Encouraging Euro-Asian Interest

[septembervirgin]

I know some vocal opponents to European and Asian translations exist, but perhaps Obsidian should try to court European and Asian interest in this game. Japan and Korea could both be arenas for competition albeit their markets are focus to a different sort of CRPG. Also, Russia despite their present focus on the sacred might enjoy this game. Is there any way anyone might think of that would pull European, Japanese, and Korean audiences with more than just translation and localization? Translation and localization itself doesn't advertise the game. Any form of commercial?

 

Of course, I am aware that Korean and Japanese audiences might not appreciate this game, but there might be some audiences that like the game (consumer audiences for video games are remarkably varied in Asian markets). And if it's made clear that this game is intentionally retro, it would appeal to Asian fans who loved Baldur's Gate and similar games.

 

(Edit -- thankyou Diablo169) Russia and Poland and other recently capitalist nations might have idle and questioning youth who have money. Older folk might like these games too. Who are the wealthy in these recently freed nations and what do they want?

Edited September 30, 2012 by septembervirgin

[diablo169]

I think Asia is a lost cause, however i see a lot of russians streaming and playing crpgs. So thats a potential market for another translation and marketing campaign sure.

Edited September 30, 2012 by diablo169

[IcyDeadPeople]

I don't believe this game will be promoted like a wide release AAA title. Isn't that the point of launching on Kickstarter instead of partnering with a publisher inclined to spend tens of millions on marketing?

 

I'd imagine the marketing efforts will probably consist of a dedicated website, press demos, trailers and artwork posted on Steam, Facebook, etc., banner ads and perhaps some sort of clever marketing activities that don't require a lot of expense.

 

I doubt there is hardly any interest at all for a game like Project Eternity in Asian markets, so I would be surprised if any of the marketing budget is allocated there.

[Piccolo]

I don't think there's much hope of a western cRPG gaining anything more than an underground following in Asia without gaudy colours/artwork, and a 'Blizzard' logo slapped on the box.

 

As for Europe - still waiting for GOG.com to put something about Project Eternity on their homepage. Obviously that's not the only way to attract European interest... but it's a pretty big way. I bet a good chunk of European cRPG fans use GOG.com on a regular basis.

[Umberlin]

I don't think there's much hope of a western cRPG gaining anything more than an underground following in Asia without gaudy colours/artwork, and a 'Blizzard' logo slapped on the box.

 

I'm pointing at the Wizardry series right now (amongst others), and if you have long term knowledge of Western RPG influence on the East I hope you know why.

Edited September 30, 2012 by Umberlin

[Piccolo]

I don't think there's much hope of a western cRPG gaining anything more than an underground following in Asia without gaudy colours/artwork, and a 'Blizzard' logo slapped on the box.

 

I'm pointing at the Wizardry series right now (amongst others), and if you have long term knowledge of Western RPG influence on the East I hope you know why.

That's true... forgot all about Wizardry.

[Infinitron]

I don't know if you're aware of this, but the majority of posters on this forum ARE European.

 

OP is incredibly pretentious.

Edited September 30, 2012 by Infinitron

[utgardloki]

japan, seriously? it's even less of a market for computer rpgs than north america is. most GAMERS over there don't even have a pc powerful enough to play their stupid erog- i mean "visual novels".

[Death Machine Miyagi]

Asia is a lost cause. Different tastes, and no advertising campaign is likely to change that.

 

I did manage to find a copy of Neverwinter Nights 2 for sale when I was in Taiwan. Without accompanying Chinese translation. Can't imagine how well that sold.

[Tigranes]

Asia is a very, very different market, both compared to the West and between each other. Unfortunately, I simply have no idea how the 3 poll options correspond to that reality. if I take Korea, which I know the most about, hurdles include incredibly high piracy rates, a huge penetration rate for grind-heavy MMOs and other multiplayer-oriented experiences, an even more widespread view that games are about quick relaxation or resolute powergaming, etc. There's simply no avenue for advertising any game, let alone PE, in a 'late night TV' in Korean terrestrial broadcasting setup, not everyone Asian reads manga, and I'm not sure what 'websites for the rich' is meant to imply, since disposable incomes are extremely high across the board.

 

Europe has always been favourable to Western CRPGs, of course, and we are already getting the FIGS localisation. Russia and Poland love these types of games, though fans there are pretty used to playing them in English.

[nikolokolus]

I think Obsidian should focus on their core market instead of trying to drum up interest with an ad campaign where the return on investment seems tenuous at best.

[drain]

Why not ask what could be done to encourage US interest? Since it seems that Europe already has a pretty large interest already.

[Orchomene]

I think that in Europe, people already know about the game. In France, there is CanardPC which is more hardcore gamer than others and there are already a lot of discussions about the game since the beginning of the Kickstarter project. I don't know for the other european country, but I expect that in Germany, the project is closely followed by a big fanbase.

Don't forget that even if a lot of european countries don't speak english as their ntive language, we are relatively numerous here.

[Aedelric]

I don't know if you're aware of this, but the majority of posters on this forum ARE European.

 

OP is incredibly pretentious.

 

Indeed.

[Romiras]

I'd say - forget Japan, China and Korea. Trying to make game suitable for these guys can kill PE for Americans, Europeans and Russians. This should work the same way as Final Fantasy - when Americans and Europeans loved the game made for Japanese purely.

 

Translations - yes, but no oriental content please!

 

Take a look at the Mysts of Pandaria - an addon for WoW, made purely for Chinese (yeah that's personal opinion, I know). I believe it will have the worst results of WoWs addons so far.

[Tanred]

I know some vocal opponents to European and Asian translations exist, but perhaps Obsidian should try to court European and Asian interest in this game. Japan and Korea could both be arenas for competition albeit their markets are focus to a different sort of CRPG. Also, Russia despite their present focus on the sacred might enjoy this game. Is there any way anyone might think of that would pull European, Japanese, and Korean audiences with more than just translation and localization? Translation and localization itself doesn't advertise the game. Any form of commercial?

 

Of course, I am aware that Korean and Japanese audiences might not appreciate this game, but there might be some audiences that like the game (consumer audiences for video games are remarkably varied in Asian markets). And if it's made clear that this game is intentionally retro, it would appeal to Asian fans who loved Baldur's Gate and similar games.

 

(Edit -- thankyou Diablo169) Russia and Poland and other recently capitalist nations might have idle and questioning youth who have money. Older folk might like these games too. Who are the wealthy in these recently freed nations and what do they want?

 

"Recently freed nations?"

[Luckmann]

Where's the option of "None"?

[BasaltineBadger]

I doubt that Japanese would appreciate BG-like RPG

[FlintlockJazz]

One of the reasons why they are using Kickstarter, and why so many of us are supporting them, is so that they don't have to build the game according to 'market forces' and what publishers think will pull in what market, but instead make the game we want. Why would we donate money to them if they were to then alter the game and what we want in order to appeal to some market demographic that's not us?

 

I'm British by the way, so it's not like I'm not even one of those people you want to target.

[Shadowless]

I don't know if you're aware of this, but the majority of posters on this forum ARE European.

 

OP is incredibly pretentious.

 

Out of curiosity, where exactly are you getting this information? Please don't say that when someone has their location visible it's more often than not European when the vast majority of people don't have their location visible.

[Bill Gates' Son]

I don't know if you're aware of this, but the majority of posters on this forum ARE European.

 

OP is incredibly pretentious.

 

Out of curiosity, where exactly are you getting this information? Please don't say that when someone has their location visible it's more often than not European when the vast majority of people don't have their location visible.

 

I think they got their information from a poll on this board or something (which are pretty unreliable anyway).

[Drake Douay]

"Recently freed nations?"

Good God, that part raised my blood pressure. Such arrogance! I wanted to punch him trough my monitor.

[Ieo]

There's no "None of the above" option...

 

I agree with others that it's pointless to spread marketing resources to other regions where it very likely won't do well anyway. It makes sense that 'Europe' already has an audience interested in PE because... medievalist fantasy is drawn from Europe. The "Middle Ages" refers to Europe. Tolkien was a Brit and the stuff he drew from was folklore across Europe. We don't draw medievalist fantasy from the Americas because the history is unrecorded by the losers, and the period ends roughly with Columbus' voyage that started the conquest and wholesale rape and slaughter of millions of people.

 

With the exception of the United States, where current media barely go back to the "cowboy" days anymore because people are uncomfortable with the truths above and the fact that sad remnants are still around, a society with a generally monolithic culture is more interested in 'period' content (including fantasy) derived from its own history. In the Far East (interestingly, you forgot the entirety of China unless you edited it out), that means dramas and martial art fiction are set in dynasties or shogunates and the like. Fantastical elements might include martial arts and samurai and local folklore and gods and clergy and so on. Example: Journey to the West. Never mind the very distinct philosophical differences that run so deeply that Western 'period' and Eastern 'period' entertainment are mutually unintelligible in many cases (honor, filial piety, religion, etc. etc. etc.).

 

OP, I'm sure you posted with the 'best' of intentions in relation to spreading the word of Project Eternity, but this thing is worded as an ignorant, culturally distasteful, missionary exercise. Better to concentrate on the target markets PE already has.

 

Per translation, let's just hope for a mod toolkit.

[septembervirgin]

Good God, that part raised my blood pressure. Such arrogance! I wanted to punch him trough my monitor.

 

Don't even try, bub. My monitor is armed and ready.

 

Anyway, I hadn't meant that these nations were freed by any nation but themselves. If we disagree on a political term, that belongs in another discussion entirely.

 

As to getting computer games to Central & Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East, etc. I think it would always be worthwhile IF it's affordable. These people deserve good computer games and I think Obsidian could bring good computer games to the world. Yep.

Edited October 1, 2012 by septembervirgin

[Aedelric]

"Recently freed nations?"

Good God, that part raised my blood pressure. Such arrogance! I wanted to punch him trough my monitor.

 

I know what you mean, not like the rest of what he said was any better either.

 

I assume he was trying to provoke others, he can not be oblivious as to how what he wrote would be perceived.