It LIVES!!!!! - The Next Nightmare For Productivity

So I had completely forgot about a new cccccrrrrrrraaaaaaazzzzzzyyyyyyyy idea from Id Software. Well it’s not that new and crazy but it’s the first time it’s been attempted outside of Korea. Id Software is rolling out with a free, browser based FPS using their Quake brand. I know it’s not the first time it’s been done and there are plenty of browser based MMOs out there making money hand over fist with their free services, and the browser based arcades like GameDuell are thriving corporations. This is really the first time this sort of model has been attempted with the support of a major FPS brand and geared toward competition style ladders and leagues.

It’s very possible to code, support, and serve a program on a budget. I wrote about an earlier game that did that too and was a blast to play, it also used Quake as a background.What’s really exciting about this is that Id Software is planning on fostering a community behind it. Revenue is going to come from ad sales and the sale of “premium membership” which will remove all ads and probably add some other bells and whistles.

The Beta opens up tonight, and I am pretty excited to see how launch will roll out. This launch comes hot off the heels of Gabe Newell’s DICE Keynote speech where he commented that games offered as a service was a likely route to thwarting piracy and a way to keep profits up in tough times. Gabe was one of the folks who worked with Steam, which is a digital distribution platform. Microsoft and other independent companies like Direct2Drive have started such platforms after seeing Steam's success. Since the client will be free, advertising will be very important for Id, and after working with CPA groups like LinkShare.com I am excited to see how the ads served up alongside or in Quake Live will perform.

This could very well be the culmination of the last five years of web2.0 marketing. Everything from in game ad placement, to sponsorships, to PPC, to viral tactics can be used and tweaked till the most effective method is found. This is great for me as user, because I don’t see ads that I don’t care about, and ads I may care about are displayed in the least intrusive way possible (no more ‘after these messages’). This is great for business because they can find the right pricing model that works for both sides and stay profitable.

Either way, Quake III was a lot of fun, and this is what Quake Live is based off of, so its going to be a blast. "Boom - Headshot"

Wheels Keep on Spinning Round...

Two marketing posts in a row, I know, I am sorry. This is at least about GTA IV though, that counts for something right? After playing for three hours I am still having a blast. It dawned on me that I had missed the huge marketing wheel, paid advertisements, contests, ARGs, etc etc, I mean this game has to be as big as Halo 3 right?

Then it dawned on me, I didn’t miss the marketing wheel, it was going on the whole time. The PR team for GTA IV rolled the dice in a lot of ways and it looked like it paid off. Look back a year, when people were still clamoring to “finish the fight” it looked like no matter where you went all you heard about was Halo 3. I mean an open beta, teaser trailers everywhere, its customary ARG, even its own Mountain Dew (which tasted like gross in my opinion).

Rock Star on the other hand did something quite differently. They said nothing about anything. Open beta? Hell no, reviewers had to review the game in a hotel room with guards. Huge paid advertising? Why would you need it; after all Rock Star servers crashed after releasing the 1:03 trailer “Things will be different.” The hype wasn’t needed.

What is something a community loves the most? Speculation. Rumour sites for movies, games, hell even D&D exist and thrive because people love to speculate. Rock Star spoon fed that, carefully controlling the release of information and making sure that whenever information was released it was done for free and built a lot of hype.

This is the kind of marketing Apple employs. Community generation is tough though, and they can do more harm than good if your product is in the least bit inferior. Luckily most of the 10/10 reviews abate that.

Once it was launched they let the reviews do all the advertising and started airing paid advertisements to get those who were in a coma to buy.

I Love Analytics

Thank you ILoveAnalytics.com for these videos....

Below are some funny videos about marketing I found on their site. If you want more commentary on them go ahead and click on over. That blog is all about marketing where we have dorks of a different colour here.

Never Trust a Fan Boy

I am always a fan of communities. Especially communities and how they relate to marketing. South Park did an episode last night about using the internet to make money, this blog was started because I want to see how bloggers make money (see shameless promotions to the right), and really, it never seems to work. It’s the pyramid scheme of the new millennia a lot of times, you really have to have something people want to watch or read. That doesn't mean its not fun, just don't quit your day job.

That’s why the nerd community has picked up on it so well. Dorks across the globe really can’t get information, because there are so few of us in each individual community, but on the internet our name is Legion. Wizards of the Coast doesn’t really need to engage in marketing, they have a diehard community to do it for them. DND4.com is a great example. They have constructed a “Preview PHB”, which my friends and I have started dissecting for the latest clues about how we are going to play the game.

We are going to buy it, this just tipped us over the edge to make sure we place advance orders, advance orders I found out about on DnD4.com. White-Wolf Studios had the same opportunities for their Requiem and New World of Darkness series, but they blew it. They sued their fans instead of embracing them, and that has weakened their ability to market to their consumers. I am continually shocked that they choose to piss off their fan base. I don’t know why they haven’t taken a page from Wizards and chosen to STFU. I understand that each company has their style, Windows encourages third party manufacturers. Apple refuses to budge on opening their platform. Both have the pros and cons, both work. Thats the key though, both work, which is great because now I as a user have a diverse choice of options for my computing needs. Unfortunately White-Wolf has chosen to do things poorly, so I loose out on my options for angsty vampires.

In the end, White-Wolf studios enforcement of what I play has made an otherwise great game suck. Wizards has chosen to embrace the fans and its going to make 4.0 all the sweeter. White-Wolf needs to apologize and start kissing the asses of their community; otherwise they are going to go the way of the FASA-bird.

P.S. speaking of shameless promotion, this article is all about it. Click here to find out why!