MMORPG, I am sure that everyone has heard of popular examples of them like World of Warcraft and Guild Wars 2. The concept is pretty simple, you control a character, explore a virtual world, kill monsters, leveling up, and interact with other players. The question is, what does this have to do with marketers?
MMORPG are great for utilizing new platforms and using them to enrich player experiences. If you are a MMORPG player then you know the most annoying thing about a game is when the developers don't listen. Lack of communication greatly impacts the popularity of a game. One of the great platforms that have came out was Twitch by Amazon.
Twitch offers live streaming video, meaning people could watch live streaming videos of events, in-game demos, and a chance for developers to show off cool new features. Twitch's chat system allows people to talk to each other and to the people in the live stream. This allowed for a live question period that could be answered by the people in the video. Video streaming also assists players in planning and learning for their respected games. In an article found on mmo-play.com, it talked about how Twitch has changed the gaming community and level of player engagement.
"People into console and mainstream gaming who have no clue what MMOs are can take a look through a streaming service right away without ever having to load up a game. No hassle, no downloading, no sign up. Just a quick search, select a stream, and you can take a look and see what all the fuss is about. In general live streaming has helped promote MMOs and given them a stage to gain viewership and interest." mmo-play.com.
Another article from brandpopulace.com highlights 5 aspects that marketers could learn from MMORPG. Certain aspects that MMOPRG have could work very well with forms of marketing. Aspects such as user generated content, constant content all the time, a culture of advocates, providing progression, and creating mobility are great strategies that could be implemented well in marketing.
Lastly, an article from b2bento.com, "3 Marketing Lessons from the MMO Gaming World" talks about more features that could be useful for marketers. One of the most interesting points that was found in this article was the importance of "Free-to-Play". This term is most often the deciding factor for MMORPG players. This means that players are able to play for free without any one-time, or monthly subscription fees. They do offer players a chance to make micro payments from an in-game store but this is purely the players choice.
Free-to-Play concept could work well for subscription based services. By offering people free access to certain elements and then offering a chance for additional content to be purchased creates more choice for people. If people are wanting more for the service then they are able to upgrade for the additional content.
It will be interesting to see if MMORPG will think of more ways to implement new and exciting apps and revolution the way they are used.
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| Guild Wars 2 |
Twitch offers live streaming video, meaning people could watch live streaming videos of events, in-game demos, and a chance for developers to show off cool new features. Twitch's chat system allows people to talk to each other and to the people in the live stream. This allowed for a live question period that could be answered by the people in the video. Video streaming also assists players in planning and learning for their respected games. In an article found on mmo-play.com, it talked about how Twitch has changed the gaming community and level of player engagement.
"People into console and mainstream gaming who have no clue what MMOs are can take a look through a streaming service right away without ever having to load up a game. No hassle, no downloading, no sign up. Just a quick search, select a stream, and you can take a look and see what all the fuss is about. In general live streaming has helped promote MMOs and given them a stage to gain viewership and interest." mmo-play.com.
Another article from brandpopulace.com highlights 5 aspects that marketers could learn from MMORPG. Certain aspects that MMOPRG have could work very well with forms of marketing. Aspects such as user generated content, constant content all the time, a culture of advocates, providing progression, and creating mobility are great strategies that could be implemented well in marketing.
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| Here is a mobile app that is for an MMORPG, players can check out the in game market place on the go. |
Free-to-Play concept could work well for subscription based services. By offering people free access to certain elements and then offering a chance for additional content to be purchased creates more choice for people. If people are wanting more for the service then they are able to upgrade for the additional content.
It will be interesting to see if MMORPG will think of more ways to implement new and exciting apps and revolution the way they are used.
Reed, I. (2013, May 18). Twitch.tv
Changes the MMO Landscape. Retrieved from http://mmoplay.com/:http://mmo-play.com/mmo-blog/twitch-changes-the-mmo-landscape
Populace, B. (2015). 5 Things Marketers
Can Learn From MMOs. Retrieved from brandpopulace:
http://www.brandpopulace.com/5-things-marketers-can-learn-from-mmos/
Chester. (2013 , september 11). 3
Marketing Lessons from the MMO Gaming World. Retrieved from b2bento:http://www.b2bento.com/2013/09/3-marketing-lessons-from-the-mmo-gaming-world/
The topic of MMO payment models is a very interesting debate that can be found all over the net currently. Personally I believe that down the road of time we will see the business model still standing will be that of F2P + cash shop/incentives. At current we see all three models in play, B2P, Subscription, and F2P. However the head honchos in the MMO market are those that have held on to their original model the longest. However even top dog World of Warcraft has made subtle changes to its model to accommodate for the newer mindset of consumers in today's market. Some of these changes include:
ReplyDelete1.No longer having to purchase every expansion pack to experience currently content. Blizzard has created a single-purchase base package that contains all available content up until the newest iteration/expansion.
2.Incentivized cash shop opportunities, whether it be simple cosmetic indulgences or a sale in aid of a popular charity.
3. An alternative to their long-existing subscription model. Now offering in-game currency as payment.
So while every year we see a new MMO launch, and shortly after crumble to the long lasting kings of the genre (by switching ti F2P models) marketers are beginning to see how players expect more and more value for both their time and money.
Well said.
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