NTES – XY3 marketing

Back when NTES starts TX2’s open beta, one thing I criticize NTES the most is its apparent penny pinching on marketing. My last post on TX2 can be found here:

http://chinese-net-gaming-stock.blogspot.com/2007/05/ntes-tx2-progress-3-what-shall-ntes-do.html

TX2 would have been a minor (but still profitable) game if NTES would be willing to spend some marketing dollars.

I think NTES had learned its lessons. There is definitely much more marketing done for XY3 even before XY3 went open beta.

Its marketing may not be as successful as SOHU’s TLBB, but still they are major improvement over TX2.

The most significant promotional activities is the co-sponsoring deal with a ice cream maker. Buy ice cream cones and get a chance to play XY3 for free. See the following web site:

http://xy3.163.com/2007/dantong/

This deal is definitely not as exciting as the deal NCTY had with McDonald back when NCTY were promoting WOW. But this deal lasts from August this year to August 2008. So NTES is going for the long haul.

NTES’s marketing effort may still not be as good as that of SOHU or NCTY, but they are apparently improving.

In addition, I hope NTES can hires thousands of salesmen all over China to promote its products, much like what Baidu did for its search and Zhengtu did for its game.

Interestingly enough, NTES had stop most major marketing effort the last two weeks.

Considering XY3 is going to commercial operation this week, NTES’s marketing strategy can only be described as confusing.