Planetside 2 will need lots of Marketing

Bobalue

I hope Planetside 2 gets enough $ for Marketing. I would hate to see this game go unnoticed because I feel like that's what happened with the first one. This game just needs to build a little hype and live up to if for it to be super successful.

dramatikz

i don't know how long planetside can keep people's attention span, most MMO players like their games to be fantasy themed and most FPS people like to play on consoles mostly.  i'm assuming most like games more like battlefield ( team deathmatch, CTF and other gametypes).  the MMO FPS market is a niche one to say the least, but i think if it was able to grab enough console players and your battlefield 3 type players it could really grow.  planetside was really fun once you got into it, especially if you rolled with a guild or your friends.. i think if they made it more sand box esque they would have an amazing game that could really pull a big number in.  i'm hoping it does because when you had a populated server on planetside the huge fights than ensued were unlike anything i've experienced in a game.. it was organized chaos.

dubyahite

I think SOE knows this. I mean, look at how much time they are spending connecting with the community and releasing information.

I've never seen a company show as much information about a game that is still in Alpha as they have shown of Planetside 2. They aren't reay holding very much back.

They're showing screenshots and videos. They are answering almost every question with only a few details held back. They do a podcast on YouTube. They tweet out random images all the freaking time.

Also, look at how Higby is representing the game. The guy is everywhere. He's on the PSU forums, he answers questions on Reddit, he goes to every convention (even ones that SOE doesn't have a presence at), he does a ton o interviews, and he is very passionate about this game.

Higby is not only reaching out to the PS community, but the gaming community at large. That guy is busting his butt to get the game into peoes minds. I feel much better about the game's marketing with that guy leading the hype train.


I don't think it's just a matter of throwing money at it like you said in the OP. Right now at least they need to get the hearts, minds, and imagination of the masses. Banner ads and trailers are great and all, but they really need to sell this game to people and that is what they are doing.

AtlantisGER

The game itself is nice, but as already mentioned MMOFPS isn't a genre that's so popular (and loved since some "MMO"Fps are giving this genre a bad reputation). I really hope that SOE will do the job done right with advertising this game when the time is right. Reaching the community that is already loving PS is actually not the trick to be done. Instead the game has to be shown to other players that doesn't even know about PS at all (but please do not show it to CoD-Kids, couldn't stand the flame).

But i think the most and best part of marketing can be done by the players itself: Make Gameplay videos, launch events and give cake to people. That's the way I check out games: via youtube gameplay videos, not via trailer or official gameplay videos published by devs/publisher.

fadis

Because the game is F2P - I think they are anticipating a lot of 'word of mouth' advertising and won't need as large of marketing campaign to draw in players.  If the game is good.... that should work quite nicely, I'd think.

 

 

 

dubyahite

Originally posted by fadis

Because the game is F2P - I think they are anticipating a lot of 'word of mouth' advertising and won't need as large of marketing campaign to draw in players.  If the game is good.... that should work quite nicely, I'd think.

 

 

 

As someone who had a lot of experience trying to get people to play Planetside back in the day, I can't agree with this enough.

 

So many people didn't get to experience because of the monthly sub. Most of the friends I tried to get into the game flat out ignored me because of the sub fee. The game itself interested them, the sub was a deal breaker for an FPS.

 

This time around, it's going to be different I think. Word of mouth was mostly useless with the first game. This time they will have no such barrier to entry.  

troublmaker

Planetside 2 might have missed their time in the sun.

Unfortunately free to play MMOFPS is like the big buzz word this year and there are tones of MMOFPS games coming out.

Worst yet Blacklight Retribution is out, a free to play shooter game that is as good as most modern shooters.  This basically makes MMOFPS games look like shit.

dubyahite

Originally posted by troublmaker

Planetside 2 might have missed their time in the sun.

Unfortunately free to play MMOFPS is like the big buzz word this year and there are tones of MMOFPS games coming out.

Worst yet Blacklight Retribution is out, a free to play shooter game that is as good as most modern shooters.  This basically makes MMOFPS games look like shit.

I couldn't disagree with you more.  Comparing a game like Blacklight to Planetside 2 simply because they share the same payment model is the equivalent of comparing Eve online to SWTOR because they both charge subscriptions.

 

Planetside is an MMO in every sense of the word. Blacklight is an every day run of the mill instanced shooter.  It isn't the same style of game at all. 

 

When Higby says that Planetside did something no other game has done since then, until Planetside 2 comes out, he is not just hyping or marketing. Its the freaking truth. 

 

Not a single one of these other so-called "MMOFPS" games even comes close to acheiving what Planetside 2 is going to acheive. They don't even come close to acheiving what Planetside 1 accomplished! 

 

They aren't even in the same ballpark. Those tons of MMOFPS games that you claim are coming out this year aren't even able to live up to the gameplay of Planetside 1.

IAmMMO

Planetside 2will promote it self with one hell of a word of mouth fire storm hitting the net once this goes live. All PS1 players from back in the day have faith in this, nothing touches the scale and experience of a huge Planetside battle.  The time is right for Planetside to take it place on the MMO stage of blow people away.

Ice-Queen

I hope they heavily advertise too. If it's anything like the original I'll be happy.

kiltak

I think you guys are getting little head of your selves here. PS2 is probably at least a year and half to two years from release. They have loads of times to get the word out on PS2. 

Planetside didn't fail because of bad marketing. There two main reasons in my opinion that planetside did not keep players. The first is that SOE introduced stuff in the game that threw the balance off the game off those Battle Mech (sorry forget what they were called off hand) was the big one.

The next reason and this is the main reason was that it was that you would take bases but there was no incentive to hold on to those bases. So you would get massive fights and then at some point the community would call it quits and that would be that.   You didn't really worry about loosing what your side has captured because it really didn't really give you much of advantage or disadvantage for loosing or capturing bases. There were some rewards for capture bases and what not but not to point that it really mattered.

With PS2 on the other hand this will not be the case. Now from what I have read there is crafting in the game. Now in order to craft certain weapons, vehicles and what not you have to have access to resources. In order to get those resources you have to capture and hold on to what you capture so that you can build what you want. This is going to drive guilds to capture and then hold on to what they have captured. This of course will lead to more confilict which will keep players in the game. Now keep in mind there is so much about the game that is sketchy at this point I am sure they will have other incentives that will drive the game.

The third thing that I think didn't help PS was that it came out at a really bad point when cable/dsl were still new and upcoming. Lot players still didn't have high speed internet. This is no longer really a problem as almost all gamers have high speed internet. Those that don't are probably not gamers.

Last not least was subscription. The problem with asking players to pay $15 dollars a month for a FPS game is that at some point those said players are going to ask themselves why should I pay $15 dollars for this game when I can play for free some where else. There has to be a enough elements in game for players want to pay $15 dollars a month to play what they can get for free. 

Any thats just my opinion any way.

binkus

I hope so too

saying that they have got it right F2p is teh right model, hardcore players will cough up about 4 or 5 players worth of subscription fee per month and the casual player can pop back in for a shooty fix without breaking a sweat

subscriprion is a dying breed and really most games should abandon it like Eve should (if it was f2p i am sure more players would 'pop' back in)

as for the hype and marketing all the original planetside playes i know are pant wettingly excited about it, and i myself am telling many people about the old game and i know a couple who are too

i think the gamer connections are pretty valuable these days. although a tv advert during prime time would be damn effective steal some of the BF and COD players from their boring constraining artifice maps

 

the problem with advertising a free to play game i seems to devalue it and put some people off... free to play gah i wont play that lets hope we get the population we deserve

 

 

 

 

 

erictlewis

The problem is that SOE is making this game.   First off its nothing like the first one, and second SOE does not advertise that much.  Not to mention that Alaplaya Prosebien.sat.1 bought the distribution rights in Europe for this game as well, and you will be ip locked to them, or to soe depending on where you live.

For me its made by soe, and I am no longer an SOE fanboy, I will call it like I see it, this will go the route of dcuo.

 

William12

Originally posted by erictlewis

The problem is that SOE is making this game.   First off its nothing like the first one, and second SOE does not advertise that much.  Not to mention that Alaplaya Prosebien.sat.1 bought the distribution rights in Europe for this game as well, and you will be ip locked to them, or to soe depending on where you live.

For me its made by soe, and I am no longer an SOE fanboy, I will call it like I see it, this will go the route of dcuo.

 

A few WRONG statements here first of all you will NOT be IP locked no matter where you live.   They originally were going to do this, but smed changed his mind after people complained.   DCUO was marketed as a triple A high budget MMO.  Planetside 2 is not a high budget MMOFPS it is what it is and they have been very upfront about the gameplay and what they want to do with the game.    Also UNLIKE DCUO SOE owns the PS trademark they can do what they want and will not be paying a 3rd party a portion of the revenue.

erictlewis

Originally posted by William12

Originally posted by erictlewis

The problem is that SOE is making this game.   First off its nothing like the first one, and second SOE does not advertise that much.  Not to mention that Alaplaya Prosebien.sat.1 bought the distribution rights in Europe for this game as well, and you will be ip locked to them, or to soe depending on where you live.

For me its made by soe, and I am no longer an SOE fanboy, I will call it like I see it, this will go the route of dcuo.

 

A few WRONG statements here first of all you will NOT be IP locked no matter where you live.   They originally were going to do this, but smed changed his mind after people complained.   DCUO was marketed as a triple A high budget MMO.  Planetside 2 is not a high budget MMOFPS it is what it is and they have been very upfront about the gameplay and what they want to do with the game.    Also UNLIKE DCUO SOE owns the PS trademark they can do what they want and will not be paying a 3rd party a portion of the revenue.

You wrong,  pss1 still thinks they have planetside.   Dcuo is the fist one to go.

http://en.alaplaya.net/forum/general-discussion-f2906/-updated-soe-prosiebensat1-games-partnership-faq-t492961.html

http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?start=840&topic_id=516732

Yes folks are still complaining and we not gotten any real answers other than you will be using the pss1 launcher if your in the eu.   You can still play the game on us servers but your money will not go directly to soe.