Growing the Hobby!

[mark robin]

the games that are played in comic book stores and board game stores usually dont have people that were interested in football. i say , get back to family oriented sports themed resturaunts/bars, where kids are there in the daytime. set up in malls, even smaller stripmalls. boys clubs, scout troops. afterschool programs. churches. or even, in your on driveway, or a buddy's driveway that has a lot of traffic. put up a sign, saying something about...

"stop here, take a look at mini football".

public libraries-their media rooms.

police /fire departments...cops and firemen have kids and generally like sports.

[NATIONAL]

Try to get in contact with the local sports radio host. Sometimes they are looking for something outside the box.
In the mall there is always a sporting goods store, ask them if you can set up an exhibit of miniature football. Make sure you have on some football jerseys. Make sure you buy something from the store!

The game has to be shown in the light of guys having fun. You get two characters playing each other, and you will get people excited! A fast pace rule set will help as well.
Youtube & facebook are great venues to use to put the word out there as well. The MFCA is working on something with a committee, so help is on the way


Nat'l

[Megawattz]

Until the image of "Elec trick football" is revamped & packaged for the 2010 audience itll never happen. Whats needed is a marketing campaign unlike any seen before, an all in 1 modern game, with bases that perform off the sprue, with the new look boards & figs. Remember were competing with video games, unlike when we were young. so a better ? would be how do we attract the youth of today.

[artlax]

we have a wide range of people to see MF at The Toy Wiz - as "The French Guy" stated - guys who do build, paint, customize and still nothing. And it is not just kids - nearly every age group is represented in this place.

But since you guys offered these ideas - how many new guys (not kids) have you attracted to the hobby using the techniques you suggest? And are they still in the hobby?

[hennedup]

Im new to the game but I will say one of the big hurdles to over come is the cost. Once somebody gets interested they find out how much it cost to get teams and bases and boards and they lose interest very fast.

Tony

[wayneinsf]

Mega nailed it "an all in 1 modern game, with bases that perform off the sprue, with the new look boards & figs." With today's youth you need a fast paced, easy to play and fun version. I hear all the resistance to use a bigger football da pill which could make passing easier from coach's and that's cool if your a so called pro. But for the beginner lets make it as easy to play as possible and shorten the game. I think with all the the sports fantasy leagues we could attract a few and when ever I take a EF team to a Raiders game in Oakland I get offers to sell and general interest at the game from fans who still think of the way it was. They are blown away with today's version.

[Megawattz]

If "EF" was a car itll be a "Model T" Ford as far as the public is concerned, if u went to the showroom & all they had was "Model T's" youll walk out. Until its brought to the Public in the "Sport Class" version it wont happen, there has to be a driving force other than History, that History is failing us in 2010. There has to be a sanctioned league or something to add credability & someway to bring it to the public as its played today not yesterday. Sorry fellas we have to shed the old, not in personal preference but in the publics eyes as a ligitimate sport/hobby unlike chess or monopoly, lets face it its still a board game.

[5-13 Studios]

Mmmmm, Model T's are far too collectible and cool to people. I know what you're saying though, Bruce. I just think that it may be more along the lines of the AMC Pacer, rather than the Model T. There is a lot of truth, however, in what you say about a massive overhaul of the image of the hobby. It happened with Dungeons and Dragons, it has happened with many of the classic board games that we grew up with. They were all revamped and modernized, while keeping the integrity of the original game intact.

What Mark Robin says has truth to it as well, a lot of the hobby-type shop goers are not football geeks.

I don't have much as far as answers, I just think that at times, we tend to want to rely on the "nostalgia" of the game to bring people back who use to play, rather than paying enough attention to "modernizing" the game, to bring the new players in.

[mantaraydre]

FIRST OFF,

megawatz hit the nail on the head. WE MUST MOVE FOWARD !
History may mean a lot to us who were there back then and to those who are just curious. But if you want a new coach who just cares about playing football, history is not his top priority. i have said this several times in the past. WE LIVE IN A WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY WORLD.
Those flowers you brought your loved ones wont last a month. Let alone be remembered in 3. Must keep the ef relationship alive with constant doing and renewing.

STYLE AND STYLES.

Imagine you cut on the tv AND ON EVERY CHANNEL THERE IS A FOOTBALL GAME. You watch part of a game and switch channels . On every channel they are playing a different style of the game. Eventually you will be confused as to what your watching. THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE IN THIS HOBBY.

**THE MFCA AS AN ASSOCIATION MUST DEVELOP 1 UNIVERSAL STYLE THAT IS PLAYED ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. Where someone like the french guy to mike pratt have the EXACT SAME RULESET AND UNDERSTANDS IT 1 BILLION PERCENT. Once that is understood, only then can the MFCA begin AN ENTIRE NEW MARKETING SCHEME.

From there, that 1 particular style will be promoted throughout as the OFFICIAL RULES of the MFCA. This ruleset must be placed in a main category on the MFCA website AND ALL OTHER LEAGUES AND RULES BE PLACED IN A SEPARATE SUB CATEGORY.

The MFCA must make the transition to promoting its own rules and creating al league a little different than the MFCAL.

I think the MFCA should create a page here like the pages on leaguedaddy with a quite different chatboard than what we have here. ALTHOUGH THE CHATBOARD WE HAVE IN PLACE WILL REMAIN THE SAME OFCOURSE.

TEAMS

what is killing us as a whole is the dependance on creating NFL and college teams. With that said, there will always be a roadblock in terms of serious promotion due to fear the NFL or NCAA will terminate our operation.

Madden has the kids. the NFL has madden. WE CANT CRACK THAT RIGHT NOW. WE MUST STAND ON OUR OWN AND SHOW THE WORLD WE CAN DO SOME THING ALSO. But it seems no one can break away from the NFL EXPERIENCE EXCEPT THE national high voltage league. What must be understood, we create our own, we market our own. You already have the figures and bases, YOU CANT MAKE YOUR OWN TEAM ? coaches have nine thousand ideas on how rules should be but you cant think of a team to make that you can call your own ?

Look at the canadian league, look at the arena football league. MAKE YOUR OWN TEAM. Each team can be the

1)MFCA YOUR TEAM NAME

2)MFCA YOUR TEAM NAME.

EACH TEAM WILL BE BILLED LIKE THIS.

Until all of this is done, then we can create videos, flyers and other promo adds. We must start a nationwide campaign with flyers and posters to promote our league and assoc. The campaign can take us many places like
a presidential campaign. WE MUST TARGET THE SPORTS BARS IN EVERY REGION WITH FLYERS. WE CAN PAY A SMALL FEE FOR SOME OF THE SMALLER ONES TO HANG POSTER ADDS IN THERE WINDOW.

Sports bars are jammed packed every weekend with die hard football fans.
Madden has 90% of the kids attention who ilk football. WE MUST CATER TO THE FOOTBALL FAN OUR AGES.

It all works hand and hand but it will never fly until we create our own INDENTITY. Wouldn't it be a lot more personal if you created your own team. Football will not be less if it is not an NFL team. The canadians are quite happy with there league. I saw the NFL NETWORK will show some canadian games this week.

***You will always have our other leagues and NFL/NCAA TEAMS. BUT THE MFCA MUST MAKE THE TRANSITION INTO FLYING ON THERE OWN.

What is the reason you will not create your own team ?
ALSO, PLEASE STOP SAYING FANTASY TEAMS. I DONT SEE ANYBODY DAYDREAMING. THIS IS REALITY AS WE KNOW IT.
Where is the fantasy if you actually make the team.
If i fantasized about going out with pam anderson on monday and went out with her on friday. IS IT STILL A FANTASY OR DID IT HAPPEN ?


MAKE YOUR TEAM SO WE CAN GET TO WORK

MANTARAYDRE

[the french guy]

Remember were competing with video games, unlike when we were young

I'm not sure we really compete with these. See people playing roleplaying games, or tabletop wargames : they can play the same games on a PC or console. But they still play with real persons, figures, etc...

Playing tabletop wargames demands involvement (learning complex rules), money (building the armies) and time (painting figures and creating landscape). So I believe that MF is not a "ready to play out of the box" game is not such a big issue.

the games that are played in comic book stores and board game stores usually dont have people that were interested in football.

that is an issue If people is the same in USA than Europe (and I believe, we're significantly the same). Someones knows that I'm hardly trying to build a league an "in real life" interest for MF here in France.

I remember one guy, playing a fantasy (orcs, gobelins, elves, etc...) tabletop football game, saying me (more or less) "I don't understand the interest to play a game with normal athletes when I can play dragons and vampires". I answered : "why people are playing WW2 wargames or build model railroad ? There is not dragons too". The guy agreed, but stills not interested in our game.

Then, I tried to touch football audience (people on football forums, etc...) : they think the game is interesting and beautiful, but since they are interested in sports and not at all modelling or tabletop gaming, they don't want to give a try.

The wargaming community is the way to go I'm telling you. I have personally introduced the hobby to many by demoing with Reg. at wargaming conventions. Most all the attendees are amazed at our hobby. Some have even gotten involved.

I still think we'll find more people, probably not the younger, in wargaming world. I recently found a guy here in France, in my aera, playing pirates tabletop games (!), and a lot of other things (creating figures, scenery, slotcars, resin, etc...). I have to meet him in the next weeks. If he 's hooked by the game, believe me you'll be impressed by his talent


WHy "probably not the younger" ? Because as I said, I believe we're all the same. I played rugby when I was a teenager, then I grow up and sport interest became embarassing. I started to meet other people, playing role playing game, listening heavy metal and stop to cut my hair

But now, with some the same friends I had, we meet to see rugby games, or even football games (season opening, superbowl, etc...).


The youngest in wargaming are also often "hooked" by a wargame brand, and will not watch out other ones. Then, growing up, they will play more "underground" games (pirates, uchrony, etc...), or more serious games (historical games).

What is the reason you will not create your own team ?
ALSO, PLEASE STOP SAYING FANTASY TEAMS. I DONT SEE ANYBODY DAYDREAMING. THIS IS REALITY AS WE KNOW IT.

Funny you're speaking about that. I had the same thinking recently. My Giants team will probably the last NFL team I'll do for me. The next ones will be fantasy (meaning my own team, my own franchise, etc...) or french elite football oriented.



edit : last thing : when you demo to wargamers, use passing simulation instead of ttqb. BELIEVE ME, as a former wargamer and totally beginner, real passing is something wich can annihilate your efforts

Passing sticks are very similar to wargamer rulers. Making wargaming people more confortable.