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Dear Ken,
I could waste days and months talking about how much I love/miss the Sierra of old, but I’m sure you feel all the same feelings us true Sierra fanatics feel. I just want you to know that this website, and knowing you run it, totally take all the pain of “no more old Sierra” away. It’s good of you to do this for us! As long as you and your kin are doing well, I can deal with playing Counter-Strike instead of KQ9. (FOR NOW)
( really like the new frontpage, somehow brings back memories of the PCjr days.)
Anyways Ken, I have but one question, if one were to try to form a game company, and use the old Oakhurst building, could you give me a decent estimate of the monthly rent?? I know it sounds stupid but I am just curious!
This site is watering the roots Ken, I will watch the tree grow.
Ryan -
(re: Oakhurst Facility Rent) Anyways Ken, I have but one question, if one were to try to form a game company, and use the old Oakhurst building, could you give me a decent estimate of the monthly rent?? I know it sounds stupid but I am just curious!
Ryan:
I don’t think the old building is for rent .. but, if it were, I have no idea what it would rent for.
Off the top of my head:
I would think office space in Oakhurst would be cheap – perhaps $1 per square foot per month. I think the building was around 16,000 square feet – or, about $16,000 per month. That sounds high though…
Why do you ask?
-Ken W -
(re: re: Oakhurst Facility Rent)
> I would think office space in Oakhurst would be cheap – perhaps $1 per square foot per month. I think the building was around 16,000 square feet – or, about $16,000 per month. That sounds high though… < My lease in downtown Reading is less than $10sq ft/yr so I get a great deal. 🙂 Ryan, if you are passionate about it, definitely work for it… I’d just… build up the company, and then PLAN to move, if you really want to, once you can afford it. 🙂 Dave
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(re: re: Oakhurst Facility Rent) Hi Ken!
$16,000!!! Ouch!!! I didn’t realize the facility was that large! Maybe one day I will just buy the place, have you and other Sierra members come and set it up the way it used to be, and start a whole new game company!
We would probably be doing Oakhurst a favor anyways right?? The pictures of that old building conjure up many memories, I guess that one day I had hoped to be able to go there, but of course it doesn’t matter since it’s no longer Sierra held.
There has to be something we can do to get Sierra back Ken! 🙂
Thanks for writing and thanks again for this site! I visit it as much as eBay and AVSforum now!!! 🙂
Thanks,
Ryan -
(re: re: re: Oakhurst Facility Rent) There has to be something we can do to get Sierra back Ken! 🙂
Sierra is/was not represented by a building. A building is just a place to go to work. To get Sierra back is really simple. All you need is a group of creative people doing creative things – with a very high focus on quality and innovation.
Here’s what I mean:
Sierra was special, because of our product development philosophy (and, our marketing strategy). Our philosophy is easy for anyone to replicate. You don’t need to buy buildings. If someone looks at the powerpoint presentation I did, and my interview, and then perhaps talks to me for a few minutes, you have everything that made Sierra what it was (both the good and the bad). I was famous inside the company for what I used to call “Kens Laws” .. I was boringly repetative. I made regular tours of each of the products in development, and almost everyone in every meeting knew what I was going to say before I said it. At times I used to say that anyone could have done the meetings, and just have pretended to be me – just as effectively.
I believe that sooner or later, some software entrepreneur will decide to follow the Sierra Formula. And, that this will be what rebuilds Sierra – even if it isn’t named Sierra, or even if Sierra nor I ever receive any acknowledgement that this was done.
Sierra was a “vision” for how to build and market product. It wasn’t a particular set of brands, or a particular set of developers. All anyone needs to do to rebuild Sierra is to read through this site (and, of course, have MILLIONS and MILLIONs of dollars to spend).
Actually, I’m not convinced that huge money really is needed. The internet as a means of distributing software is just emerging. There are new business models to be figured out. Also, the internet provides a forum for people with a common interest to come together. I bet any of us who wanted to put together a team of people, to build a game, who were willing to work for free, against a piece of the action, could do it in a week (assuming you have charisma and leadership skills). There are thousands of artists, programmers, sound guys, etc who want to build a game. All you need is a leader with a vision. I don’t do it, because I’ve “been there, done that” and want to do new things.
I could repeat here what I’ve said elsewhere about what I think a winning formula is, but that would be redundant. My only point is that people shouldn’t get hung up on trying to restart Sierra. (assuming Sierra needs restarted. For all I know, they may be doing a billion dollars in revenue this year. I really haven’t talked to them in years). To build a company that is the Sierra that people remember, all you need is an entrepreneur with a vision. I’m convinced that dozens of entrepreneurs (maybe thousands) will read this site – and, that one of those will “get it” for what made Sierra unique, and we’ll have a new Sierra (even though it might be called “Cascade software” or something.
-Ken W -
(re: re: re: re: Oakhurst Facility Rent) Dear Ken!
Thanks for your wise reply!
Indeed all your points are true, even if they do hurt the “nostalgic” side of my mindset. 🙂 I think it was Scott Murphy who said that for Sierra to return, they would have to move back to Oakhurst, because the enviroment there had alot to do with the creativity that made the games of that era. Indeed I never once considered Sierra to be just a building or place, just that those places and things and circumstances that were involved in what created the games I have loved all my life are in some way important to me. Just like you and Roberta. What would be of Sierra without you two?? Yes, maybe similar games may have come along, but it just wouldn’t have been the same.
I just wish things could continue where they left off, so to speak. The original creators, writers, artists that loved and gave birth to Space Quest, King’s Quest, etc. They gave us so much and it just seemed that the whole thing was “executed” and replaced with a mindless company with nothing but Half-Life on it’s mind(I love that game by the way)….
But I guess it is inevitable, just like William Shatner and Star Trek, at some point you just gotta say, “Hey, this guy just can’t do it anymore”
Forgive me Ken, I want nothing but for you do move on to new things, but I just feel like things came to an abrupt end. And I would like to see you and Roberta and everyone else from the old days have just one more go at it, just to see if it can be done. Comebacks are the greatest challenge and the rarest of deeds these days…
But to be honest, you creating and caring about this website and the history that Sierra made really does give it all closure! Many of us never dreamed of being able to talk to the founder of Sierra, it really means alot to those who were formed from those games…
Now I’m gonna go play with my old Sierra boxes!! 🙂
Thanks for your time and this site!
-Ryan
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