SoW: Battle for Moscow and other Igromir news

[150GCT_Veltro]

"IL2 Sturmovik" merchandise is for the combat-flight-sim market what "Call of Duty" is for the FPS, so for a publisher could be not a reasonable idea to change it, not at all. IL2 now is a very strong trade-mark in the world, as for Maddox Games. Maddox is not a problem at all, and Oleg Maddox could be however a good idea, but IL2 is a problem for what has been said above about customers confusion. So, how to avoid it if the publisher doesn't accept other words than IL2?

Storm of War: Battle of Britain
A new combat flightsim serie from Oleg Maddox
or
A new combat flightsim from the creator of IL2
or
(...)
(...)

NB: IL2 is not required

ecc. ecc...

I'm afraid that the first box will be full of marketing advices. However, Storm of War is a good choice for a new serie.

P.S.: The Red Star is itself a very good sign for customers (and i'm not talking off course about politic; the red colour and the star are both very good as distinctive signs for a trade-mark), so the association between it and IL2 Sturmovik words is really very strong. Don't forget about it.

[Asheshouse]

Storm of War -- ....................
from the creator of IL2 Sturmovok

Sounds good to me

There have been many strong hints from OM that in the longer term the series may not be limited to aircraft simulation alone. The name Storm of War could be attached to any genre including tank simulation, naval simulation or whatever.

[Feathered_IV]

Originally Posted by 150GCT_Veltro

I'm afraid that the first box will be full of marketing advices. However, Storm of War is a good choice for a new serie.

In English, the phrase does not read very well. I would suggest the title be more about aircraft and flying than War itself. It would have more dignity when introduced to the non-initiates.

If you were to say to the average person with no previous background in flight sims, "I play Storm of War on the internet and always fight with honour." They would look at you with pity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky3Qhgd1uQg

Originally Posted by Hecke

Well, after seeing this video, my conclusion is IMHO, that Oleg looks better without a moustache.

Oleg's already expressed his point of view. It's the publisher who has the final say and they will probably do whatever the heck they like. The only thing I can imagine changing their minds would be some sort of massed email/letter campaign by fans to keep the SOW:BOB name with a well thought out and reasoned explanation why it should be.

Given the 1C community who posts about SOW, coming off as rational or coherent in written form might be a problem!

Right now the publishers are banking on the IL-2 name carrying them in Russia and Eastern Europe where the game is much more popular and IL-2 has better name recognition and cultural significance. In the west, they're probably going to keep the SOW title. If they don't, and go the IL-2 naming route it would probably be the equivalent of Spielberg's marketing department doing this. . .

"I know, lets name take the name of one of his earlier successes, and add it to the start of this new one! That way fans will know that it's by the same guy, and they're both similar. . . even though they're sort of different.

Empire of the Rising Sun: Saving Private Ryan

[katdogfizzow]

Originally Posted by 150GCT_Veltro

"IL2 Sturmovik" merchandise is for the combat-flight-sim market what "Call of Duty" is for the FPS

Let us pray not. Call of Duty has gone from being one of the best games ever with the ability to mod it and make new maps, skins and dedicated servers to being a console game for kids that you cannot mod or control your own server...it has turned into total nightmare for modders and the original game fans. I hope this is a comparison we never hear from again. ....*shivers*

As for them name, anything with Oleg's name will work. "From the creators of greatest ww2 air sim of-all-time "IL2- Sturmovik"

[150GCT_Veltro]

Originally Posted by katdogfizzow

Let us pray not. Call of Duty has gone from being one of the best games ever with the ability to mod it and make new maps, skins and dedicated servers to being a console game for kids that you cannot mod or control your own server...it has turned into total nightmare for modders and the original game fans. I hope this is a comparison we never hear from again. ....*shivers*

As for them name, anything with Oleg's name will work. "From the creators of greatest ww2 air sim of-all-time "IL2- Sturmovik"

I've said good bye myself to CoD serie because of the "console degeneration"....but the CoD name is still very strong on the market. Sure, i've spent my last money in the serie with MW1, but we are not talking about games here.

However you've touched an important point of view here......"the console problem" for the PC gamers, but thank to God i doubt we'll have these kinde of problems with advanced flights sims.

[kestrel79]

Originally Posted by 150GCT_Veltro

"IL2 Sturmovik" merchandise is for the combat-flight-sim market what "Call of Duty" is for the FPS, so for a publisher could be not a reasonable idea to change it, not at all. IL2 now is a very strong trade-mark in the world, as for Maddox Games.

I disagree with this. You ask any casual gamer or casual aviation video game fan what IL2 is and highly doubt they even know what it is. It is a very popular and strong market name in the FLIGHT SIM community yes, but not with the masses. And in order for BoB to be a success, it will have to cross over and appeal to casual non simmers.

See we are the hardcore, we know and love IL2. But we hardcore simmers are about 1% of IL2 sales sadly.

They need a name and boxart that grabs these casual gamers attention, not confuse them with a Battle of Britain sim that is named after a Russian ground attack plane...

Like others have said at least in the West give it a new name, with maybe Oleg's name above it:

Oleg Maddox's
STORM OF WAR : The Battle of Britain
the new sim from the makers of IL2

[150GCT_Veltro]

Originally Posted by kestrel79

I disagree with this. You ask any casual gamer or casual aviation video game fan what IL2 is and highly doubt they even know what it is. It is a very popular and strong market name in the FLIGHT SIM community yes, but not with the masses. And in order for BoB to be a success, it will have to cross over and appeal to casual non simmers.

See we are the hardcore, we know and love IL2. But we hardcore simmers are about 1% of IL2 sales sadly.

They need a name and boxart that grabs these casual gamers attention, not confuse them with a Battle of Britain sim that is named after a Russian ground attack plane...

Like others have said at least in the West give it a new name, with maybe Oleg's name above it:

Oleg Maddox's
STORM OF WAR : The Battle of Britain
the new sim from the makers of IL2

You've good points be sure, but IL2 is an example of a word which has lost its primary meaning in the customers feeling, first of all for the western customers and if Ubi has decided for it, we are not so few as we could think.
In Russia, IL2 is an aircraft with a particular meaning (the same is for the SU-25), but for the others is only a "Red Star" that does remember them the best sim they have had for 10 years, and 10 years are really a lot for a product.

But what you say about new customers is correct.