Last Tweet, May 21st. No countdown timer. No streaming event. No emails out to anyone. No promotion on websites. No introductions of the new GM's that will be on the server. No fun giveaways. No launch videos. Majority of these things above are free but nothing is done to promote EQ. This tells me that there is zero interest in getting new people into the game or bringing back old players. One email a year from DBG is all we get and its always about the new expansions even though the TLP's are a large portion of this games profits. There has been a core of streamers from EQ that have been pushing out content over the last couple of weeks to promote the game (collectively like 50 videos) and everyone of them that I talk to all say the same thing, they aren't doing it for any reason other then to help promote EQ because they don't want to see it disappear and there is no advertisement coming DBG's. We all love that there are two new servers coming out but just don't understand the lack of promotion for your product. The unofficial TLP discords have multiple streamers that will be online tomorrow starting as early as 9am. Some of the streamers are even giving out prizes. Also lots of videos to help you pass the time while waiting for launch. Thanks to all of the players that are developing content for the launch and EQ in general. Just my opinion but I have a feeling that these might be the last two servers that make it to live and any new TLP servers will be more like event servers. So batphone your friends to hopefully enjoy one more push into EQ. Fun day ahead tomorrow.
Just a small correction... No TLP ever has made it to live. Combine was the closest but was merged a few months before they made it. By Fippy/Vulak, live was too far away from classic to sustain a pop all the way, with the level 70 expansion barrior killing the pop and ragefire killing off the stragglers. Phinigel is now actually really close, but haven't made it yet and are sustained by the fact that they literally can't fail. Future TLP's will likewise "make it to live" because they are set up to progress no matter what. I really hope Rizlona goes the distance with intact population. I hope Aradune does too, for that matter. But we are almost a decade away from catching up on new servers at this point with constantly increasing expansions. It's a long haul. Even 8 years ago when Fippy launched, the journey was much shorter than it is today. And it was too long back then.
You want them to encourage more people to login all at once than already will? Are you that confident in their infrastructure? I would say your whole post is evidence that they are not, and with good reason. I'd expect the marketing and announcements to come post launch. Maybe same day or next day.
I'd still expect them to have a "these servers are now live!" announcement on social media within 48 hours, once they've confirmed everything hasn't completely fallen over after the initial frenzy.
This is business as usual every year... The people that play on TLP's know about it and the rest of them likely don't care.
Business as usual is the exact thing that came to mind. Sorry guys and gals, just because we are passionate about a game doesn't mean that the company necessarily is.
Yeah for some reason I thought we were getting a GM introduction, maybe I'm misremembering. I knew I wasn't crazy! Maybe it was in the official discord idk.
Yeah I do. The only way they seem to listen is when there is a huge outcry. They listened (Kinda) when they made a mistake and made Miragul Truebox. Posted a non-truebox thread and we got Rizlona. They listened when PoP-Locked was not wanted on the two new servers and was expressed by almost everyone. So "maybe" they would listen to us and send out some promotions for this game PRIOR to the server launching. The thing about this game which we all know about is that making friends prior to a server launch and experiencing the launch together makes a lot of good memories. These keep people together longer. Sending out marketing announcements post launch outside of a tweet (I have the email history to prove it doesn't come from email) is not good enough. By the time someone who wasn't following the game even knows there is a new server, they missed out on many things people enjoy in EQ. At that stage they just feel behind. So yes, let the servers crash for a few days because there is to much interest. Maybe that is what it will take to create some change around here.
Yep 100%. It's late and I'm excited about the new server. Should of went to bed 2 hours ago. What I meant to express is I think these might be the last two servers that progress to live via all the expansions. I think event servers like PVP season servers that reset every year (as discussed via the discord meeting), or era event servers like classic-Pop with reset once complete. Based off the focus group discussion and discord AMA. But my focus like you is Rizlona. I am just kinda shocked with the Aradune name out there for this launch there hasn't been any promotions outside of a tweet and a website post (awhile ago).
I have already made a difference and that is good enough for me. Besides they aren't hiring and I'm retired. Marketing can mostly be free if done by someone with talent/knowledge. Spend that salary on another coder. Here is what I would suggest. Have a focus group with all the bigger streamers/youtubers of EQ (not hard to find and many of them have couple thousand subs). Come up with a marketing plan that includes giving away krono, vanity items, free bag packs, expansions ect. Tweet, email, advertise via the streamers, The EQ SHOW, ect. Congratulate the winners on the official sites. Only give away items thought once videos/streams reach certain thresholds like total views on a Youtube video like EQ Show or 500 viewers on someones Twitch stream, ect. Make the community WANT to help you promote by giving them a reason to tune in and can make the streamers/Youtubers work for you since it benefits them also (more views). BTW the added bonus is this promotes all of DBG's games not just EQ. Also the internet is funny sometimes. Something might happen randomly and it goes viral. Next thing you know your very little investment has paid off 10x.
Their marketing budget is probably close to $0... They rarely/never actively market the game. I mean, it's fine... I think the company is fairly small and have to make choices about where to out their dollars. I think they made a choice that the return on marketing spends would not be worth, and that their playerbase is pretty reliable and can be advertised via word of mouth.
Spend tons of cash to promote a Grinding Game that has 1999 graphics when there are already other GRINDY game like BDO ETC. OK Streamers with Decent #s Do not want to LOSE Subs or Viewers by showing a Old Game, Maybe through bounty Board on twitch where if they stream X amount of Hours they get payed X amount of money? EXAMPLE: AlkaizerX Streams Path of exile, Loses 1-2k people, Streams D3 on new season, +1-3K people INCENTIVE's / Give Aways for ACTIVE subs or NON ? theres 2 audiences here All Of DBG's current games have already PEAKED and now in a constant plateau. You can't make people like something if it doesn't appeal to them. MMORPG Genre has been stale for years. Everquest is a small niche of around 20-30k People total. All Comes down to budget & it's small. Personally They are MOVING MOUNTAINS with what they are working with after Acquiring SOEs Games. After what SOE Did to alot of their games & how DBG handles it now Speaks VOLUMES that DBG was the right choice to own these titles they do now. I am Curious though what their Secrete project game is next, i noticed on the Hiring Page positions open for a game they yet to speak of
So is this like a threat or something? Your collective of unofficial discordians are going to continue to subject people to these awful videos and and the chatturbate equivelent of MMO streaming until your demands are met? I am bringing people brand new to EQ to Aradune, somehow managing to convince them EQ wasn't just a game for psychotics and try-hard meme-lords that didn't get their facebook stardom seeking out of the way in highschool. Furthermore, the servers have plenty of people, the problems are not in advertising, telling them to advertise more or how to is just, lol, and tell me about your discord again. What would be great is if their website worked on the one day that I sent people to it. What would be great would be if I manage to remote desktop get them setup only to find that 10 hours before launch the servers are not even on the list. I honestly don't even care about these GMs, bags, or how much people are paying attention to the game, just want to play and be able to bring my friends to play. Daybreak makes that hard enough without people flashing their EQ at everyone all time, just take it down a notch, lol.
Probably better to hold off on blaring the trumpets until after launch when the servers cool down a bit. Easier to convince someone to play a week after release than to play a game nobody can log into.
Not sure where I said spend a lot of money? Most of things I mention are free and just take a little effort (like 48 hours of work honestly). I didn't say anything about paying off mega streamers like "Ninja". I said use volunteers from EQ who already stream (way more then you think, just gotta look). I also said do giveaways with objectives. While there aren't as many watching a stream normally, there is a HUGE difference when DPG drops a tweet a few weeks prior that advertises that something will be giving away and they link the persons channel to go follow and watch via tweet/email. Tons of people showed up for the AMA, don't think people would show up to watch a DPG promoted stream? Don't think you understand the power of free stuff I to am curious on what their next game is but even if it is a "newer" EQ, it won't erase all the flaws this team has in promoting their current game. If it is a new game that DPG is producing, why not go get some practice advertising the way a new game will have to advertise in todays market to make it successful. Having the name "Everquest" on your resume is not enough with today's gamers, especially with the tarnish that EQNext has around it.
