The Marketing of AH - Ideas on how to increase player base

[Nr_RaVeN]

Instead of all play styles together your saying have them all in different arenas?


Player controlled arenas often change with the wind. Sort of the way the current AVA does. That is not always for the good.

How can you have all play styles in one arena? How can you have ww1 plane sets flying with late war planes, or short icons flying with long icons,  how could you have mid war style plane sets mixing with a late war style arena.?

My apology s if I wasn't clear What Im saying Is more like this. A custom arena or "Dedicated server" might be another way to phrase it. These could be set up to satisfy any style/preference of play.
Ie if you loved MTO theater and terrains one could build a server dedicated around that and folks who like that could fly there with what ever setings the operator desided to use like axis v allies plane sets or short icons what ever he wanted to do.

Say there was a guy that only  liked tanks he could set up a custom dedicated  arena that  tankers would frequent.

Say there are guys that like to fly WW1 but they want to do it on a WW1 terrain and have Dr1 vs spads and they want something more than a furball set up. so the server operator could make a bunch of tables made up of different ww1 terrains and he could put objectives into his set ups like bomb some factory or take some strategic bases anything his imagination can think up. With logging capability's he can keep score just like FSO.

That server would be a server that specialized in only ww1 if its a quality server then many ww1 enthusiast would gravitate to it and it would have a following. pulling ww1 enthusiast into AH from other sims who don't like the furball ww1 arenas we currently see.

There could be a guy who likes PTO and all of his tables could be plane sets that were in that theater . There are guys that love just PTO.   So that server would run all kinds of PTO set ups And be dedicated to PTO.

Say some guy likes to fly No icons at all then that server operator could build tables that were all theaters but run with no icons only.
 that has the possibility to  pull in and players that like no icon game play in other sims that dont fly AH now because all servers in AH currently use Icons.
But if there was a custom arena that always ran no icons those players could now come and play AH they wouldn't be excluded. That's new business.

Say there is a guy who like axis Vs allies plane sets but he likes to have external views and 10k icons then he would run his server like that and any who liked those settings would fly there.

The idea is that with all of those diverse servers and settings you open up much more of a possibility to satisfy more people around the world. So the chances of getting someone to set up an AH subscription increases.

The options would be limitless you are bound to satisfy more audiences that means more market share.
This would be all on top of our existing arenas it would generate more potential for new customers and new business.

These custom arensa could take on life's of there own with there own followers.

The other thing about all of these individual custom arenas is that web sites will build around them all with their own forums and be filled with content that would deliver millions of organic(free) impressions across the internet and direct new players to the door step Of HTC to sample free trials.

It becomes a numbers game and the potential for growth would most likely grow exponentially

Just look at how popular FSO and special events are now think about hundreds of servers being run this way but appealing to every taste  under the sun there would be something for everyone. So why fly any other sim?

With the generation of more income there would be more money to pay for development of new
aircraft to be added and things grow in a positive direction.

 But these servers need to run 24/7 so they stay in the public eye and have time to germinate so to speak.
 It will give folks a chance to pop around from server to server to see what servers they like and see all the choices available to them in Aces High. If they turn off nobody will know whats available to them if they cant see it.

[Shuffler]

I see a bunch of arenas and everyone in LW Main. They will always gravitate there where the numbers are. The only thing a bunch of arenas would do is thin out the main arena. Twenty arenas puling 5 each is 60 players. More? Less?   

[Lusche]

IMHO: In the worst case, bigger and more persistent player arenas could lead to a fragmentation, taking away the biggest (to this date) asset of AH: The huge and relatively little limited main arena.

But then I also have to agree with the others that it also could simply end up as a dud, as numbers breed numbers. Even right now the other arenas have only a tiny fraction of the LWMA's activity, even when offering some really unique setup (WW1). The only other arena I see constantly having a number of players in it apart from LW is the DA.
And it's my firm belief: If you'd split up the perks so that those earned in EW could also only being spent there, you could shut it down completely

And I also doubt it's just the lack of persistence and size which makes the custom arenas quite unused today. The custom arenas of old had been much more limited.. the reason they were more popular was simply: They were free. The basic core of players there were pure freeloaders, with the occasional regular subscriber hopping in or hosting. And those were simply in it because it was free.

The only thing I could imagine (no, this is NOT a wish!) would be taking the Lake Furball and building a more detailed "Furball Arena" around it and gearing the traditional MA even more towards a "war arena".

[grizz441]

What would be a 'reasonable period'?

Lets say six months.

[bustr]

The LWMA, DA1v1, DAMultvMult, DA Furball Lake, Scenarios, AvA and Special Events work and sustain themselves over the years with a proven lineage directly from thier funky granddaddy AW. It's about people in adhoc large groups with a minimum of restrictions other than what they agree to for a common outcome in the company of freinds.

It's that last vestige of American sandlot baseball, pickup tackle football, cowboys & indians, armyman, or every kid on the block in 1962 showing up in the empty lot next door with a trash can lid and a mop handel once they saw "The 300 Spartans" to spend the day clobbering each other.

Otherwise no one cares about rules to aid the less talented, custom arenas and servers, mods, aimbot, cheats, or hosting their OWN littel disfunctional worlds. It's the best and most creative part of human nature to run over to the sandlot with all the other kids and make it up on the fly. Bumps, bruises, broken wrists, fist fights, bloody noses and cocky language is all part of the mix. But, no cheating because that's not how you play with your freinds. This is the secret to why it works.

There was always one kid who got his feelings hurt, who cryed to his mother, who screamed at her husband, and the sandlot was paved over a week later. A week after that another empty lot was discovered and the 99 other kids got back to happily clobbering each other.

If you are bored and unhappy find another game to play.

[Traveler]

May not be a market for this game.   We just completed what most retailers consider a marketer’s dream period, Christmas, you must of heard about it. That period between the end of November and December 25.   Where are all the new subscribers from that marketer's dream period?  How many new players did AH pick up, if any.   

I remember in prior years that there were always lot of new call signs and lots of people asking , how do you drop bombs or take off or what ever the newbe questions.  Not seeing it this year.   Anyone seeing a rise in newbe activity?

[guncrasher]

Game must be dead we only had around 350 players on Xmas eve.  About the same Xmas day.

Semp

[BaldEagl]

Clearly the numbers in the game are down from their peak and while I'm sure a part of that is due to the economy even the numbers on the BBs are down.  It used to be that I could hardly keep up with the BBs.  Today I look and my last post from the day before is only halfway down the page with no posts after it so it seems clear that players have drifted away from the game.

AH depended on players from other flight sims (AW, Warbirds and more recently FA).  Sadly, some have passed away, others have become bored, others frustrated with "deteriorating gameplay", changes to the game or other reasons and left.  This has always been a small community and losing those core "WWII flight simmers" is noticable.

There's not enough new players joining to offset the losses.  I remember back in AW I always welcomed new players to my squad.  It didn't matter what age or skill level they had, they were the future of the game.  We needed them to keep things going.  I've noticed that there aren't the influx of players during Christmas break or summer.  I'm guessing many of them used their two week trials and, although they might like to give it another try, can't without subscribing.  Others may have been frustrated with the learning curve, the Alt-F4 jokes or being derided as squeakers (guilty, but it is fun).

AH is not a very welcoming environment, particularily if you're young.  Maybe rather than looking for more old folks we should be more welcoming of the young ones.  They are after all the future of the genre.  I'd even venture to guess they are the ones most likely to stick through the learning curve.

[oboe]

Clearly the numbers in the game are down from their peak and while I'm sure a part of that is due to the economy even the numbers on the BBs are down.  It used to be that I could hardly keep up with the BBs.  Today I look and my last post from the day before is only halfway down the page with no posts after it so it seems clear that players have drifted away from the game.

AH depended on players from other flight sims (AW, Warbirds and more recently FA).  Sadly, some have passed away, others have become bored, others frustrated with "deteriorating gameplay", changes to the game or other reasons and left.  This has always been a small community and losing those core "WWII flight simmers" is noticable.

There's not enough new players joining to offset the losses.  I remember back in AW I always welcomed new players to my squad.  It didn't matter what age or skill level they had, they were the future of the game.  We needed them to keep things going.  I've noticed that there aren't the influx of players during Christmas break or summer.  I'm guessing many of them used their two week trials and, although they might like to give it another try, can't without subscribing.  Others may have been frustrated with the learning curve, the Alt-F4 jokes or being derided as squeakers (guilty, but it is fun).

AH is not a very welcoming environment, particularily if you're young.  Maybe rather than looking for more old folks we should be more welcoming of the young ones.  They are after all the future of the genre.  I'd even venture to guess they are the ones most likely to stick through the learning curve.

Maybe HTC should start a "second look" program - offering a 2nd two weeks free to former players who tried it once but didn't subscribe.   Maybe the game has changed enought to get them interested - especially with the focus on ground war and observation with the Storch, etc.   And the B-29. 

And I think new players should be given enough perks to try every perked ride in the game at least once, to whet their appetite.

[Oldman731]

You were given the DA, TA, SEA, AvA, WWI and H2H arenas and what have any of you done with them other than a small clique in each? I will asume in the past they were begged for just like now. And where do 98% of you congregate? The MA..............

Clearly true; yet it's important to keep the smaller arenas around, because they are attractive to players who would otherwise have moved on to other amusements.

- oldman

[Lusche]

AH is not a very welcoming environment, particularily if you're young.  Maybe rather than looking for more old folks we should be more welcoming of the young ones.  They are after all the future of the genre.  I'd even venture to guess they are the ones most likely to stick through the learning curve.

One problem is that many of us old ones are simply too stuck in our ways on many levels. It's not only HTC that has constantly to adapt to a changing gaming world, but us older players have to do it too. Not only that young players "squeakers" are often mocked just because they are (yessir, I'm guilty too), but 'we' are also very dismissive of anyone who didn't spend all of his life immersing into WW2 aviation stuff. Someone who takes this game as it is - a game - has instantly the 'Xbox' tag attached to him. (While in fact, many 'old purists' show much more of an allegedly 'xbox' behaviour, few monikers are as blatantly misused as this one).

Let's face it:
WW2 aviation knowledge is slowly fading.  The inherent fascination of it that some of us feel for 20, 30 40 years is driving less and less players. Few of the young ones will have built countless model planes and read dozens or even hundreds of books before joining AH.
Gaming culture is changing. Joysticks are getting rare even among players. 20 years ago the stores in my area were full of them, now they are rarely to be found at all.

HTC has to to adapt on a technical level and make this game appealing and accessible to this new player generations to come. (The new GV system was such a step, among others which I noticed when I re-installed the game without a joystick recently.)
We old players have to adapt and help to provide a welcoming and helpful environment. And we have to accept that other players may be driven by different motivations. Or we end up as a grumpy, obstinate, ever shrinking 'elite' constantly reassuring each other how GREAT we are and how much everyone out there sucks... until Hitech finally pulls the plug. We would not be the first game ending up like this.

[oboe]

One problem is that many of us old ones are simply too stuck in our ways on many levels. It's not only HTC that has constantly to adapt to a changing gaming world, but us older players have to do it too. Not only that young players "squeakers" are often mocked just because they are (yessir, I'm guilty too), but 'we' are also very dismissive of anyone who didn't spend all of his life immersing into WW2 aviation stuff. Someone who takes this game as it is - a game - has instantly the 'Xbox' tag attached to him. (While in fact, many 'old purists' show much more of an allegedly 'xbox' behaviour, few monikers are as blatantly misused as this one).

Let's face it:
WW2 aviation knowledge is slowly fading.  The inherent fascination of it that some of us feel for 20, 30 40 years is driving less and less players. Few of the young ones will have built countless model planes and read dozens or even hundreds of books before joining AH.
Gaming culture is changing. Joysticks are getting rare even among players. 20 years ago the stores in my area were full of them, now they are rarely to be found at all.

HTC has to to adapt on a technical level and make this game appealing and accessible to this new player generations to come. (The new GV system was such a step, among others which I noticed when I re-installed the game without a joystick recently.)
We old players have to adapt and help to provide a welcoming and helpful environment. And we have to accept that other players may be driven by different motivations. Or we end up as a grumpy, obstinate, ever shrinking 'elite' constantly reassuring each other how GREAT we are and how much everyone out there sucks... until Hitech finally pulls the plug. We would not be the first game ending up like this.

Have to agree completely.  Which also brings us back to the original idea of the thread.  In a world where WWII avaiation knowledge and interest is gradually diminishing, how can AH capitalize on the surge in interest that should accompany the release of a movie like "Red Tails"?

What about deals with model aircraft companies?   Just an AH coupon insert, advertising the game, giving the website and a two weeks free offer.  Sortofa "you built it, now fly it online in realistic air combat" line of thought.   Or maybe just AH flyers on bulletin boards in local hobby stores, with 'free' coupon codes.  People love getting anything for free.

[Tilt]

(The new GV system was such a step, among others which I noticed when I re-installed the game without a joystick recently.)

So an entry level that gave players the

Storch &  M3, (with all options)

and can be played with one of these out the box....................

[Slade]

Wonder how many would try AH if there was PlayStation version?  Be nice to use my 42" TV rather then my monitor.  

With respect to AH not being instant gratification, i.e. has a learning curve maybe the "Dr. Pepper 10" approach can be taken. "Leave the kiddies at home, this game takes real skill" kinda play on it.

So you think think you're a baad azzz gamer.  You can kill a 100 soldiers an hour in Playpen III...but do you have the right stuff? Are you good enough to shoot down a Bruv, Debrody or Ghi?  Probably not.  But if you think you might have the right stuff.  If you can fly, really fly using REAL fighter jock skills - maybe you can join the ranks of the true elite in the skies of AH. Otherwise you best just keep them diapers on sonny and go back to your safe little Immortal Kombat girly games.

[Shuffler]

... end it with....

"We don't need no stinkin' ZOMBIES"