Why they dont stay...

[DmdBT]

With the latest info "releases" by HTC, it seems that what we have just isn't filling the company coffers well enough. I am by far not a marketing expert or business strategist and the following is just my humble opinion, take it ir leave it.
I sent an email on my squad list. The Damned has numbers into the hundreds spanning from flight sims to RPGs to shooters. I simply asked why don't more of us fly AH and why of those that did the majority didn't stay. The most common answer was the pricing, especially by our non-USA members. Look at the Damned roster and you  will see about 17 names listed, of which only about 5 or 6 have active accounts. Using that as an example it seems HTC is only converting about a third of its free trials into paying accounts. "$9.95 all you can eat" pricing seems to be the norm for just about all online games these days except for AH/WB. Sad, especially when the other sim's regulars are so fed-up with the stagnation of their products at the moment and could be looking for a change.

Instead of giving AH "easier" options, maybe lower the pricing and form an official training course like the Air Warrior Training Academy back on GEnie to help train/transition pilots into the sim without them feeling like they are only spending their money being targets.

If I didn't care, I wouldn't post.

T

(throws away stick after realizing the horse is dead)

[oboe]

I just became a paying AH customer.   $29.95 may seem like alot, but it'll beat my WB's bill, and I won't have to continually monitor my flying time to make sure I don't get a nasty surprise at the end of the month.  And I'll actually be able to spend time training without one eye on the clock!

I'm looking forward to the new planes and FM in 1.04.   I see a few WBs handles here I respect and admire, and I think with the release of the terrain editor and continually expanding plane/vehicle set, good things are in store for the community.

Salute!

[minus]

give them a Easy arena for 10 $  
for 20 lets have something more like hard perk
and for all the hardcore nuts for 30$ the pure HA

[maximus13]

I say do it for free.  All the other good online games are free. We pay em 30bucks a motnh and they are as slow as toejam on making a new version

[Dago]

Maximus, that is about the dumbest thing I have ever seen posted.

HTC is not some huge international corporation with unlimited funds. It is a 6 person company, barely out of the "start-up" mode and cant let us play free.

For those that think $30 is too much, well I am sorry, but right now there are really only 2 online sims that play anywhere near th is level, and the other one costs a whole hell of a lot more money.  I used to pay $150 a month routinely to play it.

I have played other online games, ones that were free or $10 a month.  Guess what? They were full of amazinhunks.  Games like AH attract and retain a much better quality of person as a player.  I will gladly pay $30 a month if it means I dont have to put up with so many jerks and quakeheads.

For once, just for once, I wish guys would try to see it from the side of the company trying to give us a good product, a fun game and a great online sim.

Dago

[By-Tor]

Nevermind Max
     Amused,
     By-Tor
   

     


[This message has been edited by By-Tor (edited 09-04-2000).]

[Tac]

Yet another royally stupid comment from Maximus  

Dmbt, I agree with you. I was a paying costumer for a month or 2. I know a dozen friends JUST in my neighborhood that LOVE AH.. and we play all the time in H2H.  Would they have an account if it was $10 a month? You bet!. And why are they not in AH? $30 a month.

Granted, this sim is WAY above any other... but it all bears down on the market. You can have the best quality stuff around, but if you dont have a sufficient demand for it, you will go broke or be left behind (in $$ and amount of demand) by the competition.

Its just like the PC and the Mac. Mac is better in quality, but since its so expensive AND not many "average user" stuff are made for it (because people dont buy as much macs as pc's), people dont buy them as much as the PC.

AH=Mac, PC=any $10 a month game. Why does AH have so few subscribers? You be the judge.

[Cabby]

It aint the price.  It's the game itself.  $30/mo. is a good price.  IF the game is substantially better/more innovative than anything else around.  Currently, that is not the case.  AH needs more planes, more strat, more terrains, and a re-vamped flight-model.  

HTC does all that and most WB'ers(and others) would be here.  Until then...........

Cabby

------------------
=44th FS "VAMPIRES"=
"The Jungle Air Force"
Welcome To The Jungle!!!"

[easymo]

 Max, you neecd to work on your lures. You wont catch anything that way .

 As to the dmdbt,s post. On the money.

[Camel]

 

Originally posted by cabby:
AH needs more planes, more strat, more terrains, and a re-vamped flight-model.  

3 outa 4 next release?  

[Sharky]

Cabby,

Sorry bud I have to disagree with you here.  

Until AH supports the Mac, HTC is never going to draw any kind of crowd from Warbirds.  Although the Mac is only a small part of WB (what about 20-30%) I'd be willing to bet that almost every squad in WB has at least one Mac user.

Are those squads going to say to their one or two Mac using members, "Well we'll see ya later.  We're going over to AH and you can't go because they don't allow Macs"?  I know of several squads that are only flying Warbirds because it's the only sim that all of their members can fly.

I mean if we are really honest, we have to admit that plane for plane, graphics engine to graphics engine, strat for strat, AH meets or exceeds WB in every catagory.  

I admit that WB has more events but those are player run events and although some good ones, the last iEN sponsered event was the NG scenerio and I'd be willing to bet that AH will hold it's first company sponsered multiframe scenerio before iEN holds it's next one.

If you want to talk flight models well I have no idea which is correct an neither do you I'm guessing. (If you have time flying P-51s P-38s or FW-190s I will defer to your opinion on that)

So other than a few more planes modeled and some player run events (which are coming on strong in AH) if we are truely honest about the subject, the quality of the sim has nothing to do with people leaving WB and coming to AH.

When HTC decided not to code for the Mac he pissed off a lot of people (sorry HT not questioning your decision it's just what I see in the community) and those people belong to squads in WB.  The other squad members are not going to support a product the is "segragating" some of it's members until they are absolutly forced to.

With WBIII coming down the road and WWIIonline both providing Mac support, I don't ever see a big influx of Warbirders in AH.

Thanks,
Sharky

[Cabby]

Quote:

<Snip>

"if we are truely honest about the subject, the quality of the sim has nothing to do with people leaving WB and coming to AH."

Most come to AH because of the cost compared to the outrageous cost of WB's Full-Realism.  On the other hand, most stay in WB's because WB's is more fun (i.e. more planes, more varied styles of ACM).  The MAC issue, a disappointment for some, isn't the big reason, IMO.

I just hope HTC and iEN both don't dumb-down their games to get broader appeal.

Cabby

------------------
=44th FS "VAMPIRES"=
"The Jungle Air Force"
Welcome To The Jungle!!!"



[This message has been edited by cabby (edited 09-04-2000).]

[Renfield]

It's just Maximus - the guy isn't apparently old enough to know what it means to provide for yourself or what a job is. When mommy and daddy buy everything for you anyway, of course online everything should be free. Most everything else is free anyway.

[carl]

LOLOLOLOLOL  Maximusignaramus    

MAC ? they still around ? .. oh yeah ,,, saw one in corner of my Computer Supply ,,has cobwebs on it.

[This message has been edited by carl (edited 09-04-2000).]

[Tac]

I was making an analogy Sharky. Compare the number of games done FOR the Mac (not for PC and with mac support thrown in) with those done for the PC. Its the market HTC is in, and I believe I understand why AH has no Mac support. Perhaps in the future when the company has a foothold and can waste time on such leasures.

Then perhaps we can have AH for the GAMEBOY! Give a hoot!