Dan E Gray Designer & Community Manager

The Gaming Industries Retreat from their Fans

A disturbing new trend is developing in the MMO gaming industry in regards to developers and community manager's − a noticeable and marked retreat from their fans.

It's become more prevalent that community manager's are less interactive with their communities and have turned into a simple marketing tool. It's become almost common knowledge that a developer is simply there to code and meet that impossible deadline, rather then loving a game and participating with their fellow gamers. I don't believe this is the fault of the CM's or developer's themselves, but rather that companies want a tighter control over their message. With that control comes scripted messages, dissenting opinions silenced or marginalized... all the while telling their community that it's for our own good. It's done under the guise that they are providing a clearer message, that they are focusing their communication with fans.