How Can Game Developers Improve Gamer Involvement? 29
TimCrider asks: "TeamXBOX is running an editorial about how console game developers can get the gaming communities more involved in the games themselves. Does anyone have any suggestions on how console developers can help build a gaming community?"
SDK's (Score:4, Interesting)
Oh and FIRST POST
Tecmo: How not to encourage a fan community (Score:5, Interesting)
Conversely Bungee love their community, would we have Red vs Blue if Tecmo had made it I wonder? Bungee is an example of how to do communities right, as they support and encourage what people do. Heck they even offer advice to game modders on how to do things. I just boycott Tecmo games now on the principle that they do not allow modding, I should have the right to do whatever I want with software I've bought.
I tried making that point here [1up.com] but the asshole guy who wrote the article edited and deleted my posts because he only likes feedback that agrees with him... Perhaps I take a leaf from Tecmo's book and sue him for modding my posts?
Give people things to talk about .. (Score:3, Interesting)
Quit thinking of games as if they're anything less than modern literature. Books have their lessons; if you want to develop a game people talk about and form communities around, read a few more books
X.M.L. is not the key (Score:2, Interesting)
The first of all and this one is absolutely necessary is, making a good game. No matter how hard you try you can not build a community around a bad game. I'm sure developers never try and make a game that they think will be bad just for the sake of getting that quick buck before the gamers realize that the game sucks. But if you have a bad game you will not be able to make a good community around it.
To have a strong community you would have to give users the ability to feel unique. If everyone comes away from a game with the exact same experience there isn't much to talk about. This is difficult because it means you need to implement custom items in the game or multiple plot lines or things of that sort. In general those are all items that will increate the development time of a game significantly.
For online game you could add an in game feature that can give recognition to players for something. This has to be more then a simple top 10 list of who killed the most what. If someone accomplishes something have it mean more then a name on a chart or a badge you can wear in the game. Like implementing an in game newspaper written from the stand point of a character talking about other players. City of heroes is doing something a little like this. They send out a comic to the city of heroes members and in the comic are characters that players have made and fan art people have drawn. Giving someone something to shoot for and talk about other then mindless level grinding can go a long way.
Really in the end there are many things that can be done to increase community, most of it just comes down to the game. The game must be fun unique and competitive to have a good community. Just using X.M.L. like the editorial said will not make a big difference
No, thanks (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:In a word: Don't. (Score:2, Interesting)
Well.... (Score:3, Interesting)
2) Testing. Demo disks of new games. Must be fully playable, must be a complete level. If we like it we will tell you. If we don't, we won't tell you unless you ask us. Put a BIG banner in the demo at the end that lets people win a prize if they come up with the best suggestion or whatever.
3) Feedback. After you release a game, go looking for those sites that list "I wish game X had Y" and IMPLEMENT IT in the sequel/next patch. READ THE OFFICIAL FORUMS FOR THE GAME and take people seriously rather than having your own agenda for what goes into the sequel/next game.
4) Movement. Keep changing the game, the stuff that's in it, don't take stuff out that works, ask for opinions, release smaller updates (with things like XBoxLive now, there's no excuse not to have regular, massive patches... think Steam... I buy Half Life 2 on console and when I've just completed it, bang! I get a free upgrade mod like CS:Source or something). Keep showing me what the game can do in new and interesting ways.
5) Modifications. Let me download mods - again with XBox live and similar systems there's nothing to stop "those in the know" from being able to download an SDK that you put out for the game, develop some sort of mod with it and then UPLOAD IT where anyone with the console and a suitable net connection can then DOWNLOAD IT and play it. Yes, you'll be cut completely out of the customer experience by this but they will love your game and you can buy up the best mods later (think Counterstrike). This extends to things like nude patches, new skins, new sounds etc. (don't worry... if you're not creating them yourself, you won't get sued like Rockstar did over the GTA mod)
6) Online play - players will create their own communities without you, but at least it's better than people just never talking about the game because they can't play it with their mates.
Those are just suggestions. Everything else is just minor details, like the technicalities of having a forum where people can rave about your game.
Re:Give people things to talk about .. (Score:3, Interesting)
games are a form of literature.
Build a better GAME (Score:2, Interesting)
Console developers only know how to do two things in games: Objectify women, and ... no wait, that's all.
If you want to get people interested in some sort of community, you need to stop selling soft porn and start selling a game that you play, not one that you watch.
Aside from that, console games are almost always linear, there's no replay value, no depth, it's just another "Super Mario" with T&A. Start making games like Morrowind on consoles and you'll get a community. Add flexibility, require the gamer to think, and stop insulting my intelligence.