Hello from Paragon Marketing

I think it's cool to actually see a marketer on the forums. I don't have much to say, but I thought I'd mention that the places I've noticed CoX advertised was g4tv, and the Big Bang Theory. G4 ran an article on GR, and I've seen game cases, posters, and a shirt on Big Bang. Just thought seeing that was cool, and is prolly a good venue to find interested peeps.

Welcome to the forums in your official capacity, BP!


While I agree that tv advertising is expensive, there are perhaps ways to get some product placement in some shows that generally cater to the type of people that would play this game. Like Big Bang Theory. I figure there's someone on the production staff that likes the game, so you'll occasionally see CoH stuff briefly in the show's episodes. That can be a great ad for the game, as long as people have a way to link it with the game, and then can follow up and get the game easily. Free trial codes on their web site, more stuff with G4 beyond the rare review, and so forth - all would be nice.

I think that a place like Hulu is a good source for cheaper advertising. The ads aren't overly intrusive and with just the one in a row, you're less likely to skip it. Get in the rotation for some shows that most of us would watch and so forth.

I don't envy your position, and I hope things work out well for getting more interest in the game.

Maybe a quiz for Facebook and other social networks? Tell us about the way you want to play and we'll tell you why COH might be worth trying? It would have to be somewhat Bartle-ish, I think, but its an idea. Can't be any worse than Mafia invitations

Showing up for more conventions would be neat. I'd like for us to be more outgoing. Pax East is a good example of working harder to meet the fans. As another poster pointed out, conventions can be pretty tough to manage.

For example, we only have one Positron. Should we have him go to every single convention during peak season? He might like that. I'm sure you guys would. But what happens when we need him to work on XXX XXXXXXX XXXXXX, especially *** *********** that we haven't even announced? How would you feel when you found out that Positron is going to every convention BUT yours....and you get....brr....Castle instead?

Then there's the fact that alas, I do not have demonic henchmen at my beck and call to do my bidding. Although I could when Issue 17 goes live, if I prepurchase City of Heroes® Going Rogue™ . (See what I did there?) We're not infinite or omnipresent, but I think we do a better job than some folks 10 times oure size. And it's only going to get better.

Going Rogue is something I'm very proud of, and I want everyone, from all of you to Joe Bob Stranger in Iowa to play it. This means as all of you pointed out, we have to get in everyone's faces. We will do our best to do so, but if we can't, it doesn't mean you're left out in the cold.

Apparently, next week is the 6th Year Anniversary, and I have it on good authority that there may be an interesting announcement or two. Secondly, if we went to Boston for the first time this year, what do you guys think we'll do the rest of the year? It's not even halfway over.

Hi, BP. Welcome to the forums in your official capacity!

Here are a few things that I've thought about that might be cost effective.


1. Does COX have its own You Tube Channel?

2. How about advertising on various websites like Fanfiction.net, Newsrama, or any other online places that sells comics? "You like reading about super heroes and villains-- come to COH/COV where you can BE one!"

3. I'm also down with the idea of having COX Mousepads, posters, mugs, etc, but I don't know what kind of budget that would require.

Just a tip, telling people that CoH has in game advertising, is bad advertising.

Howdy Black Pebble. Not sure if I've met you at previous HeroCon's or the M&G in Milipitas or any of the events in Austin, but if I did your description of yourself isn't ringing a bell. Really, the only person that I recall admitting they were with Marketing this past HeroCon was Adam (I think I remember that right) who told me he was Mini-Ross.

Anyway, I'm curious why I need to wait until the next HeroCon (if there will be one, we haven't even been told yes or no on that yet) to be able to purchase some of the cool stuff I've bought at past HeroCon's?

Maybe I'm clumsy and dropped one of my tumblers and need to replace it? Maybe I had a laundry accident and my 5 year anniversary t-shirt got damaged.

Or maybe, I've found out recently that two of the students at my school and their dad all play CoH, and I'd like to purchase some of the cool stuff for them like I was able to get for myself, why can't I? The girls would love the Projector Pens and being able to get the AT pins. Their Dad might like the tumblers and some of the shirts. All three might like to have the Art book. At least one of the girls is in an Art class, so I know she'd enjoy it. And who wouldn't want one of the Awesome buttons?

Why should I have to hope that there will be another HeroCon and that I'll be able to afford to go AND to be able to afford to pick up the items after the expense of the Con? Why should I be able to buy these items just because my work schedule is flexible enough for me to attend on relatively short notice and other people are left out completely? I like having an item or two being exclusive to attendees, at least for a reasonable length of time (a year or more), but then make them available later to the general public if you feel you really must. Why not make it easy to obtain by putting it on the store in the Merchandise section?

I could see some of the items being purchased as birthday gifts or to celebrate some holidays. Why not make it easier to sell more of these items. You don't want me to tally up the merchandise on the store site by game and list it here do you? I think not.

Enough about the items.

I love seeing Captain Sweatpants wearing the Statesman T-shirt in Big Bang Theory. Why not have a Desdemona standup on Chuck? Plenty of the employees at the Buy More would likely be trying to figure out how to get their hands on it to take it home, and it could lead to some interesting tie-ins for one of Chuck's missions. Well, until Chuck gets canceled that is.

Why not play up the geek/nerd demographic along these lines? Targetted product placement in these shows or similar, short ads in with the movie previews at SuperHero or SciFi movies. And who to voice those ads? Well, why not Patrick Warburton? If that's not a voice that evinces thoughts of a heroic personna, I don't know what other voices might suffice. Well, possibly Townsend Coleman. Kevin Conroy might not be available or willing to do voices other than Batman. Anyhow, there are some voices that just bring that heroic feel to whatever part they play, find them, hire them.

Yes, it's really nice to have an exclusive interview for one of the gaming sites or magazines, but don't spring so many of the big news items at us from links to those interview or reviews. Your players are your best marketing tool. Use them effectively.

As for an in-game character and being put in DR's vids. Give it a brief amount of thought. Ask some in the Art department or VFX areas for suggestions. Some of them may have some interesting concepts you might like. Pop into the Character Creator and bring that creation to life. Before you exit the Character Creator, save the Costume file. It's a text file so you can send it to DR in a PM here on the forums, or PM her for her email address. I'm sure she'll be willing to let you know what it is if she knows it's for the .costume file. She can then create the character using that file and then put Black Pebble into the game long enough to film your parts. That way, you don't have to work around your busy schedule and hers as well. Easy peasy. Or, you may prefer to actually create Black Pebble fully and do your own acting, rather than using a body double.

Anyway, you have plenty to ponder.

And for being a "silent Black Pebble" you sure do post a lot in one day.

Let me also add that we're having a local comic convention next month here. The first one we did I had my laptop there showing people the game. But I didn't have any codes or disks to give them.

I understand that you all cannot attend more than a few conventions a year, but there are those of us that would be happy to be a surrogate recruiter or whatever, just to help get more interest in the game.

Perhaps something like a contact that convention organizers can contact to request a poster or two and some relatively updated bootleg disks would be an idea? You all could be there without actually having to be there, if we could get some stuff like that and be able to show off the game, or let people play it on a mock convention account for a while.

Even just the character creator/costume thing might be enough for some people.

In game ads are fine, just like Tv ads are fine. The sad reality is ads do very little to get consumers buying. Ad agencies will lie thier family history off the face of the earth saying that ads work, but for those of us that grew up with TV (ie 95% of 1st world countries) it doesnt faze us in the least.

The mind is a wonderful thing.

So get those ads into City of and get Castle some help. He needs it. Maybe with a few more paid hands they can actually have balance in this game, instead of nerfing random things..... like pistols for the non pvp that happens in this game.

Whatever happened to that CoH themed movie rumored about however many years ago.

I imagine a movie based on the lore would amazing advertising so long as it didn't suck. Besides, aren't superhero movies all the rage right now?

Thinking smaller, what about advertising in movies. How about a trailer before one of those new hero movies? I'd wet myself if I saw a CoH ad as a trailer at the beginning of that Deadpool movie that's never going to come out.

I tried to resist... but BP wont be fully one of us without this...

*Pokes BP*
*Pokes BP*
*Pokes BP*
*Pokes BP*
*Pokes BP*
*Pokes BP*
*Pokes BP*
Ok... now I am fine...

Now for the evil question:
When you guys at marketting are going to visit Level Up Games (only retailer on Brazil) and shot then at the head with a nail pistol? They are really getting on the nerves of us, Brazillian players, with all their incompetence...

Ahh... And WELCOME!!! Come visit us on Guardian!!! We have cookies! And Bacon! And even Bacon Cookies!