Advertising

Computerwiz1990

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jan 2008

E/Me

I dont know if Anet already does, or NCSoft....Atleast i never see it on my local channels... But they should advertise Guild Wars on TV.... There are so many people that know of the game but probably think it has a subscription. There are so many people who hasnt even heard of the game period... It would help a lot...

Granted it is expensive though....

Divinus Stella

Divinus Stella

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2005

Wales

Steel Phoenix

Thats one of the main reasons Guild Wars never took off to the extent of WoW, ive played both games and the only reason i can find as to why WoW has consumed the majority of the market share is thats its advertising is superior and its managed to pull players from the RTS Warcraft games.

TV advertising pulls in the wrong people, you tend to end up with (for the lack of a better word) retards.

Gaming magazines is the best place to advertise and build hype, they tried a few times with minipets but that doesnt really pull people in who dont already play and was way too late.
If you pick up any magazine even remotely linked to games its guaranteed that you will see a WoW advert or article somewhere.

Zahr Dalsk

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Aug 2007

Canada

Quote:
Originally Posted by Divinus Stella
TV advertising pulls in the wrong people, you tend to end up with (for the lack of a better word) retards.
Guild Wars is already full of them.

Brimstonez

Brimstonez

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Nov 2006

Earth?

None

E/

Not a bad idea, though they already have a huge fanbase. If they were to do this, I would more suggest it for GW2 when it is soon to be released. Not only will it attract attention to the new game, but also get people curious about the previous releases.

For this matter, I rarely see advertising for ANY videogames on TV anymore. I guess the governments are starting to crack down on it, and get kids to be more interested in education as opposed to games...not a bad ploy in my opinion. I've lost count of how many people I've ran into online in these games, who can't even string a sentence together with the correct spelling and grammar.

aapo

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Divinus Stella
TV advertising pulls in the wrong people, you tend to end up with (for the lack of a better word) retards.
- So you're claiming that people who watch television and buy advertised products are generally "retards"? Interesting point of view. Care to elaborate?

Brimstonez

Brimstonez

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Nov 2006

Earth?

None

E/

I watch television, and bought products based on that advertising. I played with one of those products, created something new from it, and now earn 6 figures a year in royalties because of it.

Television can be mind numbing, and it can also be used for useful information.

Hotaru_Reiki

Hotaru_Reiki

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Jan 2008

England

[NsW]

R/N

I agree with Stella. Not to say that all people that watch TV are retards, just that it does tend to pull people in that aren't quite what you'd want in your game.

The only thing that turned me off from WoW was the 'tards that seem to populate every server. There are a lot of ace people that play, but the whole experience is ruined by people that think it's fun to wreck other peoples gameplay and that your epeen is the be all and end all.

GW2 should definitley advertise more than GW did, but only in specialist area's.

Cargan

Cargan

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Jun 2007

Scotland

[ESP]

W/

yeah, it's not very often you see a TV advertisement for a PC only game at the best of times. I can understand why they didn't advertise the game on TV to start with , and once it has gone a while without advertising it's not worth it to start advertising an old game. The cost of advertising would outweigh the gains from advertising such a game.

With the increased popularity of MMO's over recent years, and the now more competitive nature of the market, I would be surprised if they didn't choose to advertise GW2 on TV.


Cargan

Divinus Stella

Divinus Stella

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Nov 2005

Wales

Steel Phoenix

Its about target audience, if your gonna sell viagra then dont put adverts in the beano.

Tutis Evito

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Aug 2006

England,UK

Incredible Edible Bookah [YUM]

R/

Ive seen a few Wow tv ads with Mr T on them...funny

stretchs

stretchs

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Sep 2007

Untimely Demise [Err了] - SOHK

I am a bit surprised that gw hasnt done a better job of marketing itself via the television. I hope that with gw2 they decide to get some tv ads and whatnot to bring us new blood

Pleikki

Pleikki

WTB q8 15^50 Weapons!

Join Date: Nov 2006

???oo ???ugs ???lan [?????????]

Yeah probably if Ncsoft would go for Tv we would get many new players to play guild wars cause "playing with no fees" gather ppl buy Mmo :d

Darcy

Darcy

Never Too Old

Join Date: Jul 2006

Rhode Island where there are no GW contests

Order of First

W/R

You need to remember that WoW's MMO started with an existing fan base. It wasn't surprising that it was popular.

GW was an experimental on-line game format with a limited development budget from NCSoft (the publisher). No money was spent on marketing beyond the packaging. The increasing popularity was a surprise to NCSoft, who didn't think it would take off as it did.

ANet does have a marketing staff now, which is the reason for the magazine/internet articles and interviews. TV ads - too expensive for the possible return on investment. Print and internet ads can be more easily targeted.

Zahr Dalsk

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Aug 2007

Canada

Quote:
Originally Posted by aapo
- So you're claiming that people who watch television and buy advertised products are generally "retards"? Interesting point of view. Care to elaborate?
Staring at a TV as the idiotic shows break your sanity takes no conscious thought. Gaming, on the other hand, does (to a variable degree depending on the game) require conscious thought.

Operative 14

Operative 14

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2006

Arizona, USA

[OOP] Order of the Phoenix I

Considering GW's pricing structure, I'd be surprised if they could run enough commercials to draw enough people in to pay for their expenditure. They would have to run quite a few commercials before the average person would get up and say 'darn it, that looks like a neat game and I'm going to buy it!'

I have no idea how TV commercial pricing structures work, but it seems like they wouldn't be able to recoup their investment. In order to get a few more people, they'd have to pay a lot more money. That works out fine for WoW, because they have, what? 9 million x $15 a month = a heck of a lot of income every month. So they basically have money to burn in that respect.

GW's pricing structure is casual player friendly, and I hope they do advertise GW2 on TV (party because I think their commercials would be really, really neat). However, I don't see them making enough return on the commercials to justify them.

WinterSnowblind

WinterSnowblind

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Feb 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tutis Evito
Ive seen a few Wow tv ads with Mr T on them...funny
Not sure who they got to do those adverts, but I have to say it's one of the best advertisment campaigns I've ever seen. Even almost convinced me to play the game, and I usually hate ads.

Rushin Roulette

Rushin Roulette

Forge Runner

Join Date: Sep 2007

Right here

Ende

Quote:
Originally Posted by aapo
- So you're claiming that people who watch television and buy advertised products are generally "retards"? Interesting point of view. Care to elaborate?
Well, its quite obvious isnt it... they arent playing GW

But enough said... why invest in advertizing if you can get publicity from good reviews (just ignore GWEN for now) and have the game in the top 50 most bought/played games displayed at any Wallymart (at least NF and Factions always seem to be displayed in the top 50 here in Germany along with other "old" titles such as CSS which is nearly always in the top 5 .

They seem to rely quite heavily on word of mouth and sales statistics to keep up the momentum. However... at some point this momentum will peter out and generate less paying customers for GW. When that happens (or before) they will start working on a new project.
Thats the time for a new game. Maybe we should ask Anet think about working on a concept or a second GW game with maybe better Graphics (maybe even toggleable dx10) and a more revolutionary gameplay. We could call it GW2.

pumpkin pie

pumpkin pie

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jul 2006

behind you

bumble bee

E/

advertising = more unnecessary costs = players paying more

best is for everyone who buys guildwars and enjoy it to tell their friends about it, which i did yesterday while buying a new computer, I told the guy about it, he was very enthusiastic and swears he never hear of it before,

Isileth

Isileth

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Apr 2006

R/W

Its not at all cost effective to advertise on TV.

The main market for games is gamers. So advertising to a gamer rich audience gives you much better bang for your buck.

Thats why you hardly ever see games being advertised outside of gaming mags, sites etc.

llsektorll

llsektorll

Desert Nomad

Join Date: May 2005

Toronto, Canada

R/

the guild wars niche market does not spend its time watching tv.... the people that watch the shows aired are probably not gonna be willing to play an MMORPG

Thorondor Port

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jul 2006

British Columbia

W/

Maybe for gw2.

Severlator

Severlator

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Nov 2007

N/

They have done it in other ways like useing MMO sites and games magizines, apart from the odd wow advert here and there TV adds seem to be just consoles like the wii or xbox 360.

enter_the_zone

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Nov 2007

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Isileth
Its not at all cost effective to advertise on TV.

The main market for games is gamers. So advertising to a gamer rich audience gives you much better bang for your buck.

Thats why you hardly ever see games being advertised outside of gaming mags, sites etc.
So, advertise during gaming shows on Bravo. Cheap and could bump the numbers up.

aapo

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Apr 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zahr Dalsk
Staring at a TV as the idiotic shows break your sanity takes no conscious thought. Gaming, on the other hand, does (to a variable degree depending on the game) require conscious thought.
- Staring at TV takes as much energy as staring at monitor. It is a conscious decision to watch television as much as it is conscious decision to play games. Pressing WASD, left mouse button and numbers 1-8 every once in a while doesn't quite count as intelligent activity in my book, as simple script can replace everything you're doing with next to no processing power required!

paddes

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2005

"Hello, I'm William Shatner and I'm a Wa/Mo...."

or

"Hey Shatner, how do I use Spiteful Spirit?"

or

"I'm Mister T. and this is my Necromancer Mohawk..."

Zahr Dalsk

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Aug 2007

Canada

Quote:
Originally Posted by aapo
- Staring at TV takes as much energy as staring at monitor. It is a conscious decision to watch television as much as it is conscious decision to play games. Pressing WASD, left mouse button and numbers 1-8 every once in a while doesn't quite count as intelligent activity in my book, as simple script can replace everything you're doing with next to no processing power required!
The conscious decision is as far as effort is required for TV. After that, nothing needed.

Now.... WASD and keys 1-8... you assume I'm talking about Gw, which a monkey with a hammer could play. I speak of real games, such as Baldur's Gate, in which you need to actually think, and Dawn of War, in which you will get hammered if you don't think. Good luck making a simple script that can actually beat Dawn of War's max-difficulty AI (the most intelligent AI I have ever seen in a game. Ever). If you do not think in a real game, you die. If you do not think while watching TV, then... the show continues.

Abedeus

Abedeus

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Jan 2007

Niflheim

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zahr Dalsk
Good luck making a simple script that can actually beat Dawn of War's max-difficulty AI (the most intelligent AI I have ever seen in a game. Ever). If you do not think in a real game, you die. If you do not think while watching TV, then... the show continues.
I'd say good luck playing Gears of War at Hardcore, any level, without using brain. At normal mode it's pretty tough, while Hardcore is usually 2 hits = death. I know, it's using mainly WSAD + space + mouse + MAYBE E to rez, so less buttons than in GW, but it does require a lot of skill.

Razz Thom

Razz Thom

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Apr 2007

Three Feet Below Sea [LevL]

D/Mo

G4TV, Adult Swim, Gamehead, Jackass, most gamers I know watch these things, therefore perfectly targetted advertising waiting to be utilized.

NoXiFy

NoXiFy

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2007

★☆٭Ńēŵ~ŶờЯК٭☆★

The Benecia Renovatio [RenO]

Mo/Me

Quote:
Originally Posted by Zahr Dalsk
Guild Wars is already full of them.
QFT

Love people that stand in ToA all day saying 600 LF smite, you pay them the 500g than their gone. Leet scammers...