The playboy article can only do good things for us. Given the volume of circulation of Playboy the numbers look good.
Even if 1 in 10 people actually glance at the article in any depth, and only 1 in 100 of those is prompted to try the games, and only 1 in 3 of THOSE - like the games enough to become regular customers, that’s still hundreds of people.
But is it a short term good or a long term good is another question? Yes it might help now, but if that image we insist we are not becomes the truth might that not scare some of others away for fear of being labeled “horny gameplayers” of games filled with near to actual women who are little more then nymphomaniacs? (which is one major way to interpert their protrayal of the games in the article).
If we start to draw the very people the article seems to be written too, who is probably not the only “type” that reads Playboy are we not, once again, becoming the image we insist we are not?
[This message has been edited by SCDawg (edited 07-25-2004).]
I’m afraid you’ve lost me, SCDawg. We’re talking about Playboy and its “horny readers” here. That’s fertile ground for lining up new customers, especially those who may never have heard about b-games, or even anime. Are you worried that conservatives will start waving copies of that most religiously immoral, politically incorrect publication as proof that b-gamers are up to no good? They would hardly point to Playboy as an authority on anything, let alone admit to others that they read it.
Are you worried that the average reader will be scared off by art featuring “women who are little more than nymphomaniacs”? If so, I guess the audience has changed a lot since the days when I recall flipping through the pages for “Little Annie Fannie”.
I don’t know that I agree with Peter’s philosophy that any publicity is good [a’la SomethingAwful], but I bet he’d love to be able to get free plugs for J-List in the “world’s #1 magazine for men”. I’m less worried about our “image” than our prospect for new games if the market doesn’t continue to grow.
[This message has been edited by perigee (edited 07-25-2004).]
I have to agree with perigee here. Everybody knows articles don’t always get everything right. Also a lot of people - a LOT of people - read Playboy. Some of them are going to be people who would be interested in the story-heavy games if they knew they existed. If a lot more people get interested in these games, we’ll see an influx of ALL kinds. The demographics will probably not be the same as the way they are now, but surely the storyline fans will see a boost from this just as the yarugee fans will.
quote:
Originally posted by Nandemonai:
I have to agree with perigee here. Everybody knows articles don't always get everything right. Also a lot of people - a LOT of people - read Playboy. Some of them are going to be people who would be interested in the story-heavy games if they knew they existed. If a lot more people get interested in these games, we'll see an influx of ALL kinds. The demographics will probably not be the same as the way they are now, but surely the storyline fans will see a boost from this just as the yarugee fans will.
I never accused all Playboy readers of being one way or another, someone else said it is a good source and they are playing to their audience, or something to the same effect, not me. Frankly to me this idea it will help the industry in the long run is a pipe dream, we might get a cross section of society perhaps, but equally likely we will be seen as drawing a crowd that appears to meet the already negative image that already exists for this industry. Does it mean they are horrible people, of course not, should they be excluded, no, but will seeing a ton of those that rightly or wrongly seem to fit the negative image of those who play these games already have, flocking to these games open a lot more doors, doubtful.
Let's face it, be the article right or wrong, and it does us little good to know if it is the truth, as we are in a sense we are the choir, the insiders, it will influence how those outsider might view the games and might scare some off while drawing others whose image, perhaps, might scare off a lot more in the future. It could hurt or it could help, most seem to think it will help, though I am not sure if even unintentionally supporting the already existing public image, even amongst those that might think it to be false, is really going to help the industry in the long run. Nor do I think it will help open the doors to other games those more rich on story plot, that might only have with lots of time..
Part of my point is this, in ALL other situations I have seen on this or any board, if someone is to say "horny game players because of lots of sex in the games" we are up in arms, this time we say "oh it will help". Another part of my point, if it brings people that think the article is true and only want sex only games, while scaring off those that don't want to be even partly thought of as a "horny game player", none of whom bother to think, oh gee did it get it partly right, all the way right, none of it right, then aren't we both in a way limiting the market and also might we be becoming the very thing that if as an outsider I accused you of being you would tell me how that was an incorrect opinion?
Hey any press is good press, especially when you haven’t been getting much press Besides we already go 1 person asking about games from the playboy article here So it’s a good thing.