Graal Advertising
 

I'm not even sure if there really is any advertising campaign, but the current approach of the website stinks. I dunno why all the official servers were given their own page and such, but I think it's a terrible idea.

Why?

Because Graal Zone is not a terrific shooter. And Graal Kingdoms isn't a fantastic RPG. And Skill Games has less games than many leading free game providers.

So what should change?

Since Graal has basically everything all in one package deal, why not begin advertising it as such?

For the cost of an account, you can play a shooter, an RPG, a gang era shoot-em-up, a traditional action RPG (although I guess Classic doesn't fit this bill anymore...), and have access to a games lounge!

Doesn't that sound like a much better deal to you? When you consider almost every other game besides Graal utilizes servers, calling the worlds on Graal servers makes them sound different from what they really are - after a potential customer sees a few screenshots of Zone and sees they'd have access to several servers, it may mislead them into believing there'd be multiple servers hosting the Zone game. And honestly, I don't think many people would be prepared to pay upward of 40 dollars a year just to play a shooter like Zone.

So how do you make potential customers aware of what they're really getting? Make sure the idea of different worlds with different gameplay all accessed from the same account is delivered clearly and concisely.

I think this would increase the amount of new players drawn since they'd be quite certain they're getting several different "games" in one.

Good idea overall, I totally agree.

I don't think they should advertise classic playerworlds without, at the very least, having something better to offer themselves. (I find it lame that they began charging people for content we made to begin with.) They need a new flagship 2D server to slap on the mainpage like they did with Graal2001 and Graal2002/GK. The site needs to change, it looks far too childish and wouldn't ever draw me to the game if I was new

They'd end up just advertising playermade content. Crono's right, they need to have more to offer on their own before they start throwing up adverts with content they didn't even make. That or have kind of payment for player-developers who's servers rake in money for Graal.

I agree, that's why I don't like the new website, because it shows Graal as more 3 different games, not one overall game with different servers,

I also agree with Crono.

i agree with you and with crono :s

That's a great point.

No more lifetime Classic, even though its hosted by CJ, the players made
and built the Classic servers. I find it stupid that lifetime classic doesn't
exist anymore. And I'm really hating the new account system.

I agree..
I don't think a lot of people are interesed in paying 40EUROS (60$?) for graal... It's not a good deal at all. I'd rather get a 2 months prepaid card for WoW for 30 bucks.. *****!
They should atleast start LOWERING the prices and take off the limits for trial players. We need to do something!! Graal is DYING!!

I think it's 29 dollar for 8 months worth of Graal, which is a lot cheaper then WoW.

You still don't understand the big picture, it's ridiculous to charge people to pretty much play servers that other players developed. In the past it was ok because P2P was offered so players could play CJ's own servers but times have changed.

Graal is a lot cheaper than WoW but that really isn't saying anything.

Developers working for successful servers should get some kind of subscription bonus. Managers/Owners, depending on the amounts of different ips connecting to their servers, should get "stacks" of short-term gold subscriptions that they distribute among their staff team. These subscriptions are only "active" once they've been transferred to the developer who earned it. That would make a decent alternative to paying developers, and make it less bad when CJ advertises playermade content.

I agree with the first post.

/signed

When purchasing Graal you still get unrestricted access to Graal Kingdoms and Zone, which are the official servers, which is most likely what CJ wants to charge players for. The Classic and Playerworld servers are just part of the bundle, which would explain the lack of promotion they get on the GraalOnline website. But hey, that's just a guess.

I really do think that they need to come up with a system to reward successful servers and their staff though.

Business plans shouldn't be based on heresay. How many of you have experience leading a market or developing marketing directives?

I think we can agree the lack of direction is a little concerning. The iPhone development is a good step, but in the wrong direction - Cyberjoureurs shouldn't be trying to market their product as something it could be when they have a lot to market based on what it is.

Ultimately it comes down to statistics and diligent research.

The only problem with your system is that it gives CJ more of an excuse to hide behind the "LOL GRAL IS A DEVLOPMENT PLATFORM" attitude rather than the "Graal is a game in which we, as CJ, must improve ourselves". By no means am I saying that CJ is supposed to develop their content alone, I'm just saying that they need to treate Graal is a GAME and not as a PLATFORM. They need to constantly improve their own servers and at the same time do the same for Graal as a whole. They need to front development and have the playerbase as support.

Our love for developing and improving Graal should not be exploited, it should be appreciated.

In addition to that, they should scrap Graal 3D. Sure, it might be a fun project for CJ, but Graal isn't Graal if it goes 3D. Graal is 2D, which is what we love it for.

I disagree. I really want to have experience scripting with a 3D engine, if anything I wish they would hurry up with it already.

They should at least change the website.

Remember the old days, you got on the main website and you saw this decently cool looking anime-ish picture of a guy wielding a sword all crouched down and ready to tear your brains out.

Then we played it and realized it was nothing like that, but then got dragged into it by realizing we would never have given a CHANCE on this game, which turned out to be fun.

Everyone remembers that picture right? (Or something similair to it, my memory may have failed)

http://web.archive.org/web/200303190...main_left1.gif
http://web.archive.org/web/200303190...main_right.gif

Developing a 3D engine is more time-consuming. That time could be spent on developing Graal on the 2D scene and making tools for people to develop Graal in 2D. One step at a time.

I also agree with this, but I certainly don't want the project to be scrapped.

Stefan said it was a "learning experience" so I assume they have the Graal3D project on hold.

Oh, I see what Ziro said now. I don't want it to be scrapper either but I certainly don't want it to be a priority.

I recently dropped Graal for World of Warcraft.

I would rather spend 30 USD for 2 months World of
Warcraft than 31 USD for 8 months of Graal Kingdoms
or Zone. Very simple, the playerbases for both servers
are normally low, even during primetime. The top three
Classic servers always seem to have more than the
advertised Gold servers. Never had interest in Graal Gold
because simply Graal has been known for its Classical style.
Its the main reason why I played this game because that's
what the game was based on. Trying to change it and turn
into something else just doesn't appeal to me.

Also, a drawback, the staff on playerworlds are not always
the nicest person either. Infact, I don't consider anybody
staff other than the Cyberjoueurs team. We're all players, we
all paid to play this game. Graal's majority economic is based
on the players, and what the players have created.

I see myself making this decision soon as well.
Though I wish it were the other way around.
No other input to give. I don't know exactly why Graal doesn't entertain me anymore. But there's definitely something wrong.

Those characters are so disgusting lol.

Those characters are the reason I tried Graal. Of course I didn't get what I bargained for.

Play EVE, not WoW.

I love that website more than the current website. It truely made Graal Online look more of an RPG, not some childish game.

They should prioritize on improving Zone and GK tremendously, and than shifting to making more Gold Servers. On the sideline, experimenting with Graal 3D.

Those Gold servers would give an incentive to advertising.

Lack of Graalians
 

I've noticed for the past what? Three years graalians have left.
Why?
I have never seen a Graal banner for advertising, if there are any. I think you should do more advertising, besides putting more money into Cyberjouers pocket, we'd have more fun with more and new people.

What do you think? I think Cyberjouers does a great job as it is, but I think it can improve upon Marketing.

Thanks,
Gabriel Kuraiittou

Make some official Youtube commercials.

Good ones though..Also make accounts on game advertisement sites and get graal out there, it basically travels on word of mouth

Exactly.
Perhaps bring back Permanent Classic Membership?

Reason why *most* Graalians have left:

Unholy Nation, Era, and Zone all got worse. That's all you need to know.

I do agree though, they could do more advertisements.

pay gelats for every member you invite to graal

(when they make their accounts they write down the account of the person who reccomended graal)

also this ppl must complete at least 20 onlinehours and have a fdifferent IP

You already get some percentage of gelats that people purchase if you invite them.

Let people know it more maybe?

Perhaps make that an opening thing when you enter Graal.

You have to pay to advertise. Stefan and Unixmad don't like losing money. It makes them angry...

(Yes I understand that if they advertised they would make more money.)