Author Topic: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?  (Read 9962 times)

Offline Shuffler

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #60 on: January 16, 2017, 01:08:04 PM »
There was from steam playing in AVA free last Monday. He said he could not go to other rooms as they were not free.
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Offline Gman

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #61 on: January 16, 2017, 01:26:38 PM »
Quote
We need a better hook

This is it in a nutshell IMO.  I mean, getting online gamers to look at the site/game is one thing, but capturing them - ie getting them to sub - is another.  The game has to be fun enough, not frustrating enough, etc enough, to get them to stay past 2 weeks, for the free trial to mean anything.  Extending that free trial beyond 2 weeks, with limited options, I think would be a sharper hook than what exists now.  First 2 weeks, new players get access to everything, but then can stay, but only get what Bruv described.  That will create a need/want, and that's how you entice new customers IMO, make them feel like they are missing out on something others who are subbing for $15 have, but they don't.  The extra time will also give new players some more time in the oven, let them learn the game through observation and participation while in the FTP planes/etc.

I think this idea will benefit everyone, as it'll fill up the arenas, albeit some players won't be all that great, but that's fine, they'll learn, and in the meantime it'll be more targets, more red guys in the air for everyone, and so forth.  I think through cooperation between the community as is, and the current great trainers, getting a lot of the new/ftp/etc players that would be in game spun up and interested would pay off quickly.  And all of this is at no real cost to HTC, other than more bandwidth being used, and the cost/time to set up the game so it would work this way.  No advert costs is what I'm saying.

Combine such an effort with a blitz on all social media platforms, have the new guy hired to do the help/website/whatever start working the phones/net contacting all the larger (and smaller) gaming web channels on Youtube and Twtich, hand out a couple dozen free accounts for a few months time and have them play and do reviews.  Also, contact the few remaining print mags, such as PG Gamer, and get them to do a review, as well as a story on HTC (HTC's story is worth such an article, having lasted SO long, nearly 20 years now, I can't think of but a couple of other online games that have lasted this long, also, HT having started the Massively Multiplayer term/effects as well).  I would bet $ that within just a month or so, the MA would be bursting, and within a few months we would know how its working, ie how many new sub/full players are "upgrading" from the FTP option.  Even getting 2 or 3% of those doing the FTP thing would start growing the game again.

I really hope HTC starts making moves like this, it doesn't even have to be such as the above, just doing something aggressive to get more players.  The game is great, it always has been, I have stuck to my theory that the original game and model works, and that it just needs fine tuning here and there due to time having passed by.  The new AH3 is very good, the only issue is #s right now, and IMO many of the the major gripes many have are by and large solved with more numbers. 
« Last Edit: January 16, 2017, 01:32:23 PM by Gman »

Offline BBQsam

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #62 on: January 16, 2017, 02:17:45 PM »
Just remember, advertising cost  B I G  bucks.
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Offline Gman

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #63 on: January 16, 2017, 02:45:32 PM »
You're right, which is why I suggest using alternative methods.  Having a review/story done on PC Gamer wouldn't cost HTC anything, there are lots of writers that would like to interview HT/ETC based on the longevity of the game, and a good one/two page piece on that and the game would be easy to have slid in there.  Advertising in the print mag would cost, but IMO that's wasted $ for HTC.  Blitzing the free avenues available, all the social media platforms, but especially the online game reviewers that populate Youtube and all the other spaces, would not only be free, but would pay off in terms of the effort it would take to arrange.

Total Biscuit - one example.  A well respected, talented, fair, and interesting reviewer/channel, who has credibility (being a Pro gamer and a very diverse interest in games).  He would do a pretty in depth review including gaming video on AH3, would interview HT, and get a lot of eyes on the game here from the hundreds of thousands who watch his stuff.  All for the cost of a few emails/calls, and a review account that'd be active for a month or two.  There are many, many others, lots of 50k to 1mil subscribed channels of gamers who haven't even heard of Aces High - DevilDogGamer, an X-Marine vet with 3/4 of a million subs, and all he does is review/stream/play military games, and AH3 would fit right in on his channel, but he's not covered AH3.  He did a quick review of AH2 a year ago, and 76 thousand people watched it.  There are many, many like that channel, opportunities for AH3 to get a lot of coverage and exposure. 

A near 20 year old product which has survived where as SO many other excellent games eventually die off - it's something every gaming media person would like a shot at covering, and that's not even taking the fun part, the game, into consideration. 

Once the "help/how to" parts of the front page are good to go, IE everything in terms of how to learn and play this game is all in one sock, with a good flow chart/chain of how-to YT videos, and the entire gaming manual contents all in one PDF/whatever in an easy to find location, all it would take is a bit of time for someone to work the phones/email/social media in order to contact the gaming media out there.  Boom, in a month or less, there would be piles of coverage happening.  All without any advertising/CPM rates or cost.  If an FTP blended concept trial idea was established and ready for that, this game's numbers problems would be a thing of the past IMO.
« Last Edit: January 16, 2017, 02:52:49 PM by Gman »

Offline JimmyD3

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #64 on: January 16, 2017, 08:50:08 PM »
after the initial investment no further payment is necessary, I wouldn't mind paying a one stop cost for AH but the monthly subscription is a bit much to me, and to a new player the other options available are both cheaper and more engaging.


Really!? 15 bucks a month, and thats too much?? Dang the country must be worse off than I realized. I spend more than that on toilet paper every month. No way the 15 bucks a month is keeping players away, it has to be something else. :O
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Offline rvflyer

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #65 on: January 16, 2017, 11:51:30 PM »
I go to the other games that hook you in for free and get crappy equipment. Then once they say will for x amount of dollars you can get this plane or this tank etc. Once that happens I am out of there. Piss on the pay to get to a higher tier. $14.95 is not to much to pay a month for a good fun game.


totally agree with gman. 

all it needs is the eny 45-60 aircraft or bombers to be free.   or the TA / WW1 / DA.   We need a better hook because the 2 week trial in the deep end Main arena will put people off just as much as it gets in.
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Offline d0m1no

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #66 on: January 17, 2017, 12:11:21 AM »
Really!? 15 bucks a month, and thats too much?? Dang the country must be worse off than I realized. I spend more than that on toilet paper every month. No way the 15 bucks a month is keeping players away, it has to be something else. :O

The sad thing is, that is an issue. I've shown the game to multiple friends and they love the concept, but after their 2 weeks is up they run for the hills complaining about the "$15 a month". However, it's not the price... $15/month is nothing, but the problem is the "idea" of the subscription. Even though they got more from their $15 here than they do from the $60 they spend on the "flavour of the month", it's the idea that they have to pay a monthly fee to play the game that turns them away.

I agree that the game could use more advertisement, but in the end people are turned away simply because they do not like subscriptions; regardless of the actual cost. It's the simple fact that a one time fee "feels" better than a monthly fee. The average person is not calculating their overall cost/benefit for the year (if they did, I'd be out of a job being an accountant).
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Offline zack1234

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #67 on: January 17, 2017, 12:44:29 AM »
What does HTC have to say?
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Offline DmonSlyr

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #68 on: January 17, 2017, 11:44:14 AM »
The sad thing is, that is an issue. I've shown the game to multiple friends and they love the concept, but after their 2 weeks is up they run for the hills complaining about the "$15 a month". However, it's not the price... $15/month is nothing, but the problem is the "idea" of the subscription. Even though they got more from their $15 here than they do from the $60 they spend on the "flavour of the month", it's the idea that they have to pay a monthly fee to play the game that turns them away.

I agree that the game could use more advertisement, but in the end people are turned away simply because they do not like subscriptions; regardless of the actual cost. It's the simple fact that a one time fee "feels" better than a monthly fee. The average person is not calculating their overall cost/benefit for the year (if they did, I'd be out of a job being an accountant).

I have to agree that this is pretty much how most young 12-30 year olds think. When I tell my friends I pay $15 a month, they all laugh at me.

It really isn't that much, but it just sounds like much to many broke college or high school students. I do agree that it's a phycological thing in most cases.

I do like the idea that early war planes should be free. It would let new people see and understand the game for as long as they like. 2 weeks free sub with all the planes. After 2 weeks, they fly early war planes only if they don't subscribe. At least it would create more players and people to interact with.

It would make a lot of people have to fly early war planes which would create better fights.

It would encourage them to pay the subscription for better planes.

It would bring a lot of new players to the game and help them grow without a time constraint.

Starting in a early war plane would help these players learn to fight a lot better and won't be so prone to the 190D BnZ run timidly type of fights.

This would actually IMO go a long way to promote action. 

« Last Edit: January 17, 2017, 11:49:24 AM by DmonSlyr »
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Offline Ack-Ack

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #69 on: January 17, 2017, 12:25:11 PM »
What does HTC have to say?

Quote
If I was ever to do a WOT type payment system, I sure would not choose a realism base WWII aircraft to do it with.

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Offline Gman

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #70 on: January 17, 2017, 10:19:09 PM »
That's just it though, HTC could incorporate some FTP options without changing their payment system, at all.  Other than having it being used more often.

Offline hitech

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #71 on: January 18, 2017, 11:13:52 AM »
That's just it though, HTC could incorporate some FTP options without changing their payment system, at all.  Other than having it being used more often.

User arenas are already free.

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Offline Gman

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #72 on: January 18, 2017, 11:27:00 AM »
Not sure I understand that - which arenas are free? Do you mean the arenas are free for users, as in users = subscribers?  That's obvious, but not sure what it has to do with what I said.

What I meant was that having free accounts with limited access to planes/gvs/etc - ftp essentially - wouldn't have to change the current payment system for access to the full game, the structure, or rate, and that the payment system would end up being used more, as some of the FTP players would subscribe.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2017, 11:30:07 AM by Gman »

Offline The Fugitive

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #73 on: January 18, 2017, 11:29:33 AM »
custom arenas are free. a subscriber bas to set it up, but then anyone can log into it a play for free

Offline Wiley

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Re: So I'm watching the military channel and guess what?
« Reply #74 on: January 18, 2017, 11:30:53 AM »
custom arenas are free. a subscriber bas to set it up, but then anyone can log into it a play for free

If they're on a 2 week trial, yes?  Or can anyone log in indefinitely?

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