Marketing SE V

[newbie123]

Originally posted by PvK:
I don't think "getting a game onto retail shelves" is going to help much. Games can exist on store shelves and still be ignored by the moronic masses and their clueless gift-shopping relatives. Most games on retail shelves lose money for the publisher and developer, because the retail stores squeeze almost all of the sales money for themselves. And, even many pretty hard-core gamers would wait to get a deal from retail bargain bins and sales, rather than buying the game directly from Shrapnel. Total rewards from such a shift might even go down. Er, I could ramble on with various conjecture, but I've a headache and other things to do. The magazine coverage (reviews) is probably the most effective channel. Some magazine and/or web banner ads after the reviews go out might also help, though print mag ads are so expensive that I'd doubt worthwhile sales returns for a non-eye-candy-feast game. Fans subtley hitting semi-relevant forums and newsGroups periodically (such as forums for lamer but better-advertized conquest games) with plugs and links would probably help a lot, it seems to me.

Ergh, headache.

PvK

That's true. This game will only ever be so popular, just for the fact that it doesn't have "mad tyte graphics" or crap like that. Which is fine by me, as long as the game is fun, I could care less.

However, SE4 is not reaching its potential fanbase at all. This game has been out for 4 years, and I just heard about it on the galactic civilizations Boards a few days ago. I also keep pretty good track of my strategy games, so not to brag or anything but I was quite surprised that this game eluded me for so long.

My recommendations(not that they matter) - Stay away from retail, but try harder to get the word out. Many people want a 4x space strat game, but thing Moo3 is their only option. If you put some ads out on the gaming websites, maybe even take a few ads out in the magazines, I'm sure your sales would sore. Getting the occasional review in CGW or PC gamer wouldn't hurt either(This may have happened, I don't know tho).

One final thing, allow purchasers of the ame to download it while they are waiting for it to ship . Can't wait for my copy to come wednesday (I hope)

Later

[BlackRose]

Yeah the marketing aspect of this franchise is somewhat lacking, indeed If not for Atrocities and his appearance on a outdated BoTF (Birth of the Federation) message board I doubt i'd ever have heard of this brilliant little gem of a game. I started doing my homework on it and was surprised at how little there was and how many broken links there were. If i had stumbled upon it by any other means I'd probably have decided it was a dead game.

Thank goodness for that one in a million shot of me ending up on some obscure message board (once or twice every six monthes I search for BoTF2 news) and reading Atrocities post

[Atrocities]

BOTF was a great game and I hope those modding it can make a BOTF 2.

The one thing they did was market that game. When it sold it sold a hell of a lot of copies.

If Shrapnel and Malfador could aford to take out an add in just one game magazine highlighting all the games they offer, then sales would increase.

Everytime someone take a moment to mention SEIV, Dominions2, and Starfury, along with other fine Shrapnel games, people come check them out and eventually buy them.

Word of mouth is great, but print adds are always better. More eyes see an add than read a forum.

[trooper]

Why not make a mass email campaign to all email addresses you can find with subjects such as :

"Get a bigger 4x game"
"Get your 4x drug in our Online store"
"Last longer then M@ster 0f 0r!0n..."
"Please your wife all night long with SEV"
"Are you satisfied with your 4x game ?"

[PvK]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[Atrocities]

In some states that is now considered as spam and a company can be sued or fined for it. Good idea, bad timing.

[Ragnarok-X]

uhm this is mainly off topic, but has SE V been announced recently or what ? I didnt even know this game is in production/development ?!?

Is there any official word out yet ?

[Renegade 13]

SE5 is probably not going to be released until late 2005 or so. So don't hold your breath! Right now there really isn't any "official" word, mostly just speculation.

[Grandpa Kim]

Baron Munchausen said:

SE IV is good but not really excellent.

Or to be more accurate: There are no excellent games, just one good game: SEIV!

Baron, I've played a lot of games. SEIV is by far, hands down, the best game I've ever played, period!
If SEIV is only good, then the next best is only mediocre.

[Iansidious]

I remember a review in PC Gamer for SE4. If I remember right SE4 got a good rating. 86% is a strong game in their rating system.