Microsoft and EA perhaps ]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16FuzzyMatrix on Stardock best game company EVER!JesseJhttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391 Actually, Nintendo is the best gaming company ever.]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16JesseJ on Stardock best game company EVER!Uglebhttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391
I'm glad you guys like it. It' was a tough TOUGH call. An expensive one arguably too. But we felt that we wanted to err on the side of our customers as much as we could.


Ugleb pictures Brad trying to calm down his accountant after suggesting the idea

Nice. ]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16Ugleb on Stardock best game company EVER!Brad Wardellhttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391I'm glad you guys like it.  It' was a tough TOUGH call.  An expensive one arguably too.  But we felt that we wanted to err on the side of our customers as much as we could.

]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16Brad Wardell on Stardock best game company EVER!jab2565http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391 I agree ryan, I got galciv for 20 bucks back around last year, then I saw the drengin net and thought "nah, I'll wait". I finally got it last June just before all the changes started, with the new games, and now this, getting drengin net back then was one of the best decesions game wise I ever made.]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16jab2565 on Stardock best game company EVER!Gunmanthegreathttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391 Youre so lucky i'm just trying to get enough money to get the membership and get into the beta, you get the original game which i want for free. Personally i think it's a bit cheap because it makes me feel really jealous ]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16Gunmanthegreat on Stardock best game company EVER!Ryan Vincenthttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391 I didint get my email because my email service has totally died (Gone out of biz) and I am in the middle of changing adresses, So it was left to me to discover it when I dug out SDC again.

I have to say that this is another testiment to the best 40 USD I have ever spent online.]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16Ryan Vincent on Stardock best game company EVER!jab2565http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391 Yeah it's a pretty sweet deal, I can't wait to see the new games they're going to add with the new policy.]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16jab2565 on Stardock best game company EVER!Frank Leonhttp://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391 Ya, I just got my email today too. Simply incredible. Almost ridiculously generous. I have always supported Stardock even back years ago but this really takes the cake.

I hope everyone who gets that email tells two of their friends to buy something from TotalGaming.net. This is just incredible support.]]>http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391http://hampster.joeuser.com/article/80391Fri, 08 Aug 2008 17:29:16 -04002008-08-08T21:29:16Frank Leon on Stardock best game company EVER!