Thoughts & A suggestion for AH Advertising

[DREDIOCK]

Kindly dont take this to be overly critical as it is surely not intended to be.

I was watching the AH commercials on TV and it suddenly struck me that much of the stuff while looks cool to those of us that are famillior with teh game. Might go just a bit fast for the novice.

Maybe the quick paced stuff is what works. Im not claiming to be an advertising expert.

But then I went to the home page and was looking at the new P40 and its description and an idea suddenly hit me
Yanno how during commercial break R. Lee Ermey will come on with those supershort segments taking about this aspect or that aspect of weaponry and whatnot.

what if HTC did the same thing with its available war machines?
several short segments of a specific piece of or pieces of equipment or type of engagement available in AH in game in action using AH footage with a historical description of the  item/s in question. What they are, capabilities,how they were used, what they often fight against & other tidbits of info. And end with a statement something like for example

 "You can experience the P51, the Fokke Wolf 190 and dozens of others in action for yourself along with thousands of others in Aces high!

It would be a series of different commercials
Each commercial would feature one or two different weapons system or type of engagement. Ac, or GV followed by the "you can" statement followed by where you can. "flyaceshigh.com" along with teh traditional free two week offer statement

Im thinking it would help with the wow factor inasmuch as alot of people have their favorite type of airplane or other WWII piece of equipment
they would be able to go "Wow a P38! my favorite" and actually see the 38 in action in game at a pace where they can actually tell whats going on and get the different views. And say "I gotta try that!"

My fear is that the existing commercials while very well done and recognizable for those of us who play. Might be just a bit too fast for people to comprehend.

Just a thought

[EskimoJoe]

My fear is that the existing commercials while very well done and recognizable for those of us who play. Might be just a bit too fast for people to comprehend.

Just a thought

I think that the commercials at present get the point across that AH is a massively multiplayer online game featuring the planes and tanks
of WW2 combat.

[zack1234]

These type of flight sims are for people like us  

My nephew has no interest in flight sims  

It's a select Market flight sims

I have not seen any Advertisments in the UK

We should have our avatars in cockpit 

[wil3ur]

I also see snow and desert terrain in the commercials, but never in any of the main arenas...  I guess we just haven't gotten to those maps in rotation yet.

[ImADot]

I also see snow and desert terrain in the commercials, but never in any of the main arenas...  I guess we just haven't gotten to those maps in rotation yet.

More likely that changes in the graphics engine a year or two ago broke the maps and they cannot be used. A few old maps have been updated, others probably cannot. Building new maps is a long and tedious process, but several are being worked on...all are player-created.

[Tyrannis]

HTC should advertise Anywheres WoT or WoP advertises.

I think they call that "Counter-advertising"?
 

[hitech]

Drediock: We have considered your idea previously, similarly we have spoken of ACM training series commercials.

HiTech

[kilo2]

Drediock: We have considered your idea previously, similarly we have spoken of ACM training series commercials.

HiTech

Would you allow everyday players/film makers to "Spotlight" a gv or plane in youtube clips? With the aces high website/logo.

[jimson]

Drediock: We have considered your idea previously, similarly we have spoken of ACM training series commercials.
HiTech

Like it.

Get viewers anticipating the next lesson/commercial in the series.

[Vinkman]

I think the focused commercials is a great idea, both on the equipment and on the ACM.

Since AH is not a game with 10 million members, but more like 4 thousand, signing up hundreds of folks in a month would be a huge.  To that end I've always wanted to do a demo night at the local sports bar. Bring my kit down, set up, and fly in the MA from the bar with the game up on one of the big screens. Have some printed info, and let folks try it out and ask questions. If you got one person interested who signed up, and you did it one night a month, a single demo person could sign up 12 new players a year per.  I think it would be possible to get 50 AH players to be demo people. That's 600 new players a year. The cost is zero to HTC. [Although I might want a Demo log in to use.].

Watching a good pilot fly is fascinating to many. They watch it like a movie. In a sports bar, AH play would be like a football game, full of amazing action, and slow parts. It fits in with the crowd that is looking at 10 different screens for the best thing on. I bet Grizz, or Soulyss, or Delirium, would have a crowd around them watching him vanquish MA bandits. If you got on the bar calendar once a month and called it Top Gun Tuesdays, word might start to get out..."hey have you ever seen that dog fighting sim they set up on Tuesdays? It's pretty cool. Let's go there, if the [insert big league game here] stinks, we can watch that guy...and he let's you play for free. I bet you ten bucks you can't shoot someone down. Your On!"

Heck I sit in my basement and fly for 4 hours anyway. Why not do it at a bar, and be an ambassador for the game?

The local bars are always looking for anything that might draw folks in. Win win.

Just a thought. 

[Belial]

Any step in the adverstising direction that would draw more players would be appreciated.  I'd rather fight 15,000 players than 200 on at any given time, even if it draws more squeakers in.

[BigR]

Have you ever thought to put your game up on steam as an Alternative channel of distribution? Maybe charge a token cost (whatever you decide is right) for a month's play....I know steam is usually for games that dont have a monthly model, but it is not unprecedented. Eve Online is a successful MMO that is available on steam as well as their own website. Eve is similar to AH as it has a very large learning curve, and a relatively small player population compared to other MMOs. Eve has seen a big increase in its player base. I have no clue if its from being on steam, because honestly I dont have access to any data. It is something you probably have thought of, and Im not sure what kind of strings Valve attaches to companies using steam...Just thought i would throw that out there.

[USCH]

I think if any of us could help in any way we would love to. That being said do we need to submit more video someplace? i can certanly roll more film 

[A8TOOL]

With the new custom arena's I would have suggested emailing all the old H2H guys telling them welcome back for 10 bucks off 1st month or something. Lot of those guys were hooked... and a lot of them were young...now their older and might have cash.

Many did switch to the main for a short time.

[Brooke]

To that end I've always wanted to do a demo night at the local sports bar. Bring my kit down, set up, and fly in the MA from the bar with the game up on one of the big screens. Have some printed info, and let folks try it out and ask questions.

I thought about doing that, too -- maybe at the local flight museums.  See if I could set up a presentation, show what it's like, talk about the planes, show the action, show some clips from scenarios, work in some history, etc.

One day, I do want to do that (if the museum would let me -- but not sure why they wouldn't, as I think it could bring in some visitors to check it out).