Ideas to help Horizons - Advertising, cash shop?, more way to bring money in.

[medweasel]

Hello, I just returned to Hz after leaving when EI took over. I'm so glad Hz is back in what I consider good hands. I've always trusted the original owners and Tulga. They were always up front and honest so I was thinking on what can be done to help Horizons become better and to get more people and more money in the process. Here are just a few rough ideas. They're rough because alot of thought "hasn't" been put into them. Just some ideas that maybe you'll can help with or that the Dev's can pick up on and maybe make a go of.

1. Look at Funcom and how they've managed to keep Anarchy Online floating and actually get more and more members as time goes on. They use several different methods. #1. They offer their original Anarchy Online client for free. The only restriction is that there are Ad's from different companies on billboards which is going to be my number 2 idea from Funcom. I know Hz doesn't have any expansions or anything but maybe they could offer a free unlimited starting area trial type thing or something like that. Or maybe a free till lv. 10 or 20.

#2. In game advertising like Anarchy Online uses. This brings in more revenue from different sources than just the player base. But keeping it in theme with the game is tricky. AO is a perfect setting for this as it is a futuristic game and they have streaming video on alot of their in-game billboards that already used to advertise different factions within the games, or some weird in game products like their soda, weapons, vehicles, etc. How could Hz take advantage of in-game advertising? Maybe offer it on free accounts? Payed accounts can turn it off. Or have a pop-up window every so often when in Town and not while fighting? I dont' know. It's just an idea.

#3. Maybe offer some form of referral system? I don't know how that would bring in more money, but maybe they could team up with different companies or something where if you buy X amount of dollars worth of product then you get X amount of free time for Horizons. Or for each new player that pays for a month, you get a free month? Theres bound to be more ways that this could work.

#4. A Cash Shop of some sort. I'm not too fond of alot of these free asian type mmo's that use Cash Shops but some of them are highly successful. Maybe they could offer some Cash Shop only items that would enhance gameplay without making it unbalanced.

#5. Word of mouth and more advertising. Word of mouth can help alot. If we all let everyone know that Hz has changed hands then maybe we can get some of the old members back. I've already seen a pretty nice trickle of people coming back to Hz so this seems to be in effect already. Now would be a good time for Hz to start advertising on different mmo sites such as Mmorpg.com and others - We can also use different game portals and forums to spread the word.

#6. Everyone buy lottery tickets and give the winnings to Hz. Lol, Just kidding. I'm out of ideas. If anyone has any other ideas or could expand upon any of these that would be great. Also if any of these are bad ideas that's ok too, Any and all comments are welcome. Thank you.

[Tryagain]

none of these would work.

What HZ suffers from right now is a past history that is pretty rocky. Vitrium has a lot of work to do just to get out from a dodgy past. They can do it I think.

Your best bet is to simply pay and play the game. Tell your friends about it.

HZ is not for everyone and it still needs a ton of work. Some will dig what HZ has to offer and a lot won't.


I can tell you this. If I wasn't able to have a plot I wouldn't play HZ. With a plot or a lair HZ does not have much to offer. Thats the problem with sandbox type games. Lets hope Vitrium can do something to add more content for those that find dragging a cargo disc around boring.

[Royal]

All we need now is some serious changes for many oldies to come back (many are there already)
- plot reclaim
- new event
- new items
- new structures

With the billing system game will generate money again.
More a-la-carte updates for accounts would be nice though.. If i was the owners I'd seriourly investigate that.

Most important thing Horizons needed was hope, and that was given to us with the new owners.

[Whysp]

I'm not sure how I feel about these ideas. While they aren't bad ideas in and of themselves, well... I'll explain.

1. I know Hz doesn't have any expansions or anything but maybe they could offer a free unlimited starting area trial type thing or something like that. Or maybe a free till lv. 10 or 20.

Horizons already has a 2 week free trial. Even if someone chooses 1 biped character and 1 dragon character to try, 2 weeks is plenty of time to figure out if you like the game or not. Especially if you schedual the time during a period where you can play as long as possible. I didn't even get to play for my entire trial, and I'm still planning on subscribing.

#2. In game advertising like Anarchy Online uses.

The reason in-game advertising works in Anarchy Online is because it doesn't break canon. One of the draws of video games, and of MMOs in particular, is that they offer escapism. I know I wouldn't want to be given useless-item fliers in-game about how great Burger King hamburgers are. There is no BK in Istaria. Nor is there any XBox, Levitra, or anything else that could be advertised for. I know that I, personally, wouldn't enjoy the game as much if I were bombarded by advertisements from the real world while I was trying to be a Dryad on a world far, far away.

#3. Maybe offer some form of referral system? I don't know how that would bring in more money, but maybe they could team up with different companies or something where if you buy X amount of dollars worth of product then you get X amount of free time for Horizons. Or for each new player that pays for a month, you get a free month? Theres bound to be more ways that this could work.

I saw a type of referral system on one of the Horizons websites. They (the company owning Horizons) gives you a package of files to put on your website, and then you're given a modicum of money for every person who subscribes. Unfortunately, this breeds competition not because they love the game, but in an attempt to make as much money as possible.

#4. A Cash Shop of some sort. Maybe they could offer some Cash Shop only items that would enhance gameplay without making it unbalanced.

I, personally, am opposed to cash shops. I feel that introducing the real-world economy into a game-world environment will only serve to degrade said environment. Regardless, there are ways to control this. Vitrium is offering a few A la Carte options for subscribers, which won't unbalance gameplay in the least.

#5. Word of mouth and more advertising.

Ah! One I can agree with whole-heartedly! I, myself, have plans to create fliers, and I've already mentioned the game to my online friends. My brother in law and my sister both saw me playing it while I visited them during my family reunion, and my brother in law is interested in trying the game.
By all means, tell your friends. Print fliers. Create unofficial advertisements for your websites, with links to the Horizons main page. Be creative. Let people know that the game may be coming back from the ashes, yet again.

#6. Everyone buy lottery tickets and give the winnings to Hz.

Donations aren't a bad idea. But the billing system already offers people who can afford it a chance to do so. If you wish to donate to Horizons, pay for 2 subscriptions and only use one. Or three. Or four. Or add a ton of A la Carte options to the subscription you do have.



Horizons could do with more content, especially if it entails more areas for plots/lairs. But Vitrium only just got their game back. Give them time to implement some of their own ideas before you inundate them with your own.

Horizons isn't like any other game out there. It shouldn't need gimmicks or money-grubbing practices. It's a niche game, and as such should be treated as one.

[medweasel]

Thanks for all the feedback, I see what you mean on alot of the suggestions I had. I too do not like cash shops and I know Virtrium just now started and have alot to do before even thinking about stuff like this. I just wanted to throw some ideas out and see what others thought about them. They were very rough ideas and so far word of mouth is the best way to help bring more to Horizons. I've been letting everyone know that Hz has changed hands and who Virtrium are. They're accomplishments that they've made already in such a short span of time and just letting people know how great this community still is.
I'd love to be able to buy lots of subscriptions but truly can't afford it right now. I will gladly pay the 14.95 a month, starting on Friday when I get paid. It's less than what I pay for wow and personally I've had more fun playing Hz the last day or two than I have in a long time on wow. Plus it's so very nice to be able to chat with people again while I'm playing. Something that I haven't done in Wow in over a year. Every suggestion I make in wow is met with - stfu or Up yours or something rude like that. Every joke I make I get called a moron or something worse. Every time I say Hi, it's met with silence. So it's very refreshing to come back to Hz and actually chat more than I play. The people here treat you like you're family and I Like that alot.

[LaughingOtter]

Alladania & I have been running a CafePress shop of our own for a while now -
*** Horizons CS - removed link *** - and here are some suggestions for Horizons-related items. You can put almost any design onto almost any product if you lay the design out correctly, so I won't list every single thing a design could go on.

Lunus/Helian faction symbols, whatever they are - T-shirts, posters, tile coasters, mousepads.

Babes of Istaria calendar, notepads, posters. Need high-res screenshots, extra fee for the /setpref modesty false version.

Horizons soundtrack CD - CD quality audio instead of optimized MP3s.

Kiss the Confectioner BBQ aprons

The Lunus & Helian lair artwork (the two dragon designs), both by themselves and with "Lair, Sweet Lair" - posters, tile coasters, clocks, framed prints, T-shirts, greeting cards, mousepads.

Hoardmas Ornaments - keepsake ornaments, seasonal item.

"Istaria Lives!" - t-shirts, bumper stickers, buttons...

"I (heart) My Road Bonus" license plate frames & bumper stickers

"Hatchie on Board" maternity shirts

Collect submissions of fan art, stories, poetry, song parodies, the Lag Monster story from Tazoon.com, the [dryness face] post, the various stories that were posted by Tulga, etc. Assemble them into a nice book and sell the book.

Klava mugs, with or without a recipie for making it at home.

Long-term project: An Istarian cookbook. Collect recipies from players - real recipies - and write up a bit of lore to introduce each one. This would require a little canonical oversight to make sure the lore & style of cuisine for racial dishes are consistant.

A high-quality rendering of The Sleeper - posters, prints, notecards, mousepads.

New Rachival Research Institute design or logo - T-shirts, mousepads, posters, bumper stickers.

Ryson Stormbringer/Malganival Lunus/Helian in '08 bumper stickers.

Kion Militia athletic T-shirts.

Some of these I've considered doing in my own shop, but held off because I'd rather see them in an official shop that supports the game. Up-front costs for a premium shop are very low, and a skilled web designer (which, obviously, I am not) can easily make a very attractive shop. There would be some adminstrative overhead involved with vetting and prepping designs, but most designs and sections need very little maintenence once set up.

This would be a great way to leverage the creative resources of the community to generate extra revenue for the game while creating promotional materials and enhancing opportunities for word-of-mouth advertising.

[JDexter]

I still think the best out of game item for Istaria I have ever seen was one done in CafePress years ago. It was a mug with a picture of Salt Rock on it with the standard 'NO' circle/slash and it read 'Salt Rock is NOT a bonus item'

It'd be worth putting salt rock back in as a bonus just for that reason.

[Dhalin]

The Cash Shop thing does make me interested a little...

In Istaria, some things are just plain too dang hard to obtain. I'm not saying let us buy *money* with RL money, however, I would love it, if, say, we could spend $5 to get, say, 10 T6 tech comps or something.

Since they jacked Nadia's prices through the roof (and in doing so, made it very difficult to get decent equipment made), some of these tech comps are just plain too dang hard to get.

Or how about Expert Forms? I've spent weeks trying to scrounge up a few of these. There are what, a hundred plus different Expert Forms in the game? You could spend Hours farming mobs to get a specific one to drop. I wouldn't mind plunking down a few bucks to buy a couple of these if it would mean that I didn't have to farm my rear off for weeks and months, and/or do a lot of begging and praying that *someone* in the world managed to find one.

[Galilee]

Some very nice idea's there, LaughingOtter; and all idea's that don't influence anything ingame, good! And might well attract some new players (seeing someone wearing a T-shirt with 'Hatchling aboard' or some of the other things mentioned, would sure make *me* wonder what game was behind the shirt...

[C`gan]

Coffee mugs of your dragon as hatchling, adult, and ancient.

Tagath made mention that he'd like to have a poster-map of his lair, which would mean needing to export segments of the lair chamber artwork at certain heights to get the shape of the room, along with the walkways in halls and lairs. Have a dirt-colored background around the chambers. Multiple floored rooms would be black in the center or have the very bottom of the chamber sort of grayed out a bit so you know it's there, just not that level (fog distance, perhaps?)

Or for the gnomes out there, something with a dragon and the big red circle "No Dragons Here" sort of thing?

And have to have the original Horizons logo with the dragon and the vines and the sparklies.

[LOVWYRM]

great ideas, Otter and C´gan

[Avalina]

Ok, I LOVE The idea of the shirts, mugs, etc. I've been saying to my friends we need to do something like this for a long time. I only just got to where I am able to post on the forums, so yea. I'd like a T-shirt that says something along the lines of "Deep Down inside I'm really a _____" And insert the race of your Istarian character and maybe have a bust picture of it. Then on the back or underneath have the link to HZ. I'd also like a baby-doll tee with the horizons' logo on it. There are so many possibilities, we just need to grab hold of them and make it happen. VI has soo much on their plate right now I don't think they'll have time or manpower to divert to something like this. We'd have to get their permission of course to use the logo's and what not, but if a group of players or a player started this up, a % of all sales could be sent to HZ. Of course I don't know how to set this all up, anyone know how to?

[Deth]

Should not be too hard for them to set up a Cafepress account to do something like this. I just do know know if Cafepress is willing to work with a company or if they only work with privet customers. The world Map poster should not be too much of a problem through them as well as say some of the Char art on posters or mugs and such. More personalized items would be harder.

[Maxximas]

How about a T-shirt with a Dragon glearing at you with a toothy grin saying Ill bet you taste good with ketchup

[LaughingOtter]

CP makes no distinction between individuals & corporations being shopkeepers; in fact, they encourage organizations to use their services for fundraising and promotional purposes.

As far as getting a character's image on a T-shirt or something, individual players can do that without opening a shop. You can custom-print items with an image you upload, as long as the image meets the formatting requirements. Usually, that means 2000x2000 at 200 DPI for most products.

As far as manpower goes, I'm sure the community has enough talent to produce a great many designs; VI would need to set the shop up, get a web person to make it pretty, review the design submissions, and add the designs. Reviewing the designs would be the most time-intensive part of the process. Adding a design only takes five or ten minutes, setting up & doing the web work are pretty much one-time things.

Logo items would be great; I have a black mug with the HZ logo on it that looks really sharp. I'd love to take it to work, but I won't risk losing it. Anyway, things like that can only be done by Virtrium or with Virtrium's express consent for copyright reasons. Misusing copyrighted material is a big no-no with CafePress.

Yes, a group of players could make all sorts of stuff & donate the proceeds to VI, but income taxes and accountability are big issues that would have to be addressed. Much neater if VI runs the shop and pays design contributers with, say, shoulder pets and an emblem.

[C`gan]

No shoulder pet, no emblem. I don't need such frippery.

Give me my hooded pullover!

[Tathar]

Tulga Games had a referral program in place where people involved would receive $1 per player referred per month. I was a part of it and would love to be a part of it again with Virtrium.

[Takora Drakan]

What about a fan shop? T-shrits, posters, coffee cups, I would by all that things!

Once i saw horizons figures, they looked awesome, especially the red concept dragon lokked so cool *drooools*

[Kodey]

Would be funny to see an article sometime down the road that read, "Community supports their own game's finances." Think of the publicity then. I like the idea of a Shop for T-shirts and such. If there were a few baby-doll T-shirts with Horizons Logos, I would definitely nerd it up and wear them everywhere.

[Xanthia]

I have actually been considering for a while now to make hundreds of posters and pasting them all over my school. (Weee turns out school is good for one thing! Advertisment!) Course, when EI took over I didn't even bother, but now...... I may just have the chance . Just going to wait a bit for everything to get settle and back on track.

"Community supports their own game's finances." Quick somebody call the presses! Where are those reporters when you need them!