Free stuff in AH

[AWwrgwy]

wrongway, did you ever get the feeling your handle was incredibly fitting? Please stop talking because you obviously know nothing about business.

If aces high were a car, it would be more like a Chevy. And if you went to look at a Lamborghini they would laugh at you. If someone with real money walked in they would say "here are the keys, take it home for a month." It happens all the time, so you are wrong again!

Now if you want to make a real comparison, try fast food. Mcdonalds gives away hundreds of MILLIONS in free food. Why? Because they know that people will inevitably buy something else. You get them in the door and they will spend money.

This idea takes NOTHING away from hitech because NOBODY comes here to man field guns. What it DOES do is, it adds value to the game. Especially if they implemented the WW1 idea because no one who is strictly into ww1 planes is going to pay for a game with mediocre graphics, a limited plane set, and virtually no population.

You almost get my point.

Yes, if I can't afford a Lambo, they're not going to give me a Lambo.  If I can afford a Camaro but want what the Corvette has, they're not going to give me a Corvette.  Or vice versa, they're not going to give me a Cobalt in hopes that I buy a Corvette.

Correct me if I'm wrong again, HiTech gives away a FREE game and Two Weeks FREE play. 

If someone gave you a single, free donut every time you went to the donut shop, how many donuts would you buy?

Do you pay to play?  If so, why?  Obviously it's not for the WWI arena with "with mediocre graphics, a limited plane set, and virtually no population".

But hey, what do I know about business?  I'm off in search of my free M^cDonalds every time I go there.  Can you point me in the right direction?


wrongway

[Tyrannis]

Im not sure why the 8 player was shut down, but I know ^ this ^ was not why. The ability to have unlimited ammo is still available in the off line mode and the game software was always the same whether in 8 player, offline, or online. So if someone wanted to hack, they didnt need the 8 player arena to figure it out.

you missunderstood what i said. remember how in 8-player you had the option to set it too infinite ammo/fuel etc? players would go into those rooms, do some kind of hack, then bring that ability into the MA, giving there planes infinite ammo/fuel whenever they sortied.only way hitech had of stopping this was getting rid of the 8-player rooms

[BaldEagl]

Actually, if you do it through your website, they pay cash.

HTC Affiliate Program


It gave a known, paying segment of the market somewhere to continue to play a type of game that they no longer had the opportunity to do so where they formerly were.

Almost guaranteed subscriptions.

What kind of business do you market for and how far outside of the market do you go to give free things away?

What kind of free stuff do I get if I want to buy a Lamborghini?  I mean, I know I want one and can afford one....

After all, if it's a money issue, what am I looking at Lambos for?



wrongway

OK.  The Lambo argument is a bit ridiculous don't you think?

I worked in executive sales and marketing management roles in the entertainment retail and distribution industries (music and home video) for over 20 years including Internet marketing.  Broadly speaking AH is simply another entertainment product so it doesn't fall far outside the scope of where I've spent the majority of my career.

I gave away songs all the time in hopes the the listener would return to buy the full product (the CD or album... guess I'm dating myself a little).  Of course I'd try to target my audiences as much as possible to improve convesion rates but, for the most part, the freebies were free to anyone with the knowledge to get them.  In this environment it's no different.  The freebies would be available to anyone however, only those with a predisposed interest would have the knowledge to aquire them; essentially a self targeted audience.

There's a LOT of value in HT doing this and in advertising it through his normal, I assume, targeted channels.  The analogy to giving away a song to get someone to buy the album is completely relevant in this case.  When I was running these campaigns through targeted advertising I saw response rates as high as 28% and conversion rates in the 10% range although those numbers weren't the norm.  Most often I could expect response rates in the 6-10% range with conversions in the 2-3% range.  The higher numbers were always attributable to outstanding creative and impactful messaging in the advertising.  Regardless, the campaigns were nearly always profitable and the reason that they continued on a regular basis.

In addition to that I gave away a lot of other things, signed guitars, trips to concerts, memorabilia, etc., etc., etc. but the basic "give them a taste" campaign was, for the most part, always successful.

Next?

[muzik]

You almost get my point.

Yes, if I can't afford a Lambo, they're not going to give me a Lambo.  If I can afford a Camaro but want what the Corvette has, they're not going to give me a Corvette.  Or vice versa, they're not going to give me a Cobalt in hopes that I buy a Corvette.

Correct me if I'm wrong again, HiTech gives away a FREE game and Two Weeks FREE play. 

If someone gave you a single, free donut every time you went to the donut shop, how many donuts would you buy?

Do you pay to play?  If so, why?  Obviously it's not for the WWI arena with "with mediocre graphics, a limited plane set, and virtually no population".

But hey, what do I know about business?  I'm off in search of my free M^cDonalds every time I go there.  Can you point me in the right direction?


wrongway

They said "you can't fix ......"    I didn't believe them, but I give up.

you missunderstood what i said. remember how in 8-player you had the option to set it too infinite ammo/fuel etc? players would go into those rooms, do some kind of hack, then bring that ability into the MA, giving there planes infinite ammo/fuel whenever they sortied.only way hitech had of stopping this was getting rid of the 8-player rooms

I understood you perfectly. Again, "infinite ammo" was NOT limited to the 8 player arenas. You didnt need a h--k, you simply changed the setting! Anyone could do it offline. Or the person hosting an 8 player game could set fuel and ammo however he chose! It was an intended feature of the game.

Whoever committed the unspeakable crime of unlocking it in the MA, did not learn to do this as a result of playing in the 8 player arenas. They accomplished it because they had a thorough understanding of software. They could have done it even if the 8 player arena never existed.

What I am trying to say is, I doubt that HT punished all those who played in the 8 player arenas because someone broke the software when it was only a matter of time before it happened.

There may be more to the story than this. I dont know! But from what you said I dont think that was the reason.

I did check offline a moment ago and I was incorrect when I said this function is still available. I couldnt find it in the few minutes I looked.

[CptTrips]

There may be more to the story than this. I dont know! But from what you said I dont think that was the reason.
I did check offline a moment ago and I was incorrect when I said this function is still available. I couldnt find it in the few minutes I looked.

Muzik,

Just a heads up... from what I understand there were cases of the H2H feature being used for purposes that violated their user agreements.  I'm not going to discuss it, but that was one of the reasons as far as I remember.

Regards,
Wab 
 

[pervert]

I just love the way you guys look for ways so HTC DOESN'T make money. This is a business to them, money coming in means money to pay the bills. Giving free spots, guns,transports and such isn't bring in money and is just opening the doors to more mischief. If it was me sitting in the big chair I'd be laughing my butt off at all of these "free" threads.

I'd say he;d be shaking his head and making little snorting noises as he reads through it!  Maybe the WW1 idea is a good idea there is really nothing to lose there at the moment and everything to gain. But some of the other ideas its spawning are ridulous! Fact of life if you give people something for nothing they will abuse it and see you as a soft touch. Fact of life 2 you pay for everything but air! 

[AWwrgwy]

OK.  The Lambo argument is a bit ridiculous don't you think?

I worked in executive sales and marketing management roles in the entertainment retail and distribution industries (music and home video) for over 20 years including Internet marketing.  Broadly speaking AH is simply another entertainment product so it doesn't fall far outside the scope of where I've spent the majority of my career.

I gave away songs all the time in hopes the the listener would return to buy the full product (the CD or album... guess I'm dating myself a little).  Of course I'd try to target my audiences as much as possible to improve convesion rates but, for the most part, the freebies were free to anyone with the knowledge to get them.  In this environment it's no different.  The freebies would be available to anyone however, only those with a predisposed interest would have the knowledge to aquire them; essentially a self targeted audience.

There's a LOT of value in HT doing this and in advertising it through his normal, I assume, targeted channels.  The analogy to giving away a song to get someone to buy the album is completely relevant in this case.  When I was running these campaigns through targeted advertising I saw response rates as high as 28% and conversion rates in the 10% range although those numbers weren't the norm.  Most often I could expect response rates in the 6-10% range with conversions in the 2-3% range.  The higher numbers were always attributable to outstanding creative and impactful messaging in the advertising.  Regardless, the campaigns were nearly always profitable and the reason that they continued on a regular basis.

In addition to that I gave away a lot of other things, signed guitars, trips to concerts, memorabilia, etc., etc., etc. but the basic "give them a taste" campaign was, for the most part, always successful.

Next?

Give them a taste = 2 weeks free.  And, like you said, it is targeted to someone with knowledge of the product or, at least, an interest in the product.

What everyone asking for free is failing to take into account is LIMITED.  Limited access is still access all the time.  Why buy the cow if the milk is free, even if it is a canvas and plywood cow?

I'm not against free stuff.  I just don't see how letting someone play for free, as much as they like, even if only in one arena, can be a winner for making money.  Of course, I saw the free 8-player in the same light.

I'm interested in a free guitar.  Know where I can get one?


wrongway

[CptTrips]

I'm not against free stuff.  I just don't see how letting someone play for free, as much as they like, even if only in one arena, can be a winner for making money.

FRAPS

AVG

Visual Studio Express

Nero

PhotoPlus SE

Skype

AdAware

Google Earth


All provide feature rather than time limited versions.  You buy to get access to higher functionality.

A lot of smart companies with smart people working for them have figured out that there is advantage to keeping contact with a potential customer as long as possible to increase the sale oppertunities, instead of slapping them with an all-or-nothing ultimatum after a brief trial period.



Wab

[Bruv119]

I think having a free WW1 arena is a good idea.  

People can learn how to use the clipboard,  map their controls etc.   How to takeoff and land.  

The regular WW1 arena pilots will kill them with ease.  It is that hook that bites, the drive to get even  .  Once someone can hold their own they are most likely to think I want to try and pay for the WW2 arenas.

Troublemakers can't exactly do much damage in a near empty WW1 arena.  The ack tears people up and the layout forces people to fight.

I think it is win win,  get more people playing , less likely to need technical help when they do start paying.  Also guys that come under financial difficulties can still get a little fix.

my own personal addiction started in a free battle of britain room killing AI waves of German fighters and bombers.  I spent a few months plying my trade and defending the Queen.  Until I could kill 10 AI 109's vs my single Hurricane did I think I need more.

[CptTrips]

I think having a free WW1 arena is a good idea.  

Well in the other thread Free-Play for the WWI Arena I shifted over to suggesting it as a general replacement for the 2 week trial model and I still feel its a superior approach.

However, from a practical implementation standpoint, I'd definitely recommend trying it on the WWI arena first.  See how it works.  Later maybe expanding to the EW and AVA.  Then, maybe someday, as a general replacement for the 2-week trial model.


Regards,
Wab