I'm a big fan of the PS2 games Katamari Damacy and I [heart] Katamari. It occurs to me, particularly in the sequel, the game is filled with characters egging you on and challenging you to do well. Other games, such the Pokemon RPG games, also have lot of characters that reinforce the notion that what you're doing is worthwhile. I think more games, particularly American games, could stand to have a bit more of that. When I'm spending hours at a time collecting arbitrarily large quantities of gems, or sparkles, or whatever, the more NPCs that come over and tell me how great I am for doing all this work, the better.
-Adam!!!
Monday, December 17, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
MMO, the Next Generation
World of Warcraft - Huge. Why? It's just Everquest, but better. Well, it is (was) the next generation of MMO. There was a gap between EQ and EQ2 and WoW jumped in there right when EQ aged and lost traction and EQ2 hadn't caught on (for a variety of reasons.)
There will be a time when WoW no longer holds up. Will WoW2 replace it, or will a new game by a new developer fill the gap? My guess is that Blizzard and every other developer who wants to release an MMO is working to identify that gap, and hit it with the best product they can. Blizzard's goal is to make that gap as short as possible, reducing competition's chance to wedge themselves in there. They've got a huge advantage...just like Sony and Everquest did.
I'm curious to see what supplants WoW. I'm glad I don't work for a company who's trying to shoot that gap (besides Blizzard, at least.)
Other sure fire hits: New Coke, Playstation 3, Everquest 2, and Godfather part III.
Most people are only going to pay $15 per month for one game. The best game. "Best", however, is defined by a lot of factors, many external to the game itself.
-Adam!!!
There will be a time when WoW no longer holds up. Will WoW2 replace it, or will a new game by a new developer fill the gap? My guess is that Blizzard and every other developer who wants to release an MMO is working to identify that gap, and hit it with the best product they can. Blizzard's goal is to make that gap as short as possible, reducing competition's chance to wedge themselves in there. They've got a huge advantage...just like Sony and Everquest did.
I'm curious to see what supplants WoW. I'm glad I don't work for a company who's trying to shoot that gap (besides Blizzard, at least.)
Other sure fire hits: New Coke, Playstation 3, Everquest 2, and Godfather part III.
Most people are only going to pay $15 per month for one game. The best game. "Best", however, is defined by a lot of factors, many external to the game itself.
-Adam!!!
Saturday, October 13, 2007
How much would you pay for this game?
If you follow any of the popular news-feeds you know that Radiohead just released a new album and they're selling it for whatever their fans want to pay, including nothing. It seems most people are shelling about between $5 and $9 (based on a poll, I think) and that sounds about right. I'm not a Radiohead fan so if I get it, I'll be doing it the freeloader way. Why is that a good deal for Radiohead? Well, there's no way I'd pay for music I'm not sure I'd like, and if I do like it, who knows what I might pay for in the future?
I love the idea of download-able games. Games you can print and play on an inkjet printer. The logistics have stymied me for about a year now, but I keep my eyes open for technology that'll make printing on demand or printing at home an affordable and attractive alternative to traditional game manufacturing and distribution.
What if you could download PDFs of out of print card games (both traditional and collectible). How much would you pay? What if you owned the rights to some of these games? How much would it take to make them available in this manner?
-Adam!!!
I love the idea of download-able games. Games you can print and play on an inkjet printer. The logistics have stymied me for about a year now, but I keep my eyes open for technology that'll make printing on demand or printing at home an affordable and attractive alternative to traditional game manufacturing and distribution.
What if you could download PDFs of out of print card games (both traditional and collectible). How much would you pay? What if you owned the rights to some of these games? How much would it take to make them available in this manner?
-Adam!!!
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
It's a Bird, It's a Plane!
Super-Fans
Most games have them. All successful games do. The Super-Fan. The 1%ers. The folks that are REALLY, REALLY into it.
Super-Fans build fan sites, some so elaborate they rival (or best) the publisher's site.
Super-Fans participate in on-line forum discussions, chats, and blogs. If the publisher doesn't host such things, the super-fans start their own.
Super-Fans buy EVERYTHING, and often more so their friends (or local deserving kids) can have your game too.
Super-Fans volunteer at conventions and run local events. (If you help them, sometimes even if you don't.)
If your Super-Fan owns a store, it's probably a top seller of your game. (With Clout, the stores where the managers/owners loved the game sold piles of chips. Unfortunately, there weren't near enough of those stores!)
The key to getting the most out of Super-Fans is to understand why they are Super Fans (beyond you're game being awesome, I mean.) Like most people, they like being a part of something, and you're lucky enough that they chose you're game community to be a part of. What do they want in return?
Stuff? Sure, but not really.
Appreciation? Yes.
Recognition? Absolutely!
The inside scoop? Hells Yes.
Super-Fans want you to know who they are and they want to be a part of what you're doing.
Everything you can do to make being a super-fan an easier thing to be, will pay dividends. They'll have an awesome time, you'll sell a lot of games. In the game industry it means having communities tools in place. It means having customer service and/or organized play people that communicate two-way. Super-fans put forth extra effort. It's your job to recognize that. Shouting at them through boilerplate, press releases, and ads is NOT communicating. That sort of thing is for the customers, maybe the regular fans, NOT the Super-Fans.
Are Super-Fans worth it? Of course. Even if you're really into the games you're making, they're more into it. With TCG's, the average Super-Fan knows more about the games than the average employee at the company publishing the game (a fact many Super-Fans I've met don't like, but hey, it's their passion vs. our job!)
Also, Super-Fans are awesome to hang around with at conventions!
-Adam!!!
Most games have them. All successful games do. The Super-Fan. The 1%ers. The folks that are REALLY, REALLY into it.
Super-Fans build fan sites, some so elaborate they rival (or best) the publisher's site.
Super-Fans participate in on-line forum discussions, chats, and blogs. If the publisher doesn't host such things, the super-fans start their own.
Super-Fans buy EVERYTHING, and often more so their friends (or local deserving kids) can have your game too.
Super-Fans volunteer at conventions and run local events. (If you help them, sometimes even if you don't.)
If your Super-Fan owns a store, it's probably a top seller of your game. (With Clout, the stores where the managers/owners loved the game sold piles of chips. Unfortunately, there weren't near enough of those stores!)
At the Tangled Web, Clout tournaments were huge. The manager was a super-fan.
The key to getting the most out of Super-Fans is to understand why they are Super Fans (beyond you're game being awesome, I mean.) Like most people, they like being a part of something, and you're lucky enough that they chose you're game community to be a part of. What do they want in return?
Stuff? Sure, but not really.
Appreciation? Yes.
Recognition? Absolutely!
The inside scoop? Hells Yes.
Super-Fans want you to know who they are and they want to be a part of what you're doing.
Everything you can do to make being a super-fan an easier thing to be, will pay dividends. They'll have an awesome time, you'll sell a lot of games. In the game industry it means having communities tools in place. It means having customer service and/or organized play people that communicate two-way. Super-fans put forth extra effort. It's your job to recognize that. Shouting at them through boilerplate, press releases, and ads is NOT communicating. That sort of thing is for the customers, maybe the regular fans, NOT the Super-Fans.
Are Super-Fans worth it? Of course. Even if you're really into the games you're making, they're more into it. With TCG's, the average Super-Fan knows more about the games than the average employee at the company publishing the game (a fact many Super-Fans I've met don't like, but hey, it's their passion vs. our job!)
Also, Super-Fans are awesome to hang around with at conventions!
-Adam!!!
Monday, October 08, 2007
Boxes, Little Boxes
Before I spout about Super-Fans (the most important 1% of your customer base) I think I'll digress a bit.
Adam, how can you put all these people in broad categories? Well, of course, I can't. This isn't about individuals. Ideally, you should make decisions about your games that meet the needs of each individual customer, individually. If Allen from Wichita needs large type, and you could get it for him, you'd sell a game to Allen. Barney wants a cheap game and doesn't care about color or fancy graphics. Teresa not only wants high quality art, but she's an artist and wants a way to include her art in the game. Sadly, that's just not possible (yet.) You can't please everyone. Also, you can't choose who's going to like your game. That's their choice. What can you do? You can choose who YOU WANT to please, and you can make decisions based on that. If you don't choose, you're leaving it all up to luck. I don't recommend that. (Making a game for people who are just like you is a choice, and it can be a fine one, if you're cool enough. =-)
It's not just acquisition and retention. That's too simple. It's essential, but not adequate. That doesn't cover fans, and fans are the most important element to the success of a game. You can't just target fans, either, because they people don't start as fans. If you go up to a stranger on the street and say "join my fan club, you'll get special content nobody else can get." your success rate will be dismal. If you ask a customer who's just made their first purchase that same question, you'll find a slightly more receptive audience. If you ask somebody who buys everything you make, the response will overwhelmingly positive. Ask the right people the right questions. Give the right people the right benefits. That's all I'm saying.
-Adam!!!
Adam, how can you put all these people in broad categories? Well, of course, I can't. This isn't about individuals. Ideally, you should make decisions about your games that meet the needs of each individual customer, individually. If Allen from Wichita needs large type, and you could get it for him, you'd sell a game to Allen. Barney wants a cheap game and doesn't care about color or fancy graphics. Teresa not only wants high quality art, but she's an artist and wants a way to include her art in the game. Sadly, that's just not possible (yet.) You can't please everyone. Also, you can't choose who's going to like your game. That's their choice. What can you do? You can choose who YOU WANT to please, and you can make decisions based on that. If you don't choose, you're leaving it all up to luck. I don't recommend that. (Making a game for people who are just like you is a choice, and it can be a fine one, if you're cool enough. =-)
It's not just acquisition and retention. That's too simple. It's essential, but not adequate. That doesn't cover fans, and fans are the most important element to the success of a game. You can't just target fans, either, because they people don't start as fans. If you go up to a stranger on the street and say "join my fan club, you'll get special content nobody else can get." your success rate will be dismal. If you ask a customer who's just made their first purchase that same question, you'll find a slightly more receptive audience. If you ask somebody who buys everything you make, the response will overwhelmingly positive. Ask the right people the right questions. Give the right people the right benefits. That's all I'm saying.
-Adam!!!
Fanatics, gotta love 'em!
Fans
It's likely that fans are your most important customers. Unlike normal customers, who may like your products and may purchase again, fans DO like your products and WILL purchase again (assuming you have other products to purchase.) This is great news, but they still need care. Special care, at that.
Fans understand you and your products. They assume you understand them in return. This may or may not be the case, depending on whether or not you stumbled across something they like (luck) or sought them out (strategy.) If you lucked into a successful product that gathered an unexpected fan-base, you better listen extra close to what they say. The chance of that luck holding out is slim. If you've gathered your fan-base with successful strategy, chances are you're more in the ball-park, but you still better listen to what they say. Listen, and act where you can based on Fan input.
Fans, unlike normal customers, have an emotional investment (as well as financial) in your product and/or company. Your success reflects well upon their choices, so they want to see you succeed. They also want more of whatever it is you do, because they like it. It's all good.
If you don't succeed, some fans will turn on you (regular customers don't care enough to), which is part of the emotional aspect of fandom. Working for Wizards, we canceled a lot of products, and it was always rough. When Clout ended, I was totally surprised at the positive reaction from our fans. They were upset, of course, but unlike Wizards fans, Clout fans knew we didn't have choice about whether to keep kicking the Clout horse or letting it go. It's not mindless emotion, gamers are smart people. Treat people right and it you'll be surprised how it comes back to you (often in unexpected ways!)
As I've written before (Viral, Hardcore, or Vanish), if you've sold any games at all, you've always got fans. When you're struggling, all of your customers are fans. They're often the first to arrive (early adopters) and the last to leave. If you have enough fans, you're bound to succeed, even if your game is never a huge hit.
Because fans are so important, and such a powerful part of your customer-base, I think it's essential to communicate to normal customers how they can become fans. Reward them for fan-like behavior. Make being a fan significantly cooler than being just a customer. I don't know how, exactly, it's YOUR game. =-)
Next: Super-Fans
-Adam!!!
It's likely that fans are your most important customers. Unlike normal customers, who may like your products and may purchase again, fans DO like your products and WILL purchase again (assuming you have other products to purchase.) This is great news, but they still need care. Special care, at that.
Fans understand you and your products. They assume you understand them in return. This may or may not be the case, depending on whether or not you stumbled across something they like (luck) or sought them out (strategy.) If you lucked into a successful product that gathered an unexpected fan-base, you better listen extra close to what they say. The chance of that luck holding out is slim. If you've gathered your fan-base with successful strategy, chances are you're more in the ball-park, but you still better listen to what they say. Listen, and act where you can based on Fan input.
Fans, unlike normal customers, have an emotional investment (as well as financial) in your product and/or company. Your success reflects well upon their choices, so they want to see you succeed. They also want more of whatever it is you do, because they like it. It's all good.
If you don't succeed, some fans will turn on you (regular customers don't care enough to), which is part of the emotional aspect of fandom. Working for Wizards, we canceled a lot of products, and it was always rough. When Clout ended, I was totally surprised at the positive reaction from our fans. They were upset, of course, but unlike Wizards fans, Clout fans knew we didn't have choice about whether to keep kicking the Clout horse or letting it go. It's not mindless emotion, gamers are smart people. Treat people right and it you'll be surprised how it comes back to you (often in unexpected ways!)
As I've written before (Viral, Hardcore, or Vanish), if you've sold any games at all, you've always got fans. When you're struggling, all of your customers are fans. They're often the first to arrive (early adopters) and the last to leave. If you have enough fans, you're bound to succeed, even if your game is never a huge hit.
Because fans are so important, and such a powerful part of your customer-base, I think it's essential to communicate to normal customers how they can become fans. Reward them for fan-like behavior. Make being a fan significantly cooler than being just a customer. I don't know how, exactly, it's YOUR game. =-)
Next: Super-Fans
-Adam!!!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
The People Who are Always Right
Customers
So you've made a sale. Whew! The hard work is over.
You wish.
Customers are great. They make up a huge segment of the buying population, but we make games. We don't need just customers, because odds are you'll never reach enough people to survive selling just one booster pack, starter set, or game (unless the game's really expensive...still, you're not making those expansions for your health!)
Just like Tourists, you have to treat you Customers right. In fact, the very fact they've put down some hard earned cash means their attention is focuses squarely on you, what you are selling, and how you support it. Unlike Tourists, customers really care about what they're getting. They've put their toe in the pool and now it's up to you to make sure it's the right temperature.
Is it?
If it is, some of your customers will become what you really want. What you really need. They will become FANS.
Next: Fans.
-Adam!!!
So you've made a sale. Whew! The hard work is over.
You wish.
Customers are great. They make up a huge segment of the buying population, but we make games. We don't need just customers, because odds are you'll never reach enough people to survive selling just one booster pack, starter set, or game (unless the game's really expensive...still, you're not making those expansions for your health!)
Just like Tourists, you have to treat you Customers right. In fact, the very fact they've put down some hard earned cash means their attention is focuses squarely on you, what you are selling, and how you support it. Unlike Tourists, customers really care about what they're getting. They've put their toe in the pool and now it's up to you to make sure it's the right temperature.
Is it?
If it is, some of your customers will become what you really want. What you really need. They will become FANS.
Next: Fans.
-Adam!!!
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Giveitaway Giveitaway Giveitaway NOW!
Tourists
Does your game company give things away for free? I bet it does.
Who are the people who download your demo, and play it over and over again?
Who are the people who play your website's free web games?
Who are the people that scour the convention floor for freebees?
And they haven't bought ANYTHING!
They are Tourists, and one of the best ways to get their attention is with free stuff. What you do with that attention, is up to you.
Some Tourists will never buy anything, no matter what you do. That's okay. Treat them right, but don't let them get in the way of potentials. The people who are interested in what you're selling. With them, you have their attention, you have something they're interested in. Now what?
That, of course, depends. We're selling trading cards. I think the biggest hurdle with a trading card product is making that first sale. That's a major threshold moment in your relationship with that person. That first sale elevates the person from Tourist to Customer. Everything Changes.
All your customers start out as tourists. The attention you get depends on how interesting you are to look at. What you can do with their attention determines how many become customers.
Next: Customers
-Adam!!!
Does your game company give things away for free? I bet it does.
Who are the people who download your demo, and play it over and over again?
Who are the people who play your website's free web games?
Who are the people that scour the convention floor for freebees?
And they haven't bought ANYTHING!
They are Tourists, and one of the best ways to get their attention is with free stuff. What you do with that attention, is up to you.
Some Tourists will never buy anything, no matter what you do. That's okay. Treat them right, but don't let them get in the way of potentials. The people who are interested in what you're selling. With them, you have their attention, you have something they're interested in. Now what?
That, of course, depends. We're selling trading cards. I think the biggest hurdle with a trading card product is making that first sale. That's a major threshold moment in your relationship with that person. That first sale elevates the person from Tourist to Customer. Everything Changes.
All your customers start out as tourists. The attention you get depends on how interesting you are to look at. What you can do with their attention determines how many become customers.
Next: Customers
-Adam!!!
Friday, September 07, 2007
Again with the Seth Godin...
What can I say. His world-view helped shape mine. Check out this interview
This quote sums it all up...
-Adam!!!
This quote sums it all up...
The thing is, the stuff that's for everybody is already sold to everybody. So you can't win by being more average than average, because that slot's taken.
-Adam!!!
Caring about Disney
As both of my regular readers can attest (hi guys!) I've been MIA for a couple of weeks. I didn't really mean to be, I just never had anything good to write when I was at the keyboard. Awesome ideas in the car, but but later...at the keyboard...they were gone! Anyway, I was on vacation again at Disneyland.
Good heavens, I love it there.
If you have a young 'un like me, I really hope you can take them to Disneyland while they're small (my guy is 6, the age I went when I first visited the park.) Not only is it totally fun for everyone, but I get to look back on my experience as a child and realize I'm helping create these same awesome memories for Alex. It really is magical. He loves roller-coasters now. =-)
I've said this before. Disney sells awesome memories. They sell them at a premium price, but I don't mind. I'll keep going back again and again, because I think it's worth it. I have some friends I think would see things like the $2.75 price tag on each bottle of water, $8 for each sandwich and let it ruin the otherwise magical memories. When I'm on vacation, I just switch into 'vacation money' mode, and stop caring what things cost. At least for essentials like food and water! I still use discretion regarding what stuff Alex is allowed to buy. He doesn't ask for much that's unreasonable, thankfully. My opinion: It's expensive, accept it and go have an awesome time. The place is magical.
How do they do it? Well, most of all, I think the cast really cares about what they're doing. I know a lot of Disney employees (my wife's best friend works at the park now) and the best ones, the ones that stick around, really do care about making the guests experience a great one.
I also care about the customer's I work with for Bella Sara. Sometimes I care because the person seems really nice (via e-mail) and sometimes I care for selfish reasons because I want my product/company/job to succeed. I'm not sure one's actually better than the other, provided the motivation is genuine and positive. I think the same is true at Disneyland.
Why people care isn't as important as THAT they care. If you don't care about what you're doing, chances are, you're not doing it very well (certainly not as well as you could be.)
-Adam!!!
Good heavens, I love it there.
If you have a young 'un like me, I really hope you can take them to Disneyland while they're small (my guy is 6, the age I went when I first visited the park.) Not only is it totally fun for everyone, but I get to look back on my experience as a child and realize I'm helping create these same awesome memories for Alex. It really is magical. He loves roller-coasters now. =-)
I've said this before. Disney sells awesome memories. They sell them at a premium price, but I don't mind. I'll keep going back again and again, because I think it's worth it. I have some friends I think would see things like the $2.75 price tag on each bottle of water, $8 for each sandwich and let it ruin the otherwise magical memories. When I'm on vacation, I just switch into 'vacation money' mode, and stop caring what things cost. At least for essentials like food and water! I still use discretion regarding what stuff Alex is allowed to buy. He doesn't ask for much that's unreasonable, thankfully. My opinion: It's expensive, accept it and go have an awesome time. The place is magical.
How do they do it? Well, most of all, I think the cast really cares about what they're doing. I know a lot of Disney employees (my wife's best friend works at the park now) and the best ones, the ones that stick around, really do care about making the guests experience a great one.
I also care about the customer's I work with for Bella Sara. Sometimes I care because the person seems really nice (via e-mail) and sometimes I care for selfish reasons because I want my product/company/job to succeed. I'm not sure one's actually better than the other, provided the motivation is genuine and positive. I think the same is true at Disneyland.
Why people care isn't as important as THAT they care. If you don't care about what you're doing, chances are, you're not doing it very well (certainly not as well as you could be.)
-Adam!!!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Winner Take All
With GenCon now in the rear view mirror, I had the good fortune to run into some old friends from Wizards in the lobby of my hotel. Not so surprisingly, talk quickly turned to games, gaming, and the games industry. This is the conclusion I came to following our discussion.
The games industry is a Winner Take All industry. Unless a company or product breaks the mold in a major way, it's also a zero-sum industry. Taken with my theory of Viral, Hardcore, Vanish, this means in order to go viral, and reap the rewards that come with viral success, you have to generate a new sort of game/category (and new audience), or you have to knock another game out of it's place at the top of the pile.
There is no room for another Fantasy TCG, unless Magic goes away.
There's no room for another Kids Anime TCG, unless Pokemon goes away.
There might be room for a non-kids Anime TCG.
There's no room for another plastic miniatures game, unless Clix goes away (which it might.)
And so on.
See how kids anime and adult anime fall into two different categories. That's important. The smaller the slice of category pie, the more chance to you have to gain traction and become the Winner-Take-All success of that more specialized category. Unfortunately, the category has to be small enough that you can dominate it, but also large enough that domination results in your game's success. It's a particularly tricky piece of the puzzle of success. If you create a new, smaller category, but aren't brining new people into the zero-sum equation, your success will still be limited to the number of people you can convert from other products.
While working at the Bella Sara booth, it was so clear. We were the only stop for girls at the whole show. The only question was whether there would be enough girls (or people who had girls in their lives) to make the show worth it. It was. Every other booth in the hall had competitors, except us. Blue ocean, smooth sailing.
Zero-Sum
Viral, Hardcore, Vanish
Winner Take All (for Viral success)
-Adam!!!
The games industry is a Winner Take All industry. Unless a company or product breaks the mold in a major way, it's also a zero-sum industry. Taken with my theory of Viral, Hardcore, Vanish, this means in order to go viral, and reap the rewards that come with viral success, you have to generate a new sort of game/category (and new audience), or you have to knock another game out of it's place at the top of the pile.
There is no room for another Fantasy TCG, unless Magic goes away.
There's no room for another Kids Anime TCG, unless Pokemon goes away.
There might be room for a non-kids Anime TCG.
There's no room for another plastic miniatures game, unless Clix goes away (which it might.)
And so on.
See how kids anime and adult anime fall into two different categories. That's important. The smaller the slice of category pie, the more chance to you have to gain traction and become the Winner-Take-All success of that more specialized category. Unfortunately, the category has to be small enough that you can dominate it, but also large enough that domination results in your game's success. It's a particularly tricky piece of the puzzle of success. If you create a new, smaller category, but aren't brining new people into the zero-sum equation, your success will still be limited to the number of people you can convert from other products.
While working at the Bella Sara booth, it was so clear. We were the only stop for girls at the whole show. The only question was whether there would be enough girls (or people who had girls in their lives) to make the show worth it. It was. Every other booth in the hall had competitors, except us. Blue ocean, smooth sailing.
Zero-Sum
Viral, Hardcore, Vanish
Winner Take All (for Viral success)
-Adam!!!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The Doctor is Out
I guess Dr. Phil is going to tackle violent video games. I don't normally have a problem with Dr. Phil, even when I disagree with him. He's already started with this article.
This is the quote that bothered me:
His advice to parents is sound, though totally obvious. Be aware of what your kids are playing, limit their time, pay some friggin' attention. Dr. Phil just needs to heed his own advice.
-Adam!!!
This is the quote that bothered me:
"If you shoot somebody in one of these games, you don't go to jail, you don't get penalized in some way — you get extra points!"Extra points? What is this, 1985? Very, very few video games use points any longer. It's an antiquated term, based on an antiquated vision of what a video game is. What this says to me is Dr. Phil is speaking about these games from a position of ignorance. He doesn't play them, he doesn't know what modern games are about, but deems himself qualified to speak about them.
His advice to parents is sound, though totally obvious. Be aware of what your kids are playing, limit their time, pay some friggin' attention. Dr. Phil just needs to heed his own advice.
-Adam!!!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Hasbro on Fun and Profit
Boardgame news reports the Hasbro/EA agreement, then calls the Hasbro COO out for talking like a corporate stooge.
I totally biased on this point, but IMHO the executives at Hasbro don't see their products as games or toys. To them, they are brands. They are brands with profit potential. Some more than others.
Q: Can a company who sees it's own products in a such a sterile, uncaring light, really make things that are great?
A: Not unless they get lucky. Happily for them, adequate is still profitable on a large scale.
I'm a capitalist. I'm all over the idea of creating something great and selling it for money. I'm also an idealist. I believe profit is a side effect of doing great things. If the people at the top don't care, that feeling filters throughout an organization. I know. I've seen it first hand at Wizards of the Coast.
For the record, we've got plenty of caring where I work now, and it's awesome.
-Adam!!!
I totally biased on this point, but IMHO the executives at Hasbro don't see their products as games or toys. To them, they are brands. They are brands with profit potential. Some more than others.
Q: Can a company who sees it's own products in a such a sterile, uncaring light, really make things that are great?
A: Not unless they get lucky. Happily for them, adequate is still profitable on a large scale.
I'm a capitalist. I'm all over the idea of creating something great and selling it for money. I'm also an idealist. I believe profit is a side effect of doing great things. If the people at the top don't care, that feeling filters throughout an organization. I know. I've seen it first hand at Wizards of the Coast.
For the record, we've got plenty of caring where I work now, and it's awesome.
-Adam!!!
Sunday, August 05, 2007
It's a Small Virtual World After All
So I type "bella sara" into the Technorati search engine, as is my habit to do every now and then. I like to see what the world thinks of our little product.
As it turns out, the new temp who's joining us on Monday has blogged about his new gig. He doesn't sound too excited. Oh well. Another job fell through, now he's stuck with us.
It's a weird thing to run across, the blog of a person you're going to meet and work with in a couple of days. After reading a few back entries, I know more about him than any other employee I've ever hired, much less worked with as a temp. I suppose I could try and freak him out by referencing something from his blog. =-) Probably wouldn't work. Probably more grief than it's worth.
Ah well, it'll be fun to see how the internet person compares to the real-life person. It's still freaky feeling.
-Adam!!!
As it turns out, the new temp who's joining us on Monday has blogged about his new gig. He doesn't sound too excited. Oh well. Another job fell through, now he's stuck with us.
It's a weird thing to run across, the blog of a person you're going to meet and work with in a couple of days. After reading a few back entries, I know more about him than any other employee I've ever hired, much less worked with as a temp. I suppose I could try and freak him out by referencing something from his blog. =-) Probably wouldn't work. Probably more grief than it's worth.
Ah well, it'll be fun to see how the internet person compares to the real-life person. It's still freaky feeling.
-Adam!!!
Monday, July 30, 2007
"Your Website" Prime
I just read a USA Today article on Amazon Prime where frequent buyers can pay $79 per year for unlimited free 2-day shipping. While the article is fine, it almost completely glosses over why the program works.
By signing up, customers have invested in Amazon.com.
Not in the stocks & bonds sort of way, but in a more personal way. What customer would shop ANYWHERE ELSE after putting that money down? All Amazon has to do is provide their usual service (customers who pay $79 ahead of time know what to expect from Amazon) and come next year, those customers will do it again.
I don't purchase enough from Amazon to make it worth my while, but I certainly can see how many people do. Like the article says, one healthy holiday shopping list would cover it.
The question is how to replicate that for other sorts of websites. What can you do to get the visitors to your website to 'invest' in it? I don't mean just money, though it's certainly a good example, but anything. Forums are a good (if a bit typical) way to get that sort of investment. What other ways can you get people to buy-in to your site in a way that makes other sites seem like a waste of time?
Not sure...
-Adam!!!
By signing up, customers have invested in Amazon.com.
Not in the stocks & bonds sort of way, but in a more personal way. What customer would shop ANYWHERE ELSE after putting that money down? All Amazon has to do is provide their usual service (customers who pay $79 ahead of time know what to expect from Amazon) and come next year, those customers will do it again.
I don't purchase enough from Amazon to make it worth my while, but I certainly can see how many people do. Like the article says, one healthy holiday shopping list would cover it.
The question is how to replicate that for other sorts of websites. What can you do to get the visitors to your website to 'invest' in it? I don't mean just money, though it's certainly a good example, but anything. Forums are a good (if a bit typical) way to get that sort of investment. What other ways can you get people to buy-in to your site in a way that makes other sites seem like a waste of time?
Not sure...
-Adam!!!
Friday, July 27, 2007
A big cash prize...ooh...aah...
White Wolf is offering a 'big' $25000 prize for the winner of their EVE CCG at GenCon this year.
That's a nice prize. I'm sure it'll lure some folks in. Still, how unremarkable is that? GenCon...tournament...cash prize... It's all been done before, and better (I suspect), by Wizards and Upper Deck.
Just spit ballin' here.
If it really is all about the cash, what about giving:
the top 25 finishers a $1000 prize?
the top 50 finishers $500? How many players would that lure in?
The thing about giving a big pile of cash to one player is you'll lure in a semi-large group of really, really competitive players. The winner will be either a previous fan of the game (good, but not great from a marketing perspective) or players who are really good at learning games (but probably don't really care about yours.)
Think about how you could spend $25000 to make the convention game experience top notch for all the players. Moderate prizes, comfortable play area, free food and drink for paid tournament attendees, massages between rounds for the tournament leaders. What would be the coolest thing you could do/provide to the players at your event? What would make everyone walking by the event jealous that they didn't get in on it?
Last year Spoils had I-Pod tournaments. Awesome. THAT's what I'm talking about. Creating prizes that stand out.
Be Remarkable or Be Boring. IMHO, cash is boring.
OP programs seem enamored with the 'pro' player. Of course, any store owner will tell you the pro players are crappy customers. A broad generalization of the pro-player is a male, high-intensity, win oriented, gamer, who buys like he plays. That is, very efficiently. They don't buy from the local store, and they don't pay full price. When they do show up for a local tournament, it's to collect prizes.
Unless your game is designed to cater to that sort of player, and Eve might be, I don't know. I suggest catering to a more casual gamer. It's what most retailers already do, because that's what most of their customers are (even if they want to be pros). They're an under-represented portion of the CCG market. Casual gamers also tend to have lives, jobs, and a tad more money.
Of course, big prizes are sexy. We do like sexy in this business, I guess.
-Adam!!!
That's a nice prize. I'm sure it'll lure some folks in. Still, how unremarkable is that? GenCon...tournament...cash prize... It's all been done before, and better (I suspect), by Wizards and Upper Deck.
Just spit ballin' here.
If it really is all about the cash, what about giving:
the top 25 finishers a $1000 prize?
the top 50 finishers $500? How many players would that lure in?
The thing about giving a big pile of cash to one player is you'll lure in a semi-large group of really, really competitive players. The winner will be either a previous fan of the game (good, but not great from a marketing perspective) or players who are really good at learning games (but probably don't really care about yours.)
Think about how you could spend $25000 to make the convention game experience top notch for all the players. Moderate prizes, comfortable play area, free food and drink for paid tournament attendees, massages between rounds for the tournament leaders. What would be the coolest thing you could do/provide to the players at your event? What would make everyone walking by the event jealous that they didn't get in on it?
Last year Spoils had I-Pod tournaments. Awesome. THAT's what I'm talking about. Creating prizes that stand out.
Be Remarkable or Be Boring. IMHO, cash is boring.
OP programs seem enamored with the 'pro' player. Of course, any store owner will tell you the pro players are crappy customers. A broad generalization of the pro-player is a male, high-intensity, win oriented, gamer, who buys like he plays. That is, very efficiently. They don't buy from the local store, and they don't pay full price. When they do show up for a local tournament, it's to collect prizes.
Unless your game is designed to cater to that sort of player, and Eve might be, I don't know. I suggest catering to a more casual gamer. It's what most retailers already do, because that's what most of their customers are (even if they want to be pros). They're an under-represented portion of the CCG market. Casual gamers also tend to have lives, jobs, and a tad more money.
Of course, big prizes are sexy. We do like sexy in this business, I guess.
-Adam!!!
A Model Post
I wouldn't be caught dead wearing one in public...but on the internet, why not? I hope I never run for office, this is bound to come up!
In case you're more insane than me, the 'hat' is Available here.
In case you're more insane than me, the 'hat' is Available here.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Dis-Organized Play
What do retailers want from organized play? Well, the easy answer is sales, but like most things, Organized Play isn't easy.
As a publisher, the most efficient way to create an organized play system is to put a bunch of stuff in a box, and get that box to the retailer. In general, that's what most publisher-based OP programs are, stuff in boxes. SIB.
What's good about SIB
A consistent OP system provides continuity for players. They know what to expect when they show up for an event, and thus the expectations are easy to meet. (Unrealistic expectations on the part of your customers are a killer!)
They provide an easy solution to the problem of holding events in the store. Everything's provided, including instructions. If there's a problem, the better publishers provide some sort of customer service support.
It's economical. Most SIB's are either free or cost so little that the bump in sales from the event covers the cost. A good deal for everyone.
What's bad about SIB
In markets where there is a high density of game stores, competition can be fierce. SIB events homogenize the store's events. If there's five stores running the exact same events (or worse, the same events on the same nights...say, Friday!) there's little reason to go to any particular store. As such, if there were 30 players in the area, but each simply goes to their closest store, each event only attracts an average of 6 players. Not the critical mass events require to be considered successful.
What's this mean? It means if you're developing an OP program, realize that you've got a different problem to solve depending on the store you're dealing with. Stores with competition are looking for ways to stand out from the others. Stores that are the only game in town are looking for ways to fit in.
-Adam!!!
As a publisher, the most efficient way to create an organized play system is to put a bunch of stuff in a box, and get that box to the retailer. In general, that's what most publisher-based OP programs are, stuff in boxes. SIB.
What's good about SIB
A consistent OP system provides continuity for players. They know what to expect when they show up for an event, and thus the expectations are easy to meet. (Unrealistic expectations on the part of your customers are a killer!)
They provide an easy solution to the problem of holding events in the store. Everything's provided, including instructions. If there's a problem, the better publishers provide some sort of customer service support.
It's economical. Most SIB's are either free or cost so little that the bump in sales from the event covers the cost. A good deal for everyone.
What's bad about SIB
In markets where there is a high density of game stores, competition can be fierce. SIB events homogenize the store's events. If there's five stores running the exact same events (or worse, the same events on the same nights...say, Friday!) there's little reason to go to any particular store. As such, if there were 30 players in the area, but each simply goes to their closest store, each event only attracts an average of 6 players. Not the critical mass events require to be considered successful.
What's this mean? It means if you're developing an OP program, realize that you've got a different problem to solve depending on the store you're dealing with. Stores with competition are looking for ways to stand out from the others. Stores that are the only game in town are looking for ways to fit in.
-Adam!!!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
CSI - Customer Service International
Bella Sara has launched in Italy. That's really cool, but it's stressing both me and the website out. We've got a web upgrade scheduled for next week which will really take care of the speed issues, and a bunch of other things that have been chronic for months. Must...hang...on...a...bit...longer....
What's interesting is how we've got a brand new group of customers, BAM!, joining all at once. We've got a new partner who's just dived into the deep end of the Bella Sara customer service pool. Its sink or swim time. It's my job to be the life preserver.
-Adam!!!
What's interesting is how we've got a brand new group of customers, BAM!, joining all at once. We've got a new partner who's just dived into the deep end of the Bella Sara customer service pool. Its sink or swim time. It's my job to be the life preserver.
-Adam!!!
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