GW2 Marketing

Hello everyone. I would like to initiate a discussion about the marketing of this game. What you think about it? Honestly I think this is one of the biggest problems of Arena net. This game has the potential to be way better than wow in my opinion, but seems like they just don't want it. People here in my country don't even know what Guild Wars 2 is. Don't even know this game exists. Black Desert is newer and everyone know it here. Few streamers compared to other games. I did not find Gw2 in Cube.Tv (Is like Twitch if you dont know what it is about.) I proposed this same discussion in a group on facebook and a person said this: "seems like they are more marketing to us that already own the game and relying on us to tell people." And i totally agree with that. What you think? Is Anet right doing that? Why?

Like... seriously?

Let's bring up years old videos as an example as to why marketing is bad now.

hahaha, marketing.. the Gw2 Achilles' heel.

I know I see ads for GW2 all the time as I browse the web, but I can't say how much of that is just Google spying on me or there being a push for banner ads when there are new expansions. I still see them on the downswings, but I don't know how often. Not sure what country you live in or what language they speak, but that could be a factor in why your friends haven't heard of it.

Well, the group is not restrict to my country so its not a local opinion

@FrizzFreston.5290 said:Let's bring up years old videos as an example as to why marketing is bad now.

So, you think the marketing is okay?

Actually this is the group. With the greatest number of people on facebook:https://www.facebook.com/groups/GW2Gamers/

My wife and I talk about it often, this game is a amazing product and diamond in the rough, so many MMORPGs get commercials, word of mouth and more, but no one knows whom\what GW2 until we tell them about it. Never could wrap my head around why this game is not spoken more of.

You won't see any advertisements unless you follow their Facebook page. You won't even see it on youtube unless you're watching a related video. They don't spend any money for advertising and it shows.

Word of mouth only gets you so far, and 6 years down the road is not far enough

@Rognik.2579 said:I know I see ads for GW2 all the time as I browse the web, but I can't say how much of that is just Google spying on me or there being a push for banner ads when there are new expansions. I still see them on the downswings, but I don't know how often. Not sure what country you live in or what language they speak, but that could be a factor in why your friends haven't heard of it.

Those are the 3rd party ads that track your search history

@RazielSpecter.6295 said:

@FrizzFreston.5290 said:Let's bring up years old videos as an example as to why marketing is bad now.

Recently their marketing efforts were fairly okay. Barring when stuff went wrong ofcourse.

I think the one thing that feels missing from GW2 is maybe physical box-sales or merchandise not sold by a third party. Because when I go to any computer shop, or any game shop, the amount of GW2 related releases that are physically present are usually countable on one hand- IF there is one at all.

Not that I go into an actual gameshop much, but being a GW2 fan in such a shop is like, yeah I play this game.... that you don't really seem to have .. what am I even doing here?! GW2 players don't belong in gameshops, apparently.

Ofcourse, something like that probably requires some sort of funding. (Though kick starters and 3rd party gw2 merch stuff seem to be popular enough, but what do I know)

GW2 has other - conceptional - problems that keep it from being more successful; it's not marketing.

I really want to understand why people can't create a topic title that has any relevance beyond being click bait.

Edit: Title was changed. Thanks.

@Raizel.8175 said:GW2 has other - conceptional - problems that keep it from being more successful; it's not marketing.

^this.

I don't really get 'marketing' for MMO .... anyone savvy enough to even be in the market to play an MMO knows where to get the information they want to know about games and find out what games are out there. It's almost not even an issue to pay something. Many MMO's give the option to play for free to get a taste. Unless there is some big hidden market of MMO players that don't know about the internet and MMO's, I think the 'bad marketing' issue is overblown.

@"RazielSpecter.6295" said:Like... seriously?

We don't talk about the taxi ad. ;)

@"Obtena.7952" said:I don't really get 'marketing' for MMO .... anyone savvy enough to even be in the market to play an MMO knows where to get the information they want to know about games and find out what games are out there. It's almost not even an issue to pay something. Many MMO's give the option to play for free to get a taste. Unless there is some big hidden market of MMO players that don't know about the internet and MMO's, I think the 'bad marketing' issue is overblown.

You really have no idea what you just said, did you. You really just said that because it's an MMO, it doesn't need marketing because "people know where to get the information"? By your logic, let's not market anything at all since anyone savvy enough knows where to find info. No trailers, no ads, right?

I am not knowledgeable about GW2 marketing efforts, but GW has strong lore that is unique. I think the game should have a bigger cult following than it currently does.

they prob spent it all on esports thinking that would skyrocket gw2 to fame.

@otto.5684 said:I think the game should have a bigger cult following than it currently does.

Then it wouldnt be a cult following.

—

The marketing is very small, as others have said you need to go outta your way to find it and/or find the game in general. That being said, theres varying levels of advertising which is or isnt effective enough to draw in audiences. Case 1; WoW had celebrity endorsements, more people would play it if Ozzy Osborne or Chuck Norris was playing too. Plus after being bought out bu Activison, they have more disposable income. Thats -overdoing- the advertising.

Case 2; Final Fantasy XIV has no such advertising (to my knowledge) and have relied more on internet base advertisments with banner ads, youtube ads and so on. That garnered very good success in its own right.

Case 3; GW2 only had ads on its own FB page and own youtube videos. I dont think i’ve seen them anywhere else. Maybe one or two “suggested pages” about the game but thats it. Theres been no other form of advertising, even based on my mmo search history, about the game. Unless you’re in the know for the titles Anet put out there, it goes largely under the radar.

Conclusion; too much advertising (WoW) is overdoing it.

Not enough advertising leaves potential players in the dark (GW2).

Forking out just that little bit extra for youtube/facebook ad spots on more than just their own channel will garner a wider audience but still keeps things relatively low key (FFXIV)

Well they tried this whole "Bubble Tea" thing recently... and that didn't go quite as planned either :P

Also, in my humble opinion this game is better then WoW.

Maybe it's just me but GW2's advertisement efforts outside of the ad banners or suggestions on the internet always come across very cringy and not focused at the right audience(points at taxi-ad, betsy the griffon or the bubble tea thing). I don't get what audience ANet is aiming for with these actions. ANet is very concerned in customer retention, that's why we get the AMAs, the official let's play vids and the podcasts. The game feels rewarding if you stick to it and if you're already playing, ANet gives you something to watch/read every now and then wich keeps your attention on the game, retention.But advertisement never was strong with ANet. It lacks focus and what I'd call an Idea on who might be intersted in the game and what aspects of the game might interest new customers. The game itself would be its best advertisement. It's a great game but all their advertisment stunts cleverly steer around showing actual gameplay or letting people experience it. Giving the MMO experience in an ad of maybe 5min is very hard. It's tough enough for games in general but it's the hardest for MMOs. You can make a vid, showing some flashy moves, some known faces, some landscapes and ppl will get the gist of your arcade fighter game. But a MMO, where ppl can play for hundreds and thousands of hours is hard to scram into a 5min clip. I saw that cringy video with the fake taxi but I still don't know much about the game? So I've taken my picture with the griffon, what about the game itself, I assume it has griffons in some extend but what's it about? I got my bubble tea and downloaded and app but what's ingame for me to do?I think ANet is aiming for ppl who are not playing MMOs in general and they want to get new players to go for their product more than they want ppl who are already playing an MMO to switch. Maybe that's why their ads don't resonate well with ""us"", i.e. ppl who already play an MMO or have been playing MMOs for a while.

The marketing is really really Bad and in The Long run this will cost them players and in The end The Game.There is huge Potential in this game to Be a better and more known mmorpg

This BubbleTea thing says it all , like wtf this will Not bring new players ?!Then there was this huge statue they invested in (250.000€$) like wtf no one cares about Stuff like this

Imagine you would invest The 250.000 in real Marketing ? And j think They should involve The huge well known streamers and pay them for playing gw 2This really brings new players to The Game

Twitch is one of The best Marketing Places or YouTube for Gamers.

The Marketing strategy that Anet follows was good 10 years ago But they are Not up to Date

@RazielSpecter.6295 said:This game has the potential to be way better than wow in my opinion

This game is better than WoW in my opinion. Even without big marketing.