Very interesting for sure.
Maybe you should have asked it how to get 2 to 3 times more subs then to try to compete with the big dogs?
Ok lets do it and lump the cost and ROI. This is where what the community wants and what HT as a company would need.
Instead of becoming a global player again
what would it take to attract and maintain an active player base at 2-3 times more than today. Lets assume active subscriptions are roughly 700-900 monthly. Give me five detailed bullet points with costs and a final cost to maintain it for five years minimum. Include an roi net +/- after the five years if subscription costs remained $14.99.
To attract and maintain an active player base of around 2-3 times the current level (1,4002,700 monthly subscribers) for Aces High III, heres a focused plan with estimated costs and potential ROI over five years:
Key Initiatives
1. Improved Onboarding Experience
Objective: Simplify the onboarding for new players to increase conversion and retention.
Cost:
Hire a UX designer and game tutorial developer ($90,000/year each) = $180,000/year.
Develop a custom in-game tutorial with voice-over and guided missions ($50,000 one-time cost).
Annual Total: $180,000 + $50,000 (initial setup) = $230,000 (first year), then $180,000/year.
5-Year Cost: $950,000.
2. Content Expansion with New Maps and Missions
Objective: Regularly release new maps, missions, and campaigns to keep long-term players engaged and attract new ones.
Cost:
1 content designer and 1 part-time developer ($90,000/year each) = $180,000/year.
Asset and map design costs: $40,000/year.
Annual Total: $220,000.
5-Year Cost: $1.1 million.
3. Community Engagement and Event Hosting
Objective: Host regular events, including tournaments, themed campaigns, and community challenges, to foster loyalty.
Cost:
Community manager and event planner ($70,000/year each) = $140,000/year.
Event prizes and sponsorship costs: $25,000/year.
Annual Total: $165,000.
5-Year Cost: $825,000.
4. Digital Marketing and Influencer Partnerships
Objective: Increase visibility through targeted ads, partnerships with niche influencers, and engaging social media content.
Cost:
Marketing coordinator ($80,000/year).
Influencer partnerships, ad spend, and promotional content creation: $60,000/year.
Annual Total: $140,000.
5-Year Cost: $700,000.
5. Tiered Subscription Model and Retention Initiatives
Objective: Offer flexible subscription tiers and rewards for long-term players to improve subscription stability.
Cost:
Monetization analyst and loyalty program manager ($85,000/year each) = $170,000/year.
Loyalty rewards and occasional subscriber-exclusive content: $20,000/year.
Annual Total: $190,000.
5-Year Cost: $950,000.
Total 5-Year Investment
5-Year Cost: $4.525 million
Revenue and ROI Calculation
Assuming a subscription price of $14.99 per month, lets calculate revenue based on the target subscriber increase to 1,4002,700 subscribers.
1. Monthly Revenue:
1,400 subscribers: $14.99 * 1,400 = $20,986
2,700 subscribers: $14.99 * 2,700 = $40,473
2. Annual Revenue:
1,400 subscribers: $20,986 * 12 = $251,832
2,700 subscribers: $40,473 * 12 = $485,676
3. 5-Year Revenue Projection:
1,400 subscribers: $251,832 * 5 = $1,259,160
2,700 subscribers: $485,676 * 5 = $2,428,380
4. Net ROI after 5 Years:
At 1,400 subscribers:
Revenue: $1,259,160
ROI = ($1,259,160 - $4,525,000) / $4,525,000 = -72.2%
At 2,700 subscribers:
Revenue: $2,428,380
ROI = ($2,428,380 - $4,525,000) / $4,525,000 = -46.3%
Summary
To break even or make a profit within five years, the game would likely need to reach and maintain an average of 4,700 monthly subscribers:
Revenue from 4,700 subscribers: $14.99 * 4,700 = $70,453 per month, or $845,436 annually.
At 4,700 subscribers, the project would approach breakeven by the fifth year, achieving profitability soon after if the growth rate continues.
Reaching this higher subscriber count would likely require additional marketing and feature development investment beyond this initial plan.