Marketing AH3 in other games.

[AKIron]

No one is likely to fix or change anything on the forum but no harm in trying or discussing. Seems to me youtube videos are the most likely to draw interest. A few might try it and stay. That's better than a sharp stick in the eye.   

[CptTrips]

I really don't know why this myth persists so much. We had thousands and thousands of players downloading AH... and almost nobody stayed.

And if you can't fix that, you should stop wasting your time chasing new players and put all your energy in to re-accessing those former players.

They are used to the graphics.
They are used to the gameplay.
They are used to the subscription model.
etc.  They would be your lowest hanging fruit.

You just have to figure out what would it take to entice them back.

Is there a combination of changes that could lure you back?

[Dadtallica]

It would be unfair to offer anything special to someone returning and not then also give it in some manner to those who never left. Both of which are easy to rectify. Either way I’m just gonna enjoy what we have while we have it whether or not I think we should pay less for it. It’s probably not gonna stop me anytime soon.

Why does everybody think the individual who owns this game actually wants it to increase in size? If it were to do so he would then have to do so in aggregate exponentially. How is he doing that exactly? More importantly, is there even a desire to do so? Pretty sure we know the answer.

Also, what would be the possible benefit for him to comment on any of this ever. He would win and lose at the same time,  every time?

Most of you in here are probably retired… I bet you like it a lot!

[CptTrips]

It would be unfair to offer anything special to someone returning and not then also give it in some manner to those who never left.

Say he went through the user DB and reset every expired account where they've been gone at least 6 months and re-enable a trial for them.  Add what ever flag you need so that those trials can actually last 90 days.

Would that be too insulting to current players?  What do you get out of it?  More targets to shoot at?  A chance to reinvigorate the game you love?  Is it really costing you anything?


I assume he has emails of past customers.  If I want to reclaim my former id he has to identify me somehow.  Those are former customers not random internet email leads.  Send them an email and say, "As part of our 25 year anniversary celebration you have been granted a 90 comeback trial period.  Comeback and remember what you loved so much.".

The trial is just sitting there waiting for them.  That creates an urge to go collect the free thing I have coming.  Once you get them back and rolling again, maybe some will stick.

Reasonably low effort.  All the coding is in the non-graphic parts of the system HT can handle.  We're not talking huge dangerous logic changes.  Just some account parameter twiddling.  A low cost attempt and changing the curve.

Would that not even be worth the try?

[Yarbles]

I really don't know why this myth persists so much. We had thousands and thousands of players downloading AH... and almost nobody stayed. The subscription rate was abysmal.  THAT is the core problem - for whatever reasons, people don't like it enough to stay and hand over $15. Everything else results from it. That's why HTC stopped advertising... you could not recuperate the costs. Of course, this is a more unpleasant truth for us fanboys, our beloved game ("nothing wrong with it") being rejected. I mean, I was totally surprised how the steam launch ended up myself. 

I didn't know 

[caldera]

And if you can't fix that, you should stop wasting your time chasing new players and put all your energy in to re-accessing those former players.

They are used to the graphics.
They are used to the gameplay.
They are used to the subscription model.
etc.  They would be your lowest hanging fruit.

You just have to figure out what would it take to entice them back.

Is there a combination of changes that could lure you back?

I think you have something there, with trying to reacquire past customers.  Especially ones who played for years. 

It's very hard to compete for new blood, when they see better graphics for less or no initial investment.  No reason to give up on that front, but courting those who once loved the game seems like better odds.

[Yarbles]

I think you have something there, with trying to reacquire past customers.  Especially ones who played for years. 

It's very hard to compete for new blood, when they see better graphics for less or no initial investment.  No reason to give up on that front, but courting those who once loved the game seems like better odds.

AH also does not take high end hardware to run. I don't know about IL2 but DCS on full settings you are looking at a $2000 PC at minimum. I can just about run DCS at the lowest settings with quad 3600 core, 64 RAM and 500 gig ssd and the graphics at that level look like 1980's on the ground.

There must be plenty of people who like me ran AH at low settings 10+ years ago who with a modest modern PC will be able to turn everything up to max now and WOW 

[hazmatt]

And if you can't fix that, you should stop wasting your time chasing new players and put all your energy in to re-accessing those former players.

They are used to the graphics.
They are used to the gameplay.
They are used to the subscription model.
etc.  They would be your lowest hanging fruit.

You just have to figure out what would it take to entice them back.

Is there a combination of changes that could lure you back?

I know when I was playing WW2 online they used to have a thing called "Welcome back soldier" where they would email prior players and offer them a free full access subscription for a limited amount of time. The numbers would jump during these times.

[hazmatt]

AH also does not take high end hardware to run. I don't know about IL2 but DCS on full settings you are looking at a $2000 PC at minimum. I can just about run DCS at the lowest settings with quad 3600 core, 64 RAM and 500 gig ssd and the graphics at that level look like 1980's on the ground.

There must be plenty of people who like me ran AH at low settings 10+ years ago who with a modest modern PC will be able to turn everything up to max now and WOW 

Not sure you'd need a $2000 computer. I can run max detail on WT and IL2 easily on my computer that I built for under 1k. I have a 4070 super and a 12100. I "upgraded" the cpu to a 12700 but there was a minimal performance increase so I sent it back. Here's a breakdown of what I can recall for my computer off the top of my head
12100 $70
64gb RAM $100
4070 super $550
motherboard $150

That works out to less then $900. I had a case and drives and monitor that I could use. I suspect most people would have this or could get them for fairly cheaply.

[waystin2]

ARMA 3? 

[hazmatt]

ARMA 3? 

I remember I was gonna join you guys there and check it out, but then something happened. I may have missed a sale or lost the info or something. I could use a break from making smoking holes in the countryside with the A4E I'm trying to learn.

[Lusche]

Is there a combination of changes that could lure you back?

A few years ago it could have... but now it's too late, because the lack of action in my timezone would make any change in setting I could possibly ask for irrelevant. Reverting the dar settings won't change the fact that during my prime time, there are only around 30ish players logged in. Right now, it's almost midnight on a Saturday here, and it's not even 50 players logged in.
When I played last time, I had to stay up until US prime (like 3-5 am!) to get a glimpse of the battles & action which made AH so great back in the day. And that's not only bad for my health, but also not very reliable, because even at US prime the action is more and more often limited to a single battle between two countries.

And no, no simple gameplay settings change would magically get the numbers up again.

[Lusche]

ARMA 3? 

Could have been be my thing If I only could spot & hit anything 

[Animl-AW]

And no, no simple gameplay settings change would magically get the numbers up again.

This^^^

Hoping its a magic setting us really avoiding the obvious, ya gotta do the leg work to get the word out so they even know it exist. No matter the product.

If ya hand out 100 biz cards and get one response you’re probably doin ok. You’re nit going to get s mad rush on a single magic posting.

Batch emails is just gross biz. It looks desperate, disparate doesn’t sell well.

Ya really just have to get out there and shake the trees.

Out of 4.5k+ views on my videos, It may have drawn 10-30 to try it. That’s less than 1%. But 10 staying is worthy when you’re talking 100 and 10-20 pushes us into critical mass. The game starts rocking and more likely to retain more.
Below critical mass (100-120) not as much.

Numbers breed numbers
Pound the ground

[Yarbles]

I know when I was playing WW2 online they used to have a thing called "Welcome back soldier" where they would email prior players and offer them a free full access subscription for a limited amount of time. The numbers would jump during these times.

 

I came back but what put me off is "This guy is an a hole and this one is cheating" on the chat and not just 200.

Ok its very negative but people seemed more excited about their grudges and petty BS slights than the gameplay. I think everyone who calls someone else out is guilty. Just don't do it. Here or in game it makes for a toxic environment and pointing the finger just makes it worse. 

Where is the fun in allot of 50 something men who should know better slagging off someone in a game for some comment on 200