This is VERY perplexing when comparing SL to...

Another game is on the horizon that I have been loosely following for quite some time, years in fact.
It's now in Beta and release is around the corner.
Its called City of Heroes. You can check it out at coh.com

The thing that I find perplexing is this...
on any given day at any given time there are probably 10 times as many people using the forums of a game that doesnt even exist than are using SL forums?

Where is the disconnect between SL and its members using the forums?

How can a game that doesnt even exist garner so many more users on its forums?

Or am I deluded by the sheer number of posters there that are anywhere from fetus to 18, where the min age here is supposed to be 18 and up?

I think most of it is the fact that COH is published by NCsoft, which owns the rights to the largest MMORPG in the world, Lineage, and is also releasing Lineage 2 in the US.

Also:

Also:

- NCsoft spends mega bucks on marketing and advertising.

- Online RPGs are currently a much bigger market than online life social-economic simulators that let you buld things / program (OLSESTLYBTAPs? Just try to pronounce that).

Personally, I try to spread word of how cool SL is wherever I go. Even a few adds on sites such as gamespot would help SL's member base.

I read about this game briefly in a review many months ago. I was bored one day last month so I thought I would give it a try. (I have since then fallen in love with it)

I had to search and search to actually find a reference to this game so I could remember the name, and then I had to do more searching to find this site.

I think SL is sort of tucked away and out of sight for most people .

This seems to be a pretty common phenomenon, in my experience.

So many (usually mega-hyped) games have websites and forums for a year or more before release - and not only that, but a dozen huge fansites too. All with hugely active forums. Mostly full of crap... speculation, arguments, digs at the thing before they really know anything concrete. And then about a month after the game comes out, all the fan sites die cuz everyone has lost interest and moved on to the next big thing (which is definitely not the norm with SL).

SL does seem to have a very low forum userbase. I presume - I'm asking cuz I really don't know - that you can post to these forums as a non-resident? The reason I ask is cuz you never, ever see anyone who isn't already in game here.

But prolly the other reason is they look at the forums and run away scared.

Certainly the disconnect you mention between residents and the forums seems to stem from a dislike of what goes on here. Try talking to many of the residents inworld about a forum post or topic and the answer is invariably 'oh I stay WELL clear of the forums, thanks'.

I look forward to COH, btw. Looks way cool... possibly the only thing that could keep me away from SL

Most other forums for games don't require you to play the game in order to post. SL does.

So, take 30% of the SL-playing population (5000?) and you have the posters.

Take 30% of the entire PC gaming population (30 million?) and you have the other forum posters

What would be interesting is if LLabs released one of the forums to be public... like... general discussion or "newbie questions" or something.

LF

Ah. That answers my question above and, I think, pretty much answers the original question exactly.



I agree. This would be a good thing, IMHO.

Lots and lots of people like superheroes. *shrug*

City of heroes sounded interesting until they said that you couldn't be a villain.

So, it's everquest with spandex.

Wouldn't it have rocked if the players would be the villains, sieging the town, fending off the player do-gooders? It would make the world SO dynamic! Corrupted heroes, turncoat villains... etc

Guess I'll just have to keep blocking out the sun in here.

LF

Hey Lordfly.....
Players as Villians comes in a future release.
They want to make sure they have the hero thing down pat before working against themselves with villans.

As far as requiring a SL membership to post.... good point. Noted.

Anyone thought of implementing something superheroic in SL? We already fly and shoot rays from our hands and if I position my camera just right I have X-ray vision.

Talk to Brad Lupis for all things Super Hero. He has many cool avs and has scripted many a power.

Aah yes, the ever-present "future expansion pack".

So, I pay 50 bucks for the game, and then 15 a month, wait 6-10 months, and then spend another 30 bucks on an expansion pack that'll do what it should have done?

Feh

Been there, done that. Won't do it again

LF

OOO! I hated EQ too