What is the story with those dominion ads??

[S.R. Krol]

@Quantum_Mechani: Yeah, but c'mon. We can talk about potential extremes but why? As it stands these are terribly tame ads.

@Ironhawk: No assumption, just facts that it has indeed brought much more exposure than the other ads. Does exposure equal instant increase in sales? Hard to say, but then again marketing isn't always about specific products but awareness. You see a billboard with 'Just Do It' on it. No product. But you automatically recognize it's Nike, right?

So if the ads pique someone's curiosity and they check us out but don't buy Dom 3, that's still good. Maybe during the visit they discovered Eat Electric Death! or War Plan Pacific or winSPMBT.

I'm also curious by something. You say that as a loyal repeat customer the fact that you find the ad offensive should mean something. So, what should we do? Remove them?
What about the loyal repeat customers that don't find them offensive? Don't their voices count?

As they say you can't please everyone all the time. If you don't like them they're not forever. Nature of the beast is ever changing.

I'd also like to point out it's not like we aren't listening. We're not squashing opposing viewpoints, or anything draconian like that. But we've been happy with the performance of the ads and so until that changes, we're sorry, but they shall remain.

[Foodstamp]

Lighten up. Even my girlfriend thinks the chick is hot.

[Jazzepi]

Personally I think the ads with the women on them are stupid. If you're going to try to sell a product, then you should advertise the product. The banner ads that were animated screen shots of the battles were much better.

It's a good thing I'm already playing Dom 3, ads with scantily clad women on them, with text that has too low contrast with the background, and is too small to read anyways, wouldn't have brought me here.

Jazzepi

[Ironhawk]

S.R. Krol said:
I'm also curious by something. You say that as a loyal repeat customer the fact that you find the ad offensive should mean something. So, what should we do? Remove them?

Of course not. I'm not like organizing a protest or embargo or something - I dont expect the opinion of a single person to count for much when weighed against the marketing budget. But if you are actually serious in asking what you should do instead of making a rhetorical platitude, then what you should do is tell your marketing dept to at least make a *head nod* towards actually selling a product rather than pandering to the lowest common denominator.

[VedalkenBear]

I might also point out that someone should keep track of the relative 'for/against' positions. And, as Ironhawk states, a little more thought into the advertising would help avoid future unpleasantness.

However, given Shrapnel's responses in this thread, I can say that they've lost at least one customer.

[S.R. Krol]

VedalkenBear said:
However, given Shrapnel's responses in this thread, I can say that they've lost at least one customer.

Hunh, wha? So if we announced Dominions IV tomorrow you wouldn't be the least bit interested?

Guys, unless there's an ad running I haven't seen I'd like to point out that (a) All the women are fully clothed. There's not even a bikini-clad model, chainmail or otherwise. About the most 'revealing' article of clothing is a garter. (b) The most suggestive position is laying on a couch. No one is spread eagle, or bending over shot from behind, etc.

The women could very well be selling watches, shoes, or hair care products. They're just silly ads. You're playing a game with blood slaves and false gods in it. Is an attractive (fully clothed) women really something to get in a lather about?

Obviously you guys have already bought the game. If the forum was being flooded with people who don't own the game, discovered us through the ads, and registered just to ***** about the ads that would be rather interesting. But that's not happening, nor I think there is a danger of that occurring.

Relax. Have some fun. Don't like the ads? Block them with your browser. In the history of computer gaming these ads aren't going to be making anyone's Top 10 Offensive Ad Campaign lists...

[Ironhawk]

S.R. Krol said:
Obviously you guys have already bought the game. If the forum was being flooded with people who don't own the game, discovered us through the ads, and registered just to ***** about the ads that would be rather interesting. But that's not happening, nor I think there is a danger of that occurring.

To hear a comment like this from someone attached to Shrapnel only confirms that I really should be losing respect for them. Effectively you have just told me that since I am not a prospective customer you dont care. Great. Good to know.

Now when you actually do release Dom4 or <insert other game I might buy here> I will know to reconsider.

[Omnirizon]

I have to agree with everyone that says the add is funny. It is so completely tongue-in-cheek I don't see how anybody can find it offensive (unless you don't like girls). But then again tongue in cheek is, by definition, humor in a subtle lack of seriousness.

[Sir_Dr_D]

I think that some of you are over reacting.

The point of the add isn't so much as using sex to sell the game, but rather using shock value to sell the game. The adds are meant to be ironic, which makes them eye catching ,and funny. I like them.

[S.R. Krol]

Ironhawk said:

To hear a comment like this from someone attached to Shrapnel only confirms that I really should be losing respect for them. Effectively you have just told me that since I am not a prospective customer you dont care. Great. Good to know.

Now when you actually do release Dom4 or <insert other game I might buy here> I will know to reconsider.

Unnh, no, I don't think that was my point. All I was saying was that the ads are meant to bring new eyes into the fold and all the complaints in the thread are coming from people who already own the game. If it was truly something so offensive (e.g. "John Romero is going to make you his *****") then I would assume that there would be some sort of furor from folks outside the community. There isn't.

And again, I really don't understand where the hostility comes from towards the ads, or frankly anything in this thread. You have a concern about the ad. Others don't. And then I'm sure there is a huge percentage of people who feel nothing either way. Everyone has an opinion, and everyone's opinion is valid.

Can you honestly say that because you don't like a banner ad campaign you'll have to think about purchasing a game? Not buying a game because the uninstall wipes out your registry, I can see that. Buggy, broken games that never get fixed, I can see that, too. But a banner ad campaign? Really?

I'll leave you guys with a paragraph from the blog regarding the banner ads when they first went up...

"We’re here to sell games. We want people to be aware of our games, and I’m fairly certain our developers want the same thing. We’re always going to be looking for new ways to attract attention and get more eyes on the games. Whether it’s experimenting with social network sites, or running off beat ads, we’re going to try out new methods. See what works and what doesn’t. We’re an independent publisher. We’re not going to ever get the cover article, or be the exclusive story on some cable show. We have to approach things differently. What all this means is that the ads aren’t going anyplace. To those couple of folks who aren’t keen on them, sorry."