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marketing mmos

Marketing mmos,

Seems that mmos fall through the cracks with getting the word out.  Please help me understanding this.

I live in a medium size city in Northeastern Pennsylvania USA.  Several years ago I worked in a very large manufacturing plant, and now I work for the US Army, both have over 3,000 employees.  I know a lot of people, and I know all the gamers.  We discusses games constantly.

People seem to only know World of Warcraft, and GuildWars 2, other than this no one has ever heard of any other.  I'm obviously an mmo fan, I'm up to speed with the latest and greatest.  In the past if I mentioned Everquest or Everquest 2 I may find someone that at least knew the name, but nothing about it.  A few years ago Warhammer Online launched a major marketing campaign, yet NOTHING on the streets !

My three close friends are gamers.  Like me they know what's good, what's up and coming, and what to stay away from.  If a video game gets announced its a sure bet the next day we all know about it......Skyrim instant.....Witcher 3 instant.....Farcry 4 instant....Fallout 4 instant.....And so many others.  Yet, mmos nothing ever, never, never !  

I'll see an mmo release on Steam, I'll see an Angry Joe review myself, but in my little world, nothing about them in normal life video game conversations. 

With Pantheon Rise of the fallen I'm excited.  I'm at work hyping my best video game friend about it.  The same one that played Vanguard and a few others with me and loved every minuet of them.  Yet, like always I have to keep him informed.  He'll never research anything about an mmo on his own.

Opening day mmo releases are packed with thousands, they all crash because of it.  So obliviously their is a following, but this never seems to coincide with real life video game chatter.


So my question is:

Are mmos a niche, and not as popular as we thing they are compared to other RPG's ?

I understand we had an large amount of let downs, but I don't think that's it.  So many players never knew about them anyway !


Pantheon Rise of the fallen is popular to us.  Even if you hate it, you have to admit its popular in at least knowing about it for us. Yet NOTHING on the streets !......Or will their ever be........This sucks because I really want it.  I'm selfish when it comes to mmos :)


Comments

  • ZarriyaZarriya Member UncommonPosts: 446
    ......

    Are mmos a niche, and not as popular as we thing they are compared to other RPG's ?

    ....


    I believe so. At least in my age bracket (older :D  )    it takes a lot of time and dedication to play an MMO when compared to an RPG so I feel it is more of a hobby. I actually feel bad when I start talking to my friends about MMOs - almost like a drug dealer because I know the addiction!  I have this really awesome thing (MMO gaming) I want to share with them, yet I feel bad because I know how much time they would spend on it away from their families.
  • SinistSinist Member RarePosts: 1,369
    So my question is:

    Are mmos a niche, and not as popular as we thing they are compared to other RPG's ?

    I understand we had an large amount of let downs, but I don't think that's it.  So many players never knew about them anyway !


    Pantheon Rise of the fallen is popular to us.  Even if you hate it, you have to admit its popular in at least knowing about it for us. Yet NOTHING on the streets !......Or will their ever be........This sucks because I really want it.  I'm selfish when it comes to mmos :)


    Mainstream is moving on. They consumed the industry and spit it out into the damaged form that it is. The crowds of people that consumed it are moving off to other fads now. What is left is what was there before, only those interested in games specifically, not just "entertainment".

    It will take time for smaller companies to get organized and start picking up the pieces (I really think VR will be one the front runners in helping to reform the MMO market, not to dismiss MMOs like EvE who have been true to that approach from the start). There is no money in this market for the big companies, they require enormous profits to support their nature, but small companies can exist on much much less and be successful. EQ was an enormous success before mainstream showed up, it will just take time for these small companies to realize they can exist in the market without applying mainstream principals (ie games for everyone design).

    It is the same in the PC market. Mainstream came in, consumed it, discarded everything and turned it into a secondary console market (ie every game was made for consoles and ported to PC, all using console style interfaces, game design approaches, etc...) getting rid of the many types of games that used to be prevalent (Adventure games, Turn based RPGs and Strategy, etc... ) and while it is coming back slowly, but successfully in picking up their niche markets (Divinity: Original Sin, Wasteland 2, Blackguards, Underail, etc...), you can still see mainstream attempting to dominate the PC market with mobile ports like they did with console games. Thing is, they have pretty much gotten out of the market and these smaller companies are operating again like they did in the old days by providing their on marketing, publishing, and distribution (cutting away the cancer of big publishers who are responsible for the decline of the industry).

    Point is, with such, there is no major marketing money behind the games anymore. It is because, that type of money and appeal is used to gain mainstream. It is not needed for the gaming market. Gamers are the target, not mainstream, so I doubt you will see much commercialized approach with gimmicks on TV to attract mass audiences. Rather they will get the word out through gaming channels, to people who are actually interested in games, not just being "entertained".


  • goboygogoboygo Member RarePosts: 2,141
    edited December 2015

    The reason those two games are so popular is not because of some advertising blitz, its because they are both good games that people stick with so in other words, word of mouth.

    If something is good it doesn't stay hidden for long.  Only games with poor retention need to advertise because no one talks about them.

    Massive advertising is what games like wow does once they get going (TV commercials etc), then it just sends them over the top because the player base is there to create the frenzy.

    You can argue this point if you want but its what drives most numbers on MMO's.  If the secret to being successful in an MMO was just massive advertising then that's where the money would all go, but it doesn't make bad games good.  It just gets more people to try and quit your game.

    If Pantheon is a good game they wont have to advertise.  If its a bad game it wont matter how much they advertise.

    Post edited by goboygo on
  • SinistSinist Member RarePosts: 1,369
    goboygo said:
    Massive advertising is what games like this do once they get going (TV commercials etc), then it just sends them over the top because the player base is there to create the frenzy.

    Your premise is illogical though. Why would they make a game for a specific niche, telling mainstream that they aren't trying to catch the mass market, then turn around and use advertising to mass market?
  • goboygogoboygo Member RarePosts: 2,141

    I'm not suggesting they do I was just touching  on the fact that advertising will not make or break this game or any game for that matter, gamers are a social bunch, and yes a niche crowd in general.  If the game is good we will tell everyone we know that's a gamer, if its not we generally say nothing and just walk away from it.

    Even if this game is made for a niche of the MMO market ( and it is ) there is no need to really advertise much, if its good word will spread.

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