(Shocking) News!!!!!

Greybeard · #1 March 14th, 2005, 07:22 PM

I originally found SEIV through one of the game download sites (CNet or ZdNet?). I like strategy games and found the demo on the site. After a game or two, I went to Shrapnel and ordered the game.

In my opinion, free downloads of the demos is the best way to reach those who like this type of game.

Annette · #2 March 14th, 2005, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Greybeard said:
I originally found SEIV through one of the game download sites (CNet or ZdNet?).

Marketing.

Quote:

Greybeard said:
...found the demo on the site. After a game or two, I went to Shrapnel and ordered the game.

Marketing.

Quote:

Renegade 13 said:
I found out about the SE series by doing a search on the internet for "space strategy games".

Marketing.

Captain Kwok · #3 March 14th, 2005, 11:16 PM

If you're keeping score that's 3 for marketing and 0 for dumb luck.

Annette · #4 March 14th, 2005, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Captain Kwok said:
If you're keeping score that's 3 for marketing and 0 for dumb luck.

Will · #5 March 15th, 2005, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Captain Kwok said:
If you're keeping score that's 3 for marketing and 0 for dumb luck.

Well, I can't find a user "marketing", and dumbluck hasn't even posted to this thread. I think it's a bit unfair to be keeping score against him when he hasn't even posted!

I think what the Shrapnel folks are trying to get across is that it's better to make it easy for people *looking* for a game to find at Shrapnel. This works infinitely (or at least, a great deal) better than Grand Spamming people who couldn't give a damn. It's better to quietly release playable demos to free download sites, and anywhere that will offer free or subsidized bandwidth for hosting mirrors. It's better for them to create the atmosphere they did in the forums, effectively making an army of salespeople and tech support. And although the games might not get huge recognition (ie, front page) in any of the game review publications, Shrapnel games ARE in those publications. So, invest a lot of time into making contacts within the industry, slowly spreading awareness of a game for "free", instead of investing a lot of money that could be better spent making more games.

And really, in the end, it looks like the strategy is to market the games in a way that makes everyone *think* they stumbled onto a treasure trove by... *drumroll...* Pure Dumb Luck. Very sneaky devious, and I like it

Hope I didn't give away too many secrets!

Azselendor · #6 March 16th, 2005, 05:10 PM

You know, SF needs to clear up this whole matter once and for all.

Thermodyne · #7 March 17th, 2005, 10:25 AM

With all the talk of the old days, and with the eminent beta test drawing a few of the old guys back into the forums, I though I�d give everyone a little trip back to the days of the Ladder. With what I had to do to get past my ISPs firewall, this might be the last time I put it up. But for your viewing pleasure here is the old SE III (SE4) Ladder.

SE Ladder

dumbluck · #8 July 14th, 2005, 03:15 AM

Quote:

Captain Kwok said:
If you're keeping score that's 3 for marketing and 0 for dumb luck.

How did I get into this?

I found SEIV from a review in CGW! (BIG ad dollars at work) I downloaded the demo, and, ummmm... kinda went crazy until the purchased game arrived....

A Rabid fan? Me? Surely you jest.....