Luring Back Former Players (in General)

Is there a system in place for admins to email former players en masse? I just saw Idiotz' last post, and it got me thinking about players who left and might rejoin if herded back. I myself am a returned player, and I know AdmiralKiller, Miandrital, and Mythology fall into that same category.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I know that I revisited the site on a whim, and I might have left if it weren't for the generosity of other players (OB). However, it might not have taken me four years to return if I received a marketing email enticing me back with a free tattoo or some other lure.

I don't know if CarnageBlender already sends out automated "please return" emails, but if not, it should. I'd love to see our player base grow back to its former size, but that takes marketing, and this seems like a cheap, easy way to do it.

There is such a feature for full admins. We do not currently utilize it.

i know that in the past when the t-shirts are sent out an email is generated as many returning players have stated that this is the reason they have returned. i think this is proof that the idea has merits! ; )

Well, my action of emailing 20 or so former players so far has brought us back Miandrital and perhaps will bring 1 or 2 of the others back.

Trachcan certainly will be back after winter.

I played Cb way back in 2002 when the game 1st started.How I restarted was when I was playing my XBoX 360 and had beaten all my games, I went to the net and was thinking I wish there was a cool free game and remembered CB. Now the reason I had quit was personal and I had checked up on my account infrequently over the years until CB2 started then I just gave up all together.

I agree this would bring back some old and dedicated players especially by enticing them with an offer of something free. If this was possible I would also include the e-mails of the players From CB1 as well. Some may be invalid but the few hardcore dedicated players it would bring back could be worth it.

If you camp it...they will come.
Most vets have visited us just to ask,"Did Jon bring back camping?" then wander off. Muttering in dispair under an overpass. They will instinctively know it's back like a drooling, animalistic horde of rats.

Not only would camping bring some old players back, it would make chat a lot more fun. When the campers reigned supreme, there were always a bunch of people talking in chat, since they had nothing else to do.

darkpixie would shut up and camp! ;)

Would one of you mind giving it a shot? If you could filter out anyone in the database who played for more than four months, one of us could prepare a cute marketing email tauting some small token for returning.

It may not bring in barrels of players, but it should cause a noticeable jump in Shade's weekly report.

So there are actually people looking at it? :p

several times a week i take a gander, if you must know! ; )

seeing an e-mail about me getting the 2008 CB T is what brought me back to CB

wondering if there were pants yet brought me back. i see there are none.
FOR SHAME CB, for shame. :(

Good.

I returned some months ago after retiring not long after CB2 release... I came back wondering what CB had became and the players who remembered me were really friendly and generous. Without it I am not sure if I would have stayed, that made me remember why I stuck with CB for so long a while back.

There could be an incentive for old players to come back. I could imagine something like when a new supporter item comes out, players already supporter that hasn't logged in for 1 or 2 years can get it free after let's say 30 days of activity: count the number of days when the player logged and used up his BA pool or something of the sort. It might be seen as unfair or unbalanced to some but remember that they have been gone for a year and could have done a big bunch more than just get that item. It would simply help them get back on tracks a bit.

Sorry for double post but I just remembered that the reason I quit CB was because I did not like to have to start over all the work I had done in CB1 when CB2 came out. It was a good opportunity to be competitive but a lot of work was just... lost.

On those thoughts I am sure that some CB1 players left too for similar reasons, we could try and target those if we still have the player database...

As long as it's not a regular occurrence (say monthly) then it wouldn't be too bad. It'd be the first email I'd ever get from CB, tbh.

Ideally it would be a one-time deal, and only those who played for more than four months but haven't logged in during the past two months would even be on the email list. In other words, no one reading this would get the email.

But it's a moot point, considering that we're not hearing opinions from the active full admins (Bartjan, G_Beee, NS, Shade, and Verifex).

send them an email promising them 'the antidote'

simple is better folks, and a little mystery is good too

I find it a good idea, but I'm not going to do things without having more opinions to back me up. Also I'd like to have a format we all can agree on which would be representative for the current CB and why we want them back.

Well you can have a setup like this.

Remember the Blender? Because it remembers you!
A special offer is available now for those people who were dedicated to the original CB, players who are needed in the Carnage once more.

New items, new players, new strategies, more tournaments.

Come Back and play in the Blender today!

make it better and possibly less cheesy but think of something to bring people back!

me came back because jon sent me a CB t shirt after I hadn't been around for a few years and that was awful kind of him to that after he killed CAMPING...yup campers ,the hated campers, now you got NUBS to hate :)..whats worse?

this game has STAGNATED and thats why they mutter and leave..Theres not much fun here anymore, not many fun people anymore ...bunch of egg heads.. and if you sit there and tell me and the whole world this is great game ,you sire are a moron deluxe and need a life.

Unstagnate CB is the cure and don't keep bashing buttons around and moving the same old crap to a different locations..In other words Actually do something that makes a Difference for everyone who plays, not just the few who continually whine..I got some cheese for you to go with your whine..well you asked and shark telled :)

I log in often, but I just troll the forums. I rarely fight more than 50 BA and then I just sit there with CB open to hold space. Its rather common now for me.

I have a feeling apathy is going to win out over actually doing something...

I, for one, have a lot of fun here.

I do agree that it is quite slow and appears stagnated, but things do move, just very slowly. I also hope we will get some spice added soon.

Regarding mails: I hate receiving e-mails imploring me to come back to a game I left. I feel like an old ex is bothering me when it happens, and the feeling is only accentuated by the generic nature of such messages. If you mail me asking me to come back, then the best way to do it is to make me feel like I'd be welcomed back with open arms and a beer! (Some would prefer a soda, it's fine too!) I can't be the only one thinking that way. Automatic messages are not the way to go, in my opinion. If you want to get your old friends to come back, write them a message personally. Make a list of who you want to reach, and organize a community effort? Anything but robotic pleading, that sucks.

*Hijacking my own post*

All the above being said, before CB starts getting old players to come back, it should make sure that they would stay. Our retention rate being what it is, logically I'd say it would be a better investment of energy to do so. Get new blood into the game, get it to stick around and THEN go back for the vets, offering them a little something that will show everyone they are old-timers. A tag, a new char. bonus...The t-shirts were a very good start (I LOVE my shirts), CB can expand on that.

I got Shade's email. It got me to at least log in twice in the last week. Don't know if I'll be returning to playing though. Never got into CB2 like I did with CB1.

Not to spill the beans folks but I have actually been working with a few people on just this sort of thing for New Player Ads. I do not see a reason it cannot be adapted for long time gone Vets Thanks for the idea EB! :-)




Many have expressed this same sentiment on multiple occasions Nem, including me.




Whereas Shark is not very delicate about the situation he does make a good point. The Cosmetic changes are awesome Thankyou Verifex/NS and anyone else who has worked on them in some way! Working on what is here is great, adding something new is even better! :-)