DDOcast Episode 89!

[Mockduck]

Hi everyone! Episode 89 of DDOcast is now ready to go. Here's a LINK (http://www.cyberears.com/cybrss/4187.mp3) to the show - just left-click to play, right-click and 'save as' to download as an mp3. You can also find DDOcast on iTunes and many other podcast aggregators!

Whew, we've got a doozy of a show for you this week. Joining me this week is Buzzsaw, Lessah, Mical the Wise, Rowanheal and Alex, where we talk about the latest news and have a super-in-depth discussion on the topic of DDO: it's marketing, press, information flow and the WDA. Thanks so much for listening!

New for this week is a nice change suggested to me by someone on the DDO-Europe boards - a run-down of the timeline to help you find particular parts of the show. Here's the rundown:

0:00 Introduction
1:25 Risia - the latest
9:26 Hirelings!
20:57 Compendium update
23:48 Zeal spell info
24:57 Two Weapon Fighting Feats
28:31 DDOcast and the Stormreach Chronicle - Ask the Devs Unplugged!
30:39 Terminal Velocity
31:51 Chronicle news and DX10
32:57 New spell talk
34:58 Toughness
36:47 Cooldown and duration changes
38:33 Prestige Enhancements in Mod 9
40:06 DDOWiki's back up!
40:30 Turbine CEO Crowley at Tokyo Game Show and MMO social networks
48:38 Definitive Collectibles
49:01 Discussion on DDO advertising, information and the WDA
68:28 Events
90:38 Errata
91:31 Email
93:27 Trivia
END

[Kistilan]

Really good chat there this week, Jerry & crew. Good work.

I've got a lot of comments concerning the chat, WDAs, Advertising, Fixes, Mods, etc. So many I won't highjack your thread, but I really liked the show this week.

That said, I would like to home in on the Boxes on Shelves bit. When Turbine hits level 20 with prestige, they really REALLY should consider a paid-for expansion that take us to the Shavarath and beyond (the Planes of Eberron) and bring new life and advertisement to ye old non-D&D Player or non/former DDO Player.

A ridiculously cool BIG BOX with graphics, updates, raid-views, breath-taking scenery & spells of all types blasting would seriously help convince gamers to invest.

And the Cash Cow Theory, however plausible, I don't buy. I respect the opinions of your entire chat box there, but look at Asheron's Call 1 -- it's still up, with far less players than DDO. Turbine wouldn't (as I've known them since 1997) make DDO a cash cow.

[Gratch]

Great Podcast. Hopefully Turbine's marketing intern listens.

I'm guessing that Marketroid and Atari doesn't even remember that Turbine makes DDO given the lower subscription than LotRO, but I'm hoping Turbine actually pushes their NPE.

And with all due respect to the current waft of MMO websites, instead burn a Mod8 hi-rez client on a dvd, send it with a month-trial key to penny-arcade along with a signed comic print (http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/1/28/a-large-rock-and-a-steep-hill/) from Kate and a gold piece (possibly chocolate). Hope for a sentence.

[Mockduck]

Really good chat there this week, Jerry & crew. Good work.

I've got a lot of comments concerning the chat, WDAs, Advertising, Fixes, Mods, etc. So many I won't highjack your thread, but I really liked the show this week.

That said, I would like to home in on the Boxes on Shelves bit. When Turbine hits level 20 with prestige, they really REALLY should consider a paid-for expansion that take us to the Shavarath and beyond (the Planes of Eberron) and bring new life and advertisement to ye old non-D&D Player or non/former DDO Player.

A ridiculously cool BIG BOX with graphics, updates, raid-views, breath-taking scenery & spells of all types blasting would seriously help convince gamers to invest.

And the Cash Cow Theory, however plausible, I don't buy. I respect the opinions of your entire chat box there, but look at Asheron's Call 1 -- it's still up, with far less players than DDO. Turbine wouldn't (as I've known them since 1997) make DDO a cash cow.

Generally I don't worry too much about the "box" issue, but you raise a good point in that it would make sense to have a re-release or paid expansion once we've hit the level cap. Sort of a "definitive DDO" edition.

Thing is, it'll take hundreds of thousands of dollars (probably) to put together a box expansion and pay to have it placed on store shelves like Best Buy and elsewhere. If it's not done right, it could very well kill the game financially. I'd rather see that money used for a major online push, banner ads, etc, to reach out on the net. I think the impact might be better there. Just my opinion, ultimately I don't care how it's done, I just want more players and better marketing of DDO!

Thinking about this some more, I think an updated box would be cool. There's a lot that's changed in the game, that's for sure.