[MUD-Dev] Room for more? (was RE: Dragon Empires is cancelled)

[zgj22 at drexel.edu]

Quoth Damion Schubert on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 6:01 am
> Lee Sheldon wrote:

>> Given how few of our products are boxed and sold through the
>> retail channel, compared to all the single-player titles, I'm
>> surprised we would occupy much shelf space in relation to other
>> titles. Obviously because we're almost entirely PC, and not
>> console, that is a factor that would contribute to our lack of
>> shelf space, but do the retailers/distributors differentiate
>> between MMOs and single-player PC games? I don't even see a real
>> differentiation between say RPGs and strategy games. The shelf
>> space seems driven by name recognition, marketing clout, dealer
>> incentives, etc. Not game type.

> The difference is that most of the PC market are 'fire and forget'
> titles which get one marketing push and are then relegated to the
> bargain bin.

Personally, I believe that MMPs should be sold the same way non-MMP
games are. There would be a large push on launch, where you see a
large portion of shelf space taken up, then it goes to the "bargain
bin". Then, every 3-6 months, pop an expansion up, to let players
know what the most recent developments in your world are. The
expansion doesn't need to add new features, and wouldn't be required
to be bought by old players. It's more or less just
"advertising"--same product, new box. I'm no marketing or business
expert, however. (The cost of that marketing campain may not be
feasible).

I think you missed the point of his message, though.  My local game
store works the same way. All of the consoles (and older games) wrap
around the store walls, and the new releases are stuffed in the
middle. However, all of the new titles are just jumbled together
("New Releases").

Most older MMP titles are not under an "MMP" or "MMO" banner like
the other games. Instead, they tend to be shuffled in with the "RPG"
or (in the case of planetside) "FPS" sections.

Then again, I may have interpreted his message all wrong... ;)

> Large shelf space implies a large community and a well-supported
> online world, which makes your world's unique promise that much
> more enticing.

Or, it could mean that the MMO isn't selling ;)

--
Zachary Jensen

"The answer's not in the box, it's in the band."
-- Teddy, Antitrust
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