Subject: Is Sokker dying?

I'd not say it's dying but it's in a very precarious position. The all round lack of progress has made this game stagnant and offers practically no optimism for things getting any better, which wouldn't be a problem if everyone was happy with the game but they're not, not by a long way. Personally I'm bored of this game and I suspect I'll be quitting at the end of this season because there's nothing to look forward to anymore.
I was told earlier today that this game is basically a 1-man show now in terms of the work being done on it. This is a game with 70,000 users and it's being held together by volunteers and 1 very overworked guy (and I have sympathy with the demands being made of him) but at some point you have to realise that this setup is unworkable, unsustainable and that progress in line with expectations impossible.
The saying goes that if you can't offer your customers what they want, they'll eventually go somewhere else. The main selling point of this game is the match engine (it could be argued that the subsequent tactic grid negates this), infact I'd say it's the only selling point of this game and it's what keeps people here, I'd also say it's a matter of time before a more professional game does the same, and at that point this game will be in significant trouble.

Oh and I give this thread 1 hour before it's shutdown, because that's the way this game works.
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I voted for yes. Because that`s how I see things at the moment. Of course I don`t know how much work the current developers do now, if there is even anything to do. I am not an expert. This game needs some improvements to keep oldies motivates and to lure new users here. I have actually a feeling, that the name of the game is one factor which
don`t let us grow more rapidly and reach to six figures. But that´s another guess, so don´t take it seriously.

Shame that you are planning to quit. I have had the same plans, but the new plan is to restart like few other known users are planning to do in near future.

And don`t worry no one is gonna close this one.

I play 3 years I am in the same division almost from start but each day I log in and have fun ! and motivation to have a better team and score on sunday

Far from it. As long as there are people willing to start topics like this and others willing to comment upon it, a game is far from its deathbed. Stop expecting the kind of service and improvement rate you'd see with a professional developer team. (Although I really can't say I'm all that impressed by the efforts from professional game developers lately. Lies, broken promises and abysmal tech support even with the guys who used to be top notch.)

Sokker is not the main focus of the devs, they administer it in their spare time. They still have regular jobs, because, like all online games with the possible exception of Hattrick and perhaps a few others, the real life money they make out of the game is not enough. Not enough to sustain the servers, nor to make a living out of it. Anyone who would buy SK would face the same problems, I'm afraid.

Personally I don't think the game is dying. If anything Sokker is stagnating, but even so it is way more fun and entertaining than any other online football manager game I've played.

Totally agree.

I voted for NO!

Thursday training,sunday's matches,junior school,forum,friends,....my players,tactics.... I have 1000000 reason why I like sokker..:)

Personally,I am satisfied with game status,but it would be great that devs do some step forward.
My dream: Champion league. (Playing for honor,for trophy of best sokker team-no money from stadiums,no injuries,only pure battle of best teams in world)

:)

as for sokker staying at 60,000 - 70,000 users,
hattrick's been stuck at 900,000 users for some time now...
if hattrick got a 3-d match viewer it would be the best...

I dont personally think is dying, but you have a point, i myself started wondering why havent we heard about new imrovements... since the U21 NT's there hasnt been any amusing improvements in the game... i like to see some changes, cooler stadiums, new tournaments, i dont know... any thing that make the game more interesting that already is... we seem to be standing still...

I voted for NO.

Of course, users like you or me who're playing this game for ages are probably getting a little bit - how should I say - "bored" of Sokker.
But like someone wrote, that's the chance for other managers to get to the top of the respective countries (or at least closer to it).

I think it's in the nature of every online game that older users are getting bored of it and are leaving. You shouldn't forget, this game isn't a fulltime job for the devs, they have to earn their money elswhere!

And don't forget another thing: Thanks to your "spamming action" Beglium had twice as much user as now. I don't know why they all left, but at least for the countries I'm active in I can't see this trend. In Switzerland for example there are new users rushing into the forum aswell as into the top leagues, the number of managers are pretty much stable. Of course stable isn't really what this game should aim for, but well, it definitely is a little bit more complicate than other online games, and that's surely one of the reasons we don't have that many users.


Finally I just can speak for me, but I've never been as fascinated by an online game as by Sokker! I'm not half as active as during my "best" times, but that's only because of my RL situation. And I think it's the same for many other former active users aswell.

Of course in the beginning most of the active users knew each other. I agree that most of them aren't that active anymore. Personally I don't think it's because of the game but because of what's happening in RL.
I guess almost nobody is able to keep his activity (if he's very active) over many years, therefore I'm not very surprised to see many former active users being more or less inactive ...

"Far from it. As long as there are people willing to start topics like this and others willing to comment upon it, a game is far from its deathbed."

That's the thing though, people are becoming increasingly apathetic because they've no faith that they're being listened to and even when they are, they don't feel like enough is being done.
I'm not going to finances but I was surprised to find out I pay £24 a year to Sokker for Plus. Considering how many others are doing the same you have to wonder why this is still a spare time project.

I'm reseting my team to 18 years old right now :P

I don't see the game dying. I see it, however, slower than ever. Maybe it's just an impression, but I think this version of the ME os the one that lasted the most so far. It may also be a feeling coming from the disappointment of seeing the last ME improvementes devs ever made being taken back. At the time, I expected a re-tuned version of that ME to be introduced soon, so each season without news built up the "stagnant game" impression. Now I stopped waiting for such a resurrection, but losing hope only made the feeling stronger.
But users keep growing (slowly, but steadily, as always) and I think the game itself is far from reaching a "ceiling", as I do think that there's plenty of room for improvement and I'm sure the devs are not out of ideas yet (actually, I think they see the potential improvements clearer than us :P). Of course, the game hast "matured", and it is reasonable to have more frequent improvements in the early stages of a game, but still I think Sokker isn't that old yet. I guess we just need some action, like in the old days ;)

As I mentioned, I voted yes earlier, but I still like the game actually. I just need new challenges. Created Estonian team for this season, but still winning and I have 25mil € on bank:)

I'm reseting my team to 18 years old right now :P

That´s not interesting imo...better is to start from nil with new team:)

It is in mine: now I just need a superdivine keeper to get on my opponents' nerves :P

No, because this is a great game :)
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i dont think the game is going to die, but the game is not goğng to progress either... old users are getting bored when see and understand how the thğngs go here...

the mentality is "we did it, if you dont like it, quit whenever you want..."

i dont like how the things are going, i dont watch my matches anymore, but i still train national players. the training and national players are reasons i continue to play.

I think that the game is 'dying' for more experienced players...at least it looks like it in Poland - many teams in 1st and 2nd league are bored, some users that were really active before[like Skippi, Julius, kobinalewka] are now vegetating...I'm also bored, the only thing that keeps me interested is Belgian NT :)

Tried to make it more interesting by starting mid training for the first time, but it worked only for a short while...