Follow up on zOMG from the admins

[Red Kutai]

MistressMinako

II HazelSkye II

I would like to know what sort of marketing campaign they ran, seeing as I have never seen a zOMG! ad anywhere on the internet, and I do my fair share of skipping around.

It was a test campagin. A projection based on math.

They never actually ran an ad campaign, because it was projected to have a $1 return for every $5 of advertising spent.

The first post of this thread states pretty clearly that those figures were based on an ad campaign that was actually run; it was a conclusion, rather than a projection. Finding that advertising for zOMG! was turning out to be so wasteful, they stopped investing therein.

Has there been another post that clarified otherwise? sweatdrop

[seabrume]

MistressMinako

II HazelSkye II

I would like to know what sort of marketing campaign they ran, seeing as I have never seen a zOMG! ad anywhere on the internet, and I do my fair share of skipping around.

It was a test campagin. A projection based on math.

They never actually ran an ad campaign, because it was projected to have a $1 return for every $5 of advertising spent.

emotion_facepalm

Sooo, because of their failure to even try to advertise the game, we have lost it. Fabulous. They need a new PR department. As long as they're marketing to a specific audience, it could have been very successful at bringing in new players.

[MistressMinako]

swarf

In any case, I totally agree with your point that communication needs to be much more clear when we're discussing features or expansions that people would spend money on.

Greater communication would be very welcome, especially in the case of money spent based on expectations.

However, at this point, I think the zOMG community has been reduced to begging for the kindness of the same kind of recognition shown to cash shop releases and convention meetups. Frankly, it is embarrassing to sit here and do the job of a staff member in conveying the state of one of Gaia's intentioned major features. Even fishing updates get announcements.

[Red Kutai]

swarf

Oh, lord. We didn't say we're working on Durem Mines did we? I sure hope not sweatdrop

Decide for yourself, I suppose; I don't see anything in that thread that one could reasonably construe as a promise or guarantee, personally; but I do believe [ JK ] did catch some flak for posting so many 'sneak peeks', around that time. redface

The focus, though, was much more on the work already done (concepts and tests), than on any work that was supposed to happen in the future... sweatdrop

[MistressMinako]

II HazelSkye II

MistressMinako

II HazelSkye II

I would like to know what sort of marketing campaign they ran, seeing as I have never seen a zOMG! ad anywhere on the internet, and I do my fair share of skipping around.

It was a test campagin. A projection based on math.

They never actually ran an ad campaign, because it was projected to have a $1 return for every $5 of advertising spent.

emotion_facepalm

Sooo, because of their failure to even try to advertise the game, we have lost it. Fabulous. They need a new PR department. As long as they're marketing to a specific audience, it could have been very successful at bringing in new players.

Could have been. We'll never know now. Especially since, by the staff's own admission, their projections which lead to the lack of a marketing campaign, were based on inflated 2007/8 member numbers before reCapcha was in place to combat bots.

In the meantime, enjoy being blamed as the failure of zOMG just by being a casual player who didn't bring enough people into the game/Gaia.

[zXxKINGxXz]

hi C:

[MistressMinako]

Red Kutai

MistressMinako

II HazelSkye II

I would like to know what sort of marketing campaign they ran, seeing as I have never seen a zOMG! ad anywhere on the internet, and I do my fair share of skipping around.

It was a test campagin. A projection based on math.

They never actually ran an ad campaign, because it was projected to have a $1 return for every $5 of advertising spent.

The first post of this thread states pretty clearly that those figures were based on an ad campaign that was actually run; it was a conclusion, rather than a projection. Finding that advertising for zOMG! was turning out to be so wasteful, they stopped investing therein.

Has there been another post that clarified otherwise? sweatdrop

I seem to remember it as just a projection. It seemed like the first post by the staff claimed a full-on campaign was run, then came swarf's post, which prompted a recanting from the staff who altered the advertising campaign to just a projection, not actually money spent.

Not that I blame them for wanting a better return, but there were so many flaws in their method that, as a scientist, it physically hurts me to consider what Gaia did when they were on the verge of releasing zOMG.

[seabrume]

MistressMinako

In the meantime, enjoy being blamed as the failure of zOMG just by being a casual player who didn't bring enough people into the game/Gaia.

emotion_awesome

Oh, Gaia. Can't ever say "it's our fault".

[Red Kutai]

MistressMinako

I seem to remember it as just a projection. It seemed like the first post by the staff claimed a full-on campaign was run, then came swarf's post, which prompted a recanting from the staff who altered the advertising campaign to just a projection, not actually money spent.

Not that I blame them for wanting a better return, but there were so many flaws in their method that, as a scientist, it physically hurts me to consider what Gaia did when they were on the verge of releasing zOMG.

As I recall, there was DARKNRGY's initial post in the AtA, which implied that they had invested heavily in advertising zOMG!; swarf's thread clarified that it was merely a test campaign (which itself would be more than just a projection); then this thread was released, underwritten by both of those individuals, clarifying that it was initially run like any other advertising campaign, and simply proved unsuccessful. This being the most recent claim and with the greatest deal of consensus attached, I'm inclined to believe it over the other two... sweatdrop

[gataka]

Red Kutai

gataka

I'd say less likely. I mean, if DMS success = keep on working on zOMG!, I wouldn't get the devs tied with something else before knowing that. It would lead to a delay... delay that could be justified given the right circumstances. I don't think having [JK] art-lead a new project falls under that.

But I guess this the right place to ask :V

Unless zOMG!'s profitability vastly exceeded this new game's potential profitability, trading in a few months of zOMG! investment for investment in the new game would not be a significant risk - a small gamble that any company would be willing to make, considering that 'losing' in that regard equates to having an incredible new profit engine. I think it was the soundest decision available, actually... sweatdrop

By success I meant that working on zOMG! would prove better than ....eh, whaaaaaaaaaaaatever.

II HazelSkye II

I would like to know what sort of marketing campaign they ran, seeing as I have never seen a zOMG! ad anywhere on the internet, and I do my fair share of skipping around.

web ad screenshot
Sep 09. Fan Dumb + zOMG! made me laugh, so I took a screen shot. And TvTropes is awesome :U

They've even had an ad in Shonen Jump actually ( eh, not the best proof, I recall a thread showing the actual ad... unless my memory is playing tricks on me), and there are many traces of Qixter going around telling everyone how awesome his new thing was.

[seabrume]

gataka

web ad screenshot
Sep 09. Fan Dumb + zOMG! made me laugh, so I took a screen shot. And TvTropes is awesome :U

They've even had an ad in Shonen Jump actually ( eh, not the best proof, I recall a thread showing the actual ad... unless my memory is playing tricks on me), and there are many traces of Qixter going around telling everyone how awesome his new thing was.

Oh my GOD I COULD SHAKE SOMEONE TO DEATH. x-----x"

They aren't very good at target marketing. v---v

They should've had banners on facebook, and other mmorpg sites. MMORPG.com, gameogre.com, maybe a spot on G4 if they wrangled up the cash. So disappointed in them.

[MistressMinako]

Red Kutai

MistressMinako

I seem to remember it as just a projection. It seemed like the first post by the staff claimed a full-on campaign was run, then came swarf's post, which prompted a recanting from the staff who altered the advertising campaign to just a projection, not actually money spent.

Not that I blame them for wanting a better return, but there were so many flaws in their method that, as a scientist, it physically hurts me to consider what Gaia did when they were on the verge of releasing zOMG.

As I recall, there was DARKNRGY's initial post in the AtA, which implied that they had invested heavily in advertising zOMG!; swarf's thread clarified that it was merely a test campaign (which itself would be more than just a projection); then this thread was released, underwritten by both of those individuals, clarifying that it was initially run like any other advertising campaign, and simply proved unsuccessful. This being the most recent claim and with the greatest deal of consensus attached, I'm inclined to believe it over the other two... sweatdrop

This is where a PR person who can write in a clear, concise manner would come in handy.

The fact remains, though, that projections for zOMG were initially based on faulty numbers. There is no way we could have lived up to the inflated projections from a time when the site was seeing 50K+ accounts signed in at peak usage on a normal day.

Edit: That banner ad is horrible. The composition is off-center and it gives no information about the game. I've seen more compelling ads on TekTek.

Also, lets not discount the fact that now, to even view Gaia's forums, you need to be signed in. At least when with the last login page design (read: "big red button" ) you could preview the forums and see if it was something you'd be interested in.

[gataka]

II HazelSkye II

Oh my GOD I COULD SHAKE SOMEONE TO DEATH. x-----x"

They aren't very good at target marketing. v---v

They should've had banners on facebook, and other mmorpg sites. MMORPG.com, gameogre.com, maybe a spot on G4 if they rangled up the cash. So disappointed in them.

Maybe they have; I don't know all they've done. They also had some stuff in Game Informer ( just an ad ) and Anime Insider ( 4 page article )....They appear to have been aiming for an anime-lovin' and gamer-ish crowd.

You know that they didn't choose to advertise on TvTropes, right?
And FB wasn't that big back then :V

I guess I've made my point.

edit: and possibly SHOJO BEAT >.>

[oTrissa]

It's not a cash cow cause ya'll aren't marketing this s**t right.
How is a game that isn't advertized or almost never gets updates & has serious lag issue's every week supposed to get good cash flow? How ignorant can people be.
The CEO is a sphincter.

[kirin_sanj]

The other day, when I was playing zOMG, my crew and I were attacking the same sandtrap fluff, and nothing happened to it. scream We all used our ring to try and kill it, but it never went away. Is it just lag? Or a glitch, or something? question