Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

(Chapter 7 and beyond)

Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby ChiefNeo » Thu Sep 21, 2017 9:55 am

This post is being made because, as we all know by now, Shenmue will not end with 3. What this means is that unless the game is considered successful "enough", a fourth title may not materialize. This is a disheartening thought.

I've donated more for Shenmue 3 via the kickstarter than I have ever spent on a game. It's not like I have money to throw away, it was just a "put up or shut up" moment for me, as it was for many of you guys here. That being said, do we have a community plan for once the game has launched? In terms of getting another installment, that will depend completely on what happens AFTER we all get what we want and are sitting, fat and happy playing the game. MOST games sell the lion's share of their numbers in the first couple of weeks.

I know I am not alone in my plan to buy 5 or so copies of the game. I am doing this purely to help a fourth installment along. Asking every member to buy multiple copies of the game, however, is not a viable plan. What we need is a down and dirty viral marketing campaign. This community will have to make a lot of noise. Not just in here, but in general gaming sites, reddit, etc. We have to sell this game even if it turns out to not get good review scores etc. There has to be a movement, similar to the one that got shenmue 3 made, similar to the one asking for shenmue HD, but significantly stronger.

ChiefNeo has received 2 thanks from: Elevensixty, FlagshipFighter
User avatar
ChiefNeo
Master of the Three Blades
Master of the Three Blades
 
Joined: July 2005
Location: U.S.A

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby Hyo Razuki » Fri Sep 22, 2017 8:59 am

With a little over a year until release, I've recently started saving up money for S3. I'm gonna buy about ten or twelve copies of the game. All three regional versions on both PC and PS 4 makes six copies. I'll need to consider buying backup copies of each version which I won't ever open and play but buy just for collecting purposes.

As for the future of the series after the third game. Personally, I'll do anything I can to make it successful enough to warrant a fourth game funded by Sega directly or an outside publisher like Sony or Deep Silver. However, should Shenmue 3 not sell enough copies - God forbid - I won't sit there and give up.

I want Shenmue to be finished in the form of a video game/PC game. Not a fucking manga, not a novel, not a film or whatever. If it takes another Kickstarter, it's gonna take another Kickstarter. I doubt we'll be able to get 6.3 million $ again, but we may still be able to warrant a fourth game. Even if Yu will only be able to make the most basic version of a fourth game, I won't complain.

The bottom line is: I'll do what it takes to get Shenmue finished. The thing is I don't know a lot about marketing, social media and stuff. But if there will be something we will be doing as a community, count me in.

If, for whatever reason, our efforts won't be sufficient to make S3 successful enough to have a big publisher fund the fourth game, I won't cave in and give up. I'll do more.

This is not about nostalgia or longing for the old Dreamcast days or some bullshit. This means a lot more than a game to me and I won't let this go.

Hyo Razuki has received 2 thanks from: Elevensixty, Truck_1_0_1_
User avatar
Hyo Razuki
"After Burner...Great!"
"After Burner...Great!"
 
Joined: June 2015

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby elfshadowreaper » Fri Sep 22, 2017 9:32 am

I think whatever we do it needs to involve toy capsules just like with the third of the month campaign. Not sure what we would do. The goal would need to be creating viral buzz with some public demonstration or display. A forklift made out of toy capsules? Sending capsules to GameStops for display?

This topic needs more activity though, because we live in a viral society and if we can capture the gaming world’s attention that would help our little game immensely.

elfshadowreaper has received a thanks from: Elevensixty
User avatar
elfshadowreaper
Alpha Trading Boss
Alpha Trading Boss
 
Joined: July 2008
Location: Brunswick, Ga

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby Centrale » Fri Sep 22, 2017 10:58 am

I don't really see it as a viable strategy for hardcore Shenmue fans to commit to buying multiple copies of SIII. If that's what you want to do, that's cool, but the game will have to be a success on its own for the series to continue moving forward. It now seems to be in the best possible position to be a fully-realized, high-quality game, so in my eyes that's what's going to give it the best shot at commercial success.

Centrale has received 3 thanks from: MiTT3NZ, SickOctopus, VukBZ2005
User avatar
Centrale
Man Mo Acolyte
Man Mo Acolyte
 
Joined: June 2015
Favorite title: Shenmue

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby Elevensixty » Fri Sep 22, 2017 12:13 pm

Yu's and fans' commitment kept Shenmue alive all these years and made 3 possible. None of us are going to give up now, we have momentum!
The question is what specifically can we do?
We all know Shenmue needs mainstream professional promotion- though I have more faith in the talents of fans than some of the..pros

How can fans and marketing co-operate to really blow up Shenmue hype?
Elevensixty
Funny Bear Burger Clerk
Funny Bear Burger Clerk
 
Joined: January 2013
PSN: elevensixty
Favorite title: Shenmue
Currently playing: Polybius

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby Let's Get Sweaty » Fri Sep 22, 2017 3:52 pm

When the time comes, the AutoTweet function at TeamYu.net will be used to disseminate carefully chosen promotional material. So if you haven't signed up and activated that, do so now and you'll be helping out the #SaveShenmueHD campaign in the meantime.
Let's Get Sweaty
Machine Gun Fist
Machine Gun Fist
 
Joined: January 2012
Favorite title: Shenmue IIx
Currently playing: truant

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby ShenmueLegacy » Sun Sep 24, 2017 3:27 pm

We definitely need to market outside the Shenmue bubble.

Perhaps we can start a #FreeShenmueHD or #FreeShenmue3 Campaign?

To enter, prospective new players can follow and share why they want a #FreeShenmueHD or #FreeShenmue3?

This incentivizes prospective new players to engage and publicize the saga to communities outside our own.
User avatar
ShenmueLegacy
Funny Bear Burger Clerk
Funny Bear Burger Clerk
 
Joined: June 2015
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby shenmue852 » Sun Sep 24, 2017 4:25 pm

Leave luck to heaven ;)
shenmue852
Man Mo Acolyte
Man Mo Acolyte
 
Joined: July 2015

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby Elevensixty » Sun Sep 24, 2017 5:12 pm

Hundreds/thousands of Shenmue community members go on Pewdiepie's PUBG livestream and donate to have message on-screen/reacted by, and request/beg he plays Shenmue.

Get 4chan to create a bizarre Shenmue rumor/conspiracy/meme triggering every mainstream gaming outlet to react and force SEGA to respond.

Start worldwide campaign to call game shops asking for Shenmue (1&2)

Buy up all copies online and relist at outrageous prices

Create secret society that controls Japanese government from the shadows, maneuver things to make Yu Suzuki CEO of SEGA with essentially bottomless budget.

Time machines

Talented Shenmue fans begin making rudimentary S4, 5 etc under direction by Suzuki as secret fan project unknown to SEGA, until license works out and suddenly head start speeds creation and more importantly, hype.

Time machines
Elevensixty
Funny Bear Burger Clerk
Funny Bear Burger Clerk
 
Joined: January 2013
PSN: elevensixty
Favorite title: Shenmue
Currently playing: Polybius

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby south carmain » Sun Sep 24, 2017 6:30 pm

Elevensixty wrote:Create secret society that controls Japanese government from the shadows, maneuver things to make Yu Suzuki CEO of SEGA with essentially bottomless budget.

The most reasonable thing you said tbh.

south carmain has received a thanks from: Rakim
User avatar
south carmain
Comrade of the motherland
"Keep Friends"
 
Joined: February 2012
Favorite title: Shenmue IIx
Currently playing: okami hd

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby elfshadowreaper » Sun Sep 24, 2017 8:27 pm

ShenmueLegacy wrote: We definitely need to market outside the Shenmue bubble.

Perhaps we can start a #FreeShenmueHD or #FreeShenmue3 Campaign?


See, Twitter needs to be the follow-up to whatever guerilla marketing we choose. We need to do something that's very public and draws people in. For instance...

http://www.theusreport.com/the-us-repor ... olved.html

or

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Bost ... nite_panic

The second example ended up causing problems because (stupid) people thought they were bombs. But I remember the buzz it created. And that's what we need, minus the panic. We need buzz. Then once the buzz reaches a peak Team Yu can follow up with tweets. But tweets alone aren't going to break through the non-Shenmue and non-hardcore gamer barrier. And let's just face the facts, not everyone has/uses Twitter. My nephew is a huge gamer. That's all he does. He doesn't have Twitter. Shenmue may be a game he might play, but those tweets are useless to reach him.

I do think whatever we do should have a hashtag or some call-to-action. Back to the mooninite example. Cartoon Network in Atlanta has been really good at creating viral marketing using billboards. At least they used to be. I'm not in Atlanta anymore. And I don't think we should all go out and buy billboard space, but I think that sort of direction is what we need: Curiosity.

Capture people's curiosity and you'll capture the media's attention and that will lead to the type of marketing Sony isn't going to generate.
User avatar
elfshadowreaper
Alpha Trading Boss
Alpha Trading Boss
 
Joined: July 2008
Location: Brunswick, Ga

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby ShenmueLegacy » Tue Sep 26, 2017 11:04 am

How about leaving Capsule Toys or Japanese Postcards in people's mailboxes?

These can even contain the first clues of a puzzle that can only be solved in Shenmue III with backer-created content.

Lots of possibilities, but lots of costs to consider as well...

Any suggestions?

Image
User avatar
ShenmueLegacy
Funny Bear Burger Clerk
Funny Bear Burger Clerk
 
Joined: June 2015
Favorite title: Shenmue II

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby elfshadowreaper » Wed Sep 27, 2017 10:51 am

ShenmueLegacy wrote: How about leaving Capsule Toys or Japanese Postcards in people's mailboxes?

These can even contain the first clues of a puzzle that can only be solved in Shenmue III with backer-created content.

Lots of possibilities, but lots of costs to consider as well...

Any suggestions?

Image


That’s a violation of federal law to leave them in mailboxes.

But I do like the idea of capsule toys with a puzzle. 10 Cloverfield Lane did something like that. There’s a specific type of soda that’s in the movie. When you order it from the manufacturer you got three puzzle pieces. I think it was of the Eiffel Tower or something like that. But it would be cool to mail people pieces of a puzzle. We could even get them printed at Shutterfly I think. But it needs to be something that it takes a community of people online to complete.

It’s all about capturing people’s curiosity.
User avatar
elfshadowreaper
Alpha Trading Boss
Alpha Trading Boss
 
Joined: July 2008
Location: Brunswick, Ga

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby elfshadowreaper » Wed Sep 27, 2017 10:57 am

Look up some Alternate Reality Games. The Cloverfield series did a good job at it. I can’t think of any other examples off the top of my head.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_reality_game
User avatar
elfshadowreaper
Alpha Trading Boss
Alpha Trading Boss
 
Joined: July 2008
Location: Brunswick, Ga

Re: Militia Marketing/Ensuring Success

Postby BlueCreeperBoy12 » Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:35 am

Elevensixty wrote: Hundreds/thousands of Shenmue community members go on Pewdiepie's PUBG livestream and donate to have message on-screen/reacted by, and request/beg he plays Shenmue


Vinesauce Joel recently did a series of Shenmue Livestreams and i guess he'll play Shenmue 2 as well, so that'll probably help.

BlueCreeperBoy12 has received a thanks from: elfshadowreaper
BlueCreeperBoy12
Master of the Three Blades
Master of the Three Blades
 
Joined: June 2015
Location: England
Favorite title: Shenmue IIx

Next

Return to Shenmue III

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], Majestic-12 [Bot] and 1 guest

Powered by phpBB © 2000-
ShenmueDojo.net