Support Aces High

[RotBaron]

I wish this were the case but think of simply how this thread has gone, I did just explain that we have tried air shows, what has been the result? In fact I would bet I have stated in the past that we have tried air shows.

I can explain simple facts that most players have an expiration date. Some know they do and just go on to the next thing they wish to have fun at, I used to play WOW for a few years, but finally lost interest, I don't blame Blizzard for my loss of interest in fact WOW's player base numbers have also declined at similar % to ours. You tend to know a player has passed his point when he starts being extremely vocal about some little detail being the cause of him not having fun.

Reality is that for AH  to grow again it is all about  attracting new customers, and very little to do with keeping the current ones. That simple explanation will be taken out of context at some point, but people who play the same game for many years in a row are not the norm. To maintain viability it is all about inflow rates and out flow rates. At some point (average player life time) trying to slow the out flow rate does not make economic sense.

HiTech

That makes perfect sense and should hopefully show everybody a lot more thought has gone into every aspect of your business than a few would like to portray.

The part about some being vocal and reaching their expiration date really should open everyone's eyes. I'm pretty persistent (vocal maybe) about wanting the J2M, but I don't think I'm starting to stink just yet. Imo small breaks help my attention return.

Thanks for the reply/insight too  

[Arlo]

[bustr]

Are all the people finding something to shoot at a problem, playing outside of 4pm - 1am U.S. Pacific Time?

And as HiTech pointed out. The rule, not the exception, is players have a shelf life. I've been here since 2002 playing without more than a week or two break at a time. I'm an anomaly along with all of POTW. Most of our members have been here 3 - 14 years. I was originally paid to play AW so I could support sound card issues for that game. Then I came here. About 20 years of simming this air combat. All of my squad finds something to shoot at whenever they are on with the possible exception of Fish42 who is in Australia.

There is a lot of complaining about not finding fights and not a lot of specifics. Kind of like telling Skuzzy there is a busted terrain tile near A1 on NDisles with no landmark references or a screen shot.

So! Is there a problem finding fights or, are those complaining helping themselves to have an excuse to find another game? It would be nice if you stopped using HiTech as the villain and just make up your minds.

[Delirium]

I don't own a gaming company, but like others I do care what happens to this one. I have a 4 year old son that I want to have fly alongside me one day and right now things appear in doubt.

If I had any real gripe about business decisions made by HTC, I would have to say shelving Combat Tour was the biggest mistake. It would of allowed online scripted play that would of supported a short duration of gameplay as well as given players a true time sink that may of captured players for a longer period of time. This one approach would of appealed to the quick fight type as well as those that care about the broader objectives.

[USCH]

I don't own a gaming company, but like others I do care what happens to this one. I have a 4 year old son that I want to have fly alongside me one day and right now things appear in doubt.

If I had any real gripe about business decisions made by HTC, I would have to say shelving Combat Tour was the biggest mistake. It would of allowed online scripted play that would of supported a short duration of gameplay as well as given players a true time sink that may of captured players for a longer period of time. This one approach would of appealed to the quick fight type as well as those that care about the broader objectives.

i do wish CT had worked, the concept was vary interesting to me.. Vary much what some people are looking for. Clearly HTC had a good reason to but it on a back burner.

[230G]

Are all the people finding something to shoot at a problem, playing outside of 4pm - 1am U.S. Pacific Time?

And as HiTech pointed out. The rule, not the exception, is players have a shelf life. I've been here since 2002 playing without more than a week or two break at a time. I'm an anomaly along with all of POTW. Most of our members have been here 3 - 14 years. I was originally paid to play AW so I could support sound card issues for that game. Then I came here. About 20 years of simming this air combat. All of my squad finds something to shoot at whenever they are on with the possible exception of Fish42 who is in Australia.

There is a lot of complaining about not finding fights and not a lot of specifics. Kind of like telling Skuzzy there is a busted terrain tile near A1 on NDisles with no landmark references or a screen shot.

So! Is there a problem finding fights or, are those complaining helping themselves to have an excuse to find another game? It would be nice if you stopped using HiTech as the villain and just make up your minds.

 Well, then I am the exception. I started pre-AHII, Pre-AH, in the AW days. How is "not finding fights" not a specific? To me it points to A) not enough people B) maps that are too large, and possibly C)something of which I am totally unaware. But it is, in this thread, a recurring theme. With me it certainly is not an excuse to find another game because this is the only game I play and am not looking for another. There. My mind's made up (again).

[Oldman731]

people who play the same game for many years in a row are not the norm.

I'm delighted to hear that.  I was beginning to fear I was normal.

The vast majority of posters, and now Hitech, seem to agree that the trick is picking up new blood (to replace the departing normal people), rather than tweaking the fine points of the game.

- oldman (nuzzling his comfort blanket)

[DmonSlyr]

 Really? I completely understand your point about folks getting tired of the game, finding some microscopic bit to whine about, then using that excuse for leaving. But come on, surely I'm not alone in my point of view. I really do check the main page 2 - 3 times per week looking for some sort of news, update, ANYTHING. I STILL love the game but as many others have alluded to, can't always sit down for an hour looking for something at which to shoot.
  Case in point: I used to play COD on-line simply because it was so easy to log on for a few minutes, kill/get killed then go about my business around the house. How I wish AH was similar to that! And I can assure you that when I AM able to sit down for a few minutes here and there and enjoy myself (like it used to be), my account becomes active again and STAYS active, as it once was. And BTW I did grow tired of COD but still wait around here for some glimmer of hope. Am I alone in my thinking or reasoning?

Well this game can't be like COD in the sense of gameplay. It is always different and players are hard to predict. Even after years of playing. That's why I still stick around. It is very challenging and there are so many options. Every plane has a strength and weakness. I think in order to achive faster and more engaging gameplay is to have shorter base distances.

I agree with Hitech, attracting new players is key. I want to see the arena's packed. I have made my own personal opions about commercials in a post a few pages back. Those are the marketing channels we need to attack.

 I think by now he gets the point. We just want to see you and the game succeed, Hitech.  We are looking forward to the new remodel. Hope the pressure don't kill ya. Just relax and follow my simple avatar hahaha.

Good luck, but I'll still be around cuz poppin noobz in AH is the next best thing since not the bears.

[Mongoose]

I wish this were the case but think of simply how this thread has gone, I did just explain that we have tried air shows, what has been the result? In fact I would bet I have stated in the past that we have tried air shows.

I did not know that you had tried air shows before.  And you did not get a good ROI?  Wow.  That kind of boggles the mind.

I can explain simple facts that most players have an expiration date.

<Some Deleted>

 but people who play the same game for many years in a row are not the norm.

 
  I hope to be one of the exceptions to this rule.  But the simple fact is that I know that life is not static.  Things will change. Because of Real Life issues, there may come a day when I have to put my plane in the hangar for good.  Until then, I am hunting for that expiration date with a bottle of white out in my hand. 

[Vinkman]

The attraction of this game for me is ...
1) I always wondered what kind of a combat pilot I would be.
2) It's human competition.
3) It's difficult

If I were to market the game to new players I would focus on...
1) The game having the virtual-worlds best combat pilots, to establish the "Global Human Competition" of it
2) I would find a way to let X-BOX universe join and play with their "game Controlers"

I also agree that the big arena Idea has issues. "the war" isn't being run by anyone so the whole thing is chaos. Hording in some places, vast areas with no-one. Spawn camping, bomb tarding, ganging are prevalent. What most new comers want is some balanced action.  In XBOX games for example all fights are even match ups. Imaging if you signed on to XBOX, entered a match and it was 7v1 and every time you spawned you got shot in the head because the spawns were all camped?  how long would you last?  The big free-for-all arena is fun for patient old timers who know the game and understand the concept of "the war" but a it's a nightmare for the new generation.  

I would keep the LW arena as the Free-for-all-It's-one-big-giant-war Arena, but I would lose Mid-war and Early-war and replace them with lots of mini arenas that have only two bases and sets up 8v8 "capture the Flag" games where the object is to capture the other base, while defending your own. Or timed 8v8 dog fights, or timed 8v8 tank battles. OR 8v8 fights with 1,2,or 3 lives each...last man standing wins...etc...

These can be set up now in a h2h arena now, but who is going to work the phones to get everyone in the battle, especially if you're new? The game should have an option to "1-click" into something like that. This will let newbees fight even odds at one thing at a time until they master enough things to get in the LW free for all.  

Just my thoughts.  

[Changeup]

Reality is that for AH  to grow again it is all about  attracting new customers, and very little to do with keeping the current ones. That simple explanation will be taken out of context at some point, but people who play the same game for many years in a row are not the norm. To maintain viability it is all about inflow rates and out flow rates. At some point (average player life time) trying to slow the out flow rate does not make economic sense.

HiTech

I'd be interested in knowing why you believe players get tired of the game.  Is that the nature of games in general?  I think your explanation would be easier for all of us to accept if you could just explain it.  I haven't grown tired of the "game".  I've grown tired of chasing play in the game.  There was a time when furballs and base taking attempts lasted for 48 hours at virtually the same intensity.  The running joke when you logged in a day later was, "you guys haven't taken this base yet????".  If there isn't an explainable reason, business models then take over.  Marketing and Advertising.  Accountants don't count.  Without the prior 3, accountants have nothing to count.  

While you've said it before and I believe you, its still confusing.  Business 101:  The fiscal burden of obtaining new clients is 10 times that of the existing client base (you mentioning ROI on advertising in certain markets tells me you know this).  Sunk costs (money already spent on existing customers) + ongoing costs (the costs to keep them spending with you - updates) vs new customer costs (marketing, advertising, product improvements to appeal to new customers).

There are other costs on both sides but there is an imbalance here that additional costs will not overcome.  Sunk + ongoing will always be smaller than new customer costs because there are no marketing and advertising costs necessary to keep existing customers.  They already know you and have spent dollars with you.  So, your ROI will always be higher with existing customers because you will always plan on updates to the game which supplies both existing and future clients with a product.

Edit:  MBA 101:  Businesses cannot save their way to long-term prosperity.  Constant investment in time, product, and exposure.  

[Changeup]

See. Rule 4

[230G]

For quote a rule 4

[bj229r]

Were this just a game, I'd have quit some years ago, as it's gotten quite stale for me....but I've dozens of RL friends I've made over the years, going back to 1995 with AW, and this is my connection to them. (Hell, most of the people whom I KNOW, at this point in my life, are from this game) Hope it doesn't end, and according to HT, the key is keeping new people coming in, which agrees with most business models I've ever heard of. I'm afraid we're running out of kids whose father flew in WW2 (like mine) who built models of these planes throughout their childhoods....the game needs to appeal to the instant gratification-COD console crowd, though how to do that eludes me...other than make the graphics look at least as nice as WOT/airplanes/whatever (it has the ability to be dialed back to accept low-end PC's, not sure why AH can't be same)....and maybe after 15 years, NOT have a small bush upend a tank ..(I'm good with the air stuff...other than the nuclear explosion doubling as the sun)

[Gman]

There are probably a few that blame HiTech.  I don't blame him at all.  I think the update was way late and could have staved off some of the exodus of players.  He could argue they were leaving anyway.  I would argue if the game perpetuated fun and proper attention was paid to their concerns OFF OF THIS BBS and privately, why would they leave?  "Cuz that's what they do" isn't a real good answer and one I know my boss wouldn't accept.  He's an Aggie so maybe that's the problem but in the end, he'd want a precise reason as to why they left.  And there is a reason.  Are they AH controllable?  Some are, some are not.  I'd be willing to bet its the old 80-20 rule

This is where I come down pretty much as well, especially the "took too long" part.    Personally, I have no trouble finding fights or something to do, but I barely play compared to many of those that ARE having such troubles, and there is enough of them being vocal enough, that taking both that and the decline in numbers, it's evident something has gone wrong.  IMO it's still just down to the numbers, and they are down, way down, compared to the high HTC said here on this BBS that peaked around 2008/2009.  The fact that it's been 4 years with few substantial updates or changes/innovations to the game, sort of coincides with the decline - when I asked Snailman to graph the changes in the last 4 years, his response was "aside from a small strat change, there are none".  All the ROI, CPI/advertising, new/old player models - none if it had near the effect that leaving the game to its own devices for 4 years has had IMO.

Also - EvE has been around over 10 years now.  A year after it's ten year anniversary, just recently,  it added 100 thousand subscribers in a fiscal year, for a total of over 500,000.  This could have been HTC's story, just on a smaller scale.  The foundation of the creation AH was built on is so strong that it has survived in spite of it really having been left on autopilot for a long time, in terms of new major features and innovations (yes there have been tweaks and the odd new plane/etc, but nothing on the order of a large exciting change).  This is why I'm still around, I have hope, hope based on the past pre the last few years, but strong hope none the less.  

I don't buy the argument about grandchildren and the interest in WW2 waning - if that is the case, how does one explain the tens of thousands over at WT?  The subject matter isn't the problem, WW2 games have millions of players right now.  Nor need the game here be simplified.  THere are nearly 3/4 of a million people who have paid 65$ million USD total, for early looks/access to Star Citizen, and it's a very complex flight model, far more so than here, especially if you want to be any good.  The entire world being constructed there is incredibly diverse and complex, yet more new blood pours in every day there.