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How Would You Run WGT?

• resozv 895 Posts

  Tue, Dec 21 2010 1:33 PM

  neildiamond11790:

  how you the consumer would run this game different

  1) More and more and more advertising. In places you can fit it without "interrupting" game play. For instance, as I type this, the bottom of the screen has a 7" X 12" area of white. All viable advertising space. Also I read the 1st few posts (starting around Joeys 4th sentence) there's a 2½" X 7" blank space in outer borders, it actually runs to bottom of screen on page 1 of thread. Fill those up with advertising too. All those business doing free offers, might be interested.

  2) I also would charge for forum posts. We've all probably heard the saying, "if I had a nickle for .....".  Well I'd sell posting rights 5¢ a post perhaps. Would really cut down on the amount of trash that we all read here daily. And reduce moderation needs, to a degree.

  3) Charge for display pictures,  blog posts, posts to other members pages, etc., etc., etc. Fees commensurate with amount of info (mb) posted

  4) I'd throw the membership fee a vote too, but being "BETA"  fees might be chancy right now. WGT probably wouldn't have <2.500.500 members if there was a fee. The few thousand of us regular players probably wouldn't even fund wages for 1 WGT employee. 

  Thanks for starting this one Neil. ~sigh~ 9 posts in ... rectum #1 appears.

• Richard4168 4,309 Posts

  Tue, Dec 21 2010 2:01 PM

  This game plays absolutely free for me, and the ads don't bother me at all, now, unless I want them too. It's my choice.

  I mean, sure, I paid my $100.00 and the game has been free ever since. It's just like buying a game disc for a PlayStation, or XBOX.

  This talk about WGT going broke if members block ads is a bunch of malarkey. WGT makes their money renting ad space like resozv mentioned. How much money is WGT making if someone clicks an ad, and buys a product? Not much. WGT has lucrative deals with the USGA, and the LPGA now. These aren't chump change business partners. New members are purchasing virtual equipment at a higher frequency then most people think.

  Everyone should just relax and play the game and not worry about the ads WGT has in place, either way. If you don't like the ads, block them with Flashblock in Firefox, if you're not bothered with the ads, great. Everyone's happy in the end.  : )

• lvietri 3,326 Posts

  Tue, Dec 21 2010 2:39 PM

  Tar Heels ... don't want to start a back and forth but ... you might want to reconsider.   If they didn't present a  viable 5 year business pan which may have included all of the things you outlined --- they would not have gotten 3 tranches of Venture Capital funding ... the latest being $10M they got in March.   That's the way it the business works (been in it for a good number of years now).    Here is one article .. if you search deeper into other articles  you'll see they said at the time they were not turning a profit yet.    (If I find that article I'll post it - can't find it right now)

  http://venturebeat.com/2010/03/16/world-golf-tour-raises-10m-as-it-expands-overseas-and-explores-social-games/

  https://paidcontent.org/article/419-online-golf-game-world-golf-tour-gets-10-million-more/

  Keep in mind .. when they raise that money  .. they have to pay it back.

• resozv 895 Posts

  Tue, Dec 21 2010 2:55 PM

  Now that's what I'm talkn' bout. 5¢ my post, 5¢ richards post, 5¢ lvietri post plus an additional 2¢ per link there Mr.lvi  LOL

   

• stencil 455 Posts

  Tue, Dec 21 2010 3:20 PM

  Put ads everywhere you can without making it look like a billboard. Resozv's idea was a bit over the top. But on the scorecard page i would put 2 maybe 3 ads. And zoom the scorecard out smaller but to keep you from needing binoculars to read your scorecard let a player toggle between there scorecard and the continue to next hole button.

  Quit adding clubs and ball which have to cost $$$ and my main focus would be on courses and game modes.

  Forget the bugs there not that bad. Don't waste the $$$ on fixing a bug put it to courses and game modes. Donate one person to just answer players problems and request ALL THE TIME (except night).

  Stencil

• Richard4168 4,309 Posts

  Tue, Dec 21 2010 3:44 PM

  stencil:

  Quit adding clubs and ball which have to cost $$ and my main focus would be on courses and game modes.

  I agree. This should be WGT's main focus. Game modes are what makes this game interesting aside the look it has. It's the games features that should be the reason for new members.

  stencil:

  Forget the bugs there not that bad. Don't waste the $$ on fixing a bug put it to courses and game modes.

  I disagree, respectfully. We as members, and potential customers deserve to play a game bug-free when we're all putting hard earned money into it. I believe WGTicon is that one donated person WGT put in place to answer players problems.  : )

   

• lee22sharon 1,419 Posts

  Tue, Dec 21 2010 3:48 PM

  it is a business and entertainment is its product.  they chose golf as the medium. alright lets make it like golf.  free municipal courses with non-membership green fees.  country clubs to everyones taste, and pocket book.  make them exclusive or not as in real life.  have all and everything available for purchase, rent, loaner, try out. make it as the real business is.  unfortuniatly this would include cheaters, scam artists, weirdo's, free thinkers, elitist. and others of an undesirable nature.  however it has to make money, advertise the heck out of it at every venue available.  make it easy to get newbies to the sport started, free if need be up to a point where you have them hooked. then treat them with due respect as reguards to thier future as a paying customer.  you must maintain a top notch game face and the execution of it must be exceptional in every way.  it must be so good at what it does to be unrivaled.  maintain disclipine, remove or limit those that would interfere with others without just cause. do not make artifical limitations, just because you can or want to.  have a REAL grievance board to hear and act, for or against, with due explanation.   always, always plan for the future to keep the interest alive and growing.  every kid on the internet is a prospective long term golf customer just as in real life.  if you can do this and maintain it as a quality product there should be no difficulties for years upon years of avid participation by those of us who are now and probably  forever addicted to smashing that little white ball.  this is of course only in general terms, but it is evident to me that wgt is seriously lacking in several areas.  i thank you.  my 2 cents.

   

• danohi50 1,020 Posts

  Tue, Dec 21 2010 4:01 PM

  Personally I would open the doors for legit complaints, and answer them with real words, not PC business speak which is very insulting.

  Do what ever you can with advertising. I like what Richard said. You can chose to let it bother you..it has not effected my game-play 1 bit.

  Give the option like most MMO of a 10-15$ per month membership..You still pay for balls. Clubs are free but unlocked as you move up in levels. This gives you a platform to predict income whilst still giving the game out for free. I think most of the money complainers are under 18. You really should have an proof of age site, and a free site for the kiddies.

  Courses are too expensive to make but it is part of what makes WGT so good IMO.

  Build 2 or 3 of the expensive ones per year along with 1 or 2 quality local courses that wont charge so much for the "rights".

  Start fixing the legitimate issues, such as screen alignment stuff..and the Velcro fringe.

  I would also set up ladders, better tournament sites, where you can play multi-player, real time events. A live chat room and a live voice room where WGT pays for the servers..golf is a social game is it not.

  Hdcp leagues, ALT shot leagues etc.

  Yes there are others out there doing it..And doing it well, but it is a thankless job full of headaches etc.

  Other than that im a happy camper.

• Richard4168 4,309 Posts

  Tue, Dec 21 2010 4:03 PM

  Lee, it seems you summed it all up in a nut-shell.

  If WGT wants to increase revenue, increase members. WGT should be buying TV air-time, and posting bill-boards in a country-wide campaign. This would get the remaining people out from between the cracks. Membership would grow to four million by summertime.

  On a side note, if you were to ask WGT if they were in need of ad dollars, what would they say?

• danohi50 1,020 Posts

  Tue, Dec 21 2010 4:11 PM

  Bring it on  lol