#sponsorsimnationradio

Da_Czar is gonna kill me for this.

SO BE IT.

There are worse fates than dying for a worthy cause. Its often that those who are deserving of a thing (whatever that thing is) have too much honor to politic for it themselves, so those of us who know the difference between Average and Outstanding must do it. So this post is directed at the decision makers at 2K Sports, so I hope they have the opportunity to lay eyes on it. Not so long after the the 2K Community TeamUp program was announced, Chris Manning tweeted a question asking 2K fans what things could be done to enhance the community. I've got the perfect one...lets #sponsorsimnationradio. Those who know me are fully aware of my admiration for everything Czar does for the community. In addition to being an entertaining, but critical-when-necessary voice, he's knowledgeable, and has interacted with developers at 2K to contribute to improving the game. What he's best known for (his offensive and defensive tutorials) are simply the stuff of legend for many players trying to improve their NBA2K game. Few were also aware that he also gave up his spot in the 2K TeamUp program so that other guys could go see some of 2Ks offerings. I shouldn't have to tell you how how big that is.


And what would #sponsoringsimnationradio cost you anyway? While Czar will probably need a trailer/entourage/six-figure salary/half of ad revenue and makeup people (just jokes, Czar...bet you can't mute me now, eh?) most of the panel members will do it for free early copies of the game and a slushy. In a nutshell, to sponsor and promote Czar's radio show would be a great, sincere way to partner, interact and even GROW the 2K Community to unheard of levels.

The Sim Nation Radio show is also perfect in the sense that its pre-packaged and ready to go. It doesn't need development, nurturing or a major campaign to create a following. It already has that. Anything you add to it in terms of promotion will send its popularity through the stratosphere. As a matter of fact, here are a few reasons I think its to your advantage to #sponsorsimnationradio.

Have Foresight - Let's not kid ourselves, Czar is a commodity. Bringing him into an official capacity on the 2K team is to your advantage. Let's not act like both EA and 2K don't know the influence he holds in this community. FACT: He has already been to both companies to view their products early. Most importantly, NBA Live appears to be in preparations to rebuild their brand. They know reaching out to the Sim community has to be a focus. Their community efforts are well-known among the hardcore. If you don't think they'll run with an idea like this you're fooling yourselves. As much as we'd like to believe NBA Live couldn't throw enough money at Czar to get him on the team, cash has a way of moving mountains. Do you really want to see The Sim Nation radio show hosted by EA Sports with a big-time NBA Live slant a la Fox News? ME EITHER. Be the first to pull the trigger--you'll thank me later.

The Illuminati Factor - In every industry there are a small group of people that not only have the pulse of the buying community, but set the trends and are a voice for the things that need to be added or fixed. These power-brokers must be harnessed at all costs. The Sim Nation panel is such a group. Need proof? Look no further than NBA Live's $19.99 price-point that was first discussed on no other than the Sim Nation Radio show. FACT: When the NBA Live team wanted to make a new announcement about adding a member of the Sim Community to their team they did it on the radio show. As a matter of fact, some might even say that NBA Live Game Designer Scott O'Gallagher is a graduate of the Sim Nation Radio Show, and that Czar already has a coaching tree a la Bill Walsh, so to speak. Its no longer a secret that the show influences the decisions of both brands and their customers. Benefit from this or Suffer as a result of not doing it. CHOOSE.

Developer Interaction - If there's a better place for developers to call in during the year to share official/unofficial news and also listen to community concerns i've yet to hear of it. Imagine a place where guys like Rob Jones and Beluba could pop in from time to time to get the community excited about new ideas or alleviate concerns. No fishing through thousands of forum posts, no calling corporate to complain. Simply listening live or to a recorded podcast for loads of great info, easy right?

Community Creation - Imagine the legions of 2K players that would have the opportunity to call in to voice their opinions on hot-button issues if there was a recognized place they could hear about NBA 2K. The chance to get news straight from the developers or guys like Ronnie 2K or Chris Manning? WOW. Social media has only touched the surface of forming this community. Do something OFFICIAL.

Well as always, that's my two cents. Its up to you guys now. Hopefully you'll see the radio show's value. To those of us who know how important this type of community interaction is? Lets put our hashmarks where our money is and think of some witty and creative ways to trend this topic as soon as you read this. We all know Czar deserves it and it'll only make the game better. #sponsorsimnationradio