Ways for us to get New Subscribers?
By
Aliana Blue,
Posted on: 2009-12-05 07:03 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
Some of the stuff DC wants to do sounds kind of interesting. Whether they pull it off or not, of course, is the question. Champions *said* it was going to outdo CoX in all sorts of way too, and....yeeeah. It looked shinier. If the Ultra Mode makes the game look like a brand spankin' new one for people whose computers can handle it, they should get marketing to work, since a lot of the new audience of video games only care about how much NEXT GEN Brown and Bloom the game has.
Marketing hasn't been totally absent:
1. They instituted an always-available free trial and made it easily accessible through the main site. (Regardless of what anyone may think of the restrictions on that free trial due to combating RMTers, at least it is a partial preview of the game. We've seen lots of folk posting to the boards about how to turn their trial to full.)
2. CoH banners at various comic and gaming websites.
3. NCSoft included CoH in their product placement deals with Chuck and Big Bang Theory.
4. Exclusive previews on various gaming websites of new features, interviews, pics, and vids. As much as forum regulars grouse about not getting that stuff here first, it's done specifically as a marketing tool to get gamers interested in other games interested in CoH.
5. Loyalty programs (perqs from HeroCon, Vet Rewards, loyalty badges) and free reactivation weekends. They're designed for retention of customers and to bring back old customers.
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I have never unsubcribed to this game. And any ****** who thinks chasing people away from the game is a good idea is an idiot. You dont like me? Ok guess what I dont like you. I never have. I dont care what your opinion of me is. It doesnt haunt me at night.
What does bother me is how much you people only care about what you think is good.
You all should have come in here and got behind the idea because it is FREE ADVERTSING for this game.
/duh
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You will program a Facebook app for free, then go ahead, there is a reason why they ask for donations.|
Originally Posted by Perfect_Pain
You all should have come in here and got behind the idea because it is FREE ADVERTSING for this game.
/duh |
Also guess what I don't hate you since hating someone means putting a large amount of emotion and energy towards someone.
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| What does bother me is how much you people only care about what you think is good. |
Most of my friends know i'm playing City of Heroes. and I haveinvited 3 of them to play. The reason they never subscribed is a simple one, they didn t like it. I told them that its a mmorpg where you make your own superhero and then go kick butt. So they did what i did initially, made their first toon a blaster. Nothing super about that, and then switched to other at's and agai n... nothing super about those.
Basically, you get to fly, super jump and be very fast, have your own look and get all sorts of powers, but when a new player joins and starts soloing through paragon... the obvipus comparison to iconic superheroes will take place. You'll faceplant and die more often than your favorite super hero basically. So its a game where you dont create a super hero, but a toon with powers that in time will grow stronger and more effective if you find a way to raise your needed influence and start working towards the super build.
As opposed to your classic rpg where you start as a simple human that has a destiny or a path and will grow to be the best at fighting, here you join a game hoping to play a super hero from the first seconds in the game. From what i've seen City of heroes adresses a more mature gamer that puts a price on a good back story and a well created world to play his super hero fantasies in.
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Fail.|
Originally Posted by Perfect_Pain
What does bother me is how much you people only care about what you think is good.
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We're not that self-centered.
We care about what *IS* good. Of course, this is a value judgment and subject to differences of opinion.
Disagreeing with you does not make us petty, self-centered or whatever word you used that was censored.
Paragon City Search And Rescue
The Mentor Project
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No one said you cancelled your subscriptions. You've said in the past that you take breaks and leave to play other games. You did the same thing with Champions. Now your back. Sometime in the future you will leave again. You may go back to Champions becaus eyou have a lifetime sub or you may play other games.|
Originally Posted by Perfect_Pain
I have never unsubcribed to this game.
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| And any ****** who thinks chasing people away from the game is a good idea is an idiot. |
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| You dont like me? Ok guess what I dont like you. I never have. I dont care what your opinion of me is. It doesnt haunt me at night. |
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| What does bother me is how much you people only care about what you think is good. |
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You all should have come in here and got behind the idea because it is FREE ADVERTSING for this game. /duh |
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I am quoting this because yes, you should be mad that more folks haven't played Shadow Warrior. I am pretty mad about that myself.
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Originally Posted by Thirty_Seven
Perhaps I should get mad that more folks haven't played "Shadow Warrior."
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I love your avatar Emberly. 
I think now is the point in time where someone demands the "Why can't we all just get along hug".
Go on. I'm waiting.
Advertising for a game you like is a good idea. The reward of knowing you're helping a game you enjoy should be reward enough.
I do admit that CoH doesn't seem to get the ad space it deserves, but I'm not looking at their advertising budget and have no clue what is realistically feasable for them. I do however believe that CoH has a fan kit, and perhaps P_P, you should consider using that fankit to make a facebook group. This costs the game nothing, and the best advertisement continues to be word of mouth.
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What about my mighty, all-crushing glacier of indifference? Is that safe from your dislike, or will the methane and carbon dioxide exhalations of your dislike bring the fury of the sun's rays to melt it? No worries in any event, the mountains of perspective constantly add ice to the glacier. |
Originally Posted by Perfect_Pain
I have never unsubcribed to this game. And any ****** who thinks chasing people away from the game is a good idea is an idiot. You dont like me? Ok guess what I dont like you. I never have. I dont care what your opinion of me is. It doesnt haunt me at night.
What does bother me is how much you people only care about what you think is good. You all should have come in here and got behind the idea because it is FREE ADVERTSING for this game. /duh |
Seriously (somewhat), i'm all for promoting the game, but i really don't use fecebook much, and am not about to create any apps/widgets/whatever for them. However, if you want to promote CoH on facebook i say more power to you, go for it!
However, if you do make something for facebook please, please make sure to proofread it. It always looks bad when some otherwise polished promotional fanproduct has terrible errors in spelling and grammar. One thing i really appreciate about using Firefox for the boards is that it automatically highlights dubious words/spellings.
My grammar is a lost cause, however.
Dr. Todt's theme.
i make stuff...
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i like this suggestion. Make it so. (^_^)
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Originally Posted by Tonality
I do however believe that CoH has a fan kit, and perhaps P_P, you should consider using that fankit to make a facebook group. This costs the game nothing, and the best advertisement continues to be word of mouth.
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Dr. Todt's theme.
i make stuff...
Or you could just join one of the existing City of Heroes facebook groups. Or use the "become a fan" thingy as well.
@Morac | Twitter
Trust the computer. The computer knows all.
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as was said, devs dont handle advertisements, buut, during the launch of the architect pack, the banners were pretty heavily circulated around gamer-centric sites i visit, and that was really just the existing game plus the architect system, they even hired a group to do viral videos for the at system, starring the other singer from barenaked ladies, which were fairly funny and got the whole "touch my awesome button" thing going. I would be very surprised if there was not another push once gr was closer on the horizon.
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Originally Posted by Dr_HR
well i could get a few bad points here but i dont care...
lets face it people or at least be honest...the devs/team..dont give a rats about what we think is a good way to get people. they havent done much advertisement (in my view) in the past and while i am seriously hoping they will kick it up 1000% for GR and future issues, i wouldnt be suprised if all i see or hear is a article here n there about this game. it would be nice to get told what is at least going through the teams minds about it but hey thats my xmas list for ya. the trouble is as well. with what little word there is about this game, theres more bad thoughts from annoying little sad people about it. i think i saw a video the other day on youtube and the whole page was people bad thoughts about it. we dont need what word we have bad mouthed before people try it. Devs do SOMETHING more yer. aye on this hand...dont really have a great advertisement plan that hasnt already been said in the past or posted here now. (or i would add it  )this is just my one off rant. sorry and enjoy |
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Rage rant and "AGREE WITH ME!" is bad, m'kay?
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Originally Posted by Perfect_Pain
I have never unsubcribed to this game. And any ****** who thinks chasing people away from the game is a good idea is an idiot. You dont like me? Ok guess what I dont like you. I never have. I dont care what your opinion of me is. It doesnt haunt me at night.
What does bother me is how much you people only care about what you think is good. You all should have come in here and got behind the idea because it is FREE ADVERTSING for this game. /duh |
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Originally Posted by Zwillinger
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.
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Trial accounts can't invite others to team and are severely handicapped in communication (/local, /team, /help). So if you and a friend start a trial at the same time, you can't team up with each other unless another active account invites you both to a team and if you get too far away from each other when not teamed you can't talk in-game. I know of several people who have started trial accounts, found they couldn't team with their also-trialling friends and quit on the spot. |
Originally Posted by Creole Ned
I don't think this is a bad idea per se, but are there any specific restrictions you'd lift?
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Lift the ability to start a team at least.
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Aye, that sort of restriction is counter-productive. Majorly.|
Originally Posted by UnSub
Trial accounts can't invite others to team and are severely handicapped in communication (/local, /team, /help). So if you and a friend start a trial at the same time, you can't team up with each other unless another active account invites you both to a team and if you get too far away from each other when not teamed you can't talk in-game. I know of several people who have started trial accounts, found they couldn't team with their also-trialling friends and quit on the spot.
Lift the ability to start a team at least. |
If there is concern that trial accounts will be used by RMT or anything and spam people with teamvites and such...people can just quit the team they are on.
Hell, make the gignore list infinite and that also solves the broadcast problem too. Slap a gignore on em and no more problems.
Its using a tank to crack a peanut as it is now.
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Originally Posted by Zwillinger
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.
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This is one of the more impractical suggestions that I have come across.
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Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha
make the gignore list infinite
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@Morac | Twitter
Trust the computer. The computer knows all.
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Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha
Aye, that sort of restriction is counter-productive. Majorly.
If there is concern that trial accounts will be used by RMT or anything and spam people with teamvites and such...people can just quit the team they are on. Hell, make the gignore list infinite and that also solves the broadcast problem too. Slap a gignore on em and no more problems. Its using a tank to crack a peanut as it is now. |
RMT site used to use trials to transfer things from their farm accounts and take it to their buyers. If an RMT site can't use trials to invite their customers to team and then meet to do a transfer they have to risk an account they are paying for to do it.
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To be fair most of the anti-RMT measures are working.|
Originally Posted by Forbin_Project
RMT site used to use trials to transfer things from their farm accounts and take it to their buyers. If an RMT site can't use trials to invite their customers to team and then meet to do a transfer they have to risk an account they are paying for to do it.
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1) The game isn't WoW, there simply isn't the high demand for inf like there is for gold (Blizzard love to stick 'money sinks' into the game which further encourage the buying of gold because they're stupidly expensive...20k gold for all the parts to make a motorcycle land mount takes a long time to earn if you don't play the market, it took me a full month of grinding specific enemies that drop indemand items, daily quests and other things to earn enough gold to afford my 5k gold epic flying lessons....so 4 months of pulling that off...no thanks).
2) The ease of earning inf is...well...amazing, one lucky purple recipe drop can set a character up for almost all of it's non-purple set needs.
For example I went back to an old character I haven't played in ages who I had forgot to turn emails off to...you know how many emails they had in the 2 months I hadn't played them...four...
On the EU side the goldfarmer spam is completely non-existent because the cost them having to constantly get paid for accounts for very, very little return is commercial suicide.
So the trial restrictions and the ability to turn off email are killing off the RMT business. After all why bother with City of Heroes when you can make a killing in World of Warcraft...
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Argeed, i think they should ease of the trails now they have the new emails in place + the spammer options for broadcasts n all is nothing to worry about now.
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Originally Posted by Dr_Mechano
To be fair most of the anti-RMT measures are working.
1) The game isn't WoW, there simply isn't the high demand for inf like there is for gold (Blizzard love to stick 'money sinks' into the game which further encourage the buying of gold because they're stupidly expensive...20k gold for all the parts to make a motorcycle land mount takes a long time to earn if you don't play the market, it took me a full month of grinding specific enemies that drop indemand items, daily quests and other things to earn enough gold to afford my 5k gold epic flying lessons....so 4 months of pulling that off...no thanks). 2) The ease of earning inf is...well...amazing, one lucky purple recipe drop can set a character up for almost all of it's non-purple set needs. For example I went back to an old character I haven't played in ages who I had forgot to turn emails off to...you know how many emails they had in the 2 months I hadn't played them...four... On the EU side the goldfarmer spam is completely non-existent because the cost them having to constantly get paid for accounts for very, very little return is commercial suicide. So the trial restrictions and the ability to turn off email are killing off the RMT business. After all why bother with City of Heroes when you can make a killing in World of Warcraft... |
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Explain and expand?
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Originally Posted by Morac_Ex_Machina
This is one of the more impractical suggestions that I have come across.
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Originally Posted by Zwillinger
GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.
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Originally Posted by Captain_Photon
NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.
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Originally Posted by Dr_Mechano
So the trial restrictions and the ability to turn off email are killing off the RMT business. After all why bother with City of Heroes when you can make a killing in World of Warcraft...
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That's all they have to do. Alone the COH devs cannot stop RMT globally, but they can make it too much trouble to hang round here, such that they do move elsewhere.
A bit like home security, you don' have to make your house an ipregnable fortress, just less attractive to a robber than your neighbour.
@Catwhoorg "Rule of Three - Finale" Arc# 1984
@Mr Falkland Islands"A Nation Goes Rogue" Arc# 2369 "Toasters and Pop Tarts" Arc#116617
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Very simply, the amount of processing time that would need to be devoted to parsing everyone's now massive ignore list would go through the roof. Barring further knowledge about the specifics of the chat server implementation (I'm not exactly sure at which point in the pipeline they put the references to the ignore list) I can't make a detailed analysis, but even conservatively giving an average of 5000 people on an ignore list (remember that the reason the ignore list needs to be expanded is because we're lifting restrictions on trials, so spam is going to come back up), the amount of processing time starts becoming non-trivial (computer geek code for "oh man, that's pretty damn big"). Once you add in the code for dynamically managing the size of user's ignore lists rather than just always allocating 3.2kb, and we are looking at one ugly and slow chat system.
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Originally Posted by Techbot Alpha
Explain and expand?
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@Morac | Twitter
Trust the computer. The computer knows all.
I suspect NCSoft doesn't feel the need to heavily promote CoH since it's ticking along quite nicely as far as I can tell. Besides, why step up advertising now when they can hold off for six months and do it to coincide with the release of Going Rogue?
That, and they'll get plenty of free 'the original superhero MMO' type publicity when City of Sidekicks (or DCUO as some insist on calling it) bombs next year.