MxO's single problem

cloudwolf wrote:

Well they don't have to play that starting area - the city is completely open to them once they get out of the tutorial.

I agree, do not get me wrong.  I really do not want to shoot MxO down in any way or form for the sake of it, I am just mentioning things that with time got to my attention.

I for one, patrol the starting area every so often and if I find new players, I take them around, help them to tag a few HLs and explain the game mechanic that, often are not easy, especially if this is your first MMORPG or even if you played some before, MxO is unique.

I think for now MxO will stay a niche game till:

1) Sony decide to discontinue it
2) Sony decide to  promote it via activities that may be risky unless The Matrix brand is relaunched somehow
3) For some reasons I can not think of, a large surge of players is injected in MxO to bring more revenue ... that will lead to a possible expansion to be even considered

What can we do, I think just what we do, continue to push the game in friend and families circles and, for the most daring even try to get involved with the marketing, whatever that means.

In game, I think is imperative all high level deliberatelly look for new player and "show them a good time" as the first few hours are crucial.

Imagine this ... you just made a account, start the game, a brand new character.  What now?  you pass the tutorial and you are in a rainy corner of a dock area, go around exchange envelops and chopper tools, maybe dare to start a few mission.  Because of the relatively low population in MxO, you could be the only one around, that was my case when I started.

I go around, try to explore, maybe walk in other areas, get killed, try to use the abilities and straggle to understand the differences, you are broke as you have little cash and leveling is expensive.

So, I have my trial account, I try and I say... nah!  I am not say that is right but it happens so, I think we all need to do anything, and I know many do, to help and make sure new players are blown away by the game and above all the gaining community within.

Kilobit wrote:

Yeah... the other option might be to create a web site, if you are inclined in that area.  with meta tags and the whole bit to hype it in search engines, doing banner exchanges and whatnot.  I don't know how effective this would be, but it's worth a shot.

Posting on MMORPG.com might help also.  

Ok, a 1 million dollars question...

How many people actually pay to play MxO?
What is the monthly number of new player joinig?
What is the monthly number of player dropping off?

With that you can determine a pattern of growth or decrease and the possible life expectancy of MxO before SOE will pull the plug, not because they want but because is no longer economically feasible to support it.

Now, knowing that, any marketing activity spontaneously generated by other player in their environment would have, at best 1 or 2% success and that is pushing people to try the game.

Of all of those, you can consider, maybe a 5% of the total of the one trying actually staying (maybe more, I am not sure here).

So, add it all out and see if it's worth doing it;  my idea is quite simply, lobby SOE to consider a joint venture of marketing between them and volunteers that will provide part of the intellectual resources, and labor.

If we do that we could have a broader reach and better options.

What do you think?