Growing the Game
“FFG needs to grow the player base or this game dies.” – Anonymous Sithposter from an online chat.
The internet isn’t generally known for hyperbole(/s), so is the game really stagnant or is it showing a healthy amount of growth? Whose responsibility is it to introduce more players to the game? Is growing the number of players playing a game solely the responsibility of the game publisher?
Convincing people to try a new card game when they are already heavily invested in another can be a challenge. We spoke in depth to our marketing firm, Porgsbottom Strategies Unlimited, and they assured us that most people who try SWU, love it! Knowing that, what steps can FFG take, as well as the SWU community, in order to expose the game to more people?
There could be other groups that share the responsibility. Certainly there are non-game publishers that influence a game’s play rate and growth.
FFG
We are just over a year into the lifespan of Star Wars Unlimited. Most people that have played the game seem to agree that it is fun, has a good IP theme, and the mechanics fix many issues that are seen in other games. From the recent judge stream we know that the developers are already planning for set twelve at this point. Clearly FFG is planning ahead and confident that the game will be around for a long time.
This is a good foundation to start from. No enormously popular game starts with millions of players. Monopoly may now be one of the most recognizable board games but that started out in 1903 as a teaching tool for tax theory. Even Texas Hold-em which is the most popular way to play poker was not even a well known variation of the game until the 1960’s and did not really hit the mainstream until Chris Moneymaker won the main event at the World Series of Poker in 2003.
In only the first year we’ve seen great progress in expanding the game. FFG is supporting local gaming by supplying OP packs for each set. Early on they added Store Showdowns as another level of casual gaming. We’ve also seen the competitive scene explode with multiple 500 player events for Season 0 of the road to Galactic Championships in Las Vegas. That looks like pretty good growth for only 1 year.
We’ve also seen the introduction of new products to better support a new and growing player base. FFG brought us Carbonite boosters. We also know that Legends of the Force is going to bring retail packs to stores like Walmart and Target, exposing the game to a broader audience.
We can only assume that with continued support and product availability, more time will lead to more players.
Prizing is the one area that is primarily up to FFG. We’ve certainly seen some areas where prizes were lacking in quality, however, we’ve also seen the desire from FFG to listen to the community and make improvements.
Profit stuff… Unless we think that Star Wars Unlimited is a pump and dump scheme, we have to figure that FFG would of course want to grow the game and therefore make more money. They do indeed seem committed with multiple people having aspects tattooed on their bodies.
It’s possible that FFG is happy, maybe even extremely happy, with the number of players currently involved in Star Wars Unlimited. One year in and the game seems fairly healthy with ~500 person events happening.
SWU: 1, Sithposter: 0
Creators
Many creators are making videos discussing all aspects of the game. (We’ve covered where to start with streamers previously.) You can find well made content for whatever level you are looking for, anywhere from the highly competitive level to casual Twin Suns. There is something for everyone.
For people interested in written content or group collaboration, there are healthy groups of people checking in on Facebook, Reddit and Discord communities every day. Here at Porg Depot we’ve been doing our part for written content as have others out there as well.
SWU recently had its first large-scale creator run event when the Bothan Network recently produced and hosted a BIATL 10k event (Battle in Atlanta) to much success. It had a main event, an offshoot smaller one, plus the first major team event that Star Wars Unlimited has seen. This was great proof that we don’t have to rely on FFG for large events.
Creators are doing whatever is possible to keep people informed and engaged. We are trying to grow the game and community however possible and so far have been successful.
SWU: 2, Sithposter: 0
The Community Itself
As fellow gamers ourselves we feel it’s safe to say that gamers tend to be friends with other gamers. One thing I’ve heard echoed at multiple locations is that SWU players are very welcoming and eager to accept new players. As part of the SWU community, we have to make sure we are exposing all of our friends to the game in a fun and accepting way, which is generally the case. Local groups are potentially the biggest thing that can help grow the player base. This can be done by teaching new players the game’s basics. Helping them with deck construction. Sharing unused common and uncommon cards.
Getting your local game store involved can also go a long way. They can make sure the product is accessible and also need to host and run events in weekly and showdown form at a minimum. Your LGS will only do these things if they know they have an active player base, so it’s up to the community to support them.
SWU: 3, Sithposter: 0
Wrapping Up
There are many avenues for growing a game at every level. It takes a bit of effort from everyone and, above all, a little patience. If the game is good, the community is engaged and creators are making content then the game will grow. It is the view of Porg Depot that SWU has all of these things and the game will continue to grow and improve, as it has done over the first year.
What do you think you think about the state of the player base? Can more be done or is the game on a healthy growth pace?