Comments on: Sulake has a problem (updated with more figures) http://siliconangle.com/ramine/2009/03/31/sulake-has-a-problem/ Entrepreneur, Nerd, Gamer and occasional Blogger Sun, 04 Jul 2010 03:47:37 +0300 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Tari Akpodiete http://siliconangle.com/ramine/2009/03/31/sulake-has-a-problem/#comment-24 Tari Akpodiete Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:35:34 +0000 http://ramine.net/?p=33#comment-24 It is probably going to be a lot more than the 40 reported at HQ. Each ‘property’ has moderators. For example. Habbo.ca has Canadian based paid part-time staff who help to keep the hotel safe. They watch for bad language, lewd behaviour, attempted luring of kids by adults, etc. So do Habbo.com, Habbo.co.uk, etc. Usually the ‘mods’ live in the country in which they work, although there is sometimes cross-over. Generally there 1 or 2 persons in such a role per 4 hour shift, and on a few busy sites, there are 2 or 3. Many of the habbo sites are open 24 hours, so that’s 6 shifts. Over the past few years, Sulake has been cutting back on mod staff, including making 1 person do the work of 2, or 2 people do the work of 4. I know because I used to work at Habbo.ca so I saw it first hand. Now, almost all the moderation jobs are being outsourced and will be done from one country, not in North America. Either Singapore or the Philipines. It’s uncertain how foreign language hotel moderation will be handled from such locations. It is probably going to be a lot more than the 40 reported at HQ. Each ‘property’ has moderators.

For example. Habbo.ca has Canadian based paid part-time staff who help to keep the hotel safe. They watch for bad language, lewd behaviour, attempted luring of kids by adults, etc. So do Habbo.com, Habbo.co.uk, etc. Usually the ‘mods’ live in the country in which they work, although there is sometimes cross-over.

Generally there 1 or 2 persons in such a role per 4 hour shift, and on a few busy sites, there are 2 or 3. Many of the habbo sites are open 24 hours, so that’s 6 shifts. Over the past few years, Sulake has been cutting back on mod staff, including making 1 person do the work of 2, or 2 people do the work of 4. I know because I used to work at Habbo.ca so I saw it first hand.

Now, almost all the moderation jobs are being outsourced and will be done from one country, not in North America. Either Singapore or the Philipines. It’s uncertain how foreign language hotel moderation will be handled from such locations.

]]> By: Ramine Darabiha http://siliconangle.com/ramine/2009/03/31/sulake-has-a-problem/#comment-23 Ramine Darabiha Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:47:25 +0000 http://ramine.net/?p=33#comment-23 Thanks. I know the numbers are a bit rough. I was just trying to get some thoughts out there :) Thanks. I know the numbers are a bit rough. I was just trying to get some thoughts out there :)

]]> By: Habbo Owner Sulake to Lay Off 40 Employees http://siliconangle.com/ramine/2009/03/31/sulake-has-a-problem/#comment-22 Habbo Owner Sulake to Lay Off 40 Employees Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:36:25 +0000 http://ramine.net/?p=33#comment-22 [...] we don’t know the exact reasons for the layoffs, one analysis from last March suggests that Sulake either had unoptimized technology or was overstaffed, or [...] [...] we don’t know the exact reasons for the layoffs, one analysis from last March suggests that Sulake either had unoptimized technology or was overstaffed, or [...]

]]> By: Daniel Schildt http://siliconangle.com/ramine/2009/03/31/sulake-has-a-problem/#comment-21 Daniel Schildt Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:21:46 +0000 http://ramine.net/?p=33#comment-21 Interesting analysis, even while there might be some problems with the numbers. :) Interesting analysis, even while there might be some problems with the numbers. :)

]]> By: Habbo Hotel owners to lay off 40 staff – so where’s €50m headed now? http://siliconangle.com/ramine/2009/03/31/sulake-has-a-problem/#comment-20 Habbo Hotel owners to lay off 40 staff – so where’s €50m headed now? Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:53:34 +0000 http://ramine.net/?p=33#comment-20 [...] Sulake managed to create a one million Euro profit with their €50 million revenue last year. Some bloggers are wondering where that €50m is now going to end [...] [...] Sulake managed to create a one million Euro profit with their €50 million revenue last year. Some bloggers are wondering where that €50m is now going to end [...]

]]> By: Sulake To Lay Off 20% Of Helsinki Employees http://siliconangle.com/ramine/2009/03/31/sulake-has-a-problem/#comment-19 Sulake To Lay Off 20% Of Helsinki Employees Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:55:17 +0000 http://ramine.net/?p=33#comment-19 [...] entrepreneur, of French origin, Ramine Darabiha did a very non-scientific analysis into this in his blog post last March. It may not seem a big thing, but once you break the numbers down – a lot of money is going [...] [...] entrepreneur, of French origin, Ramine Darabiha did a very non-scientific analysis into this in his blog post last March. It may not seem a big thing, but once you break the numbers down – a lot of money is going [...]

]]> By: Antti http://siliconangle.com/ramine/2009/03/31/sulake-has-a-problem/#comment-18 Antti Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:28:45 +0000 http://ramine.net/?p=33#comment-18 Good speculation, but you're missing the cost of running the different offices in multiple countries - these guys aren't under the same roof. Furthermore, there's the cost of kicking these new businesses off - I'm guessing quite a bit of money goes into starting up new countries as well as running these countries. Furthermore, if you count 5k per person - that must include social costs, etc so that would be in gross salary just around 3.5k which could be very much the average for people working in this industry (including the execs and others alike). But nevertheless, good speculation :) Good speculation, but you're missing the cost of running the different offices in multiple countries - these guys aren't under the same roof.

Furthermore, there's the cost of kicking these new businesses off - I'm guessing quite a bit of money goes into starting up new countries as well as running these countries.

Furthermore, if you count 5k per person - that must include social costs, etc so that would be in gross salary just around 3.5k which could be very much the average for people working in this industry (including the execs and others alike).

But nevertheless, good speculation :)

]]> By: Pekka http://siliconangle.com/ramine/2009/03/31/sulake-has-a-problem/#comment-17 Pekka Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:45:52 +0000 http://ramine.net/?p=33#comment-17 As far as I know, Sulake is spending a lot of money trying to make IRC-Galleria global. You can search for IRC-Gallery and notice it hasn't been as easy as making Habbo Hotel a global brand. I guess it's very expensive for a small company to build business worldwide. There's less competition in the pre-teens and teenagers community sites than of those of young adults and IRC-Galleria. As far as I know, Sulake is spending a lot of money trying to make IRC-Galleria global.

You can search for IRC-Gallery and notice it hasn't been as easy as making Habbo Hotel a global brand.

I guess it's very expensive for a small company to build business worldwide. There's less competition in the pre-teens and teenagers community sites than of those of young adults and IRC-Galleria.

]]> By: Taneli http://siliconangle.com/ramine/2009/03/31/sulake-has-a-problem/#comment-16 Taneli Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:05:03 +0000 http://ramine.net/?p=33#comment-16 Interesting post. Most certainly is ;). IRC-Galleria's front page for today shows "507349" users. Back in early February I asked the question: http://tane.li/2009/has-irc-galleria-growth-hit-wall And it quite evidently has done just that... As TehcCrunch kind of pointed out in their post: There are very few better examples of consumer online services out there that would be based on direct revenue from the users... except of course: World of Warcraft, which "only" posts a profit of over half a billion per year - and is in a completely different planet (or a different galaxy) from everybody else. (I would argue any day btw that WoW is as much of an active social online community as it is a game). So, that still makes Habbo and Sulake one of the most successful cases in their category.. Despite all the number and what they may or may not indicate.. Good stuff, keep on it! Interesting post. Most certainly is ;) . IRC-Galleria's front page for today shows "507349" users. Back in early February I asked the question:

http://tane.li/2009/has-irc-galleria-growth-hit-wall

And it quite evidently has done just that...

As TehcCrunch kind of pointed out in their post: There are very few better examples of consumer online services out there that would be based on direct revenue from the users... except of course: World of Warcraft, which "only" posts a profit of over half a billion per year - and is in a completely different planet (or a different galaxy) from everybody else. (I would argue any day btw that WoW is as much of an active social online community as it is a game).

So, that still makes Habbo and Sulake one of the most successful cases in their category.. Despite all the number and what they may or may not indicate..

Good stuff, keep on it!

]]> By: Ramine Darabiha http://siliconangle.com/ramine/2009/03/31/sulake-has-a-problem/#comment-15 Ramine Darabiha Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:46:32 +0000 http://ramine.net/?p=33#comment-15 Pretty good. We have our own problems too, of course, and we're working on solving them. I'll write about them this week. We also have some very good news, and the announcements are coming very soon. If you wanna know, I'm not happy with the usability we have on the site at the moment, so I'll be explaining some stuff in that sense. Thanks for the interest. Pretty good. We have our own problems too, of course, and we're working on solving them. I'll write about them this week.

We also have some very good news, and the announcements are coming very soon.

If you wanna know, I'm not happy with the usability we have on the site at the moment, so I'll be explaining some stuff in that sense.

Thanks for the interest.

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