What percentage of people in North America have heard of the Mikasa or Tirpitz?

[Martin_NC]

I have been a fan of Naval History since I was a pre-teen. I have been gaming off and on (mostly on) since the early 90s.

 

I heard about World of Tanks when it was in closed beta. I heard about WoWS before it started Alpha. People like me (and probably you), know about games like this before they ship.

 

I read the dev post that said they are timing the release of the Mikasa and Tirpitz to coincide with a WGNA marketing push. So apparently they think that there are tons of people out there in NA that  1) are Naval history buffs, 2) are avid gamers, 3) have never heard about WoWS and 4) will be on the fence about WoWS unless these premiums are released at the same time they hear about it.

 

Makes sense.

 

Seriously, I think this is a great example of why WG games never really take off in NA.

 

And for those who will flame me for yet another whine about not getting the Tirpitz I will point out I have no interest in Tirpitz or Mikasa. I just find this decision to be odd and interesting enough for discussion. Will people exposed to this glorious marketing campaign be less interested if the mikasa has been in game for a month or two than if it is newly released?

 

If you are a success in Russia, people say you are a success in Russia.

If you are a success in The EU, people say you are a success in the EU.

If you are a success in America, people say you are a success.

 

 

[Fast_Battleship_Iowa]

I'd heard both the names before, but never knew much about the ships themselves until I did some research (because of their introduction). Poor Tirpitz had a sad career...

[Lert]

 

If you are a success in Russia, people say you are a success in Russia.

If you are a success in The EU, people say you are a success in the EU.

If you are a success in America, people say you are a success.

 

 

If you are a success in Russia, people americans say you are a success in Russia.

If you are a success in The EU, people americans say you are a success in the EU.

If you are a success in America, people americans say you are a success.

 

FTFY.

[EricT2015]

I'm sure plenty of Americans have heard about the Tirptiz and Bismarck. Thank the Discovery and History Channels.

[Guest]

Heard of them back here, Quite interesting warships both of them, though the first one has higher levels of general interest. 

[donaldEpott]

Since I have had my Tirpitz I have seen a lot of people asking what the Tirpitz is. there are a few people around who dont know what the Tirpitz is.

[IronWolfV]

Heard of the Tirpitz since forever. Misaka, not so much. Russo-Japanese war, skimmed a bit but not my Forte.

[suleiman71]

Known about both of them for a while... can't say a long time because I'm very young.

[DemonsofRazgriz]

I've heard of the Bismark and Tirpitz but not the Mikasa

[Crucis]

To be fair, I think that the Tirpitz would be less well know than the Bismark.

[Geek_Girl]

Been reading history books since 1980 and know all about the Tirpitz and Mikasa..wish people knew more about the history of this little glorious ship that still afloat today.

[suleiman71]

To be fair, I think that the Tirpitz would be less well know than the Bismark.

 

Of course, because it didn't do anything significant. 

 

All the girls love Bismarck, while Tirpitz is the lonely one in the corner of the dance hall. 

[Guardian54]

Look, given the fact that presidential speeches are written at a Grade 7 level because that's the reading ability of the average American, I doubt many people know anything about history here.

 

Of course, most people rich enough to buy at WG prices should know about these ships, but still...

 

Many Americans don't even know why the Arizona Memorial is called that, and many more guess that it is in Arizona.

[6Xero9]

I knew about the Bismarck-class BBs for about 7-8 years now. Mainly because the European part of WWII has always held my interest,

[Carrier_Taiyo]

I knew all about the Tirpitz. I had to be told what the Mikasa was.

 

 

[Seraphil]

Honestly, if the average someone in the USA knew even something about WWII, it'd be one of the following:

 

- Pearl Harbor

- Nazis/Hitler are bad

- Pearl Harbor

- D-Day

- Pearl Harbor

- The Iwo Jima Flag

- Pearl Harbor

- "In Soviet Russia" jokes

- Hiroshima bombing

- Think I forgot something... oh right, Pearl Harbor

 

I guarantee you if you mention Enterprise the response would be "Star Trek?"

[Nuk_]

I've known about them for a while, I had a strange interest in ships and naval history as a child.

[Cowcharge]

Gimme a friggin' break with the America bashing, if you would. I'm not that familiar with the Mikasa, sorry. But I built a motorized model of the Tirpitz back around 1976. And I can find any damn place you can name on a map, solve quadratic equations, and write better than damn near every one of you. So stuff your superiority complexes, please.

[Caucasian_Fury]

I've known about the Tirpitz since elementary school when I first read about the Bismarck in Grade 7 so we're talking over 20 years.

 

Mikasa's a bit newer to me, maybe just about a dozen years, didn't read up on or study the Russo-Japanese War till much later.

 

Speaking from Canada BTW.

[Vaidency]

The Russo-Japanese war happened over a hundred years ago and did not in any way involve America.  It's hardly surprising that most Americans would know little or nothing about it.  It's not taught at all in our schools, except maybe for some passing mention of the fact that Japan won and this heralded both the declining power of Imperial Russia and the ascension of Japan (both of which became more relevant to American history years later.)  As far as actually knowing the name of the flagship of the Japanese fleet?  The only Americans who would know that are military history buffs who specifically studied the events of the war, and those, I'm sure, are very rare.

 

The Tirpitz is probably a different story.  It's a minor but interesting piece of WW2 trivia, and many people in America love WW2 trivia.  I'm sure a large percentage of Americans who'd be naturally interested in this game have at least heard of it.

[WhimsicalPacifist]

Honestly, if the average someone in the USA knew even something about WWII, it'd be one of the following:

 

- Pearl Harbor

- Nazis/Hitler are bad

- Pearl Harbor

- D-Day

- Pearl Harbor

- The Iwo Jima Flag

- Pearl Harbor

- "In Soviet Russia" jokes

- Hiroshima bombing

- Think I forgot something... oh right, Pearl Harbor

 

I guarantee you if you mention Enterprise the response would be "Star Trek?"

 

^^This.  My highschool's Progressive teachings on World War 2 focused predominately on Women and African Americans apart from the mentioned points.

 

I by no means wish to malign the social issues, but the naval engagements and the struggles of other countries were not focal points.  The effectiveness of strategic bombing was not discussed/debated.  The Holocaust was featured, but Stalin's Purges/gulags, the Japanese biological warfare and warcrimes were passed over.

 

The only reason I know Mikasa and Tirpitz is because my Grandfather took me to the North Carolina and gave me a small library.