June 2004
- believable NPCs (was Natural Language Generation) Mike Rozak
- TECH: MUD Skeleton Craig L.
- DGN: Space MUD 67Me You
- DGN: Space MUD ceo
- DGN: Space MUD Sean Howard
- DGN: Space MUD Tracy Lee
- AI in gauntlet (was: Natural Language Generation) ceo
- [DGN/BIZ] Why player dont play multi user race or is there a market for multiuser race? stéphane Garin
- [DGN/BIZ] Why player dont play multi user race or is there a market for multiuser race? Eric Lamy
- [DGN/BIZ] Why player dont play multi user race or is therea market for multiuser race? Matt Mihaly
- [DGN/BIZ] Why player dont play multi user race or is there a market for multiuser race? ceo
- [DGN/BIZ] Why player dont play multi user race or is there a market for multiuser race? Damion Schubert
- [SVEvents] 6/22, J C Lawrence
- BIZ: MMOs in China Chris Yeh
- BIZ: MMOs in China satya@gamedevid.org
- BIZ: MMOs in China Tiago Carita
- BIZ: MMOs in China Damion Schubert
- JOB: Shattered Prism: Lost Wastelands Trace Kern
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market Peter Keeler
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market Matt Mihaly
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market Matt Mihaly
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market Daniel.Harman@barclayscapital.com
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market Matt Mihaly
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market Freeman, Jeff
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market Peter Keeler
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market Scott Jennings
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market ren@aldermangroup.com
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market Freeman, Jeff
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market Scott Jennings
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market Vladimir Cole
- [NEWS] Gaming Open Market Freeman, Jeff
- submissions for MMP Gems book ceo
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? David Kennerly
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? mike stedman
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? Jim Purbrick
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? Adam
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? Mike Rozak
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? Jon A. Lambert
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? J C Lawrence
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? Luca Girardo
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? Matt Mihaly
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? Richard A. Bartle
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? Luca Girardo
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? Tazzik
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? Michael Sellers
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? Mike Rozak
- [NEWS] Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why? Luca Girardo
- DGN/HUMOR: Virtual worlds and virtual holidays Mike Rozak
- DGN/HUMOR: Virtual worlds and virtual holidays Michael "Flury" Chui
- DGN/HUMOR: Virtual worlds and virtual holidays Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- "USPs" (was: Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why?) Michael Sellers
Jon Lambert asked:
> "Mike Rozak" wrote:
>> I couldn't figure out their unique selling point when I browsed
>> their web site. (They may have had one that I missed... other
>> than troll-slayers with orange mowhawks.) Without a good USP,
>> even if they succeded in a release, they wouldn't be able to
>> differentiate themselves them from their competitors. This makes
>> survival much more difficult, since the game can't rely upon the
>> USP to keep players around after their 30-day trial.
> What's an USP? I couldn't find any references for this term. I
> was honestly trying to figure it out in context, but came up a few
> bricks short.
A "Unique Selling Point." As Rozak says, something many MMPs are a
bit short on.
It would be an interesting exercise for this group to consider the
USPs (or lack thereof) for many current and upcoming MMOs. It's
highly debatable of course whether a USP is really just "unique" or
if it also contributes to "selling."
Several years ago at e3 when FPS games were the rage, I heard a
marketing person say, "our shooter is *completely* different from
the rest -- we have entirely different kinds of weapons." Meaning
crossbows instead of shotguns as I recall. Okay, maybe that's
unique (maybe not too). But does having a razorgun or chaingun or
gluegun really change the gameplay experience for the average
player?
Then consider: in terms of the current and upcoming crop of MMOs,
what aspects of these are *truly* Unique Selling Points? In what
ways does playing, say, CoH really *feel* different from SWG, EQ,
UO, AO, AC, etc.? What are the unique experiences that various
games are bringing to the players?
Note too that providing common, known experiences isn't bad; it
gives a good basis for the players' expectations to be fulfilled.
But to use a TV analogy, there are clear ways -- USPs -- in which
"Law & Order" differs from say "NYPD Blue." If someone asks what
you're watching and you say, "I dunno, some cop show" you as the
viewer probably aren't aware of any real USPs. When that happens
the show is unlikely to keep you as a viewer engaged. The same is
true of games.
So: what are *your* games' USPs?
Mike Sellers
Online Alchemy - "USPs" ceo
- "USPs" Luca Girardo
- "USPs" (was: Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why?) Derek Licciardi
- "USPs" (was: Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why?) Threshold RPG
- "USPs" (was: Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why?) Mike Rozak
- "USPs" (was: Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why?) Matt Mihaly
- "USPs" (was: Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why?) Vincent Archer
- "USPs" (was: Warhammer Online Cancelled -- Why?) Damion Schubert
- "USPs" Scott Macmillan
- Exponential experience points and levels ceo
- Exponential experience points and levels cruise
- Exponential experience points and levels Sean Middleditch
- Exponential experience points and levels Jesus Lopez
- Exponential experience points and levels Adam
- Exponential experience points and levels Sean Middleditch
- Exponential experience points and levels Steven King
- Exponential experience points and levels Ghilardi Filippo
- Exponential experience points and levels zgj22@drexel.edu
- Exponential experience points and levels ceo
- Exponential experience points and levels mike stedman
- Exponential experience points and levels zgj22@drexel.edu
- Exponential experience points and levels David Kennerly
- Exponential experience points and levels Vincent Archer
- Virtual/Real Currencies (was: [NEWS] Gaming Open Market) David Blankley
- Virtual/Real Currencies (was: [NEWS] Gaming Open Market) Freeman, Jeff
- Virtual/Real Currencies (was: [NEWS] Gaming Open Market) Scott Tengelin
- Virtual/Real Currencies (was: [NEWS] Gaming OpenMarket) Dana V. Baldwin
- Virtual/Real Currencies (was: [NEWS] GamingOpenMarket) Freeman, Jeff
- Virtual/Real Currencies (was: [NEWS]GamingOpenMarket) Dana V. Baldwin
- Virtual/Real Currencies (was: [NEWS] Gaming Open Market) Timothy Dang