28 January 2011

The Future of GrogNews

Happy belated New Year everyone!

So I'm sure you've noticed that some of our regular weekly features have started to slow down. With the new year comes some new beginnings, and real life has started to intrude on the velocity with which we've been able to do things here at GrogNews.

Additionally, looking at the links and metrics for the site, we're seeing a definitely disconnect between our occasional polls asking for feedback on features and article, and the actual blog traffic showing where people are going on the site.

So we want to put it to you the readers. Please chime in with some comments on what you want from us. We've focused thus far on a combination of current military events, and military-based reference material like orders of battle and maps, with the occasional whimsy of the humor and videos thrown in.

What this hasn't left a lot of time for is the game-related material we were hoping to build on here at GrogNews. We really wanted to talk a lot more about how current events and modern hardware could tie into a variety of game-related contexts, and that just hasn't happened. I will take the biggest hit on that one, as the rest of the staff here has tended to follow my lead on game-related material, and I'd been wanting to do a lot more with the C2E2 than has happened thus far (I blame you Brian! hahaha)...

So talk to us. You can post anonymously here, but it'd be nice to know at least where you're from / how long you've been reading here. Tell us what you'd like to see, and what you'd not like to see. Are you into the photo galleries? Are you into the maps? ORBATs? Headlines? Have we discontinued something you really enjoyed, like the museum articles?

Until we get some feedback from y'all, we're limited on which way we can choose to go.


By: Brant

9 comments:

madmaxusmc said...

I come here for two principal reasons: your game industry links and any military news you post that I can't find on the other sites I check. Don't care for the videos. The maps are nice, as are the ORBATs, but they don't bring me back. More game-related articles would be great, but I realize you're busy and will take what I can get. Keep up the good work!

Per said...

Well, I am a new subscriber.Originally lured here by a link from the Real and Simulated Wars blog regarding the battle of Wanat. But I must admit so far this article and the ORBATs are the only really interesting part of Grognews for me.
One thing I would like to see disappear, is the posts with just one picture and a line of text. They don´t really provide me with anything useful.

Anonymous said...

I am here for largely the same reasons as madmaxusmc above listed. I'd like to see more game-related content too (boardgames-related, not computer). Your selection of links on the lefthand side is great!

gabeeg said...

I came here hoping for a game blog and now frequent it for military news and articles. I do wish there were more grog game articles in the mix. I would be a more frequent visitor than I already am.

Unknown said...

I have visited a few times, and I must admit, I did forget to bookmark your site, and I only remember when Brant at ConsimWorld mentions you, but I do enjoy all what you do. I do like the OOB, maps and current military articles.
I think going into the gaming would be a good idea, but do not make it your main subject

Unknown said...

I should add i have now bookmarked your site :-)

Brant said...

So there's been some conversation over at wargamer.com about what to do with the site.

My last statement over there was:

OK - so obviously we're looking to increase some of the wargame content.

Thoughts on what you'd want to read about?

Something like the Tuesday Interviews we ran for a while?

Here's what I *don't* want:
- reviews that talk about the same thing every other review talks about: graphics, rules, gameplay, rinse/repeat... there are already enough of these sites.
- too many developer features about their upcoming games... again - I don't want to cut into other people's work, especially if they're doing it better than we would (like Battles Magazine - freakin' awesome and you should *totally* check it out!)
- scenarios for too many historical games - we're trying to cover current events and conflicts

Here's what I would like to see, but I am time- and resource-constrained:
- Game graphics... I *love* showing off good game graphics
- scenarios for modern-era games, especially if you can base them on current events
- maps of current-event locations, converted to a game map
- analysis of current events with a game context
- forward progress on C2E2
- doctrine or operations-related content, kind of like my old Battle Lab / and current Warfare Affair columns
- comparisons of how different games model the same weapons, effects, practices, units, etc.


Using those ideas as a way to scope this discussion, who's got what suggestions along these lines?

And/Or - who's got ideas/suggestions for non-game-related content?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

so, with that as some guidance... what next? what do y'all think?

Brant said...

RO - FWIW, I am the same Brant as over at CSW :)

Unknown said...

BRANT - I thought you were the same Brant.
I agree 100% on your last comment, as I do think that current events are very much overlooked