Marketing for KSP 2

[tstein]

On 10/25/2022 at 12:39 PM, shdwlrd said:

Lol. Popular games will sell 5 million units in a week or two after launch. Probably 20-50 million units in its life cycle. KSP is still a niche game with only 5 million units sold in its lifetime.

That is a VERY popular game and those usually have  asburdly huge teams and a marketing  budget that takes half of the money  the game makes as well.  Niche games rarely sell more than 4-7 million  copies

[Vl3d]

2 hours ago, Luriss said:

And a quick aside on launch, yes it might be Early Access but don't be fooled, its the launch. The later 1.0 launch is just a formality.

Exactly. This, on 24th February, is the KSP2 launch.. not some later "formal" naming update. This is the moment we've all been waiting for during the past years. And it should be a celebration of the game. This is a sequel to a very successful game, not some random indie early access prototype. This moment right now is the release of the game and should gather the most new players - at the start, when the game is minimal and easy to learn.

2 hours ago, GoldForest said:

Because they advertised an UNFINISHED product which most gamers don't want.

Please stop repeating it's an "unfinished product". We've been waiting for 3-4 years for this game and went through several hard to digest delays, it's the base version. And the base version should be completed - with later updates adding extra features.

2 hours ago, GoldForest said:

Show and Tells and Dev Diaries

These do not show core game mechanics and actual gameplay. 80% of the game is not known. Most of it was just mentioned as "maybe" features in hard to find interviews.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Vl3d

[MStefan99]

8 minutes ago, Vl3d said:

This, on 24th February, is the KSP2 launch..

Agreed, I have yet to see a "1.0 full game" release that actually changes much about the game or its community, aside from maybe adding a few extra features, completing the story and raising the price. 

[Vl3d]

1 minute ago, MStefan99 said:

Agreed, I have yet to see a "1.0 full game" release that actually changes much about the game or its community, aside from maybe adding a few extra features, completing the story and raising the price. 

Just look at Paradox games. They are basically Early Access / Base Games which over the years receive updates and extra features as DLCs. The difference is that KSP2 will provide these free of charge.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Vl3d

[Gargamel]

24 minutes ago, Vl3d said:

on 24th February, is the KSP2 launch.. not some later "formal" naming update

Early access is just another form of open beta.    The official release will be when it leaves early access.      
Hotels, restaurants, casinos all do the same thing.   The have a cold open where the facility is mostly functional, but they’re still working on ironing out all the issues.    Then, later when it’s ready to go, the have the grand opening.    This is very common in the service industry.  

I’ve never seen a game have as much of a marketing campaign before they went into early access as KSP2 has.    
 

9 minutes ago, Vl3d said:

The difference is that KSP2 will provide these free of charge.

Do you have a source saying DLC’s will be free of charge?   Cause that’s what you’re saying…..

[GoldForest]

3 hours ago, Luriss said:

And a quick aside on launch, yes it might be Early Access but don't be fooled, its the launch. The later 1.0 launch is just a formality.

No, Early Access is not "The launch." Early Access is that, Early Access. It's literally in the name. 1.0 is not a formality, 1.0 is the official launch of the game. 

31 minutes ago, Vl3d said:

Exactly. This, on 24th February, is the KSP2 launch.. not some later "formal" naming update. This is the moment we've all been waiting for during the past years. And it should be a celebration of the game. This is a sequel to a very successful game, not some random indie early access prototype. This moment right now is the release of the game and should gather the most new players - at the start, when the game is minimal and easy to learn.

Again, not "The Launch." It's early access. Not official launch.

31 minutes ago, Vl3d said:

Please stop repeating it's an "unfinished product". We've been waiting for 3-4 years for this game and went through several hard to digest delays, it's the base version. And the base version should be completed - with later updates adding extra features.

I will not stop repeating it, because it's true. When KSP 2 EA launches, it will be an unfinished product. Doesn't matter how fleshed out it is. Until we get all the stuff they want to add from the roadmap, it will be unfinished. There's no other way to look at it. 

There is no 'base version.' Base version implies that everything on the roadmap is DLC, which it isn't. It's features that have yet to be added to KSP 2. Aka, unfinished.

Hell, the very definition of Early Acces is that you are agreeing to play an unfinished game.

31 minutes ago, Vl3d said:

These do not show core game mechanics and actual gameplay. 80% of the game is not known. Most of it was just mentioned as "maybe" features in hard to find interviews.

So? Still shows off the game. Do you really want them to spoil us by giving us a 6 hour tour of the game? I personally don't. I'd rather them keep the features relatively vague so that we can explore them deeper when EA launches. 

5 minutes ago, Gargamel said:

Do you have a source saying DLC’s will be free of charge?   Cause that’s what you’re saying…..

I think they meant the updates will be free, not any DLC.

Edited January 23, 2023 by GoldForest

[MechBFP]

14 minutes ago, Vl3d said:

Just look at Paradox games. They are basically Early Access

No. A game having DLC is *completely* different from Early Access. 

[The Aziz]

51 minutes ago, Vl3d said:

This, on 24th February, is the KSP2 launch.. not some later "formal" naming update. This is the moment we've all been waiting for during the past years. And it should be a celebration of the game.

Oh I can't remember, was Minecraft 1.0 a formal update or was it celebrated on a big event with confetti and lead dev switching the lever and such? Or maybe it was celebrated in may 2009 when it was A Cave Game™ and had three types of blocks to break?

51 minutes ago, Vl3d said:

This moment right now is the release of the game and should gather the most new players - at the start, when the game is minimal and easy to learn.

Hey people, here's the game we announced 4 years ago- oopsie, it doesn't have most of the features we promised, sorry 

51 minutes ago, Vl3d said:

went through several hard to digest delays

There are other things to do in life than growing gray hair over an unreleased game. A friendly advice.

Edited January 23, 2023 by The Aziz

[GoldForest]

3 minutes ago, The Aziz said:

Oh I can't remember, was Minecraft 1.0 a formal update or was it celebrated on a big event with confetti and lead dev switching the lever and such? Or maybe it was celebrated in may 2009 when it was A Cave Game™ and had three types of blocks to break?

Hey people, here's the game we announced 4 years ago- oopsie, it doesn't have most of the feature we promised, sorry 

There are other things to do in life than growing gray hair over an unreleased game. A friendly advice.

The sass is immeasurable... and I like it.

Edited January 23, 2023 by GoldForest

[Vl3d]

And remember that Valheim sold 5 million units in the first month of Early Access with 500k peak concurrent players. Now it's at ~100k with over 10 mil. units sold, althought it's a more complete game. It won Game of the Year by PC Gamer as an Early Access release. Do you really think it's going to top all that when it comes out of EA?

[MechBFP]

1 minute ago, Vl3d said:

And remember that Valheim sold 5 million units in the first month of Early Access with 500k peak concurrent players. Now it's at ~100k with over 10 mil. units sold, althought it's a more complete game. It won Game of the Year by PC Gamer as an Early Access release. Do you really think it's going to top all that when it comes out of EA?

Wait, are you telling me that people stop playing games when they are finished with them?

*mind blown*

[Vl3d]

18 minutes ago, MechBFP said:

Wait, are you telling me that people stop playing games when they are finished with them?

*mind blown*

I'm saying that if the game does not do well now, it's going to be hard to redo the launch. But it's ok, if the marketing is enough for you, so be it. Either way 1 month will go by quickly and then no one will be able to say "oh, just wait for the game, why are you so curious about it?". Then I'll be the one to say "oh, are you not satisfied? just wait for the full release and play it in a few more years".

Edited January 23, 2023 by Vl3d

[mcwaffles2003]

1 hour ago, GoldForest said:

So? Still shows off the game. Do you really want them to spoil us by giving us a 6 hour tour of the game? I personally don't. I'd rather them keep the features relatively vague so that we can explore them deeper when EA launches. 

I think spoiling a little bit without context would be nice. Would be nice to know what we're buying. They should show us at least some of the new features and base mechanics. Show us a colony part being placed, show us a brachistochrone trajectory unfurl as a ship accelerates in time warp, etc... I don't think unveiling new aspects of the game like these would hinder my ability to enjoy the game.

Asking for a 6 hour tour is "a bit" hyperbolic. Elden ring showed off half the map  in its trailers through quick cuts and bursts and I was still awestruck when I was discovering its vistas.

Edited January 23, 2023 by mcwaffles2003

[MechBFP]

34 minutes ago, Vl3d said:

I'm saying that if the game does not do well now, it's going to be hard to redo the launch.

You are actually saying the exact opposite by using Valheim as an example. 
You are saying if the games does really well now that it will be hard to exceed that after they leave Early Access. 
 

Which is exactly why they aren’t marketing it much now. 

[Kerbart]

People are acting like "Early Access" and "Launch" are well defined terms (and even "Alpha" and "Beta") when they're not. It's not like IG will be charged with fraud if they claim their EA release is The Launch. That's all fully open for interpretation.

For me, KSP is about building rockets, launching them, and taking them to other planets. The game will cover that on February 24. It's also known that it's not complete as more features will be added. I still think February 24 is the launch of the game though. I'm sure there will be some kind of celebration and media hype when it officially gets out of early access, but I think that if you're playing the game that'll just be an arbitrary line drawn in the sand, and THE event will be on February 24.

Consider KSP1.  That EA was "truly" EA with a far from complete game being delivered at first. It also had a "real launch" which, in hindsight, was just a pretty random moment in the development of the game and had more to do with accounting than with "the game is complete."

[adsii1970]

2 hours ago, GoldForest said:

I think they meant the updates will be free, not any DLC.

Um...

2 hours ago, Vl3d said:

Just look at Paradox games. They are basically Early Access / Base Games which over the years receive updates and extra features as DLCs. The difference is that KSP2 will provide these free of charge.

Vl3d said DLCs would be free. Not updates.

As an historical note for the ORIGINAL KSP: For some early people who did the early access in KSP1, they did receive the DLCs free. But there was a cutoff date. And that cutoff date was announced well ahead of time.

[Vl3d]

8 minutes ago, adsii1970 said:

Vl3d said DLCs would be free. Not updates.

I was referring to updates and extra features. I'm sure DLC will have a price (?). Later edit: Did not know that about the KSP1 offer.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Vl3d

[Drakenred65]

7 hours ago, Gargamel said:

What do want them to do?   Waste money that could be otherwise be spent on production on Tv ads?   Oh yes, full page spreads in Nintendo Power might work.  
 

 

Careful,  you know that some Shlock news sight will pounce on this and the next thing you know it’s “Spokesperson for  Take 2 confirms Game coming to Switch this year!!!!

Edited January 23, 2023 by Starhawk
Spam removed by moderator

[GoldForest]

21 minutes ago, Kerbart said:

People are acting like "Early Access" and "Launch" are well defined terms (and even "Alpha" and "Beta") when they're not. It's not like IG will be charged with fraud if they claim their EA release is The Launch. That's all fully open for interpretation.

For me, KSP is about building rockets, launching them, and taking them to other planets. The game will cover that on February 24. It's also known that it's not complete as more features will be added. I still think February 24 is the launch of the game though. I'm sure there will be some kind of celebration and media hype when it officially gets out of early access, but I think that if you're playing the game that'll just be an arbitrary line drawn in the sand, and THE event will be on February 24.

Consider KSP1.  That EA was "truly" EA with a far from complete game being delivered at first. It also had a "real launch" which, in hindsight, was just a pretty random moment in the development of the game and had more to do with accounting than with "the game is complete."

But Early Access and Launch are well defined terms. There is a clear difference between them. There's no gray area. 

Early Access - Open Alpha or Beta of an unfinished yet to be released game.

Launch - The game is released in a 'full' state and is considered 'finished'. 

[Luriss]

2 hours ago, GoldForest said:

No, Early Access is not "The launch." Early Access is that, Early Access. It's literally in the name. 1.0 is not a formality, 1.0 is the official launch of the game. 

 

1 minute ago, GoldForest said:

Early Access - Open Alpha or Beta of an unfinished yet to be released game.

Launch - The game is released in a 'full' state and is considered 'finished'. 

I beg to differ. The launch is not when the game is considered to be in a 1.0 state but when the game is first released to the public. The official 1.0 "launch" is just ceremony if the game has already been publicly avaliable prior.

[The Aziz]

There needs to be more clarification, inb4 someone saying why finished 1.0 games are getting updates or something:

1.0, AKA "finished" state is no more no less than all the dev team wanted to have on launch, everything that they had planned (aside from possibly some cut features that nobody aside from the devs know about) to be there. Future updates are future ideas, bugfixes that they didn't catch prior to release, etc. Things that weren't planned.

We know what the plans are, we know that since 2019, and until those are present, the game is considered unfinished.

[Gargamel]

19 minutes ago, Vl3d said:

I was referring to updates and extra features. I'm sure DLC will have a price (?). Later edit: Did not know that about the KSP1 offer.

Yes, it was offered to early adopters who had purchase the game prior to it being offered on steam (March 20, 2013?) It wasn’t a promotion or anything, it was more like a development studio not having had a lawyer read all the fine print of the sales agreement. That agreement changed for purchases after that date.   And the topic has been a flashpoint of major arguments and forum flare up’s ever since.    
 

The last thing we need is somebody overly vocal saying XYZ without any foundation, and a section of the of the community to latch onto that statement, and try to maliciously use that statement later.  

9 minutes ago, Luriss said:

 

I beg to differ. The launch is not when the game is considered to be in a 1.0 state but when the game is first released to the public. The official 1.0 "launch" is just ceremony if the game has already been publicly avaliable prior.

Launch is whenever the studio making the game says it is.  

[Snafu225]

5 minutes ago, The Aziz said:

There needs to be more clarification, inb4 someone saying why finished 1.0 games are getting updates or something:

1.0, AKA "finished" state is no more no less than all the dev team wanted to have on launch, everything that they had planned (aside from possibly some cut features that nobody aside from the devs know about) to be there. Future updates are future ideas, bugfixes that they didn't catch prior to release, etc. Things that weren't planned.

We know what the plans are, we know that since 2019, and until those are present, the game is considered unfinished.

Yup, 1.0 is often considered "feature complete" in terms of the original scope for the game. Everything else afterwards are patches, addons, dlcs, just like in the good ol' CD/DVD days.

[GoldForest]

10 minutes ago, Luriss said:

 

I beg to differ. The launch is not when the game is considered to be in a 1.0 state but when the game is first released to the public. The official 1.0 "launch" is just ceremony if the game has already been publicly avaliable prior.

It's not just a "Ceremony" it's the "Official" launch. Doesn't matter that millions or tens of millions of people own the game before hand. EA is not the "Launch" of a game. No matter what you say. The LITERAL definition of EA is open alpha and/or beta, aka, not launched, aka still in development.

Just now, Gargamel said:

Launch is whenever the studio making the game says it is.  

^ This. ^

[The Aziz]

13 minutes ago, Gargamel said:

The last thing we need is somebody overly vocal saying XYZ without any foundation, and a section of the of the community to latch onto that statement, and try to maliciously use that statement later.  

What people have been doing for the last 4 years. Not to mention the famous slip in ep6 "life support" that was changed in subtitles to mod support. (Reason unknown)

Oh yes people love taking random words as promises.

Edited January 23, 2023 by The Aziz