to developers: how to boost sales

[Cwl]

If they want this game to sell they need to change the name.

the IL2 Sturmovik may be known in Russia and the Former Soviet Union but that isn't a huge games market- at least not for Xbox 360 or PS3. apart from plane buffs few people know what a Sturmovik was.


If they want to sell this game they need to capitalise on the brand power of the Spitfire in Great Britain and Commonwealth countries such as South Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

In America they need to capitalise on the P51 Mustang .

If they did this I guarantee it would boost sales 10x.

[Buggins]

if they want this game to sell they need to change the name.

The il2 sturmovik may be known in russia and the former soviet union but that isn't a huge games market- at least not for xbox 360 or ps3. Apart from plane buffs few people know what a sturmovik was.


If they want to sell this game they need to capitalise on the brand power of the spitfire in great britain and commonwealth countries such as south africa, canada, australia and new zealand.

In america they need to capitalise on the p51 mustang .

If they did this i guarantee it would boost sales 10x.

lmao

[Cwl]

laugh all you want but having a recognisable name is VITAL in the videogame industry. its called brand awareness.

a good example is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

that is the Sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Activision originally dropped the Call of Duty part to name it Modern Warfare 2.

But they re-added it a few months later after research said that people did not recognise it as much.

therefore its important that a game has a good name, something recognisable and familiar.

'Spitfire: Birds of Prey'

or

'P51 Mustang : Birds of Prey'

would certainly boost sales.

[ensoenso]

If they want this game to sell they need to change the name.

the IL2 Sturmovik may be known in Russia and the Former Soviet Union but that isn't a huge games market- at least not for Xbox 360 or PS3. apart from plane buffs few people know what a Sturmovik was.


If they want to sell this game they need to capitalise on the brand power of the Spitfire in Great Britain and Commonwealth countries such as South Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

In America they need to capitalise on the P51 Mustang .

If they did this I guarantee it would boost sales 10x.

oh lord, why not
P51: U.S.A! U.S.A! F%$K YEAR!
the game that'll free the livin 5h1t out of teh skies

[Robotic Pope]

laugh all you want but having a recognisable name is VITAL in the videogame industry. its called brand awareness.

a good example is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

that is the Sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Activision originally dropped the Call of Duty part to name it Modern Warfare 2.

But they re-added it a few months later after research said that people did not recognise it as much.

therefore its important that a game has a good name, something recognisable and familiar.

'Spitfire: Birds of Prey'

or

'P51 Mustang : Birds of Prey'

would certainly boost sales.

Urmmm....... your example just disagreed with your original post lol.

"IL-2 Sturmovik" is the series name. Just like "Call of duty". They kept the call of duty name for Modern Warfare 2 because people recognise the name because of the previous games in thar series. The words "Call of duty" are otherwise meaningless to most of the buyers.

If Birds of prey didn't use the "IL-2 Sturmovik" brand name, the many people who have played and enjoyed the IL-2 PC games would have no idea this is by the same people and would just dismiss it as an arcade game.

[Cwl]

Urmmm....... your example just disagreed with your original post lol.

"IL-2 Sturmovik" is the series name. Just like "Call of duty". They kept the call of duty name for Modern Warfare 2 because people recognise the name because of the previous games in thar series. The words "Call of duty" are otherwise meaningless to most of the buyers.

If Birds of prey didn't use the "IL-2 Sturmovik" brand name, the many people who have played and enjoyed the IL-2 PC games would have no idea this is by the same people and would just dismiss it as an arcade game.

yes but the IL2 Sturmovik brand is an unknown brand to 99% of gamers. it might be big in the PC flight sim world but not in the console market.

besides Birds of Prey looks like an afterthought if you look at the box of the game. in bright bold lettering the average gamer sees 'IL2 STURMOVIK' and thinks wtf is that? before even noticing Birds of Prey which is tiny.

if the average gamer saw SPITFIRE : Birds of Prey or P51-MUSTANG: Birds of Prey they would be far more inclined to buy it. especially those people from the USA and former British Commonwealth.

Its all about marketing. most people do not know the IL2 brand. more people are familiar with the Spitfire aeroplane and the Mustang.

those hardcore PC flight sim fans who know the Il2 brand would probably be on the look out for any new games made by the same company and since so few flying games get released for consoles I think there wouldnt be any danger of them missing this game.

most PC sim fans are more into PCs than consoles however.

[Robotic Pope]

yes but the IL2 Sturmovik brand is an unknown brand to 99% of gamers. it might be big in the PC flight sim world but not in the console market.

besides Birds of Prey looks like an afterthought if you look at the box of the game. in bright bold lettering the average gamer sees 'IL2 STURMOVIK' and thinks wtf is that? before even noticing Birds of Prey which is tiny.

if the average gamer saw SPITFIRE : Birds of Prey or P51-MUSTANG: Birds of Prey they would be far more inclined to buy it. especially those people from the USA and former British Commonwealth.

Its all about marketing. most people do not know the IL2 brand. more people are familiar with the Spitfire aeroplane and the Mustang.

those hardcore PC flight sim fans who know the Il2 brand would probably be on the look out for any new games made by the same company and since so few flying games get released for consoles I think there wouldnt be any danger of them missing this game.

most PC sim fans are more into PCs than consoles however.

Ok here is a example for you. Halo : Combat Evolved. "Halo? what the hell kinda name is that? Isn't that something angels have above them in stained glass windows? pffff i'm not gonna buy that, I don't care that it has a cool looking future soldier on the front of the box"

For a new (to console) series, Box art is FAR more important for sales than a name. The BoP box art is awesome. And as I said by changing the name you alienate the IL-2 PC gamers who I think may suprise you in their number, it's far higher than 1% of sales thats for sure.

[InfiniteStates]

For a new (to console) series, Box art is FAR more important for sales than a name. The BoP box art is awesome. And as I said by changing the name you alienate the IL-2 PC gamers who I think may suprise you in their number, it's far higher than 1% of sales thats for sure.
Quite agree - the majority of uneducated (in the franchise, not in general) buyers will just look at the picture on the box rather than the title. If the OP's argument held water, we would see no successful game series because they would all be subject to the chicken/egg paradox. I think the name will only become important if they release another game for consoles in order to capitalise on the success of the first...

P.S: HALO is also an acronym for High-Altitude Low-Opening, but are there even any parachutes in the game...? ;)

[Cwl]

ok then naysayers we'll wait and see how popular this game turns out to be. so far it doesnt look good.

[Pizzicato]

CWL has a really good point. The kids that are ripping into him clearly aren't thinking things through.

I work at a major games company, surrounded by people that really know their shit and play pretty much every demo that gets released onto the Xbox marketplace and PSN. Over the past couple of weeks a number of people have asked my what I've been playing and, amongst others, I've been waxing lyrical about the "Il-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey" demo.

No one on the team has played it.

No one.

Aside from the large number of people that aren't interested in flying games or simulations, the standard response I've received is some variation of "Yeah, I saw that on the Xbox marketplace but thought 'What a weird aircraft to base a game around' and didn't bother downloading it".

When I pointed out that you actually get to fly a whole bunch of much more commonly known aircraft, their interest levels immediately increased. If you take this very small sample of the gaming community and extrapolate outwards, you begin to see the overall effect.

It's easy to cretinously spout gems like "LMAO" or "P51: U.S.A! U.S.A! F%$K YEAR!" or "Oh noes! Yuz gots P-51s in my Il-2s" but takes a little more thought and inquiry to sit back and objectively look at how marketing affects a game's sales.

[Cwl]

well glad to see someone agrees with me.

this is damn fine game (aside from a couple of issues) but nobody on my friends list has it and few people have heard of it.

the demo did reasonably well but the game needs more marketing and a name change

[manintrees]

When I first heard about the the two games (IL-2 & Heroes over europe) I instantly decided to go with Heroes because the name was something I could identify with. They both had cool art. Only because I quickly became very interested in ww2 planes and scoured the internet for info did I realize that BOP was going to be the superior choice. IL-2 has a rich history in combat sim and I don't think they should change the name but I do believe it is going to hurt sales. If they had just called it "Birds of Prey" and used IL-2 Sturmovic as a sub name it could have had a better shot from the beginning. I swear the people at my local EB Games only know of BOP because I have called so many frikin' times. To be honest I don't really think 'Birds of Prey' is that great of a name.

[Lexandro]

Its a FRANCHISE, you dont go changing the name of a franchise when you already have a core fanbase. This is evident by the new Halo franchise titles that have bugger all to do with the master chief.

And a name change now would be totally idiotic. The games on sale, the reviews are written, and the public are buying it. It would take a MASSIVE amount of cash to do a "re-run" of production with a new name to the game.

Please CWL stop suggesting dumb ideas, your only making yourself look foolish.

[nudger1964]

vgchartz says its sales are 50,000 in the two weeks sinse its first region release. usa was a week later than most of europe, and canada by the sounds even later. i have no idea if that is good, bad or indifferent.... i would imagine it will get steady if not spectacular sales.

[manintrees]

It's a PC franchise and the core fanbase are PC gamers. The name is forgettable for those who don't know the game and unfortunatly many are going to miss out because of it. If there is to be a sequel I think we will see IL-2 as a sub name only.

[fuzzychickens]

If they want this game to sell they need to change the name.

the IL2 Sturmovik may be known in Russia and the Former Soviet Union but that isn't a huge games market- at least not for Xbox 360 or PS3. apart from plane buffs few people know what a Sturmovik was.


If they want to sell this game they need to capitalise on the brand power of the Spitfire in Great Britain and Commonwealth countries such as South Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

In America they need to capitalise on the P51 Mustang .

If they did this I guarantee it would boost sales 10x.

Answer me this:

What plane destroyed more tanks, vehicles, and troops on the ground and had a bigger impact in destroying the German military?

Which plane was produced the most?

What plane did German ground troops fear the most?

The answer to all of these is the IL2 Sturmovik. This game isn't about the P-51 or the Spitfire or even just the IL2 for that matter - but the IL2 is certainly the more fitting name and the plane with a bigger impact in the WWII theaters covered in the game.

Changing it would, like others have said, mean the solid base of long time IL2 fans would not have a clue about this game. These fans are a more reliable base than the average uniformed, ignorant, and impatient typical gamer who would see the P-51 name, buy the game and expect the P-51 to out turn everything and fire laser beams from freaking steroid pumped sharks mounted under the wings and take out the entire German airforce single handedly while they chug a mountain dew and play on a gamepad with the other hand.

I'd rather the uninformed retards play Heroes Over Europe. So, request denied.

[Robotic Pope]

This whole thread is pointless and should be locked.

[Cwl]

my suggestion is valid just most of you guys have your heads in the sand.

nobody cares how good a plane the ilyushin 2 was in ww2.

this is all about sales, and the reason so few people have this game is partly due to lack of marketing and partly due to the bad name.

disagree if you want but this game has struggled to sell considering how good it is. you gotta at least concede that IL2 STURMOVIK: Birds of Prey isnt the most catchy titles is it now?

[Lexandro]

No it is you who has his head in the sand. A name change is NEVER going to happen with this game so give up already. You have already been given multiple reasons why your wrong, you just refuse to accept the fact.

[Revvin]

IL-2 Sturmovik is a recognised brand, its sold extremely well on the PC format and has been the best WWII flight sim for the last 8 years. The suggestions you put forth make it sound like completely different games and would only cause more confusion with people wondering if 'Spitfire: Birds of Prey' is compatible with 'P51: Birds of Prey' and 'Messerschmitt: Birds of Prey' and 'Ilyushin: Birds of Prey' etc etc. Birds of Prey is also probably still a trademark owned by Activision so likely rules that out as the main title with a plane name after it which would still cause confusion amongst the buying public. These kinds of thread really are quite insulting that you think an idea pulled out of thin air is better than the market research and surveys done by marketeers in the 1C Company.

[Revvin]

The game is never going to sell as well as Halo, Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty. The flight sim genre is a niche genre but the fact the demo was downloaded 1 million times is a good indicator of interest for this niche genre but IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey is breaking new ground as a console flight sim.

[guiltyspark]

advertisment is a better idea , more of that

[manintrees]

I don't think the name should include a plane's designation at all. Here's a news flash: your average gamer doesn't know what a P-51 is either! Imagine if the first Call of Duty was titled 'M1 Garand'. No one would have a clue was that refered to and it would be a boring forgettable name for those who didn't know the significance of the M1 Garand rifle and it's effect on the ground in WW2. IL-2 Sturmovic is overall a lame name. I LOVE this game but I knew nothing of it because I don't play games on my computer. There must be better advertising for this game if it's going to take off (pardon the pun).

[Pup]

IL-2 Sturmovik is a recognised brand, its sold extremely well on the PC format and has been the best WWII flight sim for the last 8 years. The suggestions you put forth make it sound like completely different games and would only cause more confusion with people wondering if 'Spitfire: Birds of Prey' is compatible with 'P51: Birds of Prey' and 'Messerschmitt: Birds of Prey' and 'Ilyushin: Birds of Prey' etc etc. Birds of Prey is also probably still a trademark owned by Activision so likely rules that out as the main title with a plane name after it which would still cause confusion amongst the buying public. These kinds of thread really are quite insulting that you think an idea pulled out of thin air is better than the market research and surveys done by marketeers in the 1C Company.

Well put, my thoughts exactly. Il-2 is already well known as a quality brand, and the fact that an il-2 game was coming to consoles was what peaked my interest. Call of Duty made a reputation for itself on PCs before it came to consoles, and that hasn't done too badly.

[Lexandro]

Well put, my thoughts exactly. Il-2 is already well known as a quality brand, and the fact that an il-2 game was coming to consoles was what peaked my interest. Call of Duty made a reputation for itself on PCs before it came to consoles, and that hasn't done too badly.

Precisely. A lot of people seem to forget that fact about Call of Duty. And simply put it (IL2) is a brand new console franchise, there are bound to be people who dont know wtf it is. This is to be expected, every game that doesnt have a huge publicity campiagn is in the same boat. The likes of EA or Activision can afford to do publicty stunts and spend oodles of cash on TV slots and paper advertising.

However these dont sell games, they just pique interest. What sells games is word of mouth, and a quality product. IL2 has the quality, and is now getting the word of mouth recognition from the 360/PS3 crowd. Add in that its not released yet in some regions and the current level projected sales are actually not to bad at all.

[Wissam24]

If I saw "Spitfire: birds of prey" I would assume it was a tacky, cheaply made poor flight simmy game. I probably wouldn't look at the back of the box. I had never heard of Il-2 before this game was advertised. So it drew me in.

[Cwl]

No it is you who has his head in the sand. A name change is NEVER going to happen with this game so give up already. You have already been given multiple reasons why your wrong, you just refuse to accept the fact.

the problem is you are viewing it from a hardcore PC flight sim perspective, so are your buddies.

this is not a PC game. this is a console game. sales so far aren't very good, there's few people online and the forums over on xbox.com are half empty. not a good sign.

now obviously this game is out so its too late to change things like the name but the devs & publishers will be considering a sequel and a name change should be the thing to look at.

now I know lot of hardcore PC followers loath mass market games and the dumbing-down they inevitably cause so I can see why you wouldnt want to appeal to the mass market. But this game has the arcade mode to appeal to those.

I'm pretty sure if you conducted some basic research and asked which videogame would you rather buy based on name alone.

Spitfire and Mustang would be far ahead of Sturmovik. with the exception of Russia where the developers come from.

If you want online to be empty then fair enough but I dont.

this is my last post on the topic. ive said all that needs to be said.

[Wissam24]

I wouldn't want a game called Spitfire. Too cheesy

[PantherAttack2]

...the devs & publishers will be considering a sequel and a name change should be the thing to look at.


How would anybody know it is the sequel if the name is different?

And... Now you have something more to say.

[Lexandro]

Blah blah blah, yakety smackety.


You know making presumptions is dangerous. You assumption is that I came with the Sim crowd. Sorry to burst your bubble but ive never played the PC game, BoP is my first foray in to the game. I play Arcade mode, I dont like sim in this game.

So right there your argument falls flat. I am a completely new customer to 1C and the IL2 team. I was drawn to the game because of the demo. My pals and I saw the demo on LIVE! and downloaded it to try it, since we all like arcade flight games like Ace Combat. The name had absolutely no effect on me, I would buy a game with the most idiotic of titles if its actually a damn good game to play.

In short the entire premis of your argument is flawed.

[Revvin]

the problem is you are viewing it from a hardcore PC flight sim perspective, so are your buddies.

Well I'm viewing it as a gamer and I see no sense in your renaming idea

this is not a PC game. this is a console game. sales so far aren't very good, there's few people online and the forums over on xbox.com are half empty. not a good sign.

Online is empty because of other issues in the game like people not being credited for kills when a player ditches for example, that really takes away the enthusiasm for getting online, the xbox forums are not as busy as somethign like Halo but the IL-2 community has always been here, the XBOX forums only appeared shortly before the game shipped so the community was already right here where there is plenty of discussion going on.

now obviously this game is out so its too late to change things like the name but the devs & publishers will be considering a sequel and a name change should be the thing to look at.

So....what you're saying is they need a recognisable brand but now you say forget the work gone into making the IL-2 franchise known on the console format, throw all that out and start from scrath for the next game...wow you're a marketing genius!

I'm pretty sure if you conducted some basic research and asked which videogame would you rather buy based on name alone.

Spitfire and Mustang would be far ahead of Sturmovik. with the exception of Russia where the developers come from.

If you want online to be empty then fair enough but I dont.

this is my last post on the topic. ive said all that needs to be said.

If you put 'Mustang' on the front of the box more people are going to buy it thinking its a driving game or stand in the shop looking at the box wondering what the hell the game is suppossed to be. The name 'Mustang' is far more synonomous with the car than the plane. Lets not stop there though lets make them really recognisable for the masses 'Hulk Hogans WWII Royal Rumble in the Skies'? the 'Red Bull Racing WWII Edition'? :rolleyes: 'GI Joes Air War'? :rolleyes:

[Cwl]

How would anybody know it is the sequel if the name is different?

And... Now you have something more to say.

it doesnt have to be a sequel per se. it could just be a spiritual successor just like how Bioshock is a spiritual successor to the system shock series.

a single games company doesnt just churn out endless sequels, sometimes they have to make a new game. they could do it next time. making it a successor of sorts.

[PantherAttack2]

it doesnt have to be a sequel per se. it could just be a spiritual successor just like how Bioshock is a spiritual successor to the system shock series.

a single games company doesnt just churn out endless sequels, sometimes they have to make a new game. they could do it next time. making it a successor of sorts.

A sequel is a sequel, if you meant 'spiritual successor' then don't say 'sequel', because they are different.

And I never said a game company continues making sequels forever. But I think it would be pointless for them to make another game about aerial combat in WW2 and not name it IL-2 Sturmovik, especially once a fan base was established for that title.

[Cwl]

Well I'm viewing it as a gamer and I see no sense in your renaming idea



Online is empty because of other issues in the game like people not being credited for kills when a player ditches for example, that really takes away the enthusiasm for getting online, the xbox forums are not as busy as somethign like Halo but the IL-2 community has always been here, the XBOX forums only appeared shortly before the game shipped so the community was already right here where there is plenty of discussion going on.



So....what you're saying is they need a recognisable brand but now you say forget the work gone into making the IL-2 franchise known on the console format, throw all that out and start from scrath for the next game...wow you're a marketing genius!



If you put 'Mustang' on the front of the box more people are going to buy it thinking its a driving game or stand in the shop looking at the box wondering what the hell the game is suppossed to be. The name 'Mustang' is far more synonomous with the car than the plane. Lets not stop there though lets make them really recognisable for the masses 'Hulk Hogans WWII Royal Rumble in the Skies'? the 'Red Bull Racing WWII Edition'? :rolleyes: 'GI Joes Air War'? :rolleyes:

Spitfire / P51 Mustang vs IL2 Sturmovik

which plane is most recognisable?

1. Spitfire
2. Mustang

with Sturmovik coming in a distant last!! however you spin it nobody has ever heard of it outside the ww2 buffs and flight sim experts.

the developers next time round should use what they've got from the IL2 franchise to start a new one. they wouldnt be the first company to do such a thing and create a spiritual successor. heck it could be intended as a sequel just with a different name. its upto the developers.

they being Russians will be fond of their historic aircraft so its up to them. I did think about having multiple box covers. one for say eastern europe and one for Western Europe and one for America but you could just have 2 box covers depending on whether Spitfire or P51 Mustang is more recognisable in the US which is the worlds single biggest games market.

[steellwaters]

My computer is not the best gaming rig so I don't get to play alot of these pc games/....however I spend alot of time scouring the web drooling over all the pc sim games I will own when I can afford the rig(probably after I finish my engineering degree).....with that said I have been routinely disappointed with console flight games....and the tendency for console games to hold your hand and help you beat them reduces sim qualities.......

the ONLY reason I tried this games demo was because I saw IL2 in the title..my jaw dropped and initially I thought maybe they had ported it directly....i loved the sim mode..and bought the game as soon as it came out here(california)...but if it had been called anything else I probably would never have downloaded the demo in the first place....

just my half a cent

[Wissam24]

I'm not a massive history buff, but I love my planes, and I had heard of the Il-2. Don't assume that because you don't know something, no one else does either. That is a very foolish and stupid thing to do, and will get you nowhere in life. DO assume that a proper publishing company, one that has a virtual monopoly of the software industry in Russia, is a lot better at market research than you, a person who is not a company

[Smidlee]

The OP does have a point. I didn't buy IL-2 (PC version) for a long time because of the name. Even after I got the game I didn't care to fly the IL-2 plane.

What could have really boost the sales was to bring the game to the Wii and put Mario in the title. "Mario Plane: Birds of Sunshine"? (j/k)

[Cwl]

I'm not a massive history buff, but I love my planes, and I had heard of the Il-2. Don't assume that because you don't know something, no one else does either. That is a very foolish and stupid thing to do, and will get you nowhere in life. DO assume that a proper publishing company, one that has a virtual monopoly of the software industry in Russia, is a lot better at market research than you, a person who is not a company


Ive known what the sturmovik was for years before the game came out, im a historian. I just happen to know that most people dont know any names of ww2 planes except spitfire etc

[Revvin]

this is my last post on the topic. ive said all that needs to be said.

That was 3 posts ago, since then you've done nothing but regurgitate the same badly made points.

Spitfire / P51 Mustang vs IL2 Sturmovik

which plane is most recognisable?

1. Spitfire
2. Mustang

with Sturmovik coming in a distant last!! however you spin it nobody has ever heard of it outside the ww2 buffs and flight sim experts.

The vast majority of people attribute the name 'Mustang' to a car which just causes more confusion not to mention the confusion caused by putting a different plane name in front of 'Birds of Prey' in different regions. That doesn't create a brand it causes mass confusion as people wonder if its the 'Mustang' version they heard the Americans have is a newer version..should they wait? should they buy this 'Spitfire' version, will it be compatible with the 'Mustang' version? all questions the average consumer will have standing in the shop and most likely end up walking out of empty handed, wtg champ great idea!

the developers next time round should use what they've got from the IL2 franchise to start a new one. they wouldnt be the first company to do such a thing and create a spiritual successor. heck it could be intended as a sequel just with a different name. its upto the developers.

They have a recognisable brand name to many users - the IL-2 Sturmovik brand. They have that right here right now and also a growing number of console users new to the game and genre who will now recognise the game and yet you want to throw that away and start again. You talk about building a brand then in the same post talk of throwing it all away, is it any wonder people in this thread have trouble taking you seriously?

they being Russians will be fond of their historic aircraft so its up to them. I did think about having multiple box covers. one for say eastern europe and one for Western Europe and one for America but you could just have 2 box covers depending on whether Spitfire or P51 Mustang is more recognisable in the US which is the worlds single biggest games market.

The Spitfire is recognisable in to many US and UK users and thats what appears on the front cover shooting down a Stuka, there's your iconic aircraft on the front cover with a recognisable brand name 'IL-2 Sturmovik' I'd say they have both bases covered there.

[Buggins]

Spitfire / P51 Mustang vs IL2 Sturmovik

which plane is most recognisable?

1. Spitfire
2. Mustang

with Sturmovik coming in a distant last!! however you spin it nobody has ever heard of it outside the ww2 buffs and flight sim experts.

the developers next time round should use what they've got from the IL2 franchise to start a new one. they wouldnt be the first company to do such a thing and create a spiritual successor. heck it could be intended as a sequel just with a different name. its upto the developers.

they being Russians will be fond of their historic aircraft so its up to them. I did think about having multiple box covers. one for say eastern europe and one for Western Europe and one for America but you could just have 2 box covers depending on whether Spitfire or P51 Mustang is more recognisable in the US which is the worlds single biggest games market.

You just don't get it through your thick head do you? Please tell me you're twelve?

[juz1]

rule number 1: If you have an established brand name, people will buy...

people will buy shonky chinese and indian made products bearing traditional names...

a brand name is everything to a business.

Anyone who's been interested in ww2 flying gameage and sim over the past 8 years will have heard of the Il-2 sturmovik series...it's why there will always be sim-player threads maoning they can't alter the fuel mixture and cup holders...

but to the OP...may I recommend Heroes over Europe...Dennis will love you for it.
________
DC MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES (http://dc.dispensaries.org/)

[Wissam24]

By historian, I assume you mean you're studying history GCSE. Because that would explain the terribly constructed arguments, that a real historian would never use.

[Cwl]

my arguement isn't flawed.

the sturmovik is something nobody has ever heard of, apart from a few hardcore PC guys.

the spitfire is something most people know.

create a new brand.

this would increase sales.

so far the sluggish sales of this game prove Im right.

[loopdreams]

I think the sluggish sales are a reflection of the fact that a lot of console gamers are just looking for something familiar, either the latest "ooh-rah" FPS or a game based on whatever sport they're into. A flight sim is always going to be a hard sell but I think that BoP is a solid game which will pick up a following by word of mouth even if initial sales aren't exactly stellar.

[dazz1971]

IL-2 Sturmovik is a recognised brand, its sold extremely well on the PC format and has been the best WWII flight sim for the last 8 years. The suggestions you put forth make it sound like completely different games and would only cause more confusion with people wondering if 'Spitfire: Birds of Prey' is compatible with 'P51: Birds of Prey' and 'Messerschmitt: Birds of Prey' and 'Ilyushin: Birds of Prey' etc etc. Birds of Prey is also probably still a trademark owned by Activision so likely rules that out as the main title with a plane name after it which would still cause confusion amongst the buying public. These kinds of thread really are quite insulting that you think an idea pulled out of thin air is better than the market research and surveys done by marketeers in the 1C Company.

what he said +1
i mean come on if someone who doesnt know of the il2 series came across this game they would know instantly what it is just take a look at the box art a great big flaming stuka being shot down by a spitfire wouldnt take a genius to work out what the game was about would it ??

i think they should leave the brand name as it is

[Revvin]

my arguement isn't flawed.

the sturmovik is something nobody has ever heard of, apart from a few hardcore PC guys.

the spitfire is something most people know.


Take a look at the box then, there's a group of Spitfire's shooting down a Stuka. The more you keep harping on the IL-2 and ignoring the box art makes me wonder if you actually own the game at all.

create a new brand.

this would increase sales.

so far the sluggish sales of this game prove Im right.

They have a brand, its the established 8 year old IL-2 Sturmovik brand. Known worldwide by many which for a niche product is better than starting from scratch. They take those many users familiar with the name and then add those new to the flight sim genre and build from there. Sluggish sales? really where is your data to back up that claim? The data we have had is very encouraging that the demo was downloaded over a million times. Flight sims are a niche product on the PC format, until now we've had flying themed games on the console but nothing as realistic as IL-2:BoP. Its breaking new ground and was never going to sell like Halo or Gran Turismo.

[akuma]

If they want this game to sell they need to change the name.

the IL2 Sturmovik may be known in Russia and the Former Soviet Union but that isn't a huge games market- at least not for Xbox 360 or PS3. apart from plane buffs few people know what a Sturmovik was.


If they want to sell this game they need to capitalise on the brand power of the Spitfire in Great Britain and Commonwealth countries such as South Africa, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

In America they need to capitalise on the P51 Mustang .

If they did this I guarantee it would boost sales 10x.

Normally the basic concept of your post makes sense, but this is possibly one of the few exceptions to the rule.

This game will only really appeal to flight combat gamers, and most FCG fans already know IL2.

I dont think renaming it to Spitfire X, would attract more sales than a pre-established brand.

[ensoenso]

lock this thread please, this is getting stupid

with that being said, in case most of the posters ITT are older then 12
most of you should already know. that to boost sales you need exposure, and a good title alone cannot do this, let alone a NEW TITLE

what you need is MARKETING, i.e. lots of commercials, trailers, demos, etc
what OP should've recommend is to put more of those, not change the title.

now, the decision to use the title IL-2 is because it's already an established brand in the flight game/sim community. so anyone that would like to play this game already knew this game is going to be released.

take for example coca cola zero! you don't market it with a new brand, you use coca cola +, zero because everybody that likes soda already knows coca cola. a new brand would require more marketing resources to achieve the same effect!

i don't really see a reason that justifies OP's proposal other than blind nationalistic pride, ignorance, and or 12 year old USA USA USA!.

[tootingdog]

"IL-2 Sturmovik" should have received the smaller font and "Birds of Prey" the large font. Birds of Prey really illustrates best what this game is about which is several types of fighter aircraft. In fact, I consider "Birds of Prey" the true title of this game.

It's too late and thus it is moot for any name change because the product has shipped. However, naming this game after one airframe type is wrong and misleading anyway. So nope, no reason to name it "Mustang" or "Spitfire."

The front of the case does not include an image of an IL-2 nor does the back and thus they are not trying to push this particular airframe, it seems. The images speak louder than words as to whom the company is trying to market to and I see lots of Spitfires all over a game titled IL-2 Sturmovik.

The franchise name is just not going to be as much of a draw on the Xbox. At least not yet. And thus why I scratch my head as to why it receives most attention on the cover.

To you historians, congratulations that you know some of the lesser-known aircraft to westerners; but, I am certain this game is not being marketed only to historians. The cover *image* is going to draw people to the game much more than the name but that name might keep a few people away.

Why not make a game titled "George" in big, boldened font with a smaller font below that which states: "fighters of the Pacific war."

[Pup]

To you historians, congratulations that you know some of the lesser-known aircraft to westerners; but, I am certain this game is not being marketed only to historians.

I guess you totally forgot to read the rest of this (now silly) thread then.

[Wissam24]

Why not make a game titled "George" in big, boldened font with a smaller font below that which states: "fighters of the Pacific war."

I would SO play George FOTPW

[Riceball]

Here is the bottom line.

If you have never heard of the IL-2 series, you are not a fan of the genre. And are not interested in the game in the first place.

So changing the name would do nothing.

Pretty silly suggestion.

Edit: I did'nt know what an IL-2 was. But I knew it was the cream of the crop of air combat games.