Marketing Suggestions & Website Updates

Surragard

The game is getting some negative press right now and I think a step-up in the marketing might help. I have a few suggestions here. Feel free to add your own two cents but here's mine:

1) Add interactive options to the website

The marketing articles and pieces coming out might have some great info, but many people won't read it without some excitement or interactivity. The whole website feels like a dev blog right now, which should be just one component. I'm going to go on a limb here and point out the SWTOR website as an example. Pre-launch Bioware added a ton of interactive options to the site, ship models, and short video clips that told the backstory of the game (strategically released one episode at a time as the game got closer to launch). Say what you will about the game itself, but the pre-hype for SWTOR was insane and I think the website had a lot to do with it.

2) Reconsider the strategy of selling physical items to market the game.

I'm looking at the Hero's Guide and the Poster Book when I type this. Cool ideas but most people won't buy these items. A cheap basic strategy guide would have gotten more attention. As for the poster book, Amazon discounted it after the first day so I'm assuming sales weren't all too great (It's a bit embarrassing when the announcement article lists the $25 price point with a link and when you click it you see it's been discounted to $18). More free wallpapers and digital downloads through the website would help increase exposure a lot more (and draw attention to the website and its forums).

3) Rendered videos/live action

I have mixed feelings on this (mostly because I know that they're really costly to make). Not to harp on SWOTR again but once again the pre-hype to the game launch was pretty staggering. I already mentioned the interactive options above but the rendered videos helped a lot too. Skyrim live action ads got on TV and got a ton of YouTube hits so it makes sense that ZoS decided to try it for ESO. The issue I have is that they were telling a story...that suddenly stopped. I don't know if there's another part coming out, if a part was coming out but was cancelled, or if I'm supposed to get the rest of the story by playing the main quest. It's super unclear and that doesn't sit well.

HandofBane

Or they could, you know, fix the game so the negative press attention can be converted to positive when there are fewer things to justifiably complain about.

Blackwidow

ESO Devs....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhS-i-c1XxI

dannyporter2011b16_ESO

Want to know their biggest potential marketing tool which is completely free?

Communication.

So many players have left the game because no one from the company communicates effectively to us.

There's hundreds of bugs and when players call for something to be fixed, all there is in a response is obscure and pointless responses.

The game is becoming unbearable to play and unwelcoming to the point you'd have thought they would communicate constantly to attempt to maintain a positive relationship with their customers.

At this rate, the game will probably hit the graveyard within a year like most promising MMOs tend to do which is a shame.

KriHavok

I bought the Skyrim Game Guide, and thought it was excellently put together and how extensive the information was. I would almost definitely purchase an ESO Game Guide that was sold officially by ZoS. I hope they would consider creating one, at least once enough major patches are out, so that it would still contain the most up-to-date information.

Nazon_Katts

Yep, keeping folks in the loop and giving information about what is happening why and when or why not could go a long way. Even if that meant admitting greater problems and solutions might take a while longer, but then people would at least know what's the cause and probably would be much more forgiving.

Keeping your customers in the dark isn't an exactly effective trust building measure and I blame the lack of developer/gamer interaction for the rather toxic state this community currently is in. I can say for sure that communities with active developer participation are in much friendlier state, even when things go wrong. Yes, they go up in flames too, but calm down fast as well.

Because people know they are being heard, their problems are acknowledged and so don't see much need in trying to attract attention or even get bitter due to the feeling of being ignored. That's something ZOS has to improve rather sooner than later.