Quote: Originally Posted By jeremyboz on 3/04/2010 Without free HD I would not have become a paying customer later on.
Great move by WIS to generate some interest in the game

It is a poor marketing strategy. You need to use all your tolls to build a good one, WIS failed horribly here.

The #1 thing that everyone can agree on is that HD is addictive, so why not use that?

I love how we have 2 success stories now and somehow that makes this a great idea? Awesome job WIS!

Why do we accept such lousyness on their part, oh yay yippie! We can have a fake full d3! People who get reserve a free team don't remember it, I wish I had statistics saved on how many complete ghost ship teams we had with FreeHD, it was bad. If customers see that $20 charge on their Credit Card and realize oh **** yeah i paid to play that game, they have a much higher rate of returning since they paid something.

Now lets talk about Season 1. Many coaches miss recruiting, boom lost a coach. Next, many coaches struggle, ah hell this ain't worth $14. boom lost another coach.

There are just so many reasons why FreeHD is not anywhere close to the right answer to increase, not only WIS' pocketbook, but also the competitiveness of the game.

Give out a 5 pack for $25, The prices really doesn't matter. I'd say $25 is a solid price, not much money at all for nearly 6 months of entertainment. Use that 5 seasons to addict coaches to your game (like tabacco does). Couple that with a slightly more aggressive referal program (which likely isn't even needed) and you could easily increase coaches tenfold what you could with FreeHD while getting rid of all the bad things that come along with FreeHD.

Plus the best thing is this could be a year round deal! It wouldn't have to be something where we are all saying "Oh, **** this better only be for March".

Let's hope the new release is thought out better then the Marketing.

or send guys out to schoolyards with gift certificates for a 5 pack, approach teens...hey kid...wanna try a fun game....its free ...yeah really.....try it.....

I have no problem with it as long as it is a short term promotion. It only becomes a problem when they let it run for a long time.

Its not that bad of an idea z. I dont know why you are so against it. If it brings in some new people, I dont see how it is harmful.

FreeHD isn't a problem as long as it is implemented correctly. How else do you propose bringing in new coachs, z?

Z, maybe you can apply to become their new marketing director. I'm sure they'll be interested to know where you got your degree in marketing from.

I dont see how this is bad either (assuming it doesnt continue for months). Just because a better idea might exist (in this case its simply something you consider is better and not something actually proven) doesnt mean this idea is bad. I think its pretty obvious that a ton of coaches started playing HD via this type of promo. If 1 of 20 that used it stayed that would be a good thing IMO. Shouting that they missed it here OR dont learn from their mistakes is meaningless. Explain how and why you think this. The fact that many teams become ghost ships is silly considering DIII is littered with Sims currently anyhow.

mmt - I can agree it is not known if it would be proven or not, but it won't ever be known until it has been tried and in all honesty the ~16% of FreeHD users that bought a 2nd season (since that is the only stat I have) doesn't speak volumes about FreeHD.

My main point is that FreeHD does not take advantage of the biggest thing HD has for it, its addictiveness. And there are many reasons and examples of how it fails in this way.

Quote: Originally Posted By doomey on 3/04/2010FreeHD isn't a problem as long as it is implemented correctly. How else do you propose bringing in new coachs, z

Basically, a 5 season pack at a reduced price ($20-30 range) to take advantage of the addictiveness of HD and so coaches don't quit after 1 season after they faulter or have trouble.

Quote: Originally Posted By hitman1979 on 3/04/2010Z, maybe you can apply to become their new marketing director. I'm sure they'll be interested to know where you got your degree in marketing from

I have no desire to work for WIS, thank you.

z - you and i agree on a lot of issues but i'm not so sure about this. I think a combination of the two promotions could work. Why not give a free season and then offer a reduced 5 pack. Personally, I would not spend 20-30 on something I have no idea about. I think that could also lead to just as many ghost teams. If you get a player in for a free season and then give them the option of adding seasons at a reduced rate, I think that could lead to more people sticking around and getting addicted.

1) The goal of FreeHD is to get more people to try the product in hopes of getting hooked and staying on long term. 2) What do you think gives you the best shot of convincing someone to try something offering it for free OR giving it at a discounted rate? Its always the former, that marketing 101. You seen in the forums how many people tried the game using FreeHD and then stayed. Who cares if DIII is a ghost town if even 5% of users stay for the long haul. Its not like having a world full of SimAIs is better. Also, you assume that they'll be able to sign up multiple users at a discounted 5-pack rate? You have nothing to base that off of, outside of your own love for the game. Look at how few people take advantage of the reduced rate for one season (which is only $6.00) why would they shell out 20.00 or 25.00 for some foreign idea? It took me months to agree to spend the $6.00 but if there was FreeHD at the time I woulda jumped on that much sooner. Its sorta like Soccerdynasty. Currently its free (and you should see the userbase)...If they started charging for it tom, half of us would pay as we are already hooked (And I promise you I wouldnt have paid money to try it out)...Simply put it doesnt hurt and can only bring in new people which is a good thing.

Quote: Originally Posted By sully712 on 3/04/2010z - you and i agree on a lot of issues but i'm not so sure about this. I think a combination of the two promotions could work. Why not give a free season and then offer a reduced 5 pack. Personally, I would not spend 20-30 on something I have no idea about. I think that could also lead to just as many ghost teams. If you get a player in for a free season and then give them the option of adding seasons at a reduced rate, I think that could lead to more people sticking around and getting addicted

Sure I offered up that idea too, i believe it was on the test site not here tho.

Z- This was your post in a different thread-

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Quote: Originally Posted By doomey on 3/03/2010
And IF the population is substanativly increased due to the restored incentive, then it will have been the right move.

IF it adds 1 more coach it was the right move. "

So why is FreeHD different?

My take (for what it's worth): short term promotion with a set cut-off date is okay. To let it drag on and on and on is just asking for problems.

The reality is, there are still going to be coaches (and probably more than we care to think) who are gonna create bogus ID's to scout for their real teams. It's gonna happen, like it or not. When the first version of Free HD came around, the thought of creating an alternate ID to scout for my teams never crossed my mind, but then I heard of people doing it and I have to admit, it was certainly VERY tempting. In the end, I didn't do it though, because I like to think that I don't have to stoop to that level to be successful. And in case that came out as ambiguous, yes, I'm calling those coaches cheaters who obviously have no integrity. If you have to cheat to try to win at an online basketball game, you may want to step back and re-evaluate what your standards in the real world are.

We're gonna have coaches who create an alternate ID, and use the Free HD team to try outrageous strategies that they wouldn't dare try with their real teams. It's gonna happen, like it or not. Hell, we've had coaches who actually had the guts to come on here and admit that.

I don't what the solution is to stop coaches from scouting for their real teams. You can't really make them pay for another season, because then you're locking them into a game that they just might not like. HD is addictive, yes, but some people try it and just find that it's not for them. And if you prohibit a Free HD team from using FSS, you might be barring a REAL new coach from playing the full version of the D3 game, at which point he may become irritated and not want to play another season.

Sorry this was so long and drawn out.......