[Discussion] Let's talk about ArenaNet marketing, and why its current state is hurting the game

If the blatantly obvious "We're going to topple World of Warcraft and turn our MMO into a social phenomenon that transcends the gaming community "- line of thinking hasn't changed, they should stay away from any of that.

Not that the concept doesn't have its merits, but it's painfully obvious from the horrible execution, that whatever organisation green-lit those ads, didn't understand, or at least didn't fully think through, how the WoW advertising platform got to where it is today, and what kind of budget is required for that approach.

I agree that they are currently doing reasonably well from an advertising perspective, and MO's recent comments show a very realistic view on what you can do, with an MMO 5 years into its life, when it comes to advertising.

From a marketing perspective however, they seem to just be going through the motions. Yes, they hit all the deliverables, but it almost seems rather shallow, like they get their cues from some place else.

It's in the details; like if you were giving away a free shared inventory slot, wouldn't you market that? But no, there's no mention that LVL 80 boosters are actually also a free shared inventory slot. When you miss obvious stuff like that, it's a sign that your marketing department is too far away from the product.

/r/Guildwars2 Thread Parent