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Fishjp
Entrenched
Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 875 Location: Beneath a sky of Blue and a sea of Green.
Sign up? Countdown? or Just Launch? I have been wondering: what is the best approach to starting a trail? My own game employed 3 different attempts at launch before it finally took hold. ( First I let the online content be discoverable for with new content added daily to see if anyone noticed it. Second; and by far the worst idea ever, I sent a trailhead email out disquised as Viagra Spam. Third, the direct Email that actually launched the game.)
Many of the successful "grass roots" games use the sudden launch email or chat contact method. While many corporate games use the "sign up website" or Count down timer.
I can see the appeal of both. The sudden launch assures that the game starts when everything is ready, while the countdown or sign up can build interest in what might be to come.
The downside of the sudden launch is that word or interest may not spread or develop. The downside of the Sign up is that outside forces may cause delays forcing the game to launch incomplete or not launch on the planned date at all.
So those are my thoughts what are yours uF'ers?
_________________
An Arg Experiment
If the government is covering up UFOs then they are doing a much better job at that than they seem to be able to do with anything else. - Stephen Hawking
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:53 pm
Lunsford
Unfictologist
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 1602 Location: With Rorschach
wait a minute... you sent out a trailhead masked as a viagra ad?
_________________
War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who's left.
Next time you wave, use all your fingers.
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:05 pm
Fishjp
Entrenched
Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 875 Location: Beneath a sky of Blue and a sea of Green.
Lunsford wrote:
wait a minute... you sent out a trailhead masked as a viagra ad?
Yes I did. Very bad Idea. Not a single person clicked through the link as far as I could tell.
_________________
An Arg Experiment
If the government is covering up UFOs then they are doing a much better job at that than they seem to be able to do with anything else. - Stephen Hawking
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:15 pm
Lunsford
Unfictologist
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 1602 Location: With Rorschach
Brilliant!!
_________________
War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who's left.
Next time you wave, use all your fingers.
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:24 pm
Fishjp
Entrenched
Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 875 Location: Beneath a sky of Blue and a sea of Green.
Lunsford wrote:
Brilliant!!
Well it seemed like a good idea at the time.
_________________
An Arg Experiment
If the government is covering up UFOs then they are doing a much better job at that than they seem to be able to do with anything else. - Stephen Hawking
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:26 pm
Lunsford
Unfictologist
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 1602 Location: With Rorschach
What was your reaction when you found out you had sent the trailhead in an e-mai with your name attached to it?
_________________
War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who's left.
Next time you wave, use all your fingers.
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:27 pm
Nighthawk
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee
Joined: 14 Jul 2007 Posts: 4751 Location: Miami, Florida, USA, Earth
Quote:
Many of the successful "grass roots" games use the sudden launch email or chat contact method. While many corporate games use the "sign up website" or Count down timer.
Well I've tried them ALL, although I hardly considered myself a "corporate game" at the time.
It's really a personal preference thing. Sign up page helps build a pool of targets so you can take it to the next step, such as a mass mailing or physical trailhead.
_________________"Omne ignotum pro magnifico"
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:39 pm
pancito
I Have No Life
Joined: 24 Feb 2008 Posts: 2095 Location: In my happy place.
Threadjack
_________________
Played: VITD, PO, LGLab, "Go 'Pods!" BoL/SiD
$.02: watevahs
TWINKIE!
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:52 pm
Fishjp
Entrenched
Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 875 Location: Beneath a sky of Blue and a sea of Green.
Lunsford wrote:
What was your reaction when you found out you had sent the trailhead in an e-mai with your name attached to it?
CRAP!
Although I thought it was funny that even though my name was clearly on it, many people still thought I was natas, and even more thought "Jason Fish" was an IG character.
Nighthawk wrote:
Quote:
Many of the successful "grass roots" games use the sudden launch email or chat contact method. While many corporate games use the "sign up website" or Count down timer.
Well I've tried them ALL, although I hardly considered myself a "corporate game" at the time.
It's really a personal preference thing. Sign up page helps build a pool of targets so you can take it to the next step, such as a mass mailing or physical trailhead.
Although arguably LGL was much more succesful than Shadow.. (What did you cal bol/sid again?)
_________________
An Arg Experiment
If the government is covering up UFOs then they are doing a much better job at that than they seem to be able to do with anything else. - Stephen Hawking
Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:57 pm
Lunsford
Unfictologist
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 1602 Location: With Rorschach
I thought that was hilarious too!
Natas was like "well, crap!"
And it was Shadow Wars!
_________________
War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who's left.
Next time you wave, use all your fingers.
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 1:16 am
Nighthawk
I Have 100 Cats and Smell of Wee
Joined: 14 Jul 2007 Posts: 4751 Location: Miami, Florida, USA, Earth
Fishjp wrote:
Although arguably LGL was much more succesful than Shadow.. (What did you cal bol/sid again?)
I had close to 400 signups for what was almost called "ShadowWatch". Yes, LGL was arguably more successful and more well received; I've learned my lesson there.
_________________"Omne ignotum pro magnifico"
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:36 am
Lunsford
Unfictologist
Joined: 26 Nov 2007 Posts: 1602 Location: With Rorschach
Impressive.. we should have more hype next go around
_________________
War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who's left.
Next time you wave, use all your fingers.
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:42 am
pancito
I Have No Life
Joined: 24 Feb 2008 Posts: 2095 Location: In my happy place.
Hard to top the amount of hype that BoL/SiD got, both DLI and community created. I mean PW was a one off. You can't even hope for that kind of buildup, whether it was ultimately for good or ill as far as the game was concerned.
_________________
Played: VITD, PO, LGLab, "Go 'Pods!" BoL/SiD
$.02: watevahs
TWINKIE!
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:58 am
Obtusitivity
Decorated
Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 193
Fishjp wrote:
Lunsford wrote:
wait a minute... you sent out a trailhead masked as a viagra ad?
Yes I did. Very bad Idea. Not a single person clicked through the link as far as I could tell.
that totally explains why i only get boners online....
Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 2:08 pm
lucky70
Greenhorn
Joined: 22 Jul 2010 Posts: 7
I choose the shutdown
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 12:36 pm
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