As I stand there watching the ads float by I begin to wonder why entropia planets forum is not shown?? So off to the ad machine to see what it costs doesn't look to be much. Would running an ad in game be worth it? Well I think it would bring more of the EU players to the forum and may even get the attention of some of the current members who are inactive in the forums. However I also have to wonder if maybe advertising the forum might help keep new players in game by showing them where they can go to get answers to any questions they may have.
The whole in game ad system is due (very badly) for a major overhaul....I'd love to see some of teh RL ads that we did briefly have come back and get expanded and our players have access to a far superior ad system that would accept player developed content including video and audio... You do pose some very good points though
Offer still stands that if forum admin from here buys a sign from auction or somewhere and puts an ad in it for the forum, I'd be glad to throw it in my shop where it will hang as long as I own the deed to it. I suspect other estate owners would be more than willing to do likewise as well. Of course, it'd have be a trust thing on some level since you'd be handing a bit of tt value to others in game, but on the other hand, it'd probably be worth it since most estate owners willing to do that sort of thing are pretty trustworthy. You could even create 'travelling signs' that are put up at one estate a month, then handed back and moved to another estate a month if funds are too low to do a bunch of signs. The in game ad system would work well too, but with signs, it's a one time cost not a recurring monthly charge.
I think the traveling signs sounds like a good idea. It could even work out as a banner trade with the shop owner/estate owner getting a banner placement for the month they have the sign posted. I would love to see an ad system that would include video. In fact that would be great for musicians to get thier music videos seen by more potential fans. Er Um I have a 1 track mind let me replace musicians with any video maker.
Wasn't there talk of adding youtube videos to the ingame signs because MA partnered up with somebody? Can't really remember what it was all about. I also think David from Planet Arkadia mentioned in his interview that they were adding add signs to Arkadia as well, around the Quarry. And so far they added stuff to their planet right after a mayor overhaul of the system, so that might indicate the overhaul of the add system as well (about time). Big thing with this forum, is that it is a player driven forum and there is no money earned with it, so every investment made (buying ingame adds or other ways to promote the forum or buying add-ons for the forum, which Admin showed last week) will cost money with no chance of making it back. All the other forums (PCF, PAF, CF, NIF and the yet to be released forums for new planets) are all driven by a company and will see new players in return for there investment, who generate income and they will get some if not all their investment returned in the long run. The other forums can also advertise in game for free, because they own the planet and can basically do with it as they want (to a limit or course), something PE can't do (we even got removed from the client loader form most PP's).
I have the intention of putting up some ads in the near future when some of our devious plans crystallize out ;) In the meantime, I do like the idea of the traveling signs. I'll see if I can grab a hold of a few and then offer banner/advertising exchanges with real estate owners :)
