12 replies to this topic

[BVRBandit]

As I promised a few weeks back, now that the whole legal farce is behind us, I have put a lot of marketing into Alganon. Some of those campaigns (game magazines, Facebook, Google etc) are already starting while others are on track to start in January and will run through most of next year.

If you have a PC Gamer sub, you probably already saw this two page spread in the Jan 2011 issue. We're running these ads for the next few months as we continue to improve the game, build on the install base etc.

Yes, we've very committed to Alganon and a LOT exciting stuff are in the works. All will be revealed early next year. Promise.

[RipperMcGee]

Pretty cool

[Joanne Simmonds]

If you do not mind a suggestion, have you thought of placing the game on Steam, recently Steam have gone over to doing F2p games. These have become very popular and a lot of the F2p games have producted full servers forcing games to open up new ones, this is just a suggestion but this game is so good it really does deserve to get out there big time and attract lots of new players.

[Padreic]

We're keeping our ears to the ground and continuing to explore more options to attract new players and keep the word out about Alganon.

this game is so good it really does deserve to get out there big time and attract lots of new players.

Thanks! We're hard at work trying to make it even better for you.

[Rewind]

We're keeping our ears to the ground and continuing to explore more options to attract new players and keep the word out about Alganon.


Thanks! We're hard at work trying to make it even better for you.

It's been a year since any content patch, I haven't seen advertising anywhere, and the "major" expansion was supposed to be released Q4 2011.

This is a lie.

Padreic and Lukather are the only thing keeping this community alive.. err... in a vegetative state. Their heads are doing something wrong. Bandit, you need to sell this game or something. God, I'm tired of visiting these forums twice a week and only seeing Padreic and Luke on. You're getting your money leeched by something that actually has potential.

[Joanne Simmonds]

Well I am a newish player to this game, however I have played many rpg's over the years including, gw1, wow, lotro, and some f2p ones as well, however alganon is the only game which has kept my interest since wow and lotro. The only thing spoiling it is the lack of players, keeping ears to the ground will not produce players sorry to say this but if the game is to survive then action is needed and big time. People have been going on about the new expansion hitting end of March, I personally cannot see this happening at present due to the fact so few people actually play. My suggestion for the game to be placed on steam was a serious one, this game needs the input steam would bring it. I can assure you that every F2P game that has been place onto steam since they started doing this has bought the games mass influxes of players, even causing a lot of the games to open new servers, I know that it is not just as easy as saying oh lets put it on steam but if this game is going to go anywhere now things have to be done asap. I do not want to have to yet again find another game cause frankly this game is far to good to see go down and die. Please think about this seriously if not steam then something to get it out there.

[Padreic]

Rewind, the issue of the expansion date has already been discussed in another thread so I'm going to link it instead of rehashing: http://www.alganon.c...post__p__47251. As for content, we've been steadily releasing new Test of Faith instances and running events throughout the year to help trickle in new content while we're finalizing the expansion.

Regarding getting the game out there, we couldn't agree more. More advertising/etc is coming in addition to what we've been putting out there already, and I meant what I said above about exploring options to get the word out and attract more players (by distribution changes or other means). We also love this game and want to see a surge of new blood, so hopefully we'll see exactly that in the near future. As usual, we'll keep everyone posted with any new developments.

[BVRBandit]

It's been a year since any content patch, I haven't seen advertising anywhere, and the "major" expansion was supposed to be released Q4 2011.

This is a lie.

Padreic and Lukather are the only thing keeping this community alive.. err... in a vegetative state. Their heads are doing something wrong. Bandit, you need to sell this game or something. God, I'm tired of visiting these forums twice a week and only seeing Padreic and Luke on. You're getting your money leeched by something that actually has potential.

First of all, you have no clue what you're talking about. And calling people liars is a sure fine way to get banned. But I'll let it slide just this one time.

If you think marketing is just something you start and throw money at indefintenly, you are sadly mistaken. I guess you missed all the ad banners, the DC Comics deal, GDC11, ComicCon, Facebook and ALL the other marketing that we ran from 2010 through to the end of 2011 - and some of which are still running.

Posts such as yours are the reason most game devs/execs don't bother posting at all.

And it doesn't matter how many people from QOL are posting on forums - so I miss your point entirely. If there is nothing to post about and nobody needing assistance etc, what is the point of posting?

Instead of complaining, do something productive and help promote the game however you can. People with common sense believe in solutions, not problems.

[bodtyke]

rewind try checking both factions in game. i don't spend much time in forums but i do play almost every day and we have a a small but active guild on the talrok side. we players also are keeping the game alive.

[Lukather]

If you think marketing is just something you start and throw money at indefintenly, you are sadly mistaken. I guess you missed all the ad banners, the DC Comics deal, GDC11, ComicCon, Facebook and ALL the other marketing that we ran from 2010 through to the end of 2011 - and some of which are still running.

Posts such as yours are the reason most game devs/execs don't bother posting at all.

And it doesn't matter how many people from QOL are posting on forums - so I miss your point entirely. If there is nothing to post about and nobody needing assistance etc, what is the point of posting?

Having arrived here by chance (a bug in the game was mentioned as model for studying group behavior), and not really being on the lookout for a new game this last year (one addiction at a time), I can't say much about Alganon's marketing campaigns.

I'm sure there was marketing done, and quite true that throwing money around is not necessarily the best strategy.
Obviously the game had a bad starting point too, as far public opinion goes, so not an easy task bringing in the masses. That's without getting into the competition.

However...having played for a year, I can say that overall, the number of active players did not change much. Sometimes more people on one faction, sometimes more people in certain guild etc - but numbers stay about the same. Sadly, It is still a rare event when one needs to scroll down the social list.

Might be more people checking the game out, I have no viable way to know, but most do not stick around. This by itself is pretty normal for online games (well, at least those which are f2p or offer free trials). so it is either a case of not enough people come in through the door, or that they don't find what's inside appealing enough.

Not pointing fingers or anything, just saying that from a player point of view, the fruits of those marketing campaigns are yet to be seen. I would like to believe that the expansion's release will change that.


As for staff posting on forums - well, obviously there is no need for GM spam :-). That said, empty forums deter some people from signing up. being a good measure of how "alive" a game is. So to some degree, maybe "artificial" posting is not such a bad idea, sort of jumpstart things. While not exactly the same, I was under the impression that GM in-game events were both well received and generated interest (not to mention being fun, wish it was more of a regular feature) - might work in the forum as well.

[Joanne Simmonds]

I have to admit here I had never heard of the game untill about 2 months ago when I stumbled on it accidentely, I had never seen any advertising for it or heard anyone talk about it. It was only cause I was looking for something new to play that I found the game on a rpg gaming website and thought I would give it a try, otherwise I would never have known about or played it. Mind you since finding the game I have not stopped playing, the game has a lot to keep people interested it is just getting people to play in the first place which seems to be the major problem.

[Rewind]

First of all, you have no clue what you're talking about. And calling people liars is a sure fine way to get banned. But I'll let it slide just this one time.

If you think marketing is just something you start and throw money at indefintenly, you are sadly mistaken. I guess you missed all the ad banners, the DC Comics deal, GDC11, ComicCon, Facebook and ALL the other marketing that we ran from 2010 through to the end of 2011 - and some of which are still running.

Posts such as yours are the reason most game devs/execs don't bother posting at all.

And it doesn't matter how many people from QOL are posting on forums - so I miss your point entirely. If there is nothing to post about and nobody needing assistance etc, what is the point of posting?

Instead of complaining, do something productive and help promote the game however you can. People with common sense believe in solutions, not problems.

1. Surefire way to treat your customers -- let them play your game for months, and then tell them they have no idea what they're talking about. Probably one of the reasons this game is in such a state. Don't be arrogant, Mr. Smart, this is just advice from a (formerly) paying customer. :-)

2. That's definitely not working. Nor is that what I mean by "advertising". This game needs a relaunch -- and not just a major content expansion, but an overhaul of the name, image, etc. This game does not have the most positive image from what it was years ago, and event your most fervent supporters agree with me. This game will be successful once you and your team manage to successfully refresh said image.

Putting a tired and battered name on various MMO websites and Facebook won't do anything -- players have come and gone for a reason. You guys have been promising an "aggressive" marketing campaign since "Dirty" Dave Allen was around with a branding that has a TERRIBLE stigma.

3. "Posts such as yours are the reason most game devs/execs don't bother posting at all."
Wrong. Game devs/execs don't post because they don't care about the community -- not the other way around. I care about this game, and I'm attempting to give a wake up call to the very people responsible for it. It's not MY game, I don't pay the bills for it every month, you do. I really couldn't care any less whether you post or not, it's a matter of replying to a community that is sick and tired of poor management.

4. If there is nothing to post about and nobody needing assistance etc, what is the point of posting?
Oh, I don't know. Perhaps to give your community SOME sort of faith in what seems to be a game on its last legs? Perhaps if you, or your community team, would engage the community instead of engaging you, there wouldn't be "nothing to post about".

5. "Instead of complaining, do something productive and help promote the game however you can."

You're welcome, in advance. Considering I did that nearly TWO YEARS AGO, to no avail.

http://www.onrpg.com...rds/182808.html
http://www.onrpg.com...rds/170496.html
http://www.onrpg.com...rds/149504.html


And in response?
"I was going to post this earlier but i thought no one would care due to the amount of people who hated the game. This is the worst WoW clone out there in my opinion some of the bugs are just rediculous I got one hit koed by a really low level mob hitting me for some stupid number like 6519861321 this happened multiple times to me even after i reported it they didn't fix it so i just uninstalled. Everything about the game to me is just mediocerly done."

"I hate the phrase "wow-clone."

"But in this case I think it actually fits really well. Plus that premium package seems a bit silly, there are other ways to make a good f2p game without resorting to limiting your user-base.

Also even mentioning DaoC in the same sentence is blasphemy. DaoC was/is a pretty unique 3-sided rvr-game. Shame that some expansions ruined it beyond repair, but shit happens.

Based on screenshots alone I can say, thx but no thx on Alganon though."

"this game is terribad"

[BVRBandit]

Have you been keeping track of just how many MMO games CLOSED between 2010 - 2011? No? Maybe you should do that before you continue along this path.

Everyone - usually those on the outside looking - think they have the answers, know everything etc when in fact they don't know squat.

I have poured a significant amount of money into this game in the past two years (this month is my two year anniversary btw) and much like ALL those other MMO games that are either struggling or already shut down (and from better funded, larger and more experienced teams I might add), you can only do so much and try so many things - never knowing what actually works unless and until the metrics kick in a tell you.

When people come to an MMO and see low pop, the double-edge sword is that they bugger off instead of sticking around.

When I came to Alganon, it was a frigging mess as all would agree. I saw to it that the game was finished, marketed etc. However, the fact of the matter is that it really doesn't matter what you do if you have the decks stacked against you and you don't have a genie under your bed stuffing Gold coins under your pillow when you are asleep,

I have run a successful company for more than twenty-two years, shipped 14 games (working on #15 and #16 atm) which collectively generated well over $100m in revenue. So, don't tell me that you know more than I do because quite clearly, you don't.

I believed in the game enough to pour two years and a few million in it, while keeping a bunch of people working and in a terrible economy. So just stop.