EU gets shafted - AGAIN!

Just going to post a few thoughts of my own, here.

I've been playing CoH since September 2005, on the EU servers. It is my first (and currently only) MMO, and I picked it up one Saturday after a haircut when I hopped into my Friendly Local Gaming Store to browse a little. I've always liked the superhero genre, and thought "Well, what's the worst that could happen? I get a free month of play, and if I get bored, I just don't subscribe. It costs the same as pretty much any other game that's been out a little while, so I'm not really losing anything, am I? Ah... go on then. Give it a shot."

I now have two accounts (both running almost non-stop for the last 4 1/2 years - my first account subscription has never stopped), have purchased most of the boosters for both of them, my wife has an account, and we're not intending to stop any time soon. I attended a number of NCSoft events, when the EU offices were still open and doing things with their own community team. I've made friends, many of whom I've met in person. I have, quite literally, spent hundreds and hundreds of pounds on this game.

THAT is what shelf presence can do.

That is what the majority of people posting in this thread are saying - without shelf presence, there is effectively zero chance of another "me" coming along and joining the game.

Now, there is some hope that with an aggressive online marketing campaign, coupled with the recent Localised IP flagging that's hit the main site, that EU-based players who see something online might decide to buy the game, and they will automatically get pointed at the EU version, rather than the US one. But I was a casual gamer, a consumer who looks in shops, and I bought what I saw on the shelf. I actively ignore online advertising. I don't browse MMO sites. And I am a loyal customer of this game, and the only reason I am, is because in September 2005 there was still shelf presence.

Now, I'm not privy to the marketing details, so I don't know what sort of retention rate there is, but the only real example I have is my own, and I know that the great community, fun gameplay, and brilliant lore can capture the hearts and minds of people, and keep them playing for years.

In my opinion, failure to market effectively in the EU has the potential to be detrimental to the EU population playing the game. But that's only opinion, take it or leave it.

Thanks for noticing this, Avatea - you're certainly the EU's greatest proponent at NC, and we hugely appreciate everything you can do for us to get our concerns addressed by the powers that be.

Unfortunately, I think that it is unlikely to have any impact on their strategy for marketing the game, but we know it's not because the people who are involved in the community aren't listening.

I too was first made aware of CoH back around 2005 due to it's shelf presence, unfortunatly back at that time I was not in a position to afford additional monthly fees (especially as the cost of those monthly fees wasn't listed on the box, but that's another matter), but I kept it in mind thinking "I want to play that game!". In the interim I contented myself with the subless Guild Wars, which I quite enjoyed. So unlike Shadowe I wasn't willing to risk may £30 at that time for a game I may have only been able to play for one month. But then, at christmas 2008 PC Zone had the delux edition as a free cover disk. I bought it, I played, I loved it, and before my free month was even up I had to go out and hunt down the GvE edition, which wasn't easy, finally found a copy in a branch of HMV, well to dut a long story short, I haven't looked back since. I've bought all the boosters, 3 lots of extra character slots to the extent of running out of room to make toons on defiant.

If it hadn't been for that shelf presence I probably wouldn't have known about the game let alone be playing it now. Although I wasn't bothered about a lack of a box edition for MA for GR, I am, for all the reasons stated here, but mostly for the box to proudly display on my games shelf and any maps etc included in it, and for the updated install disk meaning that if I ever have to re-install again (Like I had to do recently after a new OS install) it will mean less patching before I can get in-game.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Forbin_Project Then it's time for them to get off the cross, use the wood to build a bridge, and get over it.

When this game came out I resisted the pull into it. I was still playing Ultima Online. But when COV came out I went for it. But I went for it through the box I saw in the shops.

Installed it and liked it... bought the COH edition as box online about 2 days after... And since bought every booster and every expansion online/digital. But I still have those first two boxes. And was hoping for a new box...

Is there anyone on here with an account of over 4 years that bought this game digital only? Or have we all got it in the shops while it was still there?

As far as i can recall it wasn't available as digital until much later. If memory serves it wasn't until after CoV sometime? Fuzzy memory tho, i'm old and it's been awhile

Unless you count the recruit a friend trial, since they didn't need to buy game then, just play it and sub to it.


I still got my CoH and CoV collectors boxes sitting in my book shelf.

I first started off here, back in i6, im thinking just half it, as by i7 i just hit lvl 40 to continue my lvling to 50. i came from command and conquer: generals zero hour after a mate mentioned about this game.

As i didnt really play any mmo's before i wasnt too sure at the time, but with the month play i got it to it very well. even back then i loved villains and preferred them to heroes:P theme wise. and since been here (Dam i cant even imagine what the game play/interface was like back then o.o lol)

thats why im concerned for the EU tbh/player base around my servers (currently).
i didnt buy it digitally i went to the shops and even brought the collectors box after a time, even though i already had the game i like the idea of owning it. ...just wish i knew this game from the beginnning ^^.

Here's another reason for wanting the game on physical media that nobody's really mentioned: It's a very useful form of back up. If you are unlucky enough to suffer a catastrophic hard disk crash then you would likely have to download pretty well 4 years of additional content, since the GvE issue covers up to I6 IIRC.

That's a good reason to own the game on a disk. Yes, there are plenty of other ways to back up but not all are practical and none are quite so easy. I'd go so far as suggesting that if the box were to be shipped into the EU with something like a badge and/or costume pack unique to the box with the entire game on it, almost every EU subscriber with more than a 6th month Vet Reward would pick it up.

That's money for old rope. Srsly

"You got to dig it to dig it, you dig?"
Thelonious Monk

Just got around to watching the trailers listed by fatalnova. First time I have seen them to and loved them. They gave me goosebumbs to BlueRaptor

What they have made me love to see (and would be a fun way of advertising) is to see a CGI cartoon of City of Heroes. But theres just dreaming.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger Quote: 16. Has Paragon Studios redefined "player" to require your mouse to subscribe separately from your keyboard? If your mouse has greater processing power than your gfx card, the answer is yes.

Not that it probably makes a difference this far down in the thread, but:

1. The "EU Marketing Team" is no more lame than the "NA Marketing Team". I'm not sure if there really is a dedicated Marketing Team in any sense of the word. The only reason I heard of City is because a friend of mine, who participates in every beta he can find, introduced me to it. In the six years I've been playing I still have yet to see a commercial or any other form of advertisement for either game. The most I've seen is a couple of time cards (literally twice, in six years), which I would have ignored had I not already been a player. It's not that NCSoft/Paragon Studios sucks at advertising in Europe, it's that they suck at advertising PERIOD.

2. Market Research can be wrong, but if they have reason to believe that the cost of releasing a boxed set in Europe will cost more than the potential revenue, it would a terrible business decision to go forward with it anyway. I would prefer they stick with good business decisions and continue to keep the game profitable, so we can all keep playing it as long as possible.

3. Don't take it so personally. Many people got their panties in a twist because there was no City presence at any East Coast conventions - and at the very least there was a City presence at one EU con. It's not a personal insult directed at any players regardless of where they live, it all boils down to productivity and profitability.

I'd love to see a huge marketing campaign in both North America and the EU, provided it's done well. (Bad marketing is worse than no marketing in my opinion, but that may not be the case as far as profitability is concerned. Still, I'd hate to have to bury any future City commercials under the same rug as the D&D movies.. gag!)

Personally I'm proud to belong to the City community, and proud that yall are in it too. We're a big family, like it or not. But you're not the red headed step children.. nor are PvPers, Base Builders, or any of the other groups who feel "shafted" from time to time. Sometimes I think my boss is ignoring me, or he makes decisions I disagree with, but he has access to a whole lot more info than I do, and he's a lot more experienced in this field, so I have to trust his judgment. He's the one who is held accountable for the decisions at the end of the day, so he's going to make the best decision he can based on the information he has. I expect the people running NCSoft/Paragon Studios are doing the same.

My story is alittle like Shadowe.
It involves heavily on shelf presence. Had it not been for the possibility of seeing the box on the shelf, having it in your hand and thus install it I do not think I would have been on CoH.
Bought the US CoV and started there for a few months, then took a break, then got some good stories from a friend. Bought the UK Cov, 1 normal CoH pack, Good vs Evil and I think one more (can't remember which it was).

As said by others a Disk with the latest Issue updates is GREAT to have aswell. Now granted I've not been in marketing, I just remember the school courses and in my mind (as I see it is with several others) Shelf presence is Alpha and Omega and the best advertising you can have. Cause thats where many gamers go (to the Shelves).
Yes, my comment might be very repetitive, but maybe that is what is needed to give directly to the marketing department. I do not know.

To Marketing: Shelf presence means that you have a product that the customer can see and touch and really gives the potensial customer an idea of the product, perhaps even desire to buy the product. Shelf presence coupled with a strong playerbase as well as being a good game, means that the player will mostlikely keep paying the subscription for quite some time. This means more money to the company and will make certain you get paid.
(Now be a good boy/girl and do your job, you know what you must do)

Just felt like writing that really.

Er...I saw a box or two of MA at my local Gamespot. Who wants me to get it and send it to them over there across the waters?

Honestly, Boxing a game and shipping it to retailers is *expensive*. I wonder if CoX has the money to do it? Just another wild guess to explain the situation.

Seriously, Who wants those boxes, if theyre there? There taking up valuable shelf space that WoW could be using! PM meh!

That picture would sure win us the Japanese market. ;D

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord_Kalistoh I though Germany have laws that forbid to sell anything that's not translated to their language.

No, pretty sure there's not. A lot of boxes like, *looks at shelf* this Fallout2 e.g. (bought in Germany), have only English text and at the bottom an "ELSPA" european age restriction label (with lots of eurpoean languages on it), a french warning label, "Der grüne Punkt" German recycling logo, and a German USK-16 age suggestion icon. Looks pretty much like that box sold like that in most european countries. I think about half of the games I bought had the goodie books that were not really required to play the game in English and only a little flyer with the basics and required local legal information (Do not play 50 hours a day, dont eat the CD... ) in other languages. The actual game instructions hardly come in paper anymore anyway. I recall occassional listing how much of the game and box contents are in English on the back of the box too. ("...German manual on the CD...")
Maybe France has such a law, they are bit more afraid that English may kill their language?

So yes, maybe they want to print a German and French version of the box too if they plan on keeping those two foreign language servers to include those few who dont (want to) speak English to the target audience, but for every other server you need to speak English anyway.