Are people recognizing ARR?

[Abriael]

Everyone on this forum should work as a marketing consultant.


... or not.


While I understand that many people here are driven by the irrational need to be recognized by the media and by your peers, Square Enix is promoting the game exactly how they should. For the moment they're focusing their budget on development and using cheap media to advertise (social networks, youtube, niconico and such), without going on a spending spree when it's way too early.

Despite what some seem to think, large advertisement campaigns for MMORPGs BEFORE launch are not that effective. MMORPGs are games designed to be played for a long time, and don't suffer from getting technologically obsolete fast, so they don't need the bulk of purchases to be made on day one.

As a matter of fact, a smaller launch with a growing trend is much better for a MMORPG than a booming launch followed by a deflation (even just to make sure launch is smooth and not overcrowded server-wise, and having to open new servers because population is growing gives the game a much more positive buzz than having to open a ton at launch and then merging).

The big marketing money is best spent AFTER launch, when people that see the commercial can just go out and buy the game instead of forgetting before it comes out, and when it's corroborated by positive reviews and positive word of mouth. Even more so when the game is the successor of one that failed.

Simply enough "available now!" is much more effective than "coming soon!"