Will SEGA be able to keep the population?

[Para]

I think this affects a majority of us and a serious issue to consider.

I mean its wonderful that the servers are much more populated than before in a long while. People are having a blast, seeing old friends, universes populated with people, finding a party isn't much of an issue etc.

The question is, can SEGA translate this success into an ongoing basis for the game so that they do not lose too much of the current event population into post event population?

What suggestions would you make or steps to take if you were in SEGA's shoes to ensure that when the event is over, the general active player base would be higher than pre MAG?

[WBMike]

All signs point to no. As with every event that comes to this game, there is an increase in population. As soon as the event is over the population drops right back down. It seems like the only way to increase our numbers is to have numerous events with lots of new areas. Of course if Sega could just advertise this game, we would have more potential players.

[Katrina]

I think the PA re balancing will keep some of those newly renewed people around a bit after MAG. (I also think ST saw this, and purposely delayed the PA re balance to improve their bottom line. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif From a business standpoint, it makes sense.

[Sidney]

Is the population gonna stay up? Nope.
It's going to go back down to two stars before you know it; I already hear grumblings from people that they are bored of MAG. So I wouldn't be optimistic about it. :x



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: soubrette on 2008-04-27 15:19 ]</font>

[R2D6battlebot]

The only thing people want is a challenge; events like this make leveling easy, and there are virtually no insanely hard to get items. ST needs to release a *omg-gasp* hard to reach level cap, and some hard to find rares. Drop rates in PSO that were impossible made them all the more fun to actually find, PSO had players stay because it was a perfect balance of easy-to-find highly usable items like Spread Needle or Demolition Comet, with the insanely hard to find rares like P Wand or Heaven Punisher, not to mention getting to lv200 wasnt a cakewalk. If they want to keep players in for the long run they need to make something thats more challenging than a party mission that everyone learns in the first few hours.

[AnamanaAU]

More may stay than after the other events, since the PSO stages and gear stays around. But, it's not going to keep stars up as they're not really TO SCALE stages.

[SHAWAKALA]

didn't the OP already post this on the official psu site forums?=p

[RAGNAGELPPOD]

On 2008-04-27 15:34, R2D6battlebot wrote:
The only thing people want is a challenge; events like this make leveling easy, and there are virtually no insanely hard to get items. ST needs to release a *omg-gasp* hard to reach level cap, and some hard to find rares. Drop rates in PSO that were impossible made them all the more fun to actually find, PSO had players stay because it was a perfect balance of easy-to-find highly usable items like Spread Needle or Demolition Comet, with the insanely hard to find rares like P Wand or Heaven Punisher, not to mention getting to lv200 wasnt a cakewalk. If they want to keep players in for the long run they need to make something thats more challenging than a party mission that everyone learns in the first few hours.



I think that they made events like this easy because there are a lot of players (myself included) who spend a lot of their time in this game hunting rares and not getting much reward for their efforts. Also, I believe that this game is catered especially to those gamers that play in short bursts. I came to that conclusion considering Segas marketing strategy (or rather their lack of one) makes it so that alot of the curent players, from what I've seen, have had their experience in one of the previous phantasy star titles. And, considering that this game has been out for a number of years, all of these "classic" or "vet" players have since grown up and gotten more complicated lives that conflict with the amount of freetime that they can have in their somewhat busy scheduoles.

Also, as far as "hard missions and good rares", there was pre-nerf desert goliath, grove of fanatics and demons above. Sure, people spammed those missions plenty but the lobbies couldn't stay at "white beast capacity" for very long because, (I'm speculating of course), the players weren't being rewarded enough for their efforts. And even now with the boosted Aoi rates for the version 1 missions, people still arent quite filling those lobbies because they aren't being rewarded enough. Well, either that or the weps have lost a lot of their value. In any case though, it could be argued that people once avoided those missions because getting up to those lobbies was a bit time consuming, but we can warp there now so its not a problem. I think that mother brain still has some difficult that people can squeeze out of it and also some rares that have retained their value, but people aren't exactly swarming there like they used to. I suppose that people don't like relatively difficult missions but love to complain about a lack of difficulty. It seems like things are either "too easy" or "too hard" when it comes to peoples opinions on missions.

Anyways, the point of this is that people want more than just a challenge; they want rewards. And if they only get a shot at one then most of them will choose the rewards over a decent challenge anyday.

[DavidNel]

They will stay until the roll back comes that takes away all our MAG rares, lol. Nah, I really hope some do stay though...

[RemiusTA]

No. Half the people who are supposed to be on now are suffering from the stupid billing problems.

My account has been on PENDING CANCEL forever.

[Kanore]

No. This game is only interesting during the events.

[Legendria]

On 2008-04-27 14:47, Para wrote:
I think this affects only the handful of PC users that had an orgasm seeing one server get close to full, and a serious issue to consider.


Fixed for clarity.

[landman]

GBR Experience Boosted for Photon Arts Yay!!

Jao Sonichi with some new AOI drops or variable % claws, yay?

I will still play the game when the event ends, for a long time XD

[Ranubis89]

Id say keep up with new areas they can bring in all ep 2 http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif and blue burst areas hell that wud be quite a show. They could even do more max attack stuff. But alas segas downfall is never the lack of players. Most people quite cuz of hacking and cheating going on.

[Kanore]

On 2008-04-27 17:17, Ranubis89 wrote:
Id say keep up with new areas they can bring in all ep 2 http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif and blue burst areas hell that wud be quite a show. They could even do more max attack stuff. But alas segas downfall is never the lack of players. Most people quite cuz of hacking and cheating going on.



So you want to bring all of PSO into PSU to make PSU better? That's like... bringing the game they left behind into the game that they made so that they could leave that other game behind!

[Dragwind]

Advertising, advertising, advertising. Some people stay, some people go. Always happens. The more people that at least try, the higher chances of some people remaining which means somewhat larger population overall. Advertising.

[gratefulgriz]

On 2008-04-27 19:03, Kanore wrote:
[quote]On 2008-04-27 17:17, Ranubis89 wrote:
Id say keep up with new areas they can bring in all ep 2 http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif and blue burst areas hell that wud be quite a show. They could even do more max attack stuff. But alas segas downfall is never the lack of players. Most people quite cuz of hacking and cheating going on.



So you want to bring all of PSO into PSU to make PSU better? That's like... bringing the game they left behind into the game that they made so that they could leave that other game behind!

Im afraid your mistake. PSO would do wonders to PSU if it was implemented. First off the level of nostalgia involved with PS players amounts to a high percentage of reoccurring players. Also, the only reason they left PSO behind was because it had been out for a long time, attracted players and there was a necessity to build newer modeled software/game that would again attract new players. There is nothing out of the question about being compelled to have PSO in PSU. I think its a great idea.

[MrNomad]

On 2008-04-27 20:14, gratefulgriz wrote:

On 2008-04-27 19:03, Kanore wrote:
[quote]On 2008-04-27 17:17, Ranubis89 wrote:
Id say keep up with new areas they can bring in all ep 2 http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif and blue burst areas hell that wud be quite a show. They could even do more max attack stuff. But alas segas downfall is never the lack of players. Most people quite cuz of hacking and cheating going on.



So you want to bring all of PSO into PSU to make PSU better? That's like... bringing the game they left behind into the game that they made so that they could leave that other game behind!

Im afraid your mistake. PSO would do wonders to PSU if it was implemented. First off the level of nostalgia involved with PS players amounts to a high percentage of reoccurring players. Also, the only reason they left PSO behind was because it had been out for a long time, attracted players and there was a necessity to build newer modeled software/game that would again attract new players. There is nothing out of the question about being compelled to have PSO in PSU. I think its a great idea.

1: This is PSU. There's enough PSO crap in this game. Instead, how about something NEW for a change?

2: If they wanna borrow from past games, why not the classic genesis ones? Who wouldn't wanna do some more PSII/PSIV missions?

[gryphonvii]

gta IV, soon= population downgrade, ( at least on 360 side)

[Gunslinger-08]

we're back down to 2.5 stars again.... :/

[SonicTMP]

On 2008-04-27 23:20, Gunslinger-08 wrote:
we're back down to 2.5 stars again.... :/



It's sunday night... can't say im surpried. Work tomorrow for most people.

Buy yeah it's pretty easy to see from the kill count its slowing down fast. The best drops are in ruins and DF both of which will remain locked for some time.

Sega sure loves to keep content locked as much as possible. Why they can't treat it like a good MMO and have all content open THEN add to it... makes no bloody sence.

[Rashiid]

Moar MAG, duh.

[Arika]

On 2008-04-27 14:59, Katrina wrote:
I think the PA re balancing will keep some of those newly renewed people around a bit after MAG. (I also think ST saw this, and purposely delayed the PA re balance to improve their bottom line. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif From a business standpoint, it makes sense.




correct.

[Rayokarna]

Bring back Firebreak missions. Add Ice purification missions. And racing and tank riding. Bring something over from PS III/IV. If they have to bring anything back from PSO, let it be CCA and Seabeds.

[Delete]

On 2008-04-27 23:19, gryphonvii wrote:
gta IV, soon= population downgrade, ( at least on 360 side)



Exactly what i was gonna say, i know a bunch of my own friends who said there gonna be playing it too.

[amtalx]

On 2008-04-27 23:19, gryphonvii wrote:
gta IV, soon= population downgrade, ( at least on 360 side)



Less people playing means you have a better chance of getting two Spread Needles http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[Candor]

I think the whole thing about the rewards going into effect after MAG is the only thing ST has done to keep players around afterwards. If we unlock enough who knows, they might stick around for those 2 weeks http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

[MSAksion]

People leave PSU when there is no Reward. The reason - there is only ONE place in the whole game to get something that EVERYONE wants.

EVENTS Kill the Game. THINK about it. Why play for the 3 to 4 months between 1cup and Winter Event? The rares you DID NOT find in regular missions after 1cup will be boosted during Winter Event.

You search and hunt and try to find something so awesome so rare then it becomes WORTHLESS like hyper viper or Twin Ragnus.