Auran in trouble
- Thread starter winjmoore
- Start date
zatovisualworks
Veteran but blossoming
:hehe: The same old story... The DS is back, sound and safe, and speculations fading away... another déjà vu. 
Please, don't rush to the DS way-in gate, let outgoers first.
Take care of overloading, my friends.
Alberte :wave:
Please, don't rush to the DS way-in gate, let outgoers first.
Take care of overloading, my friends.
Alberte :wave:
That's what I've been trying to tell everyone. Do your research first, don't keep posting the same thread over and over (use search!), and don't panic like it's the end of the world, and don't waffle!!
Now all the poor mods have to go around and try to clean things up!
Emphasis...
News Article
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,22923514-5014117,00.html
ONE of Australia's biggest computer game developers, Auran Development, was placed into voluntary administration yesterday, despite recently securing multi-million dollar investments from the National Australia Bank and the federal Government.
The decision was made after poorer than expected sales of its online multi player game, Fury, which Auran has spent $15 million developing over the past three years.
Last week, Auran announced a new business model dubbed "Free to Download, Free to Play" which will waive the regular monthly subscription fees.
The new offer , which launches today, is a radical move away from the regular Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game subscription model.
In October, the NAB made a "seven-figure investment" to help market Fury internationally. The funding came after Auran secured $2 million in funding from the federal government's credit agency, the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (EFIC).
Chief executive Tony Hilliam couldn't discuss whether the funding had been spent and said he would meet with both parties in the near future to discuss future arrangements.
NAB and EFIC could not be reached for comment.
Around 80 per cent of Auran employees have lost their jobs.
Auran employed 70 staff, and between 15 and 20 people, including Mr Hilliam, are set to join Fury's licensee N3VR41L Publishing.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,22923514-5014117,00.html
ONE of Australia's biggest computer game developers, Auran Development, was placed into voluntary administration yesterday, despite recently securing multi-million dollar investments from the National Australia Bank and the federal Government.
The decision was made after poorer than expected sales of its online multi player game, Fury, which Auran has spent $15 million developing over the past three years.
Last week, Auran announced a new business model dubbed "Free to Download, Free to Play" which will waive the regular monthly subscription fees.
The new offer , which launches today, is a radical move away from the regular Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) game subscription model.
In October, the NAB made a "seven-figure investment" to help market Fury internationally. The funding came after Auran secured $2 million in funding from the federal government's credit agency, the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (EFIC).
Chief executive Tony Hilliam couldn't discuss whether the funding had been spent and said he would meet with both parties in the near future to discuss future arrangements.
NAB and EFIC could not be reached for comment.
Around 80 per cent of Auran employees have lost their jobs.
Auran employed 70 staff, and between 15 and 20 people, including Mr Hilliam, are set to join Fury's licensee N3VR41L Publishing.
Well, boys and girls, it's finaly gone. No access at all any way. This toy train game has derailed for good this time I believe.
I believe this forum will be the next thing to go.
I suggest all you content makers open a free web site and post your assets so we can all still get them. You can still post at the TPRDD as I am doing. I also suggest finding yourself a couple good forums and nest in. There is about 5 good active ones out there, now.
Have fun!
Spike
I believe this forum will be the next thing to go.I suggest all you content makers open a free web site and post your assets so we can all still get them. You can still post at the TPRDD as I am doing. I also suggest finding yourself a couple good forums and nest in. There is about 5 good active ones out there, now.
Have fun!
Spike
Well, boys and girls, it's finaly gone. No access at all any way. This toy train game has derailed for good this time I believe.
I suggest all you content makers open a free web site and post your assets so we can all still get them. You can still post at the TPRDD as I am doing. I also suggest finding yourself a couple good forums and nest in. There is about 5 good active ones out there, now.
Have fun!
Spike
And I suggest you stop spreading unfounded rumours, despondency and gloom and wait and see what happens.
The DLS is always flaky at weekends and with people like yourself panicking and hitting it hard this was never going to be a good time to access it
Mike.
I seem to remember many a posts by the Auran folks claiming Trainz was never a money maker. If Auran is restructure during this shakeup, I would think they would dump all money losing projects.
More doom and gloom from an EX-trainzer?
Dru, do you just enjoy trying to drive nails into a coffin?
While your expert opinions are always respected, until we, the Community, have all the facts relayed to us from Auran, please stop making comments which just add to fuel to the fire for more panic posts.
Thank you for your wisdom and understanding during these difficult times.
Respectfully,
Ron
Dru, do you just enjoy trying to drive nails into a coffin?
While your expert opinions are always respected, until we, the Community, have all the facts relayed to us from Auran, please stop making comments which just add to fuel to the fire for more panic posts.
Thank you for your wisdom and understanding during these difficult times.
Respectfully,
Ron
atsfrr3000
New member
The sad part, however, is that it's true. I can't be bothered to find a link atm, but if I recall correctly, it was either Tony Hilliam or Lance Jago that stated that Trainz has never turned a profit for Auran.
As much as I absolutely love Trainz and would want it to continue on, if I were a higher-up at Auran and had to start evaluating my company, Trainz would probably be high on the list of things to go, simply because it's a money suck. It's just common business sense.
I certainly hope that Auran as a whole gets through this and continue to develop Trainz for us, but if things start to go sour, I can imagine Trainz coming under heavy review in Brisbane.
As much as I absolutely love Trainz and would want it to continue on, if I were a higher-up at Auran and had to start evaluating my company, Trainz would probably be high on the list of things to go, simply because it's a money suck. It's just common business sense.
I certainly hope that Auran as a whole gets through this and continue to develop Trainz for us, but if things start to go sour, I can imagine Trainz coming under heavy review in Brisbane.
johnwhelan
Well-known member
I think you're growing old like me and our memory is going. I seem to recall the words as well. Strange now when it seems that Trainz is practically the one thing that might get rescued.
Cheerio John
Capt_Scarlet
New member
I think you would find that those comments were in relation to the past development of Trainz up to TRS2006. Since then they changed the way they did things so they stayed within a budget so perhaps the statement no longer applies.
John
John
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Me? I just remember things.
Oh, I didn't believe the Auran folks back, just like I don't believe 'em now. I never believe corporate-speak.
Believe them or not, talking them down all the time doesn't exactly help does it. We don't run the company, and they probably don't care what we think with regard to how they run the company, so how does it help to discuss it.
The comments you are thinking of were (I believe) with regard to the reasons for changing to the Classics release model rather than the two-yearly TRS release strategy. Of course plenty on here complained about that as being wrong.
So, Dru. If tomorrow the Auran boys come on here and say it is the end of the line for Trainz (as your recent posts seems to imply you would wish). What exactly are you going to do
Mike.
The comments you are thinking of were (I believe) with regard to the reasons for changing to the Classics release model rather than the two-yearly TRS release strategy. Of course plenty on here complained about that as being wrong.
So, Dru. If tomorrow the Auran boys come on here and say it is the end of the line for Trainz (as your recent posts seems to imply you would wish). What exactly are you going to do
Mike.
What I've been doing for years. Buy railroad simulators as they come out and work on my N-scale model trains.
And if you want to keep in touch with what's going on -- setup two Google Alerts -- one for Trainz and one for Auran.
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I have just been skim reading most of these posts and then reading the larger ones thoughrly (sp?) and I can only come to the conclusion that no good will come if we start bickering amongst ourselves, what we really need to do is club togethor as one voice to support Auran through this rough patch, anyone can belive what they like about a company but at the end of the day, who provided us with Trainz in the first place?.......Auran. We should be thankfull that this company provided us with a enjoyable game, that is user friendly for all ages.
Some people have made the desicision to leave Trainz for other railway sims because they use better graphics etc, I am only using this as an example I used to play MSTS till my mum brought trainz and i thought it was great I could build my own routes and drive the trains without having to work out the controls first. I have come along wa now with Trainz, you only need to check the screenshots section to see what can be done, in posts by Emo and Hardcourt, but at the same time the younger or newer users are also showing us brilliant routes, some of wich visually beat other sims and some of which are level or below, so long as the user is happy, why should anyone care.
I shall finish by saying remeber we are a comunity and as a comunity we should stick togethor, I know I am not a regular poster around here and this is a lot of text, it is just a summary of my thoughts whilst reading through this thread.
THANKYOU FOR A GREAT GAME AURAN AND GOOD LUCK GETING THROUGH THIS ROUGH PATCH!!!!
Thankyou lner
Some people have made the desicision to leave Trainz for other railway sims because they use better graphics etc, I am only using this as an example I used to play MSTS till my mum brought trainz and i thought it was great I could build my own routes and drive the trains without having to work out the controls first. I have come along wa now with Trainz, you only need to check the screenshots section to see what can be done, in posts by Emo and Hardcourt, but at the same time the younger or newer users are also showing us brilliant routes, some of wich visually beat other sims and some of which are level or below, so long as the user is happy, why should anyone care.
I shall finish by saying remeber we are a comunity and as a comunity we should stick togethor, I know I am not a regular poster around here and this is a lot of text, it is just a summary of my thoughts whilst reading through this thread.
THANKYOU FOR A GREAT GAME AURAN AND GOOD LUCK GETING THROUGH THIS ROUGH PATCH!!!!
Thankyou lner
amigacooke
Well-known member
Thought perhaps one of Rob's more recent posts might be useful here for those with selective memories. If I get the gist it says in the old days Auran were happy to subsidize Trainz, but TC is the start of the model that demands that Trainz is at least self-sufficient.
In other words the loss making model is long gone and Trainz has already been restructured.
Oh and Auran have already chopped the dead wood ...... Mac Trainz ....... grumble, grumble, moan, moan .......
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