'86 free offer ends

[Free Radicals]

Bad move ! There has been quite the influx of new players because of this free offer . Making it $24.95 will kill it . Mark my words " SOM will suffer from the move, overall ". Hard core players can't even find anyone to fill up leagues of ATG or the other games . The '86 season is getting new fresh blood into the game and the price will drive them away .

[LMBombers]

Good move! The purpose of the free leagues was to get new players interested in this great online game, like you mention, but TSN wants them to get hooked so that they are willing to pay for their leagues like the rest of us do. Having them play for free and then balking at actually paying something to play doesn't do us or TSN any good.

In addition since I now know the players a little better, I am ready to pariticipate in new 1986 leagues that I was unable to do since I already had 5 or more teams going. 8-)

[Risden]

I agree with LMBombers.

You can't keep giving away free games - either new players will stay or they'll go, but the free team incentives sure did bring in lots of new blood.

[Free Radicals]

You make valid points for sure . But the price tag is over priced . They were giving away the 200X games at $12.50 for a while ( not sure if they still are ) and the price enticed me to keep playing 2005 season . $24.95 will turn off the passer by who may have been getting into the game but doesn't want to pay that much for a team . Price has always been high to me . The $12.50 was what I think it should be across the board . All the games would benefit from a lower price . The only one that wouldn't is TSN . BUT if more people play at a lesser price then they will make $$$ anyways .

[Phenomenal]

Here is an update to this thread as I pose an interesting case study. I found strato online right at the end of the freebie 86 promotion. In fact i only got 1 team and didn't even make it to the draft because I was more interested in Fantasy Baseball. I used to play the game as a kid but haven't for 25 years so i didn't know if I would find the same love for the game as I did back then.

I can tell you if it wasn't free to get a team I probably wouldn't have paid the money, especially during Fantasy season. But because it was free I thought what the heck, lets try to bring back the magic. That team has only 6 more games to go and I'm 88-68 with a 3 game lead in the wildcard race. I am having a blast trying to get into the playoffs. Over the last 3 weeks I have purchased 3 more teams for 1986 and those teams are all in season now.

In fact my Fantasy baseball teams are suffering while I pay much more attention to SOM. I can see the excitement for the 86' season is fading fast now so I will have to tackle 2007 next. When my free season ends I will be purchasing another team.

I am sure I am not the only one this happened for. Yes for a period of time FR ATG may have suffered due to everyone playing 86, but I am proof positive that their promotion did work for the long term growth.

Batter Up!!!!!

[pkwmati]

Excellent post Stone Walled. It sounds like you are exactly what TSN had in mind with the promotion.

Hopefully you'll try some of the other games as well at some point. All Time Great IV is coming soon. If you like the single season games 1969 is a lot of fun. Since you are a fantasy league player, you are probably quite familiar with the current players so you can give those a try. The mystery card games are a lot of fun too and provide even more of a challenge.

Keep your eyes on the message boards too. There are a lot of interesting theme ideas that get started around here.

I look forward to competing with you at some point.

[Phenomenal]

Thanks PM770, I appreciate the post. I plan to try a lot of different games and theme leagues. Hope we get n a league together at some point.

PS... I clinched a birth into the playoffs in my first league!!

[LMBombers]

StoneWalled, Check your private messages.