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Kidding aside, Prime Directive indeed has not seen much love in the marketing videos.

By Randy Blair (Randyblair) on Sunday, May 02, 2010 - 01:05 pm: Edit

Deleted by Author (because he admits to being an idiot at times)

This is the wording requested by Randy.

Editorial note: Many of us, myself included, have been idiots at times. The important thing is to note it, do what it takes to make it right, and then move on. I don't think anything more need be said about this incident. -- Jean

By Xander Fulton (Dderidex) on Sunday, May 02, 2010 - 03:32 pm: Edit

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Quote:

I don't know who the faceless narrator was, but he's got to go

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Quote:

Have a photogenic person with a dynamic excited sounding voice

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By Will McCammon (Djdood) on Sunday, May 02, 2010 - 04:27 pm: Edit

Randy -

You're comments may be constructive, but I think they are needlessly negative. Would you pick at a YouTube video from your local "mom and pop" pizza-joint in the same way? ADB isn't much (if any) bigger.

We all gave the same critiques (more gently), months ago, and the subsequent videos showed a marked improvement, without ADB spending any more money to produce them. There's a learning curve with anything new.

Slick pitch-people cost money. ADB tends to avoid spending money on marketing directions that don't show a real return (what small business could afford to?).

I've read several times that the majority of the purchased web-advertising they did was an expensive waste. Not every "new media" venue is right for every market. The impression I got is that no new trekkers showed up, with much money spent (other than some rare "gamer-specific" cases like Star Ranger, BBG, etc., all of which were preaching to the choir, in a sense).

Right now, given ADB's business, SVC *is* the most affordable and effective "pitch man" for his products. He's not going to be Billy Mays or Anthony Sullivan, nor should he be (he's a game-designer and businessman). What SVC does have is a deep knowledge of his product and market, something that would be entirely missing in some vapid hired "talent" talking-head. He also comes to the gig cheap. There would be no videos at all if it were otherwise.

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Sunday, May 02, 2010 - 05:29 pm: Edit

Maybe we could all write Bill Shatner and ask him to do it?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Sunday, May 02, 2010 - 06:07 pm: Edit

Needless to say, Randy's extremely negative comments don't match what others have said. I can only say that for someone not "trying to be mean" you did more to accomplish being mean, insutling, snide, and sarcastic than many who have tried very hard to do so.

Randy, if you want to come by the office and do the videos yourself, come on down. Otherwise, I don't agree with anything you said and don't plan to take any of your advice.

Really, guy, you need to study the industry more before you try to rebuild it. All of your comments, in this and other topic, while theoretically trying to be helpful, are so detached from the real world and the real industry as to be impractical, off base, and just useless.

It sounds like me trying to explain to John Sickels how to improve Major League Baseball (when I haven't watched a game since the strike).

By Jean Sexton (Jsexton) on Sunday, May 02, 2010 - 06:54 pm: Edit

Randy, unpacking the box is a specific type of marketing video. It is for people who want to see what the box has in it and want to see it in a limited time.

Frankly, I don't want the guys to touch the tablecloth with an iron. I don't trust them not to scorch it and I need that tablecloth at Origins.

SVC probably has the best speaking voice of anyone at ADB. I'm not there most of the time and my voice is too light. Petrick has the same speaking style as SVC, just calmer. Leanna could probably do it, but as a pair of talking hands, SVC is just as good. Mike is doing the shooting.

Perhaps you meant to be helpful. By using your approach and not being specific, you lost your intended audience. You could have written (for example), "I noticed in all of your videos, the tablecloth had creases and that kept distracting me," or "You've made improvements in how grainy the shots are, but have you tried increasing the lighting level with plywood covered with tinfoil as an unseen backdrop? That would let you increase your camera speed." (I only dated a photographer in my misspent youth -- I am not one obviously.) That would have done a better job of selling your critique.

You also need to realize that a small company isn't going to spend a lot of money for unproven benefits. If you could make suggestions such as, "Perhaps you could contact the local colleges and see if there could be a joint project between a marketing class and a film class," then that could be followed up.

Just some thoughts.

By Jean Sexton (Jsexton) on Sunday, September 12, 2010 - 01:52 pm: Edit

Currently we have eleven videos including:

Inside Klingon border: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_odguM9sT0

About the Star Fleet Universe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-EE1RoVytg

October 2009 Releases: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FCiqbw6M-c

November 2009 Releases: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0dP87IS1SE

February 2010 Releases: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wbud0TaqPA

April 2010 Releases: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naeaFK9iuxA

May 2010 Releases: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU3QGmG9mEQ

June 2010 Releases: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edj-vEg94k8

September 2010 Releases: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzdcpCx-Ah0

and

Federation & Empire 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gviSlyLX7Z8.

If a retailer would like to see why the store should carry Federation Commander, there is this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIfY9sJvnUI

We hope you enjoy watching these videos and we'll keep you updated as new ones are produced.

By Jean Sexton (Jsexton) on Friday, May 06, 2011 - 12:24 pm: Edit

Star Fleet Battle Force gains a starring role! Let's go to the movies! Well, long enough to learn about Star Fleet Battle Force. http://www.youtube.com/user/starfleetgames#p/u/5/7h7J47WJduo

This is an "In the Box" video, showing you what you get when you buy the game. Stay tuned to the end for an announcement about plans for next year.

By Michael Bennett (Mike) on Friday, May 06, 2011 - 01:51 pm: Edit

How many people have bought products and let you know that they were influenced by those YouTube videos?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Friday, May 06, 2011 - 01:54 pm: Edit

More than enough to do more of them. We can always see a spike in sales when a new YouTube video goes live.

By Dennis Surdu (Aegis) on Monday, December 02, 2013 - 10:36 pm: Edit

Any more YouTube pitches soon? They seem to have been dropped. It seems that during the Mongoose venture would have been an ideal time as well.

By Shawn Hantke (Shantke) on Thursday, May 15, 2014 - 09:35 pm: Edit

How about a video with an official empire name pronunciation guide?

By Loren Knight (Loren) on Thursday, May 15, 2014 - 11:03 pm: Edit

I can see it now. Jean is there pronouncing, "Kha-Zin-tee"

Then in the back ground SVC says, "Bless you!"

"Steve!!!"

"Eye-ess-see"

"See what?"

"Arrrgg, Steve!"

"You see me? Uh oh, yeah I do! Petrick, get ready to lock the door!"

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, May 15, 2014 - 11:16 pm: Edit

The guy who did our videos had computer problems. I had too many irons in the fire to adequately push the 17th item on my top ten list. THAT'S why the videos disappeared.

By Dennis Surdu (Aegis) on Saturday, February 14, 2015 - 11:11 pm: Edit

Picked up a copy of GTM (Game Trade Magazine) and was impressed. Has any thought been given to getting an SFB spread published therein? Steve Jackson Games had a nice article about the Car Wars box set just published.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Saturday, May 16, 2020 - 01:19 pm: Edit

With the stay in place orders still in force around parts of the country, now might be a great time to experiment.

I am pitching now is Star Fleet battles and Federation Commander game play videos.

Lots of these are onYoutube already, but most of those are one guy making a stream on audio content as he plays.

Sometimes it’s entertaining.

What I suggest here, is to take advantage of net conferencing tech (Skype, zoom, google hangouts etc.) and play team scenarios using several experienced players.

The thing about face to face game play is all about the shared experiences in the game session. (Puns, bad puns, puns bad enough to warrant social distancing, jokes, strategy discussions, even the occasional disappointment when a plan, tactic or strategy fails the test of the game table.)

One player hosts the session and provides the miniatures and the game table/hex map. He needs a second device or go pro camera that is suspended over the table showing the positions of the playing components (miniatures, planets, asteroids etc.)

Should be possible to test easily enough.

Use Zoom and play a Modified solitaire scenario With A team of players cooperating together.

Perhaps monster scenario#1 could be modified? Say three Fed POL and the creature that ate Sheboygan III?

ZOOM is free and the free version has a 40 minute session time limit.

Might take two or three sessions to complete the mission.

Post to you tube, you will see quickly if it’s a popular feature.

Even better, make a contest and have a competition for the best Mission. Award the winners a laminated (suitable for framing) copy of the scenario signed by SVC and SPP.

One of the things about COVID19 is that the SFB gaming community is aging.

This idea would allow a safe alternative to F2F gaming, and provide useful media to post on Facebook or you tube.