Promoting Ogre

[wolf90]

Reading the forum on the Stakeholder report, it's apparent that SJGs can do a better job in communicating with the gaming world. So I'd like to examine that a bit. I know a number of changes are already occurring to improve this from a compay-wide perspective, but I want to know how should we do this for Ogre? So with that in mind, I'd like to open up the forum to an evaluation as to our communication on Ogre. I can't properly advance the game if I don't know what matters to you.

- Other than the forums, how do you learn about Ogre?

- Other than the forums, how would you prefer to hear about Ogre?

- Are you subscribed to our mailing list? If not, why not? (Click "Join Group" in that link!)

- (Knowing that I'm preaching to the choir): What will encourage you to support Ogre in the future?

- What am I/are we doing right?

- What am I/are we doing wrong? Follow-up question: What should we change to improve this?

Any other comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

D.

Edit - A vitally important question: How should we attract new players?

D.

[Mack_JB]

Originally Posted by wolf90

- Other than the forums, how do you learn about Ogre?

I follow the threads on BGG as they occur, and watch the various spots in the SJG Forums. I'm not on any other social media platform, and refuse to use things like Facebook or Twitter.

Originally Posted by wolf90

- Other than the forums, how would you prefer to hear about Ogre?

I hadn't realized that SJG had a Youtube feed ... it would be time consuming, but I'd watch scenario play throughs or other stuff there.

Originally Posted by wolf90

- What will encourage you to support Ogre in the future?

Make more stuff to buy! Scenario books, minis, counters, expansions. I'd really like to see some new maps, but know that's a ways off.

Originally Posted by wolf90

- What am I/are we doing right?

Realistically, it's the golden age of Ogre -- never would have though that it would be around 40 years after I bought that little bag.

[Buzzardo]

Originally Posted by wolf90

Reading the forum on the Stakeholder report, it's apparent that SJGs can do a better job in communicating with the gaming world. So I'd like to examine that a bit. I know a number of changes are already occurring to improve this from a compay-wide perspective, but I want to know how should we do this for Ogre? So with that in mind, I'd like to open up the forum to an evaluation as to our communication on Ogre. I can't properly advance the game if I don't know what matters to you.- Other than the forums, how do you learn about Ogre?

Sometimes through the Ogre community on Google Plus.

Originally Posted by wolf90

- Other than the forums, how would you prefer to hear about Ogre?

I'd like to see an official presence on Google Plus.

Originally Posted by wolf90

- Are you subscribed to our mailing list? If not, why not? (Click "Join Group" in that link!)

Too late. I done joined.

Originally Posted by wolf90

- (Knowing that I'm preaching to the choir): What will encourage you to support Ogre in the future?

Maps and scenarios for sure, maybe units (but see below).

Originally Posted by wolf90

- What am I/are we doing right?

Keeping Ogre going.

Originally Posted by wolf90

- What am I/are we doing wrong? Follow-up question: What should we change to improve this?

We're gaining too much complexity. I'm not a fan of the units beyond the first edition of the game. I don't like that the SHVY falls in an odd spot on the CRT (no unit has attack 5). I don't like cruise missiles, due to the huge damage and the umpteen rolls to shoot them down. I don't use LTs or LGEVs. Also, I don't like that stacking and the ramming and overrun rules differ between the brown map and the green map. It's the same fictional universe, so it doesn't make sense to me that the two maps have different rules. It'd take a major rules rewrite to fix my issues, and I don't expect that.

Originally Posted by wolf90

Any other comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

More maps for the GEV part of the game. :)

-----------------------------------

Don't take my quibbles too seriously. It's still a good game. It does need more green maps, though. :)

[atomic]

I'm not on any other social so I depend on the forums and the SJG website for my info. That being said, I participated in both Ogre Kickstarters ao there is good info crom those streams. And I AM subscribed to the mailing list.

Things that would encourage me to support Ogre more? That's a tough one. More scenarios, maps, and expansions would help. The big one is Organized Play. The first round was a dud for us. I got my FLGS to sign up for OP, but we didn't get the demo kit until the day before the OP session! We didn't hve anytime to promote the session, nor time to prepare. It was like no one was cleared for that bit of compartmenatalized knowlege. There should have been BIG promtion on the forums and the website. There should have been advanced communication to the folks at the stores on what was in the kit and suggestions on how to promote before, during and after the event.

You guys are doing a lot of stuff right. The.fact that you're asking us these questions validates that. As far as what you're doing wrong (or at least could be doing better) see above.

All in all I'm pretty happy! Keep up the.great work!

[GreyHart]

- Other than the forums, how do you learn about Ogre?

That's pretty much the only way I learn about all things OGRE.

- Other than the forums, how would you prefer to hear about Ogre?

A SJ Games Facebook page maybe? If there isn't already one.

- Are you subscribed to our mailing list? If not, why not? (Click "Join Group" in that link!)

Nope, but I will be shortly.

- (Knowing that I'm preaching to the choir): What will encourage you to support Ogre in the future?

More support for OGRE from SJ Games. I know it's their moneymaker but it seems like everything else that's made SJG great takes a backseat to Munchkin. OGRE is one of the iconic games for SJG and should be getting lots of love and attention. The current trend though is encouraging.

- What am I/are we doing right?

Showing more support for the game. Updating it in appearance and content.

- What am I/are we doing wrong? Follow-up question: What should we change to improve this?

Hard to say.. I don't think that you guys are doing anything WRONG per se, just maybe not doing enough to promote the game. Maybe a little more emphasis with the MIBs to show off the 6E and run some approved events with prize support, tournaments at conventions, that sort of thing.

[Misplaced Buckeye]

The two Ogre/GEV...one fan based and more official Facebook pages have done an excellent job of promoting the brand. And now with quality featured editions; don't get me wrong the originals were great but you can't deny that the ODE and new 6e are impressive and will catch people's eyes when brought out to play; it now comes to players to brings them to events and not just keep them at home with a select group
When I run events at FLGS, they always make some sales; the Heroscape people are an easy sell on the system.
Don't wait on a FLGS to promote an event; they make their money on Magic and such; as advocate for ODE suggest you'l run an event if they provide the space and promote the time and pre signup.

[Misplaced Buckeye]

Originally Posted by atomic

I'm not on any other social so I depend on the forums and the SJG website for my info. That being said, I participated in both Ogre Kickstarters ao there is good info crom those streams. And I AM subscribed to the mailing list.

Things that would encourage me to support Ogre more? That's a tough one. More scenarios, maps, and expansions would help. The big one is Organized Play. The first round was a dud for us. I got my FLGS to sign up for OP, but we didn't get the demo kit until the day before the OP session! We didn't hve anytime to promote the session, nor time to prepare. It was like no one was cleared for that bit of compartmenatalized knowlege. There should have been BIG promtion on the forums and the website. There should have been advanced communication to the folks at the stores on what was in the kit and suggestions on how to promote before, during and after the event.

You guys are doing a lot of stuff right. The.fact that you're asking us these questions validates that. As far as what you're doing wrong (or at least could be doing better) see above.

All in all I'm pretty happy! Keep up the.great work!

Just wondering about your need for new scenarios. Between the scenarios in the ODE/6e, Book1 and Book2 scenarios, Barbarians, the multitude of scenarios on this forum, ogre fan sites and facebook fan sites and older Ogre/GEV scenarios from Battlefields, Shockwave and such, I have a thumb drive full not to mention the ones I create for events.
The real beauty of ODE is our ability to create whatever situ we want or am I missing something you're asking about?

As I said in another thread to paparphrase; Don't blame SJG or you FLGS. If you stand at the curb and wait for things you will be standing there as the parade passes by. Join the parade, the FLGS are beggingfor people to run events other than Magic and Warhammer. I'm not aiming this at you ..far from it, but look what Magic players have done and Ogreists can do the same.

[Thirdpower]

- Other than the forums, how do you learn about Ogre?

I get a lot of my news from the various KS updates, daily illuminator, and the OGRE/GEV/Battlesuit....... Face book page along w. the mailing list.

- Other than the forums, how would you prefer to hear about Ogre?

Those tend to work for me.

- Are you subscribed to our mailing list? If not, why not? (Click "Join Group" in that link!)

yes.

- (Knowing that I'm preaching to the choir): What will encourage you to support Ogre in the future?

It's mere existence. My wish list is G/S-3 maps in ODE scale and maybe a 'special' units sheet for non-pe/nac factions (ie rangers, engineers, etc for Nihon, SooN, Vatican, etc) I would do a KS for those.

- What am I/are we doing right?

Increase in communication is a good start. I'm just happy support for a niche but beloved game is continuing.

- What am I/are we doing wrong? Follow-up question: What should we change to improve this?

IMPO, increase advertising in the big venues like BGG etc.


Any other comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Tell me you love me.

[ColBosch]

- Other than the forums, how do you learn about Ogre?

I always come to the forums via the SJ Games front page, so I see that daily.

- Other than the forums, how would you prefer to hear about Ogre?

Facebook is a good one for me. Like an ever-growing number of people, I keep it open in a tab continually.

- Are you subscribed to our mailing list? If not, why not? (Click "Join Group" in that link!)

Yup.

- (Knowing that I'm preaching to the choir): What will encourage you to support Ogre in the future?

Just stay the course. I'm here for the long haul.

- What am I/are we doing right?

You, specifically, are doing everything right. You're engaging with the community continuously, in absolutely the best way: as a fellow fan who was lucky enough to be "elevated." Keep up the momentum!

- What am I/are we doing wrong? Follow-up question: What should we change to improve this?

I don't know if it's wrong, per se, but Ogre could use some promotional items. I love the record sheet cards in Reinforcements; perhaps something could be done with those? I'll update this thread or just PM you with some ideas I've got kicking around.

- Any other comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Keep up the good work!

[Buzzardo]

Originally Posted by ColBosch

Ogre could use some promotional items.

There's a thought. I know there have been patches in the past. I have no interest in those, but I know others loved them. The KS included both t-shirts and polo shirts. I'd be interested in those. Ogre artwork suitable for framing (so just the art, not the company name and logo) would go over very well with me. Art in the form of posters to give to game stores seems like a win, too.

There's a ton of stuff that can be done with promo items, and I bet I'm not alone in saying I'd like to see (and buy) some.