GTL: Gamers vs Developers – The Eternal Tug of War
By Twin Galaxies Editorial Staff ·
From Electronic Arts to Niantic, developers give in to gamer's demands in EA Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and Pokémon GO. Plus, Sega plays nice with fans and finds success. When it comes to game developers and impassioned gamers, who really knows best?
On this episode of Game Talk Live, host Mandie Roman talks with panellists about communication in game development, and the key role it plays when managing the expectations of fans, as well as the recent contest partnership between NBC and Unity. Joining her in the discussion is NerdCulture journalist Keia McCarty, Ray Carsillo of Machinima, and Hyper RPG's Malika Lim.
Starting off the show, the panel talks about the big problems that occur when fans are disappointed in a game or game developer. The panel discusses how game developers can differentiate between a loud minority, and a larger, unhappy player base, as well as the different ways issues can be handled. The discussion turns to the difference in community management now that Social Media plays such a huge role in everyday life, and the positives and negatives this can have on individual game developers.
“Before #socialmedia, fans never had a direct channel to #devs…It’s definitely made it easier for more vocal..members of any community to voice their displeasure in a variety of ways." -@RayCarsillo
— GameTalkLive (@GameTalkLive) April 6, 2018
Watch: https://t.co/UuomzCEVDj#gamedevelopment #GameDesign #videogames pic.twitter.com/8O9YDdD9iI
The panel then looks at whether game developers both reveal too much, and don’t reveal enough. The discussion centres on situations in which various game developers have perhaps been feeding too much into the hype of a game, and the different ways in which players react to news that comes out of studios. The panel looks at the need for developers to balance what they reveal, so they don’t misconstrue what their games final product will be about.
"...people expect that [#beta is] not going to be the entire #game. When it ends up being that, it’s hard not to end up disappointed. Especially when you end up not fixing a lot of the problems from the #betaphase." -@RayCarsillo
— GameTalkLive (@GameTalkLive) April 6, 2018
Watch: https://t.co/UuomzCEVDj pic.twitter.com/TCxgKDElDn
The panel then talks about the need for education in the gaming community, particularly around what the different stages of a games development are. The discussion also looks at what game developers need to reveal to the gaming press, in order to better express what their vision for the game is. The topic is expanded with a look at the ways game developers can encourage happy fans to leave positive reviews, rather than just expecting the unhappy fans to leave criticisms.
"I think that there's a real distinct gap in knowledge between #developers, the general public, and the press...It's like a #game of telephone...The less we know as press, the less the public will know." -@RayCarsillo
— GameTalkLive (@GameTalkLive) April 6, 2018
Watch Live: https://t.co/UuomzCEVDj#GamersUnite pic.twitter.com/FMijjdhVPj
The panel then moves to discuss micro-transactions, and their effect on the gaming landscape. With the recent backlash to the concept in games such as Star Wars: Battlefront 2, GTL looks at whether we will ever see an end to micro-transactions, as well as what gamers can do to voice their concerns.
"I cannot stress how much I hate #microtransactions...it completely puts you off of games from that company! I don't think I will ever buy another #Battlefront #game!" -@markeiamccarty
— GameTalkLive (@GameTalkLive) April 6, 2018
Watch Live: https://t.co/UuomzCEVDj pic.twitter.com/ks5MhxxSig
The topic then switches to a recent contest partnership between NBC and Unity, where fans can work with existing IP’s to create content. The panel looks at whether this is a good thing for content creators, or just a marketing tool for NBC. The panel also discusses the make-up of the judging panel, and whether they would make any changes.
"Learning how to make #games is so expensive. It's so technical. Unless you have an education & money, you don't get to join this community. #Gamers are such a diverse group, but #developers are not at all." -@hello_malika
— GameTalkLive (@GameTalkLive) April 6, 2018
Watch Live: https://t.co/UuomzCEVDj#GameCreation #dev pic.twitter.com/VKliJsMEIy
Finally, the panel talks about the recent decision by Epic Games to release their assets onto the marketplace, for use by fans and content creators. The panel discusses whether this is a good thing for other game developers to do, as well as any issues that may arise from this.
Game Talk Live has wrapped up for today, but you can see the episode in its entirety in the video above. Be sure to check out the previous episode, where panellists discuss understanding South Korea’s Esports Dominance.