What do you think will attract new players?

[kennykilleduo]

Just wondering what everyone thinks , vote and discuss....

 

[Coldren]

UO2?

Please understand I say this as a UO player who loves the game. I was with it when it launched a decade ago. I took a break at one point, and came back. This game will always have a certain appeal to me, because it was my frist, and I have very fond memories of it and the people I met.

But fact of the matter is, I highly doubt much of anything will attract truly NEW players to the game. I could go on a diatribe as to why, but many would dismiss it as a disgruntled view, so I won't bother.

But if the team could take everything they learned, and start again, it would attract a substanical number of players.. Particularly those, like me, for whom this was their first MMO.

Sadly, time and again, it's been shown that it simply won't happen.

But one can dream.

 

[Omnicron]

Basically some advertising would work.

And maybe going back to out sweet $9.99 a month

 

[ColterDC]

Getting rid of all the cheating would help bring back alot of people who have quit.

When you have a reputation in the gaming industry as the most cheat filled game it doesn't make people want to play.

 

[Loqucious]

Polls like this are very difficult because the truth is that all of those things are important to attract new players.

IMO this game needs new content simplified so a new player can learn quickly and real pvp option. Plus the crafting could/should be greatly improved.

 

[HeathBar]

Not one of your choices but I think most gamers like good graphics. UO is way behind in that category. However, I wouldn't play if I didn't couldn't have 2d so it's kinda a Catch 22 I suppose..

 

[Hunter Moon]

Simplifying content would make it an easier entry for new players, but it is impossible to ignore the difference in graphics between UO and the new games. We have tried to get many friends who game to give UO a shot and each and everyone has refused or given up in the first week because of the graphics. At the same time they all admit there is a huge amount of content to the game and it looks like it might be tons of fun, but they CANNOT get past what they call the horrible graphics. Me, I like the graphics, but the general GW, WOW, and so on people wouldn't touch UO with a 20 foot mouse...

Hunter Moon [HOT] Atlantic

 

[Oriana]

My daughters are gamers, just like myself and their dad. We started them young, with some of the more colorful better graphics games at the time, Sonic, Sly, Ultima Exodus. All on the Nintendo. Then we introduced them to Pong. They looked at us like we were crazy, next thing you knew they were having a ball. We brought out the Atari 3600 and they started playing some of the most basic games by todays standards. Then my husband started playing the more recnt Final Fantasy games, they were once again hooked, but they still loved to go back to the simpler graphic games. Anyway my point is some of these youngsters hace never been expose to the wide range and evolution of graphic over the years to be able to appreciate what games like UO have to offer.

Just my 2 cents

Ori

 

[Coppelia]

What do you mean by better marketing?
I would blush of shame if I saw an ad of UO on TV.
It could be good to take UO for what it is : a damn old game. It shouldn't cost the same as the new games using cutting-edge technology. Lower the subscription fee drastically and advertize it. You'll get new players. Then add things to the already present online shop if you want.

And stop shooting on the real players feet because of cheaters, because soon there'll be more to do in Puzzle Pirate than in UO.

 

[Setanta]

Bug fixing, especially the KR client crashes, would go a long way. If not to attracting new players, it would at least help keep some of the current ones.

 

[EnigmaMaitreya]

As a new returnie to UO (From the day it went live to approximately 8 months after trammel went live), I will give you a list of the most daunting things I see.

1) El number UNO with zero doubt - The price of what is now viewed as REQUIRED items to play on Player Vendors pretty darn much mandates you go to some gold seller and BUY gold. This pretty much says that UO is a buy your way to victory with Real Life Currency. Which of course translates to "Just exactly how is this a Game? OR What game are we playing?"

2) The complexity level of becoming proficient in UO has become Astronomical vs how it originally was. Originally it was tough/hard to tame your way to GM BUT you could do it in one Real Life Time with out burning out every single brain cell you might have repeatedly taming the same old things over and over and over and ..... until your head meets the desk / keyboard because your mind went numb. AND you dont even get a single skill up because well some how you managed to fake the GGS into NOT being GGS (shall we say puting on a Taming + Jewelry BEFORE you get your GGS?). Shall we say that you need to follow a Rube Goldburgs puzzle to get an an item that will allow you to have 45 attempts at winning the Lottery in Item Creation for the Crafters? It is this kind of designing that would stop a casual new player dead in their tracks and send them packing elsewhere.

 

[Lord GOD(GOD)]

How about . . . a new pet! - it's got to be at least five minutes since the last one.

 

[Otis Firefly]

Shower house add on...Aint nobody wanna come into a game full of smelly fools..and most of us have leg of bane rash piled ontop of royal leg of ember rash and some old leather rot rash going on......we all need some showers up in sosaria

 

[Hunters Moon]

To get your name out there,a company must put their product on the shelves of retailers. I can't remember the last time I have seen UO items on the shelves of a WalMart or EBGames or GameStop. EA/Mythic you want to get numbers back up? Let people know who you are.

 

[phantus]

Many people have only hit the edge of the problem with UO. It's unknown. Marketing alone will not bring in new blood. UO is an ancient franchise in the gaming world. No one knows it exists save those who have been in the gaming world for over 2 decades.

To bring in new blood UO needs a new standalone game or some measure of it's name getting into the hands of the younger generation. Ads for some game someone's dad played aren't enough. New graphics for some game someon's dad played aren't enough. UO needs a new title to increase it's playerbase. Simple as that. Now, bringing back old players is another story...

 

[Azureal]

Wow. Thats a huge question.

The first thing that popped into my head was UO2, much like another poster said, but then I realised that would do the opposite of attracting new players to UO, instead it would attract them to something else.

Who else remembers feeling somewhat excited when UOX was announced. Finally the world of Britannia realised in 3D. To run into a 3D Moonglow, to gallop through the Britain Swamps on your horse. To build a house, all in 3D. It never happened, and times moved on, but the players stayed here, albeit in smaller numbers, but still they remained.

I really dont know what will help UO. It keeps calling me back every year or s, so it must be doing something right, or maybe it isnt doing anything right and I just cant let go.

I gotta admit I do worry though. Im on the Oceania server (78ms ping from Perth) and one day I know the server just wont be there anymore. Maybe theyll offer character transfers, maybe it will go the way of the Sims and just close down. I truly hope not, because UO was my first MMO love, and quite probably always will be.

I think a lot of hope was placed in KR and I wonder how much it has payed off. Ive never seen it on shelves in box form for sale anywhere around Perth, in any manner of store. Im not sure what the overall idea behind KR was, what it had hoped to achieve, to appease current players, to perhaps draw some of those enamelled to the WoW style of game, to draw NEW players?

In the end, with gaming the way it is today, and with new players wanting new things, I dont think UO "can" draw a new subscriber base.

 

[Tina Small]

I couldn't choose from among the answers you gave. I think a better buddy referral program rolled out with an improved/tweaked Welcome Back to Britannia program could help. Word of mouth advertising can be a powerful thing.

 

[Cysphruo]

i say a new uo2, everyone knows the current coding is from the stone age, give us something new with less cheating and incorporate a better system to stop cheaters, maybe some new graphics since they think graphics are all that and a bag o chips, then market the hell out of it. I know EA can hear money, well thats easy money in the bank.

 

[Lady-Tor]

Its got to be advertized and on shelves. I dont know about other countries but in Auz you cant even get it ordered into a gaming shop. Let alone the "Im sorry ive never heard of that game" responce.

They will never get numbers unless its advertized. Its never in computer mags etc etc

 

[Blesh]

if they could get the bugs and problems with KR fixed well enough to put it on the shelves at game stores and walmart, it would sell.

I know, I had no idea what UO was till i saw the gold edition on the shelf at walmart for eight bucks. Look at me now. two years and still love this game.

 

[Razz]

I have wondered about this a lot. I started playing UO back when it first started. I loved it then. Other games came out and I eventually moved on. I came back to the game when Origin brought out Trammel facet and fell in love with it again. And again I left the game after a while. I came back, once again, a few months ago when I saw the KR client was being brought out. At first I loved the KR client. I thought it brought a fresh feel to the game. As I played the game more nd more I started playing the 2D client and have not looked back. As nice as the KR client interface is they missed the mark with the game play. The graphics are nice an all but the game plays clunky and once you start getting mroe into the game you realize how needed UOAssist and UOAM are.

UO kinda reminds me of a dream home with crappy curb appeal. The graphics are nothing compared to the newer games. But once you start playing and get past the graphics the game pulls you in again. And once that happens the graphics are just fine.

What I would like to see to help bring in more people.

1. Leave the graphics alone. UPDATE THE USER INTERFACE. I would love to see the original graphics with something like interface of KR client. I don't think the graphics are that bad. It's the tired interface that turns people away. You dont think so? Just login to KR client and then login to the 2D client. Just look at the interface. I'm not talking about how well they work. Just the look on the KR client interface makes the game look fresh and new. And either allow the new client to use UOAM and UOAssist or make tools that are just as good or even better.
2. Put out more expansions in a timely manner. From what I have seen people are getting tired of the content before another expansion comes out. This alone drives me away from a game faster then anything else.
3. Ditch KR client. It's just to radical and not even close to giving the function of the 2D client. If your going to make a new client you have to address the UO approved add-on's application like UOAM and UOAssist. KR client fails miserably.
4. Update the chat interface. I would be nice to be able to whisper/talk to someone in a private conversation. This kinda goes with my first opinion. I just wanted to put it by itself because it means a lot to me. I can't tell you how many messages I miss because of the way UO chat works now.

 

[Kyle]

Maybe Sell the darn thing in Stores DUH!!! Last time i saw it in a store was for ML and that lasted a whole of 2 weeks, no shelf presence means NO NEW PLAYERS!


But Mainly, IMO, Stop the scripting/duping. No one will want to start into a game that has cheaters running rampid and no support ingame/outgame

 

[Nosuperiors_Damnfewequals]

First off, scratch KR. I was initially excited about it, tried it when it went public, said "Yuck!" to the clumsy interface, faded graphics, very UN-intuitive macro setup system, bugs, problems, etal ad infinitum.

So for most existing users, KR is done already. It was said earlier, you only get one chance to make a first impression, and EA/Mythic blew the hell outta that! Time to move on, or back, as the case may be.

Advertise a little bit, at least. A small quarter page ad in the gamer magazines, where you are most likely to reach gamers. (Duh!) Shelf presence, with a reasonable price! I can go in WalMart and buy WoW cheaper than I can buy and download ML, does that make sense? Not to me, it doesn't.

Put some gametime cards back out there, Best Buy and WalMart both have em for WoW, why can't there be a few for us? Set up DAoC and UO and whatever else ends up in the EA/Mythic stable to take the codes, even if the sub rate is a different price, let the code apply days accordingly, less for War, more days for UO, get my drift?

But more on the shelf presence, it doesn't have to be a huge box, nothing fancy, just a simple jewel case with a decent looking insert/facing, with a CD inside, and priced right to make it attractive to the hesitant buyers. And once a year, be it on anniversary or 1st of year, whatever, a limited number of limited edition boxes, with a CD and cloth map, maybe a trinket (ankh or whatever) suitable to attract a new player, and also something for the vets to buy not for the game, but for the goodies . And again, make it priced right.

I honestly think part of the reason the past CDs havent sold too well, was corporate greed. Sell em for enough to cover the cost of production and shipping, it's the monthly subs that you make your living on, don't try to get a paycheck from selling the cds.

I've had my say, I now return you to your normal reading

 

[Galad]

Different pricing scheme, something along the lines of runescape maybe.

But really the only hope of big numbers is with a UO2

 

[Scratch]

new uo underwear would do it for me
these things are like 10 yrs old and god do they reek

all vote for new undies in colors
breifs boxers bikinis
thongs would be hilarious

socks would be good
my feet get awful blistered up fighting in leather boots with no socks

one of the real worlds most addictive things left out of uo
coffee

and why cant i smoke a cigarette after killing some noob
will it stunt my uo height or what?

best thing to attract new players would be the absence of blatent speedhackers and script farmers making an irl living...

lets take the whole game back to formula and start over
moer fun for everyone that way

less youre worried bout losing all that fake crap youve collected over the years

 

[Helen D]

I think that if they bring back more of the old content from before aos it could help.

 

[Nosuperiors_Damnfewequals]

That is true also, to an extent. There are a few things that should be turned back to pre-AoS, and make for more interaction and better gameplay.

But I don't see that ever happening.

 

[Azureal]

People can ask all they want, but there will never be an EA supported (re: paid for) Pre-AoS server. Even if there was, all the jaded and "Screw-you-EA/OSI" ex players wouldnt come back anyway.

 

[Gwyneth]

I truly love UO, and have been playing off and on since the introduction of t2a. I do, however, believe that UO is not likely to move beyond its current place as a "nostalgia niche" in the game world, without becoming an entirely different game.

Looking at the other games out there today, I don't see much potential for attracting new players unless a marketing plan were to take a new slant... actively market it as the most versatile game in existence and a real nostalgia trip for players who enjoy being individuals rather than "levelers". Promote the roleplay possibilities as well. In addition, go back to the original subscription cost.

Other than the foregoing, I honestly don't see much hope for a significant influx of new players.

 

[Amber Moon]

Ya, thongs are always good.

#1 is BOX ON THE SHELF.

As to game mechanics; A more 'on-the-rails" newbie experience to get people started. Then you can throw them in the deep end

 

[kennykilleduo]

Something noother games have...Hmmmmmm

 

[Makadopest]

How do you vote for all the above

 

[Lord Drakelord]

In the early days, my daughter was a shard Companion, this was a time before the Law suit, three times when they launched CD version of up grades to the game she met young players on "old" Haven that were reporters for game magazines, local News Papers, who had come to see what was up. Bet you don't see those game magazines/reporters doing that today.

But yes I think they need to market the game again, and put out CD version of the game as before, in 2d and KR, so people can see for themself.

 

[Erekose]

My first impulse was better handling of cheaters, but then after I voted I thought no...better marketing. Better handling of cheaters would have kept more old players here. New players are drawn by marketing.

 

[packrat]

I think another good way is maybe to give people with older accounts that are now closed, a free 15-30 pass. Only accounts that were acctive for a year or more. This would generate a little interest back into the game. You wouldn't get everyone to pay to come back, maybe you would spark interest in some. Those that come back might get some of their old friends interested again. And during this free period, host a huge event. like the draconia event where we had to do things in groups and it ends in a few days. Not like the Moonglow event that last forever and everyone loses interest. I go to glow now and its dead empty.
Then maybe get the councelors back into the game. Im sure there is a way to work it out without another huge lawsuit. This would take a huge burden off of the GMs and they would have more time to spend doing important things.

 

[Lefty]

You would have a better chance getting them to buy pac-man than subscribing to UO.

EA passed up the opportunity (twice) to bring UO up to the current market trends. UO is now nastalgic as well as the subscribers.

The reality is that not to many people go in for sprites and why pay for sprites when you can play in several 3d mmorpgs for free?

Sorry if this offends anyone, but it is the truth.

 

[2397]

I don't know what would attract any new players, but I know many many older players who would return in a heartbeat if there were pre-AOS shards. Won't happen....

 

[Cybrdragon]

I voted for less cheaters, but I don't really think anything less than a UO2 would bring LOTS of new players at this point. It's too late for this version of UO.

 

[Warsong of LS]

better marketing - How can you draw in new players without a box on the shelf?

 

[Azureal]

better marketing - How can you draw in new players without a box on the shelf?

Product awareness wouldnt hurt either.

Me: "Do you have any copies of Ultima Online: 8th Age?"
EB Guy: "lol wut?"

 

[LadyArden]

FEWER BUGS! WHY PLAY A GAME THAT AFTER 10 years IS STILL BUGGY AS ALL GET OUT? It's broken, don't buy it! *is still mad at GM canned response*

 

[Asmodai]

i personally feel starting UO is too hard. I understand haven has got these new quest npc's and stuff but essentially you are still starting with a robe and 1000 gp. Perhaps give people SOME resources to get started (this could perhaps work as when someone sets up a new account, that account is given a certain amount of resources, which can not be used by anyone other than that new account, or at least has less real life value than it costs to set up an account - which would hopefully stop people just making new accounts to get resources) or some kind of guide on what to do next, where to go, how to make money, etc etc. I know alot of people who told me the old GM's used to help people out all the time, give them advice and stuff. This surely spurred people on. Now what do people get? NPC's that arnt particularly useful for other than obtaining newbie items. Where do you go after that?

I know we have stratics and all this, but i personally didnt find stratics for quite a long time!

Considering the amount of veteran players we have, most people must just start and give up these days. People need more guidance on how to play, how to earn some cash, and where to go! I remember i was lost in a bog once and some GM dude came and led me out! Bring back actual real life responses and human interaction on behalf of the people running the game, or, as has already been mentioned, update the chat interface so those people willing to give new people a hand have a place, and the chance, to do it.

Also, scrap the KR client. UO is not about graphics... and tbh, im pretty sure people would rather play something with decent retro 2D graphics and good gameplay compared to something which is bulky, horrible to look at, terrible to play, and full of bugs. The KR client would make ANYONE choose WOW over UO. However, actually appealing to people BECAUSE it has 2D graphics may work more in the favour of marketing, seeing as everything is 3D these days, and UO would therefore be something a little different, and wouldnt require particularly amazing computer specs!

 

[manufacturedsoul]

I voted for lowering the price but honestly it's pretty hard to say what will actually "bring" people to a 10 year old MMO. I'd venture to say at this point not very much. Honestly the most realistic thing would probably be to significantly lower the monthly fee down to like $5 a month or heck even free! Bringing freeshard players back to production shards. Thing is that at this point we are paying $13 a month for a game that is years and years out of date. Most players use 2d and pay $13 a month and then that money is invested into a crummy KR client that hardly anyone uses instead of adding "real" dynamic content to this aging 2d game.

The only real reason i see to even still charge a fee is so that the game isn't totally over run with almost 100% cheaters & exploiters & house placers but honestly it's kinda already there at this point. I feel like i only pay my monthly fees now to ensure my homes and items don't decay and get scooped up by the scripters and UO garbage collecting squad.

I've been thinking about how i feel about UO alot lately and after over 10 years of subscribing to this game i'm starting to question the logic of continuing to pay the same price for it as other people are paying for much more advanced games if you really think about it, it just doesn't make alot of sense. Heck there are alot of free games that are even advertised on this friggin site that at a glance look far more advanced than UO and they are all FREE! EA is purely milking us for everything they can at this point and returning very little for our monthly / yearly / decade of investments in this game.

How is someone who is lets say actually "new" to this game going to survive in a world where anything worth anything costs multi-multi millions and they are killing orcs with 60 some gp on them. At that rate it will only take them 2-3 years to afford one piece of an uber suit. In a game where a vet can have 100's of millions of gold checks and can still feel poor i'm not sure there is alot of hope for bringing the "NEW" players back to this game.

I think it's about time EA just said screw it and made UO2. It would have been alot more successful than war hammer the stupid WOW clone they are currently working on....

 

[Mythic]

I voted marketing, UO with all its flaws is an amazing game, sure it aint pretty, but we all play for the depth not the glitter. You see the commercials for Pirates of The Carribean Online on TV all the time and there is a contstant surge of new players becuzz of it(Super easy game, too easy actually)and its full of bugs and looks like poo. WOW had an awsome marketing campaign, the result was 9 million subscribers last I read.

Thing is folks, we get a huge influx of new players and the vets and the wealthy are gonna have to really step up and help these folks out.

There is a major learning curve one must get past in order to really play UO, Ive been at er a good 3 years now and there is a ton Ive yet to learn.

Give the New folks at least 1 full month free, the communtiy should be able to compel these folks to stick around awhile

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

To be honest, I don't believe UO will ever attact a lot of new players. The game is dated. The best way for the devs to get more people to create or re-activate old accounts would be to create a pre-AoS shard.

Nothing they do will get players to come here unless they attract former players...la

 

[timbeOFbaja]

I'm not following the poll. UO needs a 3D first person client. The end. I, for one, absolutely LOVE the style of 2D UO. I've always said it looks like one of those medieval paintings come to life. But nobody who hasn't played UO wants to play UO because it looks 10 years old. Heck it looked old in 1997.

It's not like first person clients are rocket science these days. You have all the calculations....the design is totally done for you already.....all you have to do is come up with a new client-server....some of which are already prepackaged....and do the artwork.

Let's be clear. People LEAVE because of the cheaters and imbalance and lack of things to do. They don't come here in the FIRST place because the game engine doesn't look appealing. Go ask on general gaming forums and you'll get that response 90% of the time.

The game also needs a reset. They keep giving tamers more and more extreme things to tame because people want newer and harder and more rewarding stuff to tame. All the hundreds of animals in the game and nothing below a kirin gets tamed. What a freaking shame. A warrior fighting alongside a panther or grizzly bear looks so cool too.

The hallmark of this game at one time was that it was treadmill-free. Now people log on to grind.

 

[Limlight]

I think they could get alot more players.

It doesnt need a graphic over-haul.

Look at the demand for Maple Story Online (a 2d sprite cartoony type MMO)
Free = yes....but still loved by so many that they end up spending money anyway.

UO needs more advertisement and if they could get it on game shelves again, it might increase activity. I would also reccomend bringing back some sort of town for noobies....where literally no one except youngs can go....maybe have a select group of people designed for helping new character. People who are vets and care about the game like Lady Sakk.

Sometimes it seems noobies are thrown to the wolves in this game.

 

[TheScoundrelRico]

Look at the demand for Maple Story Online (a 2d sprite cartoony type MMO)

ROFL. Never heard of it...la

 

[Bluebottle]

I think they could get alot more players.

It doesnt need a graphic over-haul.

Look at the demand for Maple Story Online (a 2d sprite cartoony type MMO)
Free = yes....but still loved by so many that they end up spending money anyway.

UO needs more advertisement and if they could get it on game shelves again, it might increase activity. I would also reccomend bringing back some sort of town for noobies....where literally no one except youngs can go....maybe have a select group of people designed for helping new character. People who are vets and care about the game like Lady Sakk.

Sometimes it seems noobies are thrown to the wolves in this game.

Exactly - though it needs a major "Stuff" overhaul. Make EVERYTHING old decay force folks to turn it all in and regenerate new permanent stuff - obsolete all the crud that's truly non-competative or simply doesn't work - I mean - what the heck will I really use all those old bits of Ranger armor for ? I'm keeping trammel/Fel stones, tent deeds, mini-house deeds, just-in-case - of what - do I really need to have 180,000 feathers just lying around???

As "new" stuff is created make it scarce but not too scarce - i.e. maybe make digging treasure maps one of the only ways to get certain items? I just miss the days when getting a rare item was a source of enjoyment - not one of "where am I going to display that along with the other 5000 rare items now I'm nearly out of room" ?

 

[Limlight]

ROFL. Never heard of it...la

http://maplestory.nexon.net/

"close to 5 million players"

Taken right off the website...and if you logged on...you'd believe it.

amazingly...the game suffers barely any slow down for the action occuring on screen. Quite an amazing game actually.

One only has to glance at the Gamefaqs message boards to see its popularity...
6773 topics....lol...compare that too UO's 9...

http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/gentopic.php?board=2000301

I am surprised you havent even heard of it Rico.