SoEs lack of *Selling* the game to the PublicFollow

My account is down for a while so I've been getting my fix in the Escape to Norrath Trial. /rant on : It's very sad that SoE hasn't bothered to either release a Cresent Reach type trial or at the very least update the existing trial tutorial. There are so many people in there (have seen over 60 at one time -- in the tutorial -- if you can believe it) and while a few are people like me, most are either trying to get a feel for the game or have been away for several years wanting to see what's changed and maybe come back. SoE is serious slacking IMHO ... the new quick med system isn't even in place in the trial and so all people get is a taste of the same old too much down time. There are a lot of people who would probably pick this game up if they actually could get a feel for what it is *now*. /rant off
Oh yeah and of course I'm in there *selling*, explaining how much better the game actually is than in the out of date tutorial and directing returning players and newbies alike to allah ... hrm ... okay SoE, where's my cut?? (riiiiight)

OP raises a good point. If we like this game our testimonials carry alot of weight. Imagine a simple ad campaign where SOE used long-time players characters saying why they still play.

EQ is not a gremlin, its a model T. The model T is a legend that will never be equalled. The newer games tend to do 1-2 narrow things better with a focus on eye candy over substance. EQ does nearly everything, though not always the best but it keeps evolving to do more.

SOE should do something for new players... and that is make a new server (and tag it as preferred) that no transfers can go to for a year (but do let existing accounts reroll there if they want). After the year its a regular status server and start a new one. They likely don't even need to add actual new servers since it seems that a few of the low-pop existing servers would benefit from a merge judging by the long-term discussion for such.

Allakhazam is the place returning players look, and its the place most of us send newbies when we encounter them. Its a shame that some people choose to regularly vent negativity about a game they presumably still play or have and interest in (otherwise why use these forums?). Alla is SoE's advertising campaign if you will... and they don't pay for it either.

agreed, SOE's marketing department is either non-existant, has no budget, and/or consists of devs, who achieved the final state, as described in the "peters principle"...

heck, just look at SOE's website... I give them 1 star (out of five) for usability... same goes for the selfcare sites... crappy at best...

BUT, the game is still good :-D

I think that any players who try a game that's been out a while can be turned off by lack of population in the new areas, but that can be overcome by friendly people.

Try logging in a new character, and asking an easy question, like "How do I turn off my auto-attack?" or "How do I open my map?" and find out how long it takes (.4 seconds normally) before a player bashes you for being an idiot, and you should go play WoW.

Those of us who assist players in learning the game and trying to become a part of our communities are what it's all about!

Community is what keeps players, not marketing.

As for people downloading and trying the game - it happens more then you might think. But keep trying to support EQ. I think you'd be surprised that people will keep trying it, and often, come back to it, the longer it stays out.

In the end though, it's truly a mature game. The content is going to be aimed at the high end. Because that's who still playing.

T

I have been on this soap box for a long time now. SOE needs to bring in the new, never played EQ1, player into the game. There also are numerous ways to keep the old player playing even in old zones. SOE needs to take a personal aspect to the game. Bring back excitement and adventure.
Marketing for instance WoW has a counter displays, floor stacks poster etc. You can not even find the game on Game Stop shelves any longer. SoE has further removed the game from the impulse General Public by making any further expansions via downloads from their site only. Their market now consist of the inbred (not meant in a bad way) EQ’s dwindling population. Could someone tell me how a person would even know about the game from the outside? When the game first started it was in print everywhere. It can still be in print by “kick backs or schmoozing “some of the Gaming publications. WoW does it…Sony’s new games do it. The classic games still can do it, also. This game has a lot to offer or it would have gone by the way-side long ago.
Adding Excitement and Adventure: Most zones have dead end caves, walls behind waterfalls, flat earth waters ending at zone lines. Long ago they add the zone Warrens. I found out about this zone by word of mouth and headed over to make my own discovery. There are enough dead ends that SoE can add a zone, do not tell anyone except that new zone added in log on. Let the server population discover it, spread the rumor but making the old zone become adventurous again, make it worth a old players time to go back and explore some of these old zones. Make some cool drops only available until the next patch. Make the Attuneable or no drop items offer able to tribute. That way all my efforts to get an item use it, out grow it not in vain. At least it would not hurt so bad to destroy the item. SoE should have more GM events. To be honest all I play is on Zek so they may have a monthly GM event on other servers. But I have not heard of any. But when there is a GM event on Zek, word spreads fast and the zone is flooded. And of coarse PKing is ramped as it should be on this server. But it is fun and it something different than leveling or pking, waiting for raid to get together or beg for a group. What would be even more fun would be for them to make a mob. This mob or army taking over and destroying the other npc and players in the zone and if not stopped in time rendering access to the zone closed for a certain amount of time. For a week or between patches. In Sales anytime the public can’t have what they could of makes them want it more. Would work for a virtual game also. People want what they can’t have. Or want what only a few can.
Beside advertising and promoting for the new player, I have an idea to get the younger players in. People who know me know me by my toon “Armourcarr” a bazaar merchant.
Everquest’s trade and market mirrors a real world economy. But more Free. There is price fixing if you can get others to cooperate, low balling, price gouging and monopolies. This would be a great economic tool and model for students. Make the Bazaar zone shared by all servers, except for Firiona Vie’s (even no drop can be purchased there). I would realize that this would cut into item transfers but would not cut into character transfer. Probably would increase transfers because of friendships made in the Bazaar. When a player would zone out of the Bazaar he would enter his own server. Than create just a disk to be given to high school economic departments that would only be the Bazaar Zone, with language filters and rules. But team in class would be able to purchase, trade, employee and learn general economics. It is possible Armourcarr started by buying low items, and ground spawns and is worth over 30 mil. in plat and items now. But would expose a lot more youth to the game and even if you would get a small percentage to continue to play the game at home, is more than what we are getting now. And it also would make some of the youth think instead of learning a game with finger and joystick movements.
SoE can give incentives for players to bring in new players without giving away monies or free time. Just like real life I play to have the better toys. So give a port potion, clicky cape or something little but an incentive.
I will take a little more effort on their part and more on the players part but I think some of these and other players suggestion should be considered. But an happy player would make us excited to talk about the game again and spread the word that EVERQUEST is the greatest game created and it is growing strong.

Armourcarr, Zek’s Bazaar Merchant
Vinney DeWanderer Ranger 65, Zek.

Vinnie you have some excellent suggestions. Here is the real question, as I see it. Do you really want to see marketing changes? I respectfully suggest that you and everyone else who has criticisms and/or suggestions of how to improve the game get in touch with SOE directly. They have a marketing department. They read their email. Nothing ever changes if no one ever tries. Who knows, maybe they think everyone is happy. Use your power to have your voice heard.

Just my .02, but something I believe strongly in. I've not written to companies frequently, but on the occasions where I feel impassioned to communicate something to someone, I have been pleasantly surprised by how often I get a response. It may just be a form letter, but you'll have started a dialog, you'll have someone's name, and you can choose to nudge them as often as you like.

"Quit talking thru your ***, shadow"



Amen, all mighty Druid

There is relatively little in the expansion for people under 70, I can see not buying it pretty easily if I was a sub-70 soloer. for 70+ soloers, there are a number of exquisite kite spots.

From this point on, it is going to be one expansion a year.

No, it's not. I do not use general chat, and play nightly with 50+ people who also do not. A vast majority of upper end people very rarely join it. It's also capped at 200.

As a general rule, just ignore shadowrelm.

Edited, Nov 14th 2007 7:32pm by Groogle

shadow, did you do a lot of hard drugs in your youth?

the links I deleted?

I've deleted some of your posts... but none in this thread.

Without actual evidence (and no, a link with a number and no source is not evidence) statements about EQ's subscriber base are pretty meaningless.