The Future of Xbox Nation

[Imperial]

Dear Members (those still here at least),

It seems that once again, we are at a very slow period of forum usage. Despite best efforts at advertising through other forums, user-created groups, YouTube videos and even Google AdWords, it seems as though there has been any increase in the posting population of the website. So rather than continue to look at the same five to six individuals, I'm opening this to discussion.

Should Xbox Nation close its doors, shut down temporarily and re-open at a later time or attempt to press onward?

[GoCrzy]

I don't think we should shut down and re open, that will just drop us down on search engines. I don't see how that will help us.

I think we need to make a big push to get back members who don't post.

[GoCrzy]

Also, I think we should put together a team (or you can do it on your own Impy) to redesign the site. Not like completely, but a nice little reworking to improve the site and possibly get more people.

[Imperial]

A site overhaul and update is possible and may be considered as an alternative.

[GoCrzy]

Where is everyone?? This place like suddenly became a ghost town again. :\

[Nero Phoenix]

I know that I haven't been very active, I do have a lot of other things going on, but that is no excuse for my level of inactivity, I have been neglecting HN. Which is wrong of me because I want to support this place.

I suggest we bring on more staff, go round places like XFS and other places where we are known well and get some more people to help out doing reviews etc. We need to be more involved with forum games, both in the arcade and post based games (look at the sticky topics here for ideas), that sort of thing helps to keep members coming back. And while not strictly related to XN, you may want to look here here, that board helps to keep members coming back on my forum.

I think that XN should move away from the just the Xbox and move to encompass all gaming platforms, most of us here are PC gamers and members of PC gaming clans, it seems like a completely untapped resource that we are not exploiting. To get more members I think you should consider a merging with other communities. We should all go out and find other small communities like ours. Imp, you should then get together on MSN with their leaders (maybe in one big meeting) and then discuss the terms of a merger, to create a Gaming Nation or something.

I like the interactive aspect of site, but I am not against a redesign (less gray), but I guess that's a must if you go for the Gaming Nation idea. A cool splash page couldn't go a-miss, with flash animations etc, something eye-catching.

Finally I think we need to get XN involved in games more, when we have the proper member-base we need to hold XN tournaments, but until then I think we need to start challenging gaming clans and other gaming communities to matches to keep out member base active. We are all about the games, and it seems like XN is more about talking about games than actually playing games.

In that regard I would suggest setting up a new XN department, something like Achievement Hunter on Red Vs. Blue that shows how to get achievements, gives hints and tips and maybe even has a go at full walkthroughs.

We also need to get that newsletter up and running with the latest news on new games, new addons, new demos etc (the exciting stuff we all love) and it needs to be posted on the forums (so people and comment on it and discuss it) and it also needs to be sent via e-mail (with a link to the forum topic) to remind quasi-active members to keep coming back.

It shouldn't be shut down, if that happens then I don't think it will be coming back.

[Diego]

Ive been here, but i just havent been posting too much. But impy, if we do close down, that would make any possible members not come here and not want to if we do reopen. And if that happens, some of us who do post may not know when it reopens or even want to come back. So that wouldnt be too great of an idea.

[GoCrzy]

Yeah I like a lot of what Nero is saying. I have noticed that we haven't talked about gaming as much as we have been posting in the chat forum and non-gaming topic areas.

And yes, the newsletter is definitely my fault. I will be sure to get to work on that.

And as far as encompassing gaming as a whole, I have an idea. Site can be called GamerNation (or something...) and each game system can have its own seperate theme like the themes on RvB sort of (Ps3 Nation, Wii Nation, Xbox Nation, PC Nation, and possibly a Machinima Nation) and different fun things can be located on a certain theme pertaining to that system (like game arrangements, tournaments, contests, etc.). Then in the main Gamer Nation forum, we can have all the forums, and possibly add something new and exciting. I am not sure yet, maybe a webcomic, maybe more arcade games, i don't know.

But whatever we do, let's get on it!

[The Sentinel]

I think XBox Nation should carry on. I know I've been gone for a long time, but It needs to carry on.

[GoCrzy]

I also like the achievement hunter type idea. I am bored, so I am going to make a simple design.