I find this response interesting for some things that it implies,
more than what it says:
What it implies, or what one chooses to read into it? I am capable of
articulating what I want to say, as I want to state it.
Is the primary content you want in a PBM magazine advertisements?
That is the only thing you mention, and you are critical of it, so I
assume that is your main complaint with the existing content.
No, certainly not. I merely commented on that aspect of the PBM
magazines. I saw a lot of ads for a lot of games in the issues of Paper Mayhem and
Flagship that I saw over time. The majority of the ads I saw did little, if
anything, to sell me on trying the respective games in question. Not all ads were
ineffective, just the majority. That the ads were largely ineffective on
selling me, the potential customer, on trying them didn't detract from the
magazines' other content. Rather, they tended to merely be ineffective in selling me
on trying them. From that perspective, which is the perspective that I both
had and still have, I would say that, yes, it is being critical of those ads.
In contrast, I saw an ad a while back, though I don't recall where
online it was, for a Middle-earth computer game that is coming out. When I see it
in the stores here locally, I already know that I intend to buy it. This,
even though I have already read comments which were negative of the same
impending product from other people.
Are there a lot of PBM companies/moderators out there with "good" ads
that are clamoring for magazine advertising space, but can't get it?
I don't fault Paper Mayhem or Flagship for the ads for various PBM
games that I saw over time. And, also, ads failed, from my perspective, for
different reasons. Some were simply too small, and contained virtually no
information about the game on them. Others were colorful, but suffered the same basic
problem. Some had artwork that sucked, and which detracted from the information
about the game that was contained. Of course, such is not unique to PBM
magaziens such as Paper Mayhem and Flagship Magazine. Junk mail and ads in
newspapers and magazines commonly suffer the same traits. I even recall a series of
television ads that contained david leisure for Subaru which were popular ads,
but which didn't really help sales.
ou claim that there is a player base for a PBM magazine, so I would
assume that the content exists for this player base, but the existing
mags just aren't providing it to you. Or is the problem the reverse
of the original comment. The player base exists, but the content
doesn't, so the magazines have nothing to print.
Well, being part of that potential subscriber base, I couldn't
honestly tell you that I don't feel that it exists. I'd be lying.
In all fairness, it's been a while since I have read a recent issue of
Paper Mayhem of Flagship Magazine. I do recall buying some back issues of
paper mayhem a number of years ago.
There is a player base for PBM games. Normally, PBM players play other
games as well, in addition to PBM games. I've never played a PBM game where,
in corrsponding with other players, they didn't have an interest in learning
about even more PBM games.
Some articles I read in both Paper Mayhem and in Flagship Magazine
were what I consider to be quality articles. I would be hard pressed to say that
a magazine that only touches on PBM games, while providing coverage of other
types of games, would appeal to me.
I played Hyborian war, on and off, for 17 years. How did I first come
into contact, both with it and with the PBM industry? Through an ad. The ad
was on the back of Savage Sword of Conan Magazines, I think it was, the black
and white ones. It was, thus, the effectiveness of a single ad that not only
sold me on trying a particular PBM game, but also led me to awareness that such a
thing even existed. But, isn't that what an ad should do?
How, then, should I view the ads that failed to entice me to try their
touted games, having now progressed to become aware that PBM games exist?
It is nice to read what other players have to say about a given game.
But, if other players don't submit content, I would look for the magazine
publish to fill the gap.
Even today, one can do a web search, and find websites for ongoing PBM
games that do little in the way of successfully advertising their products.
I don't recall, though, having ever walked into a local store and saw
a PBM magazine on the display shelf. I even worked for a magazine distributor
once for several years, one that carried, at that time, around 4,000 (four
thousand titles). Yet, no PBM magazines were found among them.
Personally, I think that a PBM magazine can succeed in today's day and
age, just as any good publication can.
Where advertising, itself, is concerned, though, if memory serves me
correctly, it was fairly recent in this forum that the folks from Middle-earth
Games, themselves, we're seeking input on advertising. They have what I
consider to be a sizable budget for advertising. Obviously, they will want to spend
their money where they feel it will return the most on investment.
Advertising is not a mere afterthought. Some ads are better than
others. Some are much better than others. Some are effective, others are not. That
is simply a reality of the advertising world, and always has been, and I
suspect, always will be.
Send me a link to your website. I'd like to see how you advertise your
product on it. The only link I have found, thus far, for Flagship Magazine on
the web take sme to a barebones website, that does nothing, whatsoever, to
engage me, much less keep my attention.
Someone, and perhaps it was you, in this forum, I think, even said
they would send me a copy of their magazine. If that was you, and you did, I
haven't received it yet, so I can't comment on that particular issue.
Ultimately, I believe that a product or a service speaks for itself. I
do not believe that quality and value ever go out of style, nor do I believe
that they ever lose their appeal, in any format, or in any business.
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