Hi guys,
Figured this topic could use some BB input.
As background: Yes, our users have dropped in the last year. Part of the reason for this (granted, not the entire reason) was that we cut out a lot of high-priced advertising on some external sites that wasn't paying off anymore. In the end, this move improved BB's bottom line, though the community did shrink. That said, we're certainly not against growing our userbase, and if you can think of ways of involving the current community to help us grow, I'm happy for us to do what we can.
It's no secret that we have pretty limited development resources, so we have to choose carefully how we spend our effort and cash flow. Over the past year especially, we've chosen to focus on making the game better for current users instead of just trying to make the userbase bigger. The recent game engine changes, the revised salary formula for JR and SB, and the new offense/defense prediction system are examples of this.
To be clear, we have no intention of shutting down BB, either now or in the future. Through current Supporter and ad revenue, the game currently supports itself, and this isn't likely to change anytime soon (even if the userbase drops substantially). And, even if something terrible like that *did* happen, I hope you don't truly think we would just blindside everyone and run away with your $40 -- I think we owe our long-standing community better than that. :-)
Let me know if there is anything I can to to help clear this up further.
Best,
Mark