Supporting advertisers at EN World (WARNING: Rant)

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

You're also competing against what appears to be an (understandable) resurgence in interest in Star Wars d20. Even if I liked d20 Modern/Future (which I don't), I'm not in the market for another Sci-Fi setting right now. Discounting that aberration, surely you've noticed that Sci Fi games generate a lot less enthusiasm here than the various fantasy variations?

Also, I don't hardly ever see banner ads because I block them. I support EnWorld through my contributions during fundraisers and my CS account. Even if I saw a banner ad, I'm 1000x more likely to buy products that are discussed on the boards. I've bought Ronin Arts PDFs, Grim Tales, the Magical Medieval Society books and a ton of other stuff without ever seeing an advertisement or knowing anything about them other than what I'd read here.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Yelling? I didn't put any sentences in caps. I'm just expressing my opinion and addressing an issue. I'm sorry if I've offended though.

I was not referring to the netspeak 'yelling', and do not ever use netspeak (single exception FLGS - a bad habit that I am breaking now). Rather, you may prefer the term harangue.

As I said I do click advertisers here on E. N. World, and have made several purchases through RPGNow because of them, being told off for not adding something to a particular thread does not fill me with good feeling toward the product. Rather strongly the opposite in fact.

The Auld Grump

 

[Ed Cha]

You're also competing against what appears to be an (understandable) resurgence in interest in Star Wars d20. Even if I liked d20 Modern/Future (which I don't), I'm not in the market for another Sci-Fi setting right now. Discounting that aberration, surely you've noticed that Sci Fi games generate a lot less enthusiasm here than the various fantasy variations?

Also, I don't hardly ever see banner ads because I block them. I support EnWorld through my contributions during fundraisers and my CS account. Even if I saw a banner ad, I'm 1000x more likely to buy products that are discussed on the boards. I've bought Ronin Arts PDFs, Grim Tales, the Magical Medieval Society books and a ton of other stuff without ever seeing an advertisement or knowing anything about them other than what I'd read here.

All good points.

This reminds me that I do not like the new Reviews section here. I used to go there all the time before shopping for new RPGs, but now that they don't post covers and there are no average ratings, it's not as fun to go to that section any more.

 

[Vraille Darkfang]

Yelling? I didn't put any sentences in caps. I'm just expressing my opinion and addressing an issue. I'm sorry if I've offended though.

No, but a thread entitled Dawning Star, Great d20 Sci-fi, might get more people who like that sort of thing.

I wouldn't have looked twice at that thread, since I don't own any d20 sci-fi (not even Star Wars) It's just not my thing.

But, I'm looking at THIS thread, as the title seemed to be about advertisers here at ENWorld.

I'm not going to order Dawning Star, ever. Doesn't matter if its the greatest RPG ever or the worst. Its just not a genre I pursue. I'm not insulting the maker, I wish him luck. I'm just not interested in the subject matter.

But your, why aren't you idoits raving about how good this rant, just falls flat.

How many great products are out there?

How many poor ones?

We are in a flooded market with dozens (hundreds when you get to PDFS) competeing for a limited gaming budget. Some great products are going to get lost. Some poor ones will succeed (see FFE: beginning & ending), for a while at least. Those distributers with the most clout get the lion's share of the space on the retailor's shelf (WotC, S&S, Mongoose). leaving smaller companies to fight for the left over bits.

I applaud efforts to expose great efforts to a greater audience.

Trying to do it by slapping them in the face with it, I don't.

A thread detailing how great Dawning Star is, might have at least got me to LOOK at it (again, I don't buy d20 Sci-fi), but not buy it. However, if it looked good, I have several friends who love Dragonstar. I'd have glady told them to check it out.

Will I tell them to check it out now? Nope. I refuse. You want to use this Papparazzi-ish attitude to bring this product to the fore-front. I refuse to let that sort of attitude influence me (at least in a positive way).

I'll make you a deal, if you want me to mention Dawning Star to my friends who are the target market, start a thread telling me WHY Dawning Star is so good, not WHY all the gaming idiots are ignoring it. I'll forward them the link.

After all, they make their buying decisions based on Content, not Rants.

 

[Ghostwind]

Ed, let's face facts. There are a lot of publishers that aren't being mentioned in that thread and some of them are bigger and better known than I.P.R. and its clients. Why is that? Because there are only so many ways to slice the pie and today's gamer is quite picky when it comes to what they want for their game.

Does this mean that the quality is lacking? Certainly not. It just means that not everyone is going to buy a product from company X regardless of the dollars spent in advertising. Look at this from a bigger perspective. Anheiser-Busch (sp?) spends millions in advertising for Budweiser beer. I see it on my television all the time. Does this make me want to go drink a Bud? Nope. I don't care for it and have no desire to spend my money on it. Period. Does this make me a terrible person? Following your rant above, it would.

Not everyone likes Wotc, Malhavoc, Necromancer, Green Ronin, Bastion, Kenzer, AEG, and the host of other publishers and will carte blanche buy without looking at it. They pick and choose. If something interests them, they will research it more. If you are getting very little inquiries about Dawning Star, then the problems may be:

1. You are not effectively reaching your target audience -- the sci-fi RPG crowd.
2. There is something within the material that isn't 'clicking' with gamers.
3. Nobody is interested.
4. Something that you cannot control (like retailers who aren't ordering it for their shelves).

So just because your not getting the response here you'd like, isn't our fault. There just may be something else in the equation that you're not seeing.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Hmmm, Ed, if you can it might be a good idea to ask a Mod to remove this thread, it is generating a fair amount of negative attention to the product that you were trying to champion. Getting rid of it might be a wise choice.

The Auld Grump

 

[IronWolf]

Not the greatest way to get customers... Most of the points appear to have been covered already. Me? I don't play d20 sci-fi.... I do agree with the folks that say a thread titled why the product is so great would probably get a better response.

EnWorld is one of two sites I don't block the ads at (well, except for the $4 ad thingie which was a might annoying). I frequently click through on some of the ads as they are most often geared towards the gamer.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Not the greatest way to get customers... Most of the points appear to have been covered already. Me? I don't play d20 sci-fi.... I do agree with the folks that say a thread titled why the product is so great would probably get a better response.

EnWorld is one of two sites I don't block the ads at (well, except for the $4 ad thingie which was a might annoying). I frequently click through on some of the ads as they are most often geared towards the gamer.

Heh, for me the only non ad blocked sites are all game related.. and The Miniatures Page has the distinction of being the site where I have clicked every banner ad that I have seen...

The Auld Grump

 

[Ed Cha]

I don't understand why some people have to be so negative. I'd just like more people to click on the ads at EN World that I or people I know buy here. Dawning Star is a great product. I think people should check it out when they get a chance.

Nevertheless, I've asked in Meta to delete this thread.

 

[Ghostwind]

I don't understand why some people have to be so negative. I'd just like more people to click on the ads at EN World that I or people I know buy here. Dawning Star is a great product. I think people should check it out when they get a chance.

Then give us a reason to click it, Ed. Start a new thread that specifically spells out WHY Dawning Star is so good. What makes it so special and great that anyone who plays in a sci-fi campaign will feel compelled to own it? Why is it different than other sci-fi settings? To use a term from Jerry Maguire, "Show me the money."