So, I've been starting to work on the preliminaries to make a fancy Star Sonata 2 Alpha video to announce that we're starting alpha testing, which I'll want to post many places around the interwebs to generate buzz, and I've been thinking a lot about how to position Star Sonata -- as in the marketing sense.

Some stuff that I've read suggests that if you are smaller with less of an advertising budget, it's good to position yourself directly against a well known competitor (directly or indirectly). Some examples are, Lexus: "As good as Mercedes or BMW, but 30 percent cheaper", 7UP: "The Uncola", and Avis: "We try harder".

One slogan I've used on the landing page which seems to work pretty well is "Why walk when you can fly!" That's basically positioning against WoW and games like that saying SS is more fun because you get to fly around in a ship rather than watch your guy walk around. I also think it positions against Eve because SS seems faster paced, and compared to SS, playing Eve could be like walking instead of flying.

Another bit of text that I've used on some of the landing pages is "Star Sonata is the game for intelligent gamers", since I think being more complicated than most mmo's, that tends to be our core audience. Not sure how descriptive that really is, though.

But I think I need more copy than just that for promotional videos, and also want to point out other features of SS as well. I think it's really hard to market SS because it does so much in so many directions. We have the action of flying around in your ship, the economics of space trading and building colonies/bases, the depth of an RPG, and the ability to control slaves and drones to fight with you.

Anyone have any thoughts or ideas on how I should try to sell Star Sonata 2 to people who have never heard of the game before?

I would especially focus on the fact that you can create and form the universe, I think that would be a large plus for people because in this game you actually are completely free in what to do. Other games do offer the option of building and creating stuff but I haven't found a game in which you can control as much as Star Sonata.

"Star Sonata is a different type of game. The playerbase is much more friendly than those of EVE and other games like it, and the gameplay is highly varied. You can play casually and simply stake your claim to a small part of the universe or go hardcore and become the next emperor. So if you're looking for a game that's more fun than EVE but still has the great potential to be just as in- depth, try Star Sonata."

Something along those lines.
Focus on:
-Varience (EVE is quite hardcore vs. Star Sonata)
-Attention to Detail (Ship graphics, show off the most complex ones)
-Sountrack (Something that's not a full orchestra and serious, but also isn't quite upbeat.)
-Established Playerbase (The people of Star Sonata who you'll meet. Don't include specific answers, per se, but instead talk about our helpfullness and community spirit, and how the relatively low population of the game allows for a much tighter sense of "community")
-Possibilities for fun (Let the slaves do the work as you go out and have fun)

Just some ideas. I'd love to help making a video, if at all possible. Or ads, or really anything.

I kinda like the "Why walk..." slogan, but would supplement it with sub-slogans. Something like this

Why walk when you can fly
-----among the stars...
--------and bend them to your will...
Build an empire spanning the universe,
----and earn a fortune* along the way.


*in digital credits, which have no official conversion to common currency.

I like it.
Just make sure to say you're flying in space. I hear WoW has some epic flying dragon mounts....

Funny you mention this, I was about to start making my own C2 trailer from clips of the other videos.

^
The best part about this game is the entire game is controlled by the players.
Sure you could go do some quest in some town with a name you cant pronounce, or you can play king of the hill with hundreds of people where every single area is controlled by a player and the decisions you make warrant your position and status in the universe.

I like
The universe is yours

I dunno thats what draws me to this game

Jeff you ought to use that glitch you found and uber expand the uni though.
The space between teams would open up for more pirating opportunities (excitement! only p2p except stupid f2ps with w2 would be held in danger) and room for expansion, keeping the team/player limit would force more gals to be left open for individual business ventures and give smaller teams room to grow.
It would also force teams to be more economical and live within their means, strech your bases too thin and oops..

I think that adding (you said 10x more) gals would add a whole new dynamic to this game

The hands-on controls really do make PvP a heart-thumping experience. And stuff like collision code and concussions help immerse the player in what would otherwise be somewhat tedious PvAI.

Googled that, got EVE as the first choice.

Some thing that shows that SS is different "a game like no other"

Isn't that what all MMO's have, Bl...I mean JB.

@anilv
Every game, when drawn into the pvp...kickstarts the adrenaline rush. It's the competition, the possibility of death(real life or online), and the fact theres a living breathing opponent on the other side.

Except for Go.


For an informal general title, JB's "MMO in space" is just fine.
A formal title would go on the webpage and ads to demonstrate that SS is unique, unlike another "MMO in space"...EVE.



@JeffL
Would the title reflect on its pvp nature, and then working on more content to suit team vs team pvp with larger scale conflicts?
Or
Would the title emphasize the pve nature, and with content on the way to add a more interactive and expansive NPC owned environment?

The way I see it, SS will have to pick either PvP, or PvE, and have that as the basis of the game, with plenty of stuff to push people towards others. The opposite side would still be included, just not mentioned on the ads and banners, and discouraged with text and rules posted on the forum, game, and website.

So, with further ado, this is my take on SS's position. I like PvP. I know a lot of people in RL that likes PvP. I know that virtually every successful MMO uses PvP as a selling point. These MMO's may have very good PvE, but it's the PvP thats found on the ads. I feel that too much into a PvE side of a game, (like the crappy pvp system we have now), and you're going to push away potential new players, and many old ones. I am biased towards promoting the PvP side of SS.

But, I'll be happy(and subscribed to a non ss pvp game) for supporting a PvE based look.


If it's PvP:
Conquer the universe, one person at a time.
This makes it clear that the game is going to have a lot of PvP, and would need a few drastic changes to the code and system to be ready for new players.
The universe is yours for the taking; defeat any who stand in your way.
This one hints at a top position(such as being emp), and that PvP is needed to attain such place.

If it's PvE:
Earthforce wants US. It's our universe.
Hints at some sort of defense force, but doesn't really hint much about PvP. Still makes sure you know that there will be more than just you here.
It's your universe, explore like the greatest.
Ok, it seems less on PvE dungeon-y things, more of a explore the nooks and crannies of the game universe.

They've come to conquer our homes. Are you up to the challenge?
Theres a bit of difficulty here, and there would be multiple ads to portray this title. (I like this the most of the PvE titles, and will give an expanded view on it below)

The ad shows various enemies of SS in a series of frames, as well as a sample squad of players defending their home.

One ad would have a panther and two zebras, with a FC, ShM, and Sniper fighting back. Another would have a Zerk, an Engineer(with drones out), and a Seer assaulting Olympus. And still yet another could view a mini-(because it's a small picture)-bana run featuring a few players and the Queen.

Of course all models would be C2 based, to show off said Client. And this time make sure they aren't flatter than paper...

How about "10,000 subscribers and we ban Churchill from the internet." and watch those subscriptions pour in...

i like that one tb36..