Twitch streaming numbers are relevant, sometimes when a game comes out even less popular streamers can get a fairly decent surge of viewers who are curious about what they're playing.
Streamers/Influencers
- Thread starter SkyShadowing
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I actually work in marketing and as obnoxious as the term 'influencer' is, they do work for the most part. You guys have to take into account the cost factor of simply exposing BT to someone who's never heard of it and the extra cost involved in getting him/her interested enough to out weight the risk forking out $40.
Popular youtubers' large sub and view numbers are incredible cost effective in achieving exposure. HBS can also selectively target the most likely interest groups simply by looking at the channel's existing content. Those two factors alone is the dream of any adverting/marketing manager. Finally, a simple endorsement from a trusted tuber WILL generate extra sales just like how word-of-mouth is still regarded as king in marketing.
What I'm afraid of is Paradox has traditionally been good only at marketing to its own unique group of grand strategy fans. BT is very different to what Paradox usually handles despite also being a 'strategy' game and there's a real chance that their marketing arm will mishandle the promotion due to their unfamiliarity with the product - being the only studio that makes grand strategy, their marketing has been pretty much shooting fish in the barrel over the years. On the flip side, BT looks to be a game with looooong legs so initial sales might not be as important with tubers such as Quil18 etc holding up the slack post-launch.
Popular youtubers' large sub and view numbers are incredible cost effective in achieving exposure. HBS can also selectively target the most likely interest groups simply by looking at the channel's existing content. Those two factors alone is the dream of any adverting/marketing manager. Finally, a simple endorsement from a trusted tuber WILL generate extra sales just like how word-of-mouth is still regarded as king in marketing.
What I'm afraid of is Paradox has traditionally been good only at marketing to its own unique group of grand strategy fans. BT is very different to what Paradox usually handles despite also being a 'strategy' game and there's a real chance that their marketing arm will mishandle the promotion due to their unfamiliarity with the product - being the only studio that makes grand strategy, their marketing has been pretty much shooting fish in the barrel over the years. On the flip side, BT looks to be a game with looooong legs so initial sales might not be as important with tubers such as Quil18 etc holding up the slack post-launch.
Twitch and streaming platforms are more suited to a specific type of game unfortunately. The feeling of live participation is much more palpable in a fast paced real-time FPS/RTS/MOBA than a sedated game of chess for example. If HBS ever decides to make Mechcommander 3 or if PGI decides to actually surprise their jaded fans and make a decent MW5, then that's when Twitch can be of use.
That might be true but Xcom had a huge following right after it came out and had huge numbers. The pacing of the game is very similar to the BT Beta and it's what initially inclined me to pick up Xcom 1 and 2 first time around not having played either of the sequels. The fact of the matter is the more "Buzz" going around a game even in addition to the influencers and traditional marketing channels can be helped by getting us in on the action early 
I'm sure that was the original intent of the creation of Twitch, as that's what the name implies, but now everything under the sun in gaming is on there. Top thing as I type this is Sea of Thieves, just a normal game, and fourth is Hearthstone, a turn-based card game... etc.
LOL! The Beta was a pretty "early look" though one must admit... I will play a Match when I get home now that it was mentioned. Hmmm, what to Command, a Light, Medium or Heavy Lance... damn those choices..
I wish I was an influencer
Nah. What you want to be, if not just being yourself, is a "Enabler". Now there is real power there...
Nah. What you want to be, if not just being yourself, is a "Enabler". Now there is real power there...
Or the The Decider!
It doesn't seem to me that the question is about whether or not we should have people streaming: the cost is negligible enough that it probably only takes a couple of people buying on the back of the stream to more than justify it.
The real question is should HBS give out early access to those streamers and that really depends on what we think we might get for that early exposure. I'm really not in a position to say definitively what those benefits might be, but the only thing that jumps out at me is that early exposure might lead to an early sales surge. If that leads to more exposure like ending up on the Steam front page, then it looks like a limited early release might be justified. I don't know how reasonable it would be to expect it though.
The real question is should HBS give out early access to those streamers and that really depends on what we think we might get for that early exposure. I'm really not in a position to say definitively what those benefits might be, but the only thing that jumps out at me is that early exposure might lead to an early sales surge. If that leads to more exposure like ending up on the Steam front page, then it looks like a limited early release might be justified. I don't know how reasonable it would be to expect it though.
It's quite normal for Streamers & Youtubers to get paradox games a couple of days before the game is out.
I would lie if i said seeing Battletech campaign videos pop up on youtube does not bother me. Waiting 3 years for backed game while some dudes get free copies and probably didn’t care much untill that point. Duh i even wanted to start streaming and uploading myself when it comes out, but with over 3 weeks behind who would care. Only those who have fan bases matter for almost free advertisement and build up of interest. It’s perfectly smart thing to do and i can understand it but on my personal level it blows.
You have to remember that the streamers are under the restriction that they can't progress past a certain point in the story. This may just be because they want to minimize spoilers but it's also pretty likely that they haven't yet finished playtesting the campaign.
Imagine if all the backers got access to this build and jumped into the story campaign. They would likely encounter bugs, some of them game-breaking, that would stymie their progress and cause frustration along with a flood of complaints. HBS would work to fix things, of course, but the patches they would roll out might easily cause other bugs that would cause even more anger from the backers, who feel particularly entitled. By the time the full release is here the game will have likely changed enough that older saves may or may not be compatible with the final version, so they would have to wipe everyone's progress which would cause even more discontent.
Doing the streamer preview is really for the best for everyone because it allows people to see the game early in a controlled environment that doesn't cause massive headaches for HBS while they finish the game.
Imagine if all the backers got access to this build and jumped into the story campaign. They would likely encounter bugs, some of them game-breaking, that would stymie their progress and cause frustration along with a flood of complaints. HBS would work to fix things, of course, but the patches they would roll out might easily cause other bugs that would cause even more anger from the backers, who feel particularly entitled. By the time the full release is here the game will have likely changed enough that older saves may or may not be compatible with the final version, so they would have to wipe everyone's progress which would cause even more discontent.
Doing the streamer preview is really for the best for everyone because it allows people to see the game early in a controlled environment that doesn't cause massive headaches for HBS while they finish the game.
Of the streamers? Cohh was a backer. He got a jacket. Bombadil is with NGNG TV. He backed it. I don't know about the other two I am aware of - as of yet - as I'm not bilingual. I don't see the argument holding weight of "these people probably never heard of it" or "backers only should have access" because these two people were backers and were aware of it.
I would rather be playing too. But I am finding it more . . . fulfilling . . . to be out there in the stream chats being helpful and informative to try to bring people into the game.
We don't need this game to just come out and fade away, we need this game to succeed if we want to get any more out of this IP.
It's normal for media to get access to everything early. From iPhones to Sports teams, to movies, to Restaurants, to vacation spots...
