[MUD-Dev] "USPs"

[Luca Girardo]

Tazzik wrote:

> I see very few MMO's bringing in completely new players to the
> genre, so I do believe you can get good numbers just by convincing
> them that you have a better version of a previous concept (combat
> system, advancement, improved endgame, meaningful PvP, etc...).

I was thinking about SWG and the JTL expansion. One main Selling
Point seems for me the fact that JTL will be the first OFPS
expansion for a MMOG.

Adam wrote:

> Meanwhile, the real point (as you point out here) is, of course,
> that a USP is something that is

>    unique in a way that matters to customers

> and

>    a selling-point that is already/will be used to make actual
>    sales

Having a MMOG offering a new player experience like the OFPS is
something that matters to customers and something that will impact
SWG subscriber basis. At the same I would also mark it as
revolutionary Selling Point as it is a feature we did not see till
know (correct me if I am wrong) in a MMOG (making it a Unique
Selling Point as being unique should mean also revolutionary and
innovative) At the same time Novalogic announce today they were able
to set a new world record for simultaneous players in an online FPS
game with 160 players logged on a server playing in a single match
of Joint Operations. So the technology is here and soon I suppose it
won't be Unique for long time.  That is what I personally identify
as USP.

I was reflecting about what are the best channels to present UPSs to
customers. Some of the channels are:

    - Official website (content description, game manuals, knowledge
    base)

    - Fan sites

    - Articles and interviews for game magazines or game sites

    - Events

    - Standard marketing

None of these seem to work 100%. The official website can be a good
source of information but in the long term there is the risk to have
too many information available for a new customers (while providing
information for long term customers) ending with a huge investment
about content updating (could influence customer retention) but near
no impact on customer acquisition. Fan sites are more focused on
advanced content. Articles and interviews for game magazines seem to
be a good channel but often require a good marketing strategy.

One channel that does not seem to be used at this stage for
presenting USPs is the trial period/account. There were some tests
in having some sort of CSR to contact a new potential customer
ingame and let him go through a tour of the game. But such a
solution is too expensive in term of human resources and probably in
to low acquisition rate. What about having a sort of pre-scripted
tours through different professions, game mechanisms, ingame POIs
and other USP or also SP to attract the interest of potential
customers? It could be simpler if the game system already supports
dynamic areas to host such a USP tour. Is that too unrealistic? It
would take for sure development resources but it could effect both
acquisition and conversion rate (could also indirectly influence
retention rate).

Luca
_______________________________________________
MUD-Dev mailing list
MUD-Dev at kanga.nu
https://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev