Vanguard Downloadable $41.99 from Newegg

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noel
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Vanguard Downloadable $41.99 from Newegg

Post by noel »

Oh, my God; I care so little, I almost passed out.
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Post by Winnow »

Vanguard needs to offer a one month trial for 14.99. I figure they'll do that a month or two after release when the initial surge of those that have followed its development have bought the game. It's the only way to get those hooked on WoW to try it without much financial risk. With WoW so damn popular, similar fantasy MMORPGs need to aggressively price their product with the hope of cashing in on the subscriptions. With Vanguard following the more traditional EQ gaming style, it has a good chance of drawing some away from the WoW cow if they market it well.

I like the download model though and would choose this option.
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Post by miir »

Vanguard needs to offer a one month trial for 14.99.
No, they don't.
They already have a 10 day free trial code with the retail box.

It's the only way to get those hooked on WoW to try it without much financial risk.
I doubt Vanguard would hold much appeal to the average WOW player. That's not the market they are going after.

You can instantly tell who the WOW refugees are ingame. They are the ones whining about it being too hard.

With WoW so damn popular, similar fantasy MMORPGs need to aggressively price their product with the hope of cashing in on the subscriptions. With Vanguard following the more traditional EQ gaming style, it has a good chance of drawing some away from the WoW cow if they market it well.
Vanguard was designed as a niche product.
They would be shooting themselves in the foot by trying to go after the mass market appeal of WOW.


My only hope is that the devs don't listen to morons like you.
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Post by Winnow »

miir wrote:
Vanguard needs to offer a one month trial for 14.99.
No, they don't.
They already have a 10 day free trial code with the retail box.
Take away the $40.00 and you have a clue. Nothing free about paying $40.00+.

I hope you're real job isn't marketing.
miir wrote:Vanguard was designed as a niche product.
They would be shooting themselves in the foot by trying to go after the mass market appeal of WOW.
yeah, it would suck to have eight million subscribers.
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Post by Kaldaur »

If someone has an extra buddy key they don't plan on using, I would love a shot to try it out. I didn't want to buy the game, because I'm using a fairly old graphics card (9800 Radeon, 128megs), but if they game has been optimized since beta I would love to play. I loved the game, but it was a little too choppy for me.
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Post by miir »

yeah, it would suck to have eight million subscribers.
You really don't understand niche marketing, do you?
The MMOG genre doesn't need another lowest common denominator game right now.

Why go head on with the proverbial 800 pound gorilla when there is a smaller (yet just as lucrative) market ripe for the picking. The disenfranchised players who are looking for a game with more depth and longevity than WOW.


It's the same with ever genre of entertainment.
I would never watch a movie if they were all big-budget, mindless hollywood flicks.
If the only music available was the current top 10, I would not purchase any music.
Would you watch TV if the only thing on was American Idol?





But I guess I can't expect a thief to understand anything about marketing products that people can't steal.
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Post by Winnow »

miir wrote: Why go head on with the proverbial 800 pound gorilla when there is a smaller (yet just as lucrative) market ripe for the picking. The disenfranchised players who are looking for a game with more depth and longevity than WOW.
Marketing the game in the manner I'm suggesting has nothing to do with changing the style of play in Vanguard. Many of the WoW crowd...lets say, oh 10%, may like Vanguard...that's more subs than EQ ever had if they are able to get just that many people.

People with orignal WoW, Expansion, and time investments may not want to blow $40.00 to see if a new game agrees with them. Vanguard has nothing to lose by giving that large group of existing MMORPGers the opportunity to try a new game. Again, this would be a month or two after release so they can maximize profits from initial game sales.

A subset of the first timer MMORPG newbs that started with WoW may appreciate the challenges or at least the different approach that Vanguard brings to the genre. $180.00/year payoff is worth the 14.99 risk instead of losing potential subs to the $40.00 entry fee and already established WoW.
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Post by Animalor »

I'd enjoy getting a 10-day free trial if someone has it to spare.

I was running a shit videocard when I tried the beta and turned things down so damned low that it made EQ1 look good. An optimised client and live production environment would be nice.
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Post by miir »

Many of the WoW crowd...lets say, oh 10%, may like Vanguard...that's more subs than EQ ever had if they are able to get just that many people
You're even more stupid than I thought if you think Vanguard has even a remote chance of attracting anywhere near 10% of the WOW subscription base.
People with orignal WoW, Expansion, and time investments may not want to blow $40.00 to see if a new game agrees with them.
Not everyone is a fucking thief like you who steals all their games.
What do you care anyway? It's not like you could go out and steal a 1 month trial for Vanguard... or steal a monthly subscription.

MMOGs are not marketed towards software thieves.




Vanguard will do just fine without any of your stupid suggestions.
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Post by miir »

Sorry guys, I already passed on my 10 day buddy key.
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Post by Winnow »

miir wrote:
Many of the WoW crowd...lets say, oh 10%, may like Vanguard...that's more subs than EQ ever had if they are able to get just that many people
You're even more stupid than I thought if you think Vanguard has even a remote chance of attracting anywhere near 10% of the WOW subscription base.
People with orignal WoW, Expansion, and time investments may not want to blow $40.00 to see if a new game agrees with them.
Not everyone is a fucking thief like you who steals all their games.
What do you care anyway? It's not like you could go out and steal a 1 month trial for Vanguard... or steal a monthly subscription.

MMOGs are not marketed towards software thieves.




Vanguard will do just fine without any of your stupid suggestions.
You need a "Winnow Steals" sig dude. You can't think straight while obsessing over it.

Stick to accounting or whatever mundane job you must do in order to stay emplyed!
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Post by miir »

SOE doesn't need your marketing advice. I'm sure they will come up with some sort of free trial like they did with EQ2.
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Post by noel »

Unless someone knows something I don't. I didn't actually get a 10-day key with my direct2drive copy.

I have to say I agree with both of you. The game does need a 10-day free trial down the road, but certainly not until they've worked out as many bugs as they can that actually affect playability. The game will really sell itself once people get a taste of it.

Miir is right too. If their goal is simply to appeal to a certain class of MMORPG player then there's no need for the trial as word-of-mouth will do what it does and they'll get the players they want.

I'd be really surprised if Sony would allow Sigil to not try to market Vanguard to as many people as possible. Though you never know with Sony. I'm amazed that the Matrix Online is still around/available.
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Post by miir »

Winnow wrote:Stick to accounting or whatever mundane job you must do in order to stay emplyed!
My mundane job allows me to afford comfortable lifestyle, a half million dollar home and still have enough money to buy all the video games and movies I want.



From what I've seen, you still live like a college kid.
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Post by miir »

noel wrote:Unless someone knows something I don't. I didn't actually get a 10-day key with my direct2drive copy.

I have to say I agree with both of you. The game does need a 10-day free trial down the road, but certainly not until they've worked out as many bugs as they can that actually affect playability. The game will really sell itself once people get a taste of it.

Miir is right too. If their goal is simply to appeal to a certain class of MMORPG player then there's no need for the trial as word-of-mouth will do what it does and they'll get the players they want.

I'd be really surprised if Sony would allow Sigil to not try to market Vanguard to as many people as possible. Though you never know with Sony. I'm amazed that the Matrix Online is still around/available.
I think the 10 day buddy key/trial only came with the retail box.
A setup like that is far more effective than selling a single month trial.


About MxO.
The game has a small but very loyal playerbase.
They have gotten the game back on it's feet since they picked it up.
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Post by Winnow »

My apologies to accountants BTW.
miir wrote: From what I've seen, you still live like a college kid.
You overestimate me! I live at home with my mother and make a living off a food stamp exchange racket.

Thank god people can have opinions on this thread other than "you're stupid!". On a normal forum, the fanboi inbreeding would have cranked up months ago and have been whipped into a frenzy of bannings by now.

Still, misguided hostilities toward suggestions to increase the success of the game, thus maintaining it's upkeep and development longer for the players to enjoy seems like a waste. Calm, thought out messages of hope are met with venom!

There still seems to be some confusion with the Canadian about the marketing of a game and actually changing the content of a game to cater to a group. The objective is to draw in as many as possible that have a chance of liking the game and letting the ones that don't depart while keeping a larger group of players than if they never had the opportunity. Unless of course, these guys do this for fun and Sony isn't into making money combined with providing a quality product.
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Post by Zamtuk »

Since when was Vanguard considered a niche game? This is the first time I've heard such talk, and it's bullshit. A game that takes as long as this did to make, all the talk it's gotten, all the publications, etc. this game is/was going for mass market appeal. Mcquaid came rolling in on his white horse promising the world on this game, and got a huge amount of attention. With Microsoft at the helm in the start, there is no way this was going niche.

I think the few people that like Vanguard prefer to call it niche since the majority of the people that played thought the game blew.
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Post by miir »

Because you choose to ignore demographics and are clueless to the audience this game is geared for, your sugestion is mostly (but not entirely) without merit.


If you could have supplied some opinions or arguments without constant reference to the aforementioned "lowest common denominator" game, your suggestion might have been taken for more than a joke.
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Post by Winnow »

You've got to be out of your fucking mind to think Sony doesn't want this game to sell a bazillion copies and wants to limit it to some sort of "niche". They would cream their pants if it took off like WoW.

As it is, they just need to pray for as many subs as they can to break even and maybe make a profit someday for starters. Getting the game into the hands of as many potential players is the best way to do that. The only issue here is for Sony to calculate the best transition date from $40.00 game to WoW's current cheap trial, no initial huge cost model. You can download and try WoW 10 days for free. WoW makes $120 million/month on subs. It takes less than three months to break even if you offer the game for free...two if you offer a 14.99 month trial...or even offer a free trial with option to buy later for $40.00+. MMORPGs are all about getting the player addicted. If the game is as good as some have been saying on this forum, then that's all the more reason to get as many people playing the game instead of trying to make as much as you can early on for fear of the game bombing and not holding interest.

I understand that MMORPGs need to try and make as much money as they can with an initial release. I'm suggesting for Vanguard, more money and subscribers are to be had if that initial period is shortened.
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Post by Aslanna »

Zamtuk wrote:Since when was Vanguard considered a niche game? This is the first time I've heard such talk, and it's bullshit. A game that takes as long as this did to make, all the talk it's gotten, all the publications, etc. this game is/was going for mass market appeal. Mcquaid came rolling in on his white horse promising the world on this game, and got a huge amount of attention. With Microsoft at the helm in the start, there is no way this was going niche.

I think the few people that like Vanguard prefer to call it niche since the majority of the people that played thought the game blew.
I had the same thought. I've seen Vanguard advertised all over the place. So what exactly is the definition of 'niche marketing'? Seems pretty much like a shotgun approach to garner as many subscribers as possible to me.

Niche. You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
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Post by Kelshara »

Zamtuk wrote: I think the few people that like Vanguard prefer to call it niche since the majority of the people that played thought the game blew.
WoW lovers will hate Vanguard. Of course, I think WoW is worth less than dogcrap stuck under my shoe so I am very happy Vanguard is around. And, after having played WoW.. I will be very happy if the WoW morons stay right where they are. Battle.net people are worse than Zekers ever were.

There is no doubt that Vanguard/Sigil wants to attract as many customers as possible. Saying anything else is ridiculous. However, there is also no doubt that they do not hold your hand like Blizzard does.. so a large percentage will not play it. Good riddance imo.

Interestingly enough though, I do not feel the rush to level as I always did in EQ. I am quite happy playing around with Diplomacy, trade skills and level now and then.
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Post by Midnyte_Ragebringer »

Kelshara wrote:
WoW lovers will hate Vanguard. .
I love both.
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Post by Leonaerd »

I do not think it means what you think it means.


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Post by Kaldaur »

Same here Mid. I enjoy WoW for certain reasons, and I loved Vanguard for certain reasons. I don't think you have to hate one to love the other.
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Post by Kelshara »

Some people will. The average battle.net person will not like Vanguard.
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Post by miir »

People who have played other MMOGs (in addition to WOW) would be far more likely to enjoy Vanguard than someone whos only exposure to the MMOG genre is WOW.
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Post by Winnow »

You people sound like elitist snobs ..."those WoW people"...They're human beings damnit! They were suckered into WoW like people are suckered into buying Apple products...that doesn't mean they can't learn the error of their ways, or may have matured a bit and want something more challenging with less warped graphics. The crashing issue isn't going to help sell new players on the game so perhaps it's best to wait until that is fixed.
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Post by miir »

The crashing issue isn't going to help sell new players on the game so perhaps it's best to wait until that is fixed.
Because no MMOG has ever crashed for anyone... ever.:roll:



In a guild with 40+ members and maybe one has complained about frequent crashing.
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