CZ - Marketing perspective (CD OR Download)

CZ tell the marketing department that they should consider two options:

Charge the normal CD booster pack (as is) with the price you have for 19.95.

Then allow for just a booster pack download and reg key option on the website for 14.95.

Seeing as the normal CD can be bought by paying for shipping for 4.95 on your websites registration page, this would make things a little easier on players.

But, I also noticed that you have the pre-order option up as well and my question is what exactly is in the CD that is NEW? Can you submit a content review without the speculation?

Am I the only person seeing this whole booster pack is just a marketing sale gemic.


Think about it, if you have to buy the game to get the booster pack, what does that do for funcom? It gets every existing customer to rebuy the game, and any new customer to buy the game because the game comes with the booster pack free (to them).

Well you must be asking yourself what does this mean. If funcom gets enough sales 1st they make alot of money (i have no problem with that, its a bussiness) 2nd they will get the best selling mmorpg of the year award for 2002. SO now they can milk the award for all they can to get new customers in when all the new mmorpgs hit the stores.

Just letting you know, I did a lengthy post, just before your post.

Not saying you copied it or anything, just saying I already posted a somewhat lengthy (heh) post on this very subject.

It can be found here

It's the 4th post down.

I'd of linked to the post directly, but I can't figure out how to that yet..

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the only way those extra CD's will be used is by totally new players...

Maybe some of the existing playerbase might open up a second account, but I honestly doubt that it will skyrocket the subscription lists.

And see it as a service they are offering: Buy the Boosterpack and get the installation CD free. That's basically the stunt they are pulling. That's how I see it at least. Everyone using that CD will have to go and register and pay after a month.

No big change is going to happen on the account of the existing playerbase. It's the new gank-fanboys who read about this feature and come over to play Anarcommand&ConquerOnline that's going to be annoying. And they will be coming, but then again, that's where the experienced playerbase needs to show what they have learned over time :D.

People that were not interested in AO will most likely not buy it only because of the additional booster with it.

They get it on the shelves whether or not they offer all of us a download option for *just* the boosterpack...

FC, I'd happily pay $10-15 to download the booster. I might *consider* paying $20, but I'd probably just get pissy and go buy it to have the install CD.

Quote:

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Originally posted by xenomorph
Am I the only person seeing this whole booster pack is just a marketing sale gemic.


Think about it, if you have to buy the game to get the booster pack, what does that do for funcom? It gets every existing customer to rebuy the game, and any new customer to buy the game because the game comes with the booster pack free (to them).

Well you must be asking yourself what does this mean. If funcom gets enough sales 1st they make alot of money (i have no problem with that, its a bussiness) 2nd they will get the best selling mmorpg of the year award for 2002. SO now they can milk the award for all they can to get new customers in when all the new mmorpgs hit the stores.

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Exactley. As a very observant poster noted, Friend A gives extra subscription to friend B. B gets hooked, decides he wants the booster, and buys it. Gives disc to Friend C...

It's almost like charging people for air, something we require, then mixing it with a virus. Utterly redicious.

It's called good marketing.
Nothing wrong with it.
They could have just put in the booster cd without the game cd. But that would be silly.
FC making money is NOT evil. If they don't, we have no more AO to play.
What makes you think you have the *right* to get something for free? Something that they have put resources and time into?
So quit yer bistaching.
If you want the stuff in the booster cd, buy it.

I do like Drabin's idea though.
Then I would only have to spend $30 instead of $40. (Hubby and I have seperate accounts.)

I know one thing, I won't be buying the booster until they take off the original game too. What's the point of me wasting my money to buy a game i already have? It's just pure stupidity to put the game in the booster pack with out giving an extra option to JUST buy the booster pack. It's like playing EQ, and for each expansion REBUYING the ORIGINAL EQ game. Just imagine this..

What are you going to do now? Put the original game in Shadowlands xpack? And then put the new game in every booster? Let's say theres 3 boosters, and an xpack. If I buy all of those that will mean I will have bought the original game FIVE times. Can I ask you what the point of this is?

I think the marketing guy who figured this one out must have had a "special" cigarette before thinking of this idea..

/rant off

I think the point is to give the unused cd key to a friend to get a bigger customer base.

I really wish we could pay for it to be downloaded or at least to have a version with just the booster, and a version with the booster and base game on the market that way we spend less money.
One with base game would be $20.
Without like $10 or $15.
Or if we could buy it direct from Funcom with a discount using our login's or something.

It's true existing customers are getting shafted which is what this is all about not the money. Newbies are essentially getting $20 off which is like 50% off. Download game for $20 and a free month. Buy booster pack for $20. This is $40. Total newbie, never had AO, come Christmas buys it ALL in one fell swoop for $20.

Funcom, this is a two way relationship. Please, give your existing customer base something in return. A free month, or a discount on the booster if ordered from you, like $5, or have the pre-orders have $5 rebates or something.

But alas, either way I'll buy two bloody boosters. I understand you guys need to make money, but remember, you gotta keep us happy too while you're doing it.

Drabin, they are not n00bs. ;) They've already considered it.

They desicion might not be what everybody would like it to be, but they have most certainly considered it, a lot.

Cz... I think it would probably make a *lot* of people happy if you offered two additional options, neither of which would cost you guys much in addition.

Option one: A download of the booster pack, for the same price or a little less than the boxed version. People would be happy because they could still get it if their local store doesn't carry it (none of my local stores carried the SE box).

Option two: Purchasing an extra key only, for the same price or a little less than the boxed version. Essentially the same as option one, minus the download. For people with 2 accounts who think it's silly they have to buy 2 boxes.

Now, seriously. If you charged $15 for each of the above options, penny pinchers would be happy, people who need the install CD (like me) can hope the box shows up in their stores, and people whose local stores suck for not carrying it can still get their fix.

Think about it? Please? For your sake? :p

Bump that, and just to quote my daily saying to my boss when he does something like this: "E du spinnvill?!?!?!?".

Now it seems like FC lacks someone in the system to say that :)

Quote:

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Originally posted by Cz
Drabin, they are not n00bs. ;) They've already considered it.

They desicion might not be what everybody would like it to be, but they have most certainly considered it, a lot.

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Cz, can i please get a leet doll in my booster pack.. It would be more usefull than a copy of a game i already have two copies of.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Cz
Drabin, they are not n00bs. ;) They've already considered it.

They desicion might not be what everybody would like it to be, but they have most certainly considered it, a lot.

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The main reason probably being that by bundling the client and the booster FC will shift some more units of the original game which can be used as a means to show the world that AO still sells like hotcakes. This, however, is highly unethical since they are forcing everyone that already has the client to buy a new one.
This boost in sales of the client will then most probably be used to show how many units of AO has been shifted and how many possibly players there might be since they apparently refuse to show how many people are active on the servers.

Ummm...at least it is my impression that FC never shows how many players there are active, but I might be wrong, so don't quote me on that... :o

Their marketing is obviously geared towards new players and possibly financers, while the existing player base is, as usual, ignored. :(

I would love to see a free month, mail in rebate, or atleast a few bucks off if we have a multiple-month subscription option selected (nice marketing idea, IMHO :D). Many people don't send mail in rebates (me included, too much hasle when the post office manages to lose it).

However, I agree that the pack is aimed to new subscribers (AKA, marketshare which can be used a lot more than pure money) but it gives a nice bonus to current subscribers buy allowing them to see the towers but not get uber graphics and sound.

Cz let me say this...
No heard about this game here...
and no one will as i see it... That means that i cant buy it in stores...
What do i do?

I dont mind paying 20 bucks if it increases the quality of the game, maybe funcom can hire some more staff for the cash and get us some new patches and events? maybe? just a few? oh and FIX NT'S!