NS2, as advertised by the community!
the_x5
the Xzianthian Join Date: 2004-03-02 Member: 27041Members, Constellation
the Xzianthian Join Date: 2004-03-02 Member: 27041Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">why not?</div>A simple thought:
One would think that with all the dedicated NS fans here that we could launch our own advertising campaign without having to spend stupidly bloated budgets on marketing it.
I could easily sell an average of 3-5 copies a day of NS2 where I work and with the traffic we have. If it had a nice planogrammed end-cap display we'd sell even more. I'm sure Valve and the store I work for would both be interesting in the additional net operating profit that would bring. And that's just my connections.
I know we have the power to do it. Perhaps some kind of community "cult" like marketing plan? An example of that is Razer. It was a company that barely got a product in our store (the Razer Copperhead), but was so successful that they just decided to give it shelf in every store with the new DeathAdder, Tarantula, and Barracuda. My point is that you don't need a huge marketing budget to market a product successfully. Sure it helps, but I've see companies also horribly waste money marketing the product poorly or at the wrong market. I think of TV ADs that play repeatedly the same one several times in a single program and popups online that people hate.
UWE isn't EA or Microsoft. Like Nintendo's Wii, you are the underdog. I strongly suggest a revolutionary tactic of getting community involvement in the AD campaign when the time comes. Please consider doing that. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
One would think that with all the dedicated NS fans here that we could launch our own advertising campaign without having to spend stupidly bloated budgets on marketing it.
I could easily sell an average of 3-5 copies a day of NS2 where I work and with the traffic we have. If it had a nice planogrammed end-cap display we'd sell even more. I'm sure Valve and the store I work for would both be interesting in the additional net operating profit that would bring. And that's just my connections.
I know we have the power to do it. Perhaps some kind of community "cult" like marketing plan? An example of that is Razer. It was a company that barely got a product in our store (the Razer Copperhead), but was so successful that they just decided to give it shelf in every store with the new DeathAdder, Tarantula, and Barracuda. My point is that you don't need a huge marketing budget to market a product successfully. Sure it helps, but I've see companies also horribly waste money marketing the product poorly or at the wrong market. I think of TV ADs that play repeatedly the same one several times in a single program and popups online that people hate.
UWE isn't EA or Microsoft. Like Nintendo's Wii, you are the underdog. I strongly suggest a revolutionary tactic of getting community involvement in the AD campaign when the time comes. Please consider doing that. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Comments
How about wicked awesome videos of gameplay? Thats what people want to see. Give us a fast paced trailer/TV commercial and end it in the same fashion that the original NS website's flash animation did - it CAUGHT and HELD your attention. Having all sound fizz out suddenly after seeing ###### loads of action and gunfire, only to have "Natural-Selection.com" on your screen for a good five seconds, its why I visited the website and am here now ;P
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I NEED TO SEE THAT.
Did you notice the ripple that went out across the web when the DI blog was put up? If that wasn't effective and incredibly cheap advertising, I don't know what is!
Perhaps massive chain mail?! Someone's bound to read it <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
"Make 5 of your friends play NS or you will never get a girlfriend" sort of thing? The very thought scares me to the core...
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Ooooo, sounds deliciously evil..... muhahaha!
I NEED TO SEE THAT.
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Its not as good as I make it sound, trust me. I'm just overly infatuated with the old site. Also, the flash link is on the server that Charlie currently uses for his personal blog, and is erased/stored elsewhere non-accessible by outside users.
I did find this on youtube, though. <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=xAdkDxVhV6Y" target="_blank">http://youtube.com/watch?v=xAdkDxVhV6Y</a> Kind of offensive to anyone with strong morals.
Ooooo, sounds deliciously evil..... muhahaha!
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Things like that, the chain crap, might get a few to come.
Many more will refuse to touch it because they hate that stuff.
A series of 'training videos' demonstrating the features of NS.
For example It could be a 'NSA Intel report' on battlefield teqniques explain the cooler features of the game like 'dynamic infestation and how to combat it' or 'the command interface and how to equip your fighting force'.
Another could be 'NSA intel report' on the Kharra showing off the ablitities of the alien team.
This would keep wthing the lore of the game, as well as show off to the world everything that makes NS so great.
They could be cheeply made, just in game videos with a voice over and they could be put out for free on youtube and on Digg. Maby even sent off to some gamer sites like Kotaku.com 1up.com and such.
What do you all think?
We should really, <i>really</i> use <a href="http://www.adobe.com/creativelicense/" target="_blank">Adobe Creative Suite</a> stuff for that. Check out the Production pack's example video. I've seen first hand what that software does from start to finish. It may seem amazing, but in fact it's not as impossible as it would seem. Heck, there are several people right here on these forums who I know use Adobe's cheaper, basic program called Photoshop which "simply" edits images. Textures and skins are done with that, many signatures here were done with that, etc.
Here's an idea: remember when BMW paid for the production and released for free download on their website several short independent films in which their cars featured prominent roles? <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnSz7qEtnZA" target="_blank">Star</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bch3B5d1Tmc" target="_blank">Ticker</a>, and Ambush were my favorites. My point is that is what I'd call effective advertising if you were trying to establish with a new adolescent market who is very internet active the fact that your company has machines with the engineering capabilities to do that, even though you really shouldn't. Now we aren't selling cars, we are selling NS2 a game.
We should spend money on a nice marketing campaign, my point is that we can save a lot of money to think outside of the box.
Anybody here ever seen the TV series Ugly Betty? If so do you remember one of the first episodes where Betty actually saves her boss by helping him make a good impression with the Japanese minimalism guy and get the deal at a price that was in his budget by taking him to White Castle. There are clever ways to be effective which do not directly correlate with the price.
Most of all, we need to figure out:<ul><li>What connections our community has that'd help for marketing NS2</li><li>How we can raise money for such a campaign (in my mind this is the new role of constellation, and an added incentive to support it would be beta testing access when it would finally become available)</li><li>How we can maximize the efficiency in the <i>most</i> effective way possible</li><li>Create a project that we can be proud of as a community and which generates it's own internet fame (which in turn creates even more new potential customers)</li></ul>That's quite a task. It requires a lot bigger thinking than you all are giving out right now. Training videos are not thinking outside the box. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings, but that isn't good enough for the scale necessary for a breakthrough achievement. Max's NS2 Development Blog is a good start, but that really only advertises to the existing community or direct nerdy friends of those in the community. We need to think bigger, but at the same time be aware of our budget. I don't mean to make it sound like we are poor (well in comparison to giants like EA or Microsoft we are mere gnats), but rather that we need to outwit the competition. Like I said above, treat NS2 with the same innovation as Nintendo did with the Wii.
Perhaps expanding on the training videos idea would be to instead take a hint from BMW's campaign idea I mentioned earlier and do a backstory through the videos. If you give a real story with a plot and characters people can get attached to that would be a cool means of getting people interested. An added incentive for those involved is useful CG experience on a team project, which looks good on any resume.
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I see a potential breakthrough here: let me apply the NS Guides' knowledge and the fanfictions of others and my own (to give a scientific "insight" into the backstory). Regardless I'm starting to realize that all this requires "official" involvement and interest.
Max and Charlie, I'd appreciate your team's thoughts. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
Training videos are not thinking outside the box. I'm sorry if that hurts your feelings, but that isn't good enough for the scale necessary for a breakthrough achievement.
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No offence taken.
I dident quite reallise your ambition.
The type and scale of promotion you are suggesting will be very difficult, but defenatly possable, and I think you are right that developer involvement is a must.
Though of course they have a game to develop and there involment may be restricted so its the community that will drive this project, whatever it may become.
I think we mustent forget conventaional methods aswell to complement what we do, this might not be the right thread to talk about them but the wider gamer communty must be informed allso. be it via gamer sites or gamer culture sites like penny arcade, and simple tecniques like tralers will have there place. But to make an impact like you sugesst we are gonna need something <b>big</b>.
You read the blog entry about viral marketing? If not, read it now.
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You said this before, I can't find it and even then it really doesn't apply to what I'm talking about that well from what I know. You did <i>completely</i> read my posts, yes?
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No pages were found containing 'viral marketing'.
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I also went through several month-unit archives but didn't see anything about that. Although, I did find the NS Survey Results entry again. I think we should expand on that poll and run again on a larger scale, perhaps use ZoomPanel or some other specifically designed for surveys system. Perhaps a little ol' JavaScripting? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
edit: I remember where it was mentioned now. The NS2 online survey asked people to submit their email addresses if they were interested in marketing NS2.
Because of timezones, I think a large part of the community dident have the chance to share there views.
I remember the online survay. It was over so quickly I dident get a chance to respond though <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
Because of timezones, I think a large part of the community dident have the chance to share there views.
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I agree. I didn't find out about it until just after it closed. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
Puzl, don't they already have my e-mail from my NSF account? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/confused-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="???" border="0" alt="confused-fix.gif" />
My idea isn't completely original but i think it could be effective.
A series of 'training videos' demonstrating the features of NS.
For example It could be a 'NSA Intel report' on battlefield teqniques explain the cooler features of the game like 'dynamic infestation and how to combat it' or 'the command interface and how to equip your fighting force'.
Another could be 'NSA intel report' on the Kharra showing off the ablitities of the alien team.
This would keep wthing the lore of the game, as well as show off to the world everything that makes NS so great.
They could be cheeply made, just in game videos with a voice over and they could be put out for free on youtube and on Digg. Maby even sent off to some gamer sites like Kotaku.com 1up.com and such.
What do you all think?
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This is probably the most reasonable and realistic approach to some type of advertising campaign. The key ingredient to NS has always been atmosphere, so TSA training videos would lend themselves nicely to this idea.
Immersive, yet short and palatable videos would be most successful. One could do something along the lines of this:
-Weapon training video.
-Basic training.
-Commanding.
Just go over the interesting features of NS2. Further to introduce the Khaara, just have a TSA video of security reels, mic chatter, etc.
As Gemini mentioned, just submit tips to VG blogs, such as Joystiq, Kotaku while hosting videos on Youtube. As private beta comes along, and major features are implemented, do a media invite and distribute a beta build to active members of the gaming community / gaming bloggers for a weekend and allow them to sound off on it.
Keep it fairly simple, keep it palatable.
I do have a couple e-mail lists that we can use to drive a "guerrilla" marketing campaign, but it isn't in a mailing list form yet. Once we have the technology and time to do that, we'll be using it quite a bit. Of course, we also need to make the game so we have stuff to show off... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
It would be great to enlist you guys somehow, maybe through another Tell-a-Friend feature, or something more formal with more rewards (like in-game icons, your own clan/profile page on unknownworlds, forum titles/icons, etc.). Now we just have to make it happen.
For example, the Sony Retail Loyalty site had featured videos for their Resistance: Fall of Man game that consisted of 2-3 minutes videos of the developers / art team explaining their direction and what they wanted to accomplish in a certain aspect of the game. (Weapons / Sound / Events / Atmosphere / Levels etc.)
It's entertaining on a certain level to hear the creative reasoning for how the gameplay has transpired while simultaneously allowing other users (Sony's target are retail salesmen in their RLS) to explain what the game is about.
So at a very basic level, these type of development video will allow NS fans to actually explain to their friends in a coherent manner what NS is about.
Of course Flayra and Max would have to give some details about the main story line...if it's changed any from NS 1.
Didn't Valve have a viral site too? For Portal?
Maybe, a viral marketing ploy such as ilovebees and the new NiN album Year Zero did. We could do that until a working beta comes out and then when everybody knows what it is then we can use the "training" videos thing.
Of course Flayra and Max would have to give some details about the main story line...if it's changed any from NS 1.
Didn't Valve have a viral site too? For Portal?
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We gotta get that guy back who wrote the NS stories. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
the NS2 beta should come with a built in recorder for short clips
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Oh man... that would be fun. Extending on that idea, perhaps the videos could be submitted to a public area, where the playerbase at large could weed out the crap via a popular vote mechanism (voting for, not against, content).
Perhaps only certain people (trusted folk, who know what the devs are looking for -- but enough folks that the weeding out really saves the devs/etc some real time) could vote. Or maybe it's not a "vote" so much. Maybe those "certain people" review the content privately. Whichever.
The truly remarkable content could then be pushed by the devs to whichever destinations they decide most promote the game to the audience whose attention they're seeking with the content.
Just a thought.
Basically something to keep in mind is to make sure we advertise NS2, the game itself, as it will be.
On an unrelated set of ideas, two relatively cheap advertising ideas:
1) Get the game looked at by reviewers ahead of time. NS already has a good reputation, even if it is considered a small game by most standards. So, once the game is ready to impress people, impress people. I don't think it will be that hard to make a good impression on reviewers, if we can get them to take a good look at it. This will be especially useful if we can do it a short time before launch, becuase it will get people reading about it and wetting their appetites so to speak.
2) Webcomics. I've already seen <a href="http://www.elgoonishshive.com/egsnp/d/20050614.html" target="_blank">a very good example</a> of using a webcomic as an advertising tool. Many of them have very large audiences, and more than a few involve games to begin with. The vast majority of webcomic artists are frequently strapped for cash (webcomics are generally free after all) so it shouldn't take that much to get one to review NS2. It's an idea anyways.
I remember before I actually played the game reading through the backstory. Not only did it help me get a basic grasp of what was what in the game, it was a good read. There was another lesson in it though. When I actually started playing the game, the overall feel was very different than what the backstory suggests. The backstory suggested a spooky game where the marines would be worrying about being eaten alive and amushed. When I actually started playing though, instead of a nervous/cautious style of play I got think on your feet as you try not to get eaten, and while your at it can you build that node for me, thank you.
Basically something to keep in mind is to make sure we advertise NS2, the game itself, as it will be.
On an unrelated set of ideas, two relatively cheap advertising ideas:
1) Get the game looked at by reviewers ahead of time. NS already has a good reputation, even if it is considered a small game by most standards. So, once the game is ready to impress people, impress people. I don't think it will be that hard to make a good impression on reviewers, if we can get them to take a good look at it. This will be especially useful if we can do it a short time before launch, becuase it will get people reading about it and wetting their appetites so to speak.
2) Webcomics. I've already seen <a href="http://www.elgoonishshive.com/egsnp/d/20050614.html" target="_blank">a very good example</a> of using a webcomic as an advertising tool. Many of them have very large audiences, and more than a few involve games to begin with. The vast majority of webcomic artists are frequently strapped for cash (webcomics are generally free after all) so it shouldn't take that much to get one to review NS2. It's an idea anyways.
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Well, any time Charlie breathes funny, Gabe & Tycho jump on it. I've seen NS mentioned on there at least 3 times, maybe 5 by now.
And to add onto what Quaunat is saying imagine if the training videos were linked from Penny Arcade.
It's a better idea than making litebrite pictures of skulks and putting them around major cities.
We gotta get that guy back who wrote the NS stories. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
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Jeff Paris? We're one step ahead of you.
Max