Gods & Heroes goes solo

It’s old news by now that Perpetual has decided to publish its Gods & Heroes independently, and rely on SOE just for promotion and (I believe) hosting. As such, G&H won’t be on Station Pass.
Some games, like Pirates of the Burning Sea, are different enough that people who are not yet MMO gamers might be persuaded to try them — given the huge draw of the Pirates of the Carribean movies, which might have coattails long enough to carry both PotBS and the Pirates of the Carribean MMO itself, games aimed at different markets (gamers for the first, kids for the latter).
But G&H? Different story. Assuming they are planning on sticking with the $14.95/month subscription model, and assuming most gamers tend to play just one life-sucking MMO at a time, where are they getting their players?
WoW? WoW players play WoW. It’s what they do. They may stray but they always return.
EQ/EQ2/SWG/Vanguard/Matrix Online players? Well, you won’t get them without Station Pass. It’s just too pricey, and not just in money; in time too. And they’re getting PotBS and The Agency.
Guild Wars? The gameplay seems similar — collecting minions, choosing the best for each mission, small teams… but Guild Wars has no monthly fee. So sorry… not getting them.
Niche game players? The ones who drift from game to game, playing betas and using their free months but never really settling down? Yeah, for them you’ll be the flavor of the (free) month.
It’s not 1999. These days, you need an edge, a family, a… what the heck. You need a group. You’re trying to solo but you’re at the bottom of Old Sebilis and the frogloks are circling in. You left your group because you wanted all the loot for yourself.
Problem is, G&H is a niche game, and without some pretty innovative marketing (which you’re relying on SOE to do? Out of all the things SOE does, marketing is probably the worst.), and some pretty innovative subscription plans (“free” comes to mind, possibly limiting features like number of minions or something to those who pay), you’re dead in the water before you’ve even left the shore.
 

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