Bakery Story Update: February 22nd, 2017

[Bailey2005]

Looking for the update on THIS forum about this upcoming update...

https://forums.storm8.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36086&d=1487884145 (https://forums.storm8.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36086&d=1487884145)

Edit(KP)
https://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y416/kookypanda99/Mobile%20Uploads/466EEBF1-4A83-47DA-90FA-7F3F03AF5E85_zpse6gxm7ap.png (https://s1273.photobucket.com/user/kookypanda99/media/Mobile%20Uploads/466EEBF1-4A83-47DA-90FA-7F3F03AF5E85_zpse6gxm7ap.png.html)




Anyone opened the new box? I like the 1st and 2nd prizes shown on the preview, but won't open it till I find out what 3rd and 4th prizes are.

I opened it four times. Here are screenshots of the prizes I got:

http://forums.storm8.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36082

http://forums.storm8.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36083

http://forums.storm8.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36084

http://forums.storm8.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36085

I'll post pics of what they look like in the bakery later, I'm a little short on time now, and it takes me ages to scroll through all that stuff to find it, lol.

36082360833608436085

[Errena41]

There does not seem to be any updates on twitter or facebook page.

This article has been post on a few other forums and could explain why we are not getting any information.


Storm8 lays off about 130 from its social mobile gaming studio
DEAN TAKAHASHI@DEANTAK FEBRUARY 16, 2017 9:33 AM

Social mobile game publisher Storm8 laid off a large number of its employees this week.

By one account, the San Mateo, California-based company cut about 130 jobs, going down from 240 people to 110.The move shows just how hard it is to compete in the $40 billion mobile gaming business, where the ranks of developers are splitting into the haves and have-nots.

“If you look at their lineup in the past two years, it’s pretty easy to connect the dots,” said one employee affected by the layoffs. The employee asked not to be identified.




Storm8 was particularly vulnerable because it makes casual mobile games, a sector that has fickle followers and a lot of competitors. Storm8 had hits that generated tens of millions of downloads, but the content wasn’t particularly memorable, and it never rose to the top of the charts akin to games like Candy Crush Saga. Storm8’s games include Candy Blast Mania, Bubble Mania, Dragon Story, and Dream City: Metropolis.

Perry Tam and other former Facebook employees founded the company as a social game publisher in 2009. They adapted to mobile games with the rise of mobile, and grew to hundreds of employees. Tam broke the news to employees yesterday in an emotional meeting.

In a statement, Tam said, “The mobile gaming industry has continued to rapidly evolve. We believe having a leaner organization with sharper focus is essential to win in the growing $40-plus billion mobile games market. As such, we’ve made the very difficult decision to realign resources and part ways with approximately 130 talented colleagues. We truly appreciate everyone’s hard work and dedication to Storm8 over the years. Moving forward, a more streamlined Storm8 will build off a strong foundation, be better positioned to support our existing games and successfully bring new games to market. We remain very excited for the future of mobile games and being well-positioned for sustained profitable growth.”

[Updated: 11:24 am 2/16/17 with company quote].

[diaperrash99]

sucks for all those employees who got laid off :(

[roxystaufenberg]

Oh oh :ss

[zzzzcafe]

Restructuring is very hard and I feel sad for those who lost their jobs. I also feel for those still employed as they now have to carry that extra load. Best of luck to all!

[monstertop]

They should at least tell us that they won't have an update. Just because something huge happened at the company doesn't mean they can suddenly abandon thousands of players across different games.

[Bakerling]

I see nothing for this week. I think is because last GOAL valid until 28 February.

[slayer7000]

first time they've missed a week

[CuteTali]

Update or no update, just let us know. I want to start cooking something else if there's nothing new that needs worked on.

[diaperrash99]

I'm actually happy there looks like there will be no update this week, gives me time to sell off all this extra food! I'm sure next week they will come up with something!

[monstertop]

Ya this is a terrible way to run business. I really would have been okay with a notice saying no update. This silence is just annoying and rude.

[meggymoo141]

Awww feel so sorry for the peeps they had to let go, horrible new to loose your job.

[kimikayyz]

How sad for those who were let go. :(
An update is really small potatoes at this point...people lost their livelihoods.

[pipipooh1977]

If they ran these games like Teamlava did they probably wouldn't be in this pickle. But S8 took over and these games went downhill, they got greedy and the updates sucked. If they actually listened to players they would make more money. Because I bought gems when there was good stuff, but the last few months there has been nothing I want to blow my gems on so I stopped buying gems. Really it's their fault. They should have never took over. TL was way better.

[BlueBear06]

I feel really bad for those workers! Since this has happened, we might not get as many updates as usual. Maybe once a month kinda thing! Sad to hear though!

[bluewhale89]

I hope they will manage better their stuff, is really a shame that a lot of people was fired. =/

[awesomejujubeans]

If they ran these games like Teamlava did they probably wouldn't be in this pickle. But S8 took over and these games went downhill, they got greedy and the updates sucked. If they actually listened to players they would make more money. Because I bought gems when there was good stuff, but the last few months there has been nothing I want to blow my gems on so I stopped buying gems. Really it's their fault. They should have never took over. TL was way better.

Teamlava, Shark Party, FireMocha, and Storm8 are all in the same company. The various names were just their brands for different games. Think of it as how a company like Unilever has brands like Dove, Axe, and even Hellman's (yes the mayo), but decided to just sell everything under Unilever instead. It's just easier for marketing sometimes to have a brand associated with one type of product. Look at the forum game categories. That was how they divided their brands up. However, sometimes it's just easier to use one brand instead, which in this case is also the company name.

[deekathleen]

How sad for those who were let go. :(
An update is really small potatoes at this point...people lost their livelihoods.

I feel bad for them also. But a lot of us have invested a lot of money into this game and we deserve some kind of announcment about the future of the game. It is things like this, just silence, that make people leave the game.

[VanaCatu]

I feel bad for them also. But a lot of us have invested a lot of money into this game and we deserve some kind of announcment about the future of the game. It is things like this, just silence, that make people leave the game.
i think nothing (including "thousand people leaving the game"... omg, it's not a continent left because of contamination!!!) can be worse for any company/startup than reaction of nasdaq (or any kind of it) - after they say they fire 50% of staff. THIS is real contamination.

(and, frankly speaking, we didn't _invest_.
we just _got_some_beautiful_virtual_things_by_paying_some_ money_. (if to be precised to "investment" word)).

[LightAndLove83]

I have been layed off from a job before so I understand the effects this has on your life not only financially but emotionally. Mostly because of the financial part of it. My sympathies go out to those who lost their jobs. That being said, I do agree with several of the other posts on this wall.

Managing a company is more then just the day to day activity at the company but also the customers who you cater to. It is not very professional nor is it very financially sound, to alienate your customer base that has helped the company to prosper. A business can't make money if people don't buy the product! With that, I believe that it would have been respectful if S8 would/would have at least let the players know that there wouldn't be an update today..and maybe for several weeks while they are shifting things around and evaluating their losses.

[BlueBear06]

I really hope that those people that lost their jobs are some how able to find another one. I know how difficult looking for a job can be. I do hope that the remaining employees will be able to hold onto the games and not be forced to "retire" any games. I do like updates, but I am willing to do without a weekly update for a monthly "mind blowing" update/goals. Sales are always a welcome for me!

Still waiting to hear about updates.....

[EdiiLouise]

What is the update? Since the 7.0 update on android - the game always throws me off

[twospoons]

i'm still hoping that this is just a glitch as they allocate resources, and that after they're all settled, BS & RS will be on the "keep" list. honestly, i can't believe fashion would be a supported game but not bakery. i'd be happier with some reassurance from s8 though. i really hope this isn't cutting back on updates to every other week (and obviously would not be happy if there were no updates at all).

i really can't imagine what i'll do with all my free time if these games go away!

and i hope for the best for all the affected employees, but i'm not particularly worried about them. it's a good field to be in still (as far as i know).

[EdiiLouise]

I'm not sure if this relevant or not but the decreased staff could possibly see the end of all storm8 games .

[EdiiLouise]

i'm still hoping that this is just a glitch as they allocate resources, and that after they're all settled, BS & RS will be on the "keep" list. honestly, i can't believe fashion would be a supported game but not bakery. i'd be happier with some reassurance from s8 though. i really hope this isn't cutting back on updates to every other week (and obviously would not be happy if there were no updates at all).

i really can't imagine what i'll do with all my free time if these games go away!

and i hope for the best for all the affected employees, but i'm not particularly worried about them. it's a good field to be in still (as far as i know).

I think all storm8 games would be gone from all the app stores .

[mikepastry]

I do believe that I INVESTED my money into the this game: all the decor and especially gem dispensers were bought to ensure a smooth and enjoyable play in the future. And yes, like many of you here, I believe that update or no update, it is not a major effort, but simply a professional courtesy to post a short note on the blog or forum, where we all come weekly to get some information.

[twospoons]

I'm not sure if this relevant or not but the decreased staff could possibly see the end of all storm8 games

at this point, we're all just speculating. i say take a deep breath, drink a margarita, and see what happens in the next week.

[Weenietots]

They should at least tell us that they won't have an update. Just because something huge happened at the company doesn't mean they can suddenly abandon thousands of players across different games.


Where are the updates? I don't care if people got laid off, you are still a running business. If you aren't going to support these games then tell us and I will uninstall them. Geez!


Ya this is a terrible way to run business. I really would have been okay with a notice saying no update. This silence is just annoying and rude.


I feel bad for them also. But a lot of us have invested a lot of money into this game and we deserve some kind of announcment about the future of the game. It is things like this, just silence, that make people leave the game.

Ditto to all of this. Whether or not TeamLava and Storm8 are the same company, there's no denying that once the name switched to Storm8 (and they came out with BS/RS2) there was major drop in quality. Sure, things have picked up the last couple months, but that was after almost two years of shoddy updates and no sales. And even now, download gems haves dropped, updates are gem heavy, ovens for gems, no 40% gem sales.. People don't want to support companies when they're so transparent with their greed and lack of concern for their customers. I've played for years also, like many others, and I can't say I'm surprised, just a little annoyed that once again they can't be bothered to give loyal players a heads up on what's happening.

[LalaSmooth]

It was by team lava but storm8 took over and since then all the games turned rubbish. I'd say that they haven't been making profits since the gem appliance and double priced expansion and increasing decoration prices. Gem sales are for random players and when I played I remembered that the company favoured ios players and not android by giving them LTO offers and it really wouldn't surprised me if the games were dropped from Google play and apple store.

[EdiiLouise]

I recently took a break from this game for 5 days and now I'm hoping this game isn't dead :(

[DragonWished]

at this point, we're all just speculating. i say take a deep breath, drink a margarita, and see what happens in the next week.


Eminently sensible advice. Please pass the tequila.

[slayer7000]

s8, It would be great if you could atleast tell us there would be no update

[Meowmeowbeans]

Thanks for all the feedback. We can't speculate on when they may arrive but please look out for future updates in this game. We're sorry for any confusion or inconvenience as a result of the change in schedule.

[twospoons]

Well, that was...something.

[ravynnNicole]

:/

[ievuxia]

A new crate. Bakery essentials 2.

[LightAndLove83]

Both of you! Lol!

[LightAndLove83]

I really hope that those people that lost their jobs are some how able to find another one. I know how difficult looking for a job can be. I do hope that the remaining employees will be able to hold onto the games and not be forced to "retire" any games. I do like updates, but I am willing to do without a weekly update for a monthly "mind blowing" update/goals. Sales are always a welcome for me!

Still waiting to hear about updates.....

I totally agree!

[dianeupside]

Well Bakery got a crate.. Bakery Essentials 2, so we weren't abandoned completely jus delayed.

[slayer7000]

Thank you. So will updates now be realesed later?
Thanks for all the feedback. We can't speculate on when they may arrive but please look out for future updates in this game. We're sorry for any confusion or inconvenience as a result of the change in schedule.

[twospoons]

yay! even if it is a crate!

[slayer7000]

Yep glad they were able to release it in the end :)
yay! even if it is a crate!

[CarrotCake789]

Yay! I always look forward to Tuesdays to see the preview and Wednesdays for the actual update. I am praying that those who were laid off are successful in finding new jobs.
Also, from now on, I think we'll have to cut Storm8 some slack as there are a lot less people contributing to the updates!
Even if updates come out later in the day, or on a different day, or every other week etc., I still hope updates come out.
I bought the new crate and got a fire extinguisher. I kept going through my floor decorations tab and couldn't find it. Lol that's bc it's a wall decoration. I like it! It's well designed.

[CarrotCake789]

Me too!

[monstertop]

Thanks for all the feedback. We can't speculate on when they may arrive but please look out for future updates in this game. We're sorry for any confusion or inconvenience as a result of the change in schedule.

Thank you for the response. This was what most of us wanted. We didn't have to have an update but we needed to hear from Storm8.

[pipipooh1977]

Thanks for all the feedback. We can't speculate on when they may arrive but please look out for future updates in this game. We're sorry for any confusion or inconvenience as a result of the change in schedule.

Hmm....which means we are in limbo with these games. Oh boy! Not good...

[kooky panda]

http://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y416/kookypanda99/Mobile%20Uploads/466EEBF1-4A83-47DA-90FA-7F3F03AF5E85_zpse6gxm7ap.png (http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/kookypanda99/media/Mobile%20Uploads/466EEBF1-4A83-47DA-90FA-7F3F03AF5E85_zpse6gxm7ap.png.html)

[mytsa]

Being a dedicated player of BS, I'm sad to hear about the layoff, thank them all who had contributed to my pleasure in playing this game, and wish them all the best.

S8 you should understand your customers, maybe you're targeting on teenagers (as view from the colours and design of items), but I believe most long term players are adults, teenagers tend to try everything, but they won't stay, even the great PKMGo, most teenagers left the game already, all those you can see on the street chasing monsters are adults. The most important thing is, adults are those with buying power.

No offense to young players, I believe there're also young people playing and paying, I only say what I observed from around myself.

I opened the crate and got a 4th prize, a recycling can, well, this is expected, seldom get good items from a crate, this always prevent me from opening crates. Maybe I'm naive, but as you've made that 1st prize, the cost is incurred, since it is virtual, the cost won't change no matter you send out 1 piece or 1000 pieces, why not let everybody get 1, so you'll get 1000x24 gems, you can even save the cost of making the un-wanted 2-4th prize.

[kimikayyz]

I feel bad for them also. But a lot of us have invested a lot of money into this game and we deserve some kind of announcment about the future of the game. It is things like this, just silence, that make people leave the game.

I've been playing these games for 6 years, so I know about spending money on the games. Digital purchases are not investments, unless you leave your digital purchases to someone in a will and give them your login info. Otherwise it's just money down the drain....even though we had plenty of fun and entertainment from it.

I remember when I started, they didn't have updates every week or goals every month, so with more employees they gave us more stuff. Now that there are fewer employees, they may well go back to the way it used to be...fewer updates and goals. I'm fine w that, since it was a pain to have to do goals every week or risk not getting some prize. I got frustrated and burned out on the games because of that nonsense...was actually on the verge of not loading them onto my phone when I go this one a year or so ago. But I thought of the money I put into it...I also realize I could be doing so much more with my time than obsessing over stupid games when there's so much of life to live.

[kimikayyz]

Oh...I just play the games a few days a week now instead of every day like I used to. Sometimes, I'll go a week without FS or RS. FS was the first one I got, then BS several months later, the RS last. BS is my fave. My goal is to not play them at all eventually, but I'm weak...they **** time for me when I relax...I cut cable years ago, so this is it for me unless I go outside to play or work in the yard. (When I say play, I mean big kid stuff...I'm 46...lol)

[Bakerling]

I do believe that I INVESTED my money into the this game: all the decor and especially gem dispensers were bought to ensure a smooth and enjoyable play in the future. And yes, like many of you here, I believe that update or no update, it is not a major effort, but simply a professional courtesy to post a short note on the blog or forum, where we all come weekly to get some information.


Ditto to all of this. Whether or not TeamLava and Storm8 are the same company, there's no denying that once the name switched to Storm8 (and they came out with BS/RS2) there was major drop in quality. Sure, things have picked up the last couple months, but that was after almost two years of shoddy updates and no sales. And even now, download gems haves dropped, updates are gem heavy, ovens for gems, no 40% gem sales.. People don't want to support companies when they're so transparent with their greed and lack of concern for their customers. I've played for years also, like many others, and I can't say I'm surprised, just a little annoyed that once again they can't be bothered to give loyal players a heads up on what's happening.


It was by team lava but storm8 took over and since then all the games turned rubbish. I'd say that they haven't been making profits since the gem appliance and double priced expansion and increasing decoration prices. Gem sales are for random players and when I played I remembered that the company favoured ios players and not android by giving them LTO offers and it really wouldn't surprised me if the games were dropped from Google play and apple store.

At least we should get updates earlier. being respectful to all players. Gem dispenser is not longer available for purchase and no update to show before being removed. So even if you have tons of gems you can't buy any more earning gem dispenser. Every goals recently don't earn any profit and many players can't watch free gems video anymore. What is going on with the game? Lack of new ideas? No Level 100 etc?

[kayjco]

Is there some way to see what the possible items in this crate might be? Other than the picture/ad with "+ many more" listed, I mean.

[Tysor11]

As an android player I have no clue what a Gem Dispenser is! Also Android players have never had the opportunity to Watch Videos to earn gems! But as for them laying off employees, their message seems to say they downsized so they could focus more on Updates at least that's what I got out of it I'm speculating of course but they have until Easter with me & I'll probably uninstall if nothing has happened by then! I know my message is a lil Ll over the place but that's how all this had me feeling lol 😲😲😔😔😣😣

[tdwhitt]

I'm also an android player & we r already deprived even though there r more of us now but I have spent a heck of a lot of money on RS, BS & FS because I play all 3, so us players that shell out the dough r gonna be uninstalling if this gets any worse than it already has been.

[kimikayyz]

As an android player I have no clue what a Gem Dispenser is! Also Android players have never had the opportunity to Watch Videos to earn gems! ...😲😲😔😔😣😣

I'm android as well....when I first heard about the gem dispenser a week ago or so, I was like What??!!!...what is this sorcery?! I found it on a post and requested friends w some of the folks that have them. Then I visited them and left a message saying I was just curious about the dispensers....wanted to see. O.O. They were cool about it...I couldn't see them though! Just blank space on their floor area. I have an iPhone for work though and also recently found out that I could login w my storm ID and run the games simultaneously on both phones! So I loaded up the work phone to check it out. Sure enough...I could see them and another table we Droids can't see.

I also have Fashion Story...my mom plays it on her iPhone and iPad. Years ago, I saw she had a make up counter and asked where it was. She told me, but I didn't have it. Yup, another iPhone only thing. So when I loaded the games onto my iPhone last week, I checked that too. Found it and another accessory maker. I bought the accessory maker and put it in my shop on the iPhone. Went back to the android and can see and use that maker in the android phone!

It appears some of the stuff works in both operating systems but certainly not all of it. It would be nice though.

[Rynetory2]

Hi Guys, The thread has gone a little off topic. Please use existing threads for discussion on other topics. Thanks.

E.g. Gem Dispenser (https://forums.storm8.com/showthread.php?84120-Gem-Dispenser)

[taoyingying]

Anyone opened the new box? I like the 1st and 2nd prizes shown on the preview, but won't open it till I find out what 3rd and 4th prizes are.

[Limequat]

Anyone opened the new box? I like the 1st and 2nd prizes shown on the preview, but won't open it till I find out what 3rd and 4th prizes are.

I opened it four times. Here are screenshots of the prizes I got:

3608236083
3608436085
36086

[mikepastry]

I opened it four times. Here are screenshots of the prizes I got:

36082
36083
36084
36085



Wow... a fire extinguisher or recycling bin for 24 gems! It's like a "turkey crossing sign" fiasco in Turkey crate, one more reason not to touch this crate. S8, as a suggestion, a good incentive for players to open any crate MANY times (NOT just several tries) would be to make the 4th and 3rd prizes items that we would be ok to spend 24 gems on and would not mind to have in MULTIPLE quantities, like planters, dividers, shrubs, flowers, lamp posts, etc. Just think about it from our (players) perspective... let's say I want to play a crate MULTIPLE times in order to get the 1st and 2nd prizes; if I try 2 or 3 times and get 3 fire extinguishers, I will tell myself to stop, because this is crazy.

I mean, how many fire extinguishers (just as an example) are you ready to purchase for 24 gems and display on the walls of your bakery in order to get the 2nd or even the 1st prize? On the other hand, if I get a lamp post or a planter, for example, I will keep playing the crate.

[twospoons]

thanks for posting pics limequat! much like bakery essentials 1, i'm just not fond of most of this stuff. even the supplies, which i generally like to have, are in ugly cardboard boxes. i like the flour sack that's widely available much better.

[taoyingying]

Thanks a lot Limequat! It's really helpful :)
I actually don't think the 4th prizes are too bad. I can use a fire extinguisher or recycle bin in my baking area. I always prefer more realistic stuff for my bakery, things that make sense (wedding in a bakery, srsly?). Maybe I will give this box a few tries.

Edit: Opened the crate a few times. The only item I got that's not in your pictures is an ATM machine. It's modern style, but way too small (about the same size as the fire extinguisher and recycle bin). Stopped when I got the coffee station as 2nd prize (3x3), which looks quite nice :)

[Limequat]

You're welcome! Glad you guys found it helpful. :)




Edit: Opened the crate a few times. The only item I got that's not in your pictures is an ATM machine. It's modern style, but way too small (about the same size as the fire extinguisher and recycle bin). Stopped when I got the coffee station as 2nd prize (3x3), which looks quite nice :)

Congrats! I was hoping I might get a coffee station when I opened this box. Although I actually like the recycling bin and fire extinguisher and would use them in my bakery, I'm unwilling to have multiples of them at 24 gems each. I will definitely give this box another shot if it goes on sale in the future.

Also, I agree with the above posts about offering old goals again. I would pay gems (or directly with cash, like some of the LTOs they used to offer) for them. Very, very few people are able to stick around for and complete every goal. I'm sure there are a lot of newer players or older players who took a break from the game that would be willing to pay for the opportunity to do missed goals.

[kooky panda]

ATM from the crate has been enlarged.:)

[slayer7000]

Thanks Kooky :)
ATM from the crate has been enlarged.:)

[taoyingying]

ATM from the crate has been enlarged.:)

Thanks a lot! This is actually a very slick design with a lot details. I can see it in any modern bakery :)

[MrsNinaPuddin]

It just won ATM I notice this crate has some beneficial items

[triiicia]

I noticed that the Tea and Cake Box isn't available anymore. Could it be because of this update?? 😰 And I was saving up for that crater too 😞

[EdiiLouise]

Why did Restaurant Story get an update today and not Bakery story?

[monstertop]

Why did Restaurant Story get an update today and not Bakery story?

We got the Bakery Essentials 2 Crate last week. Restaurant Story didn't get any update last week.

[awesomejujubeans]

Can someone post a screen shot of the ATM please? I'm curious about what it looks like. :)

[kooky panda]

Can someone post a screen shot of the ATM please? I'm curious about what it looks like. :)

Here is a picture when it was small. It was enlarged after this.

https://forums.storm8.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36086&d=1487884145 (https://forums.storm8.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=36086&d=1487884145)

[monstertop]

Here is a picture when it was small. It was enlarged after this.

Which one is the ATM? All I see are Cold Drinks, Recycling Can, Supplies 1. Isn't ATM a machine where you withdraw cash?

[kooky panda]

Which one is the ATM? All I see are Cold Drinks, Recycling Can, Supplies 1. Isn't ATM a machine where you withdraw cash?

Sorry posted wrong photo!
https://i1273.photobucket.com/albums/y416/kookypanda99/Mobile%20Uploads/7985A4D2-6818-4A0A-9A98-5D7C4500FE88_zps8fs3txsc.png (https://s1273.photobucket.com/user/kookypanda99/media/Mobile%20Uploads/7985A4D2-6818-4A0A-9A98-5D7C4500FE88_zps8fs3txsc.png.html)

[twospoons]

They should have made the gem dispenser look like an atm :)