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Is it just me or does ShowDog.com feel like a dying game?

I've been playing SD for 9 years and I just feel like it really is just a shadow of it's former self these days

I have a Family Account - and in all my breeds there's hardly any entries, and hardly any breeders.

I check the 'Latest Topics' page on the forums and we're lucky if there is 1 or 2 new topics a day! Back when SD was popular a few years ago there was usually at least 25 new topics every single day!

The Banner Making Forum is a ghost town - there used to be approx 10 players who made banners on a regular basis and there were orders coming in left, right and center for new banners. It really was a good way to earn money back then - but these days theres only 2 or3 regular Banner Artists and most of them are doing it for free just to get some orders in.

I feel like the game is just so stagnant these days. Even the input from Jeff seems to have become few and far between. I remember back when SD was popular, Jeff and Laura would reply to messages within 1-2 days and they would contribute to posts in the forum on a very regular basis - but again - I just don't see much action from the founder of the game any more.

I feel like I'm losing interest - which is such a shame because this really is a game all of its own - there really isnt anything like it out there. I enjoy the genetics of breeding better each generation and showing to win titles ... but at the end of the day if the enjoyment of the game is dwindling, then why bother?

I have seen a few of the old long time players coming back to SD after a hiatus - and all of them have been making the same comments:

"Where is everyone?"

"Why are the forums so quiet?"

"What's happened to the game?"

It makes me feel very down-hearted about the future of ShowDog.

Myself and a couple others have come back recently and have all said the said, that the game is a ghost town compared to what it was.. We miss the friendly competition and in a lot of cases, the overwhelming breeder support in breeds. Even in breeds where you didn't get that support (mostly because they didn't want new players!) it was a challenge to get competitive.

It's sad, since this game really is so much fun when you have others to play with. Some of my longest friends, even in real life, were met right here on showdog. The breeder of my first show Border Collie, was met here. My best friend was met on Showdog, we visit a couple times a year since we live so far away from one another. People I now consider family, I met here.

This game really is one of a kind.. I hope it picks up in the future.

Hi

I'm a returned player (thanks Jeff for the email).

I don't remember that I had such pleasure out of this game last time around, although in certain breeds I was successful. I have for the first time moved to a family kennel (still trying to find a direction for kennel 5) because I just love this game.

I too sigh at the lack of comment and participation. Some players (in other breeds) have been supercilious and patronising - I walked away from those breeds. Generally I have found support and encouragement. In this kennel's breed I have found a mentor which is wonderful!

As I'm from down under, I really notice the lack of forum contributions. when I log on you have all gone to bed, so I should have a day of forum contributions! And I don't see much.

I wish I could get Jeff to speed up the time clock!

Hi,
I'm also recently returned. While I notice the forums aren't really busy I'm actually enjoying the game a lot more this time around. When I quit approximately 5 years ago it was because I couldn't keep up with entries, choosing handlers, breeding etc. I only had 1 kennel. Now I have 3 and I'm finding the game a slower pace.
I also live down under so my I don't really interact with many others, whereas when I used to play I spent a lot of time in the chatroom, now I don't have time to do this. I check in, sort out my dogs and head off to deal with real life.

Jessica

I'm a returner and I agree the game is much changed - I agree Admin seems to be less involved now and our suggestions and gripes seem to get lost in the ethernet (what has happened to the promised poll on GCH awards?), we still can't 'stay logged in', and the 'whelping bitches' messages still don't tell us which bitch it's referring to.

Some very keen players have run with ideas but I feel so sorry for them (Rhondacline for example). The time and effort put into 'goodies' to spice up the game have been ignored by other SD'ers, I'm not sure if it's just apathy or a lack of time problem.

The time difference is a big downer for me - being in the UK, when I'm on no-one else is on. I'm entering shows, going to bed and when I check the results, either half the dogs entered by others have been pulled or a dog entered in another show who I'm avoiding competing against has suddenly been switched to the show I've entered.

Chat is mostly empty (and when I've popped in the users in there have all been 'friends' and ignored me).

I'm not sure where the game is going, I love it and will stick with it but it worries me that it seems to be dying a death.

Jessica,
Hi! It's me, Carolyn. Still at it too. 11 1/2 years now. I still have my original kennel, Carolyn.

As to the topic. I revived this kennel after an email from Jeff. I have 3 active kennels now.

If it holds true to form, there will be an influx of new and returning players once summer vacation is underway.
(For Jessica and her down under players, winter break.)

Carolyn

This comes up about once a year.

Yes, it's much smaller than where it was at its peak. That's not the slightest bit odd or unexpected for an online game. Games with budgets in the millions per month drop by 90% from their peak in two years regularly.

Everything goes through life cycles and it took me a few years to realize it but we do as well.

The difference is that with a small game like this, we don't shut the doors on it.

No, an app wouldn't fix it, at least not the current version of the game.

It just is it what is. I'm happy to keep running it but long ago had to stop thinking it was immune to the same forces that literally every other community type game faces.

To be clear, we never dropped 90% in two years, that's just a number that is common in big budget app style games.

It's a great game, not perfect by any means, but itstill has me logging on 2 or 3 times every day. I just wish our 'gripes' could be addressed please.

One problem is time and money. For alot of people money is tight is I can imagin some players may have had to cut back on how many kennel they have. I know I have had to.
What with work, my animals and the stuff I want to do there doesn't leave as much time for showdogs, I log i do what I got to do most days, but I often end up forgetting things like swapping food or that I'm seasoning a dog or want to session one and by the time i realise it its too late realy to start working on the dog. Back when before I worked I would spend hours and hours everyday here planning out everything I wanted to do, I just don't have that time at the moment.

I can see why the banner making forum is quieter, it can take time to make a nice banner, I stopped for quite a while however when I came back to doing it there was lots of people posting banner comps with a few people entering however often the person would never come back to there post and pick a winner or even thank people for spending there time making them banners. Then you get the ones who ask for something and people make the banners then after they get a bunch of entries they completely change what they want.
It wastes people's time and leaves them feeling annoyed and unapreacheated. I noticed not long after starting up again many of the people stopped entering those posts or even stripped making banners after about 5-6 people in a row did the above.

I know real life has cut in on my showdog time for the last month or so-but I still check the forums and respond fairly regularly. I was actually happy that the game hadn't changed too much during my long break, and I could mostly pick right back up where I left off. The changes that were made during that time were good ones, and any new changes will be worth waiting for to make sure that they are right for a majority of players as well as admin!

The game itself is what I come for, though the social interaction is good too. I love that the game allows for so many different strategies, and that I can play multiple strategies with my different breeds. I like that I am still learning new things after all this time from questions that beginners have asked in the forums. I really like helping new people (or returning players!) get started in my breeds, and am really happy to help others celebrate their accomplishments.

For my breeds, 3 have increased in popularity since I started and the others have remained stable. Canaans was 3rd from the bottom when I started with them as the only active player, and now has several solid players that are producing great dogs. I'd suggest keep on recruiting gently and keep on improving the breeds you are in-nothing brings people in like success and offering a solid brood bitch or top of the line puppy!

As far as the suggested updates, I'm not worried about how long it might take. My dogs will continue to gain points towards their GCH levels, and will get the badges whenever they are implemented.

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Last edited by CS Astronomical on 6/7/2015 8:25:52 PM

Oh-and maybe try picking up a new breed and play with a different strategy-try source breeding or color breeding, or pick a breed with an active forum, or a more competitive breed with huge entries with a race for handlers. There are tons of ways to keep interest, unless the social part is what's most important for you of course!

Personally. I've just graduated and have not had time. Showing in real life has taken over my life. And when I'm not showing im working as a groomer. I only come on now to session and enter dogs. I miss everyone and many of my very good friends have left so I have not had anyone else to talk to. Not to say that everyone here is not a good person!

I am still here too, Border Terriers here, Basenji in my Guiding Senjis.
Am loving having my own dog, a rescue, who's rescued me, usually on here as time change to double check the assistants and all.

I just unquit :P I have 2 kennels at the moment and plan to expand to a family account when i have the money. I hang in the chat room several times a week, if anyone ever wants to say hi :P

I am on here more than what is healthy.

Time is my issue as well. I have a 3 and a half year old and a 1 year old. When I first began playing, I was 15 so I had loads of time, but now I do not have nearly as much time to devote here as I would like. We are starting a lavender farm, so we spend 3 and a half days a week at the farm and there is no Internet out there, so half of the week I have to go to the library for their wifi (I don't have a smart phone, I know, I know!! ).

I, personally, liked when the off topic forum was showing up in the latest posts link, as it was the most active. Since it has fallen from my feed, I don't remember to visit it as much.

I enjoy reading everyone's suggestions and some would be really nice, but I wonder about the coding issues it would cause for Jeff? I believe he recently got the bucking bull game going, so I think that has been eating up a lot of his time, and I believe I saw on showrabbits that he is working on showgoat now.

I will be with this game until the end. I love being able to have a bunch of dogs and litters, and every puppy I don't keep for showing or breeding has an automatic home, how awesome is that???

With school starting to get out, we will probably gain more users. We can help keep the newbies around.

I just recently came back and revived two of my old kennels (Brewer Farm, and A Little Pixie Dust). It's not the same but I hope with some pestering and constant forum posts it can be! I'd like to see the breeds I loved playing in come back and be revived a bit. I restarted BCs in this kennel and there is only one person I still remember from before I left. I think that's the hardest part. Coming back and trying to start all over again when people don't respond or really talk. We need to get the community back

I remember Brewer Farm! Welcome back!!

Ty! I'm excited to be back. I missed SD!