Warhammer Online moved from Closed Beta to Open Beta this weekend, and Goa, Mythic’s longtime European partners, had servers that melted under the stress.
Apparently, European Warhammer players were unhappy about this. Warhammer is Quite A Big Deal in Europe, and the players who couldn’t, well, play, were quite miffed. The newest Warhammer blogger, especially, blamed the Internet.
Why do some people feel it is okay to threaten, curse, abuse and be downright hostile to other people over a game, especially in this case when it is only over access to a game that is still in testing (Open Beta Test = Not Yet Ready For Prime Time Players)? While I’ve become quite cynical over the decades, I still find myself amazed at times at certain people’s reactions to stuff like this. I don’t mind when people get upset but to treat other people in such a callous, mean and immature manner is really a bit much. Again, it’s not the complaints I mind and nor am I excusing GOA or Mythic when we mess up but to apparently take things like this so personally is just hard for me to understand even though I know that most of the very hateful things are being said just for effect. However, I’ve worked with online communities for a long time and I do know that some of what was being said around the ‘Net was really coming from people’s hearts. I won’t quote any of it here, since doing so would simply encourage more of it, but I would ask anyone who said those kinds of things and who reads this blog to look at yourself in the mirror and ask how you would like it if you were treated this way in the real world? Are you really the kind of person who thinks it’s socially acceptable to threaten people just because you are having problems with a game? Are you and your life so perfect that you don’t have your own issues or make your own mistakes?
First off, one quibble – when you start an “Open Beta Test” one week before a game’s release? If it’s not yet ready for prime time, even bad SNL references won’t save you. Let’s be honest here – this isn’t a beta test. The game’s locked down (at least it had better be), and you’ve moved to a marketing preview/encouragement of pre-order sales. Once you let effectively anyone who wants to kick the tires and light the fires of your game, it had better be ready for prime time, because that is what your early adopters are looking to test – and badly managed open betas strangled any number of games stillborn. You don’t get the “but it’s still in testing!” excuse when you open the floodgates, any more than you get the “but it just launched!” excuse a week later.
More to the point, Mark is apparently rediscovering the joys of Internet discourse, where “aww, is poor widdle baby butthurt?” is considered a witty riposte. I can only conclude that he wasn’t paying attention during, you know, every single other MMO launch. I especially remember in the year after DAOC’s launch, as the DC sniper was stalking the local gas stations, our helpful wonderful players were wonderfully helpfully suggesting that people forward the shooter pictures of Mythic employees. You know, so he would know where to aim. I’m not sure what provoked this strong desire for us to all DIE. I seem to dimly remember something about clerics. Or maybe it was archers. Whatever, it was certainly cause for us to be shot.
My point isn’t that this sort of psychopathy should be excused, or even really expected. I don’t even really think it’s limited to MMOs, or computer gaming. I would, in fact, argue that in the past couple of decades, public discourse in general has become “smashmouth“. You don’t just run the ball, you run it straight down their throats and make them CHOKE on it. You don’t debate your opponents – you BREAK them. Civilized discourse is for the WEAK.
As our national – no, make that global community deals with disagreements through the strategy of smashmouth, why should our micro-community be any different? After all, if someone disagrees with you, the response isn’t merely to respond, but to respond EN MASSE, SHOUT THEM DOWN, AND DESTROY THEIR WILL TO RESPOND. Every campaign has a War Room, every public relations firm a Rapid Response Team, every challenge has to be responded to the same day in a blizzard of paper, every natural disaster an occasion to dump bad news. So how do you make yourself heard in such a microtrend-plotted environment? You amp up the volume. You say something outrageous so it stands out in the storm of thousands of responses, all demanding some sort of response or recognition. And having the President of the company complain about your post in his blog certainly qualifies as recognition.
My point isn’t that this is acceptable behavior, or even expected behavior. My point is that in smashmouth community management, our communities are simply reflecting our wider community, and these are not issues that are going to be resolved by fixing an authentication server.
#1 by Mark Jacobs on September 8th, 2008
Amber, LMAO, okay, the bat blog gag was funny. As to running the stuff by the CMs, you’re sort of wrong but not 100%. I discussed my reaction (and I wanted their reactions) to some of what I was going to say with the key guys at Mythic before I said it. I generally just don’t go off on a big issue whether it is on the community sites or now on my blog without talking to someone first and either doing a sanity check, get feedback or just letting them know what I am going to do. Rob (co-founder) and Eugene (the lord of all pr/marketing/community/etc. and the “calm” English bloke at Mythic) act as sounding boards just about every time and have no problem telling me when I need to rethink a plan just a wee little bit.
Mark
#2 by Garthilk on September 9th, 2008
Hmm.
Where are these official forums everyone keeps talking about..
#3 by sanyaweathers on September 9th, 2008
Do not invoke my name in a context where I cannot respond. Seven years of public material under my real name (and two years of material under one of the better known MMO handles) contain material on related topics that could be cited by someone with lots of time on their hands. However, I absolutely am not going to be a material part of this particular discussion. Thank you.
#4 by Chris F on September 9th, 2008
Warning: Contains questionablly offensive adult entertainment references
Mark, obviously people aren’t arguing on the point of you blogging but mostly the reference that blog creates. Regardless if the blog is labelled ‘personal’ and devoid of branding the source is always what is considered.
When (if) you go to an adult entertainment establishment, are you really there to help some poor soul through college or for the ‘entertainment’? Regardless of what vocal exchange happens between you and the ‘entertainers’, the source is the CEO of Mythic Entertainment, not some poor misguided soul with dollar bills in his pockets ’supporting’ his ‘community’. (Although, I am sure you use twenties!)
I run a company and whatever I say to my friends and acquaintences outside the four walls of my work place when it is known what I do for a living, it always is tagged back to the company. If that company happens to be one specializing in online worlds, sharing information in an online space (where your customers reside and scour for information) it is pretty much impossible for the average person to disconnect you from the company. Moreso when the topics of your blog include the issues and announcements of the same.
All that being said more face time with the developers we support is always a good thing and I applaud you for the initiative – just don’t expect there to be the disconnect it seems you are interested in having – but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing either.
As per the “issue” of your CM I was one of those in the camp that was glad GOA came out and said what they did. While it was no doubt not a textbook CS response it held true. The reason why people are enabled to be jerkoffs in online spaces is because CS’s historically have lacked the teeth and as such not only is that type of behaviour tolerated – it is actually promoted. Since the ‘customer is always right’ regardless of how completely wrong they are we have enabled people to use their anonymous voice without consequence; we have created a breed of bottom feeders who know they can say whatever they want, to whoever they want, in any means of anonymous fashion (this also wouldn’t exist if they had to use their real names) under the blanket of security that anonymity provides. The irony of it all is that the most vocal are the ones still paying their $15 every month anyway. Of course, I didn’t touch upon how/why the issue happened in the first place, but I am certain you have already figured out how to dodge that bullet in the future.
As a disclaimer, I haven’t been to an adult entertainment establishment in 5 (years/months/days/hours) and it was to support friends who were trying to put themselves through college. Honest.
#5 by D-0ne on September 9th, 2008
At least this is productive… No really. A good thing is happening here.
#6 by PennOrTeller on September 9th, 2008
To sum:
Cumulative hours wasted by Mythic employees reading this nonsense: 5,349
Cumulative hours spent by Mythic employees not used in preparing for worldwide launch: 5,342
Cumulative hours spent by Mythic employees laughing: 7
Lessons learned: 0
Reward:
Scott’s Blog of Awesome Truthiness: +3 to more awesomeness and truthiness
#7 by Rich Weil on September 9th, 2008
I absolutely agree with this statement by Mark: “I also think that by when the GM/CEO/etc. of a company says something it does carry more weight than any CM. ”
This is fundamentally true. However, one of the principal dynamics that makes it true, especially with MMO communities, is that the CEO is not typically “out there” constantly. Typically, a CEO or Executive Producer is able to pull off the pronouncement from the mountaintop primarily because he or she is rarely heard from, and only on matters of significant importance.
This dynamic changes completely when the CEO is also essentially acting as an extremely active focus of all communications regarding the product. But the public and media know the difference between a spokesperson (whether a CM or not) and a CEO. They are treated differently for a reason. The CEO/GM that puts him or herself in that position gives up a great deal of their stature, if only from familiarity.
#8 by kazamx on September 9th, 2008
Regarding Mark and him stepping on the CM
GOA messed up and we all know it. The CMs then didn’t post anything for about 8 hours. They then pretty much told us that everything was going great and didn’t accept any sort of responsibility. Everyone on the forums were getting frustrated and angry, a few went over the line (as always happens)
Mark stepped in and defused the situation on the forums.
The next day another CM posted and set off the whole thing again. People were angry and the flame war was getting going for day two.
Again Mark stepped in and defused the situation
Yes a CM should not have to worry about the CEO stepping on them. But when the CM is making things worse either by posting or not posting, its a good thing to have someone step in and steady things. This is what Mark did and he was 100% right to do so.
Actions and results speak louder than words. The actions of Mark defused the whole situation and brought everyone (almost) back into line and everything started to be conducted in a more grown up manner. A few posts by Mark is a much much better solution than fanning the flames and having the community go to war just before launch.
As for his Blog. He is Mark the person and the CEO, when I talk about my life on my blog I talk about everything from work to kids to my pet dog. When I read Marks posts I hear what he as a person is saying about the world through his own eyes. I don’t for a moment think its all official Mythic policy.
#9 by Amber on September 9th, 2008
Damn those CM’s and the way they just willy-nilly give out information when THEY feel like giving out information. If only there were some way to control them, sort of like if you could employ them…have them work for your company…like, you could pay them, and then they could interface with the customer for you. That way you wouldn’t have 8 hours where you desperately want to update your customers but the CM’s won’t post anything because they’re all like “yo bitches, we’re CM’s and we post when we want to post, aight?” That would be so much better than the way it works now.
#10 by kazamx on September 9th, 2008
I have no real understanding of exactly how the relationship between Mythic and GOA works. I know that so far communication from within Mythic has worked really well. US players seem up to date and as problems come up the community is kept up to speed.
The problem over the last few days (some would say months) seems to have been on the GOA side of the equation and the CMs employed by GOA to keep the EU players up to speed. I have no idea why one of the two figure heads for GOA support took the day off and why the other was unable to post anything for 8 hours. I do know as anyone who deals with support that left in the dark consumers inevitably build up a head of steam that just gets worse and worse.
When for whatever reason the CMs are unable to perform and that is causing things to blow completely out of proportion, especially this close to launch something needs to be done. I can’t see any way in which the situation could have been calmed by anyone other than Mark. When the CMs fail you need someone to step in and bring people back from the brink.
#11 by Adam on September 9th, 2008
Mark,
I was just wondering if you read the blog of your former CM?
Specifically, this: http://eatingbees.brokentoys.org/2008/08/06/the-jellybeans-community-project/#more-96
#12 by DoubleD on September 9th, 2008
The death rattle before the Epic Fail? Why are these game hyped beyond imagination? I find it funny there is an unofficial blog post on war hammer from the big cheese, yet no official war hammer forums? I’m confused there.
I agree with Scott. Open beta is dog and pony show for subs. Add fanatic hype by marketing and melted servers, you get what you get.
#13 by Sheepherder on September 9th, 2008
“I have no idea why one of the two figure heads for GOA support took the day off and why the other was unable to post anything for 8 hours. I do know as anyone who deals with support that left in the dark consumers inevitably build up a head of steam that just gets worse and worse.”
The problem isn’t necessarily even that Mark intervened prior to the CM post, it’s that he stepped on someone else’s response in his official blog:
“I have read IanC’s post on the situation and I have just communicated to GOA my thoughts on it. I’ll simply say this, I do not agree with what he said, I do not support what he said and his comments were, in my opinion, way out of line.”
“Death threats are okay as long as you say it in an angry voice.”
If Mark Jacobs showed up in IanC’s office with a rack and the statement that “nobody expects the Spanish inquisition!” because of GOA’s inability to keep their authentication servers running then this argument wouldn’t exist. That being said, I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect a CM to take it from behind and enjoy it from every forum troll who has wasted a few hours trying to get a beta to run.
Am I getting carried away with the MJ + medieval implement of torture/execution analogies?
#14 by Dromedary on September 9th, 2008
“Yes a CM should not have to worry about the CEO stepping on them. But when the CM is making things worse either by posting or not posting, its a good thing to have someone step in and steady things. This is what Mark did and he was 100% right to do so.”
I disagree – as their manager he should have been getting them to do their job rather than doing it for them. In the future he just made their job (and his) that much worse.
#15 by Muckbeast on September 10th, 2008
Are there even betas at all, of any game?
From what I have seen when I was part of a closed beta, and from what I have heard from other beta testers, is that most beta feedback is ignored anyway.
The only way to MAYBE get heard is to devote your entire LIFE to the beta test. And those are the types of people a developer should NOT LISTEN TO.
The whole beta concept has been dead and ruined for at least 5-10 years now.
-Michael Hartman
Blogging about Online Gaming and Virtual Worlds:
http://www.muckbeast.com
#16 by Muckbeast on September 10th, 2008
Sorry Amber, but Community Managers are the bottom of the barrel. They are low level employees who are paid to trot out whatever they are told to trot out.
Mark Jacobs, love him, hate him, or something in between, has more than earned the right to talk about games – especially his own. His comments have a lot more value and are a lot more interesting than the PR vetted drivel some worthless CM spews on a forum.
And the lack of official forums means anything the CMs do will be crap anyway.
-Michael Hartman
Blogging about Online Gaming and Virtual Worlds:
http://www.muckbeast.com
#17 by Muckbeast on September 10th, 2008
DoubleD says:
> I find it funny there is an unofficial blog post on war
> hammer from the big cheese, yet no official war hammer
> forums? I’m confused there.
Good point. No game, or company, has any right to complain about ANYTHING “information” related when they don’t even have official forums.
That is one of the most laughably horrible decisions ever. It was a disaster for DAoC. It was a disaster for Tabula Rasa. Why repeat it with WAR? *boggle*
#18 by Jeremy Dalberg on September 10th, 2008
Dromedary, Mark is not IainC’s manager. They’re not even in the same company. Even if he were, there are three layers of management between a front-line CM and the studio manager.
#19 by Jason on September 10th, 2008
Channel Massive would like to officially welcome Mark Jacobs to the blog-o-sphere.
Now run! Run as fast as those tree trunks can carry you.
Jason (resident drunken idiot of Channel Massive)
#20 by Dromedary on September 10th, 2008
Jeremy, thanks for the clarification – although I don’t know the actual hierarchy I assumed the CM’s are not direct reports to Mark. Please abstract “manager” to management.
I still don’t understand that if the CM is not doing their job properly, why doesn’t management get on the horn to the CM and their manager to correct the situation through them, rather than around them?
#21 by Abalieno on September 11th, 2008
However, just as with DAoC, once the game goes LIVE, I’ll slowly disengage and go back to merely reading the forums and occasional comments but leaving the vast majority of the heavy lifting to Bob and crew.
Why so?
#22 by Jeromai on September 11th, 2008
Ah, the wheels of bureaucracy and corporations turning in upon themselves to protect each other and their precious departments are so amusing to read about. GOA screwed up. Their CSM made it worse. He stuck his foot in his mouth and lumped all his potential customers as borderline sociopaths in an -official- statement when that kind of opinion is much more forgivable on a personal blog post site.
Mark Jacobs cut through the red tape, shared his personal opinion and said he thought it was out of line, echoing most of what sane people think too. That tells the average consumer that there’s a legitimate human being near the helm of Mythic and builds up stock and trust.
So it was at the cost of hanging out GOA’s CSM to dry. So what? He got himself into trouble in the first place. He needs to come out, apologize, and commit harakiri like a man.
By defending the right of CS and CM departments to close ranks among themselves and try to smooth things over by going “Oh, no one’s really at fault or to blame,” that’s just defending instutionalized processes that don’t actually make things better. Too often, we try and preserve company hierarchies and systems that don’t actually work out of respect for the traditional “it’s always been done this way.”
Forget that. Do whatever works.
Do you really need a community management or PR dept if they’re not doing their jobs properly? Apparently not, if Mark Jacobs can do it better. Better to replace them with people who can actually help the solution than create more problems.
#23 by UnSub on September 12th, 2008
“Forget that. Do whatever works.”
… which is apparently the CEO of one company publicly chastising the workers of another company in another region for what they are doing with a central product.
Does IainC get right of reply? Can he blog about getting that phone call from Mark? Can he report the entire story? Probably not, if he wants to keep his job.
The point of CMs is to manage the community, which includes stuff like this, If Jacobs is going to blog a response every time something happens, being a CM is going to suck even more than it usually can because you will be left with no power. One minute you are reporting what you’ve been told by your management, the next Jacob’s has a blog post up that emasculates your entire role. Good luck in that job.
And again: WAR has no official forums. But apparently blogs are a great way to “listen” to the community. *boggle*
#24 by Rhoklaw on September 13th, 2008
So much to comment on, I don’t know where to begin. I suppose I’ll start with GOA screwing up and someone saying EA could have been a better choice. To be honest, EA doesn’t exactly have an exemplary track record with MMOs. In fact, I cringed quite a bit when I heard Mythic joined up with them. I for one love Mythic, especially their community managers for how well they handled a majority of DAoC’s issues. I mean, how many gaming companies admit to their mistakes and make classic servers?
Anyhow, EA on the other hand is not a great company. Yes, they have the financial backing to help Mythic, but their customer service is one of the worst. In fact, it’s probably worse than SOE’s. Speaking from experience, I pre-ordered 2 Collector’s Editions of Warhammer back in July 18th. I never received my open beta codes, despite sending them 3-4 emails. They insisted my order was taken care of and that beta codes ship 7-10 days after order is placed. Well, they never got emailed to me and I know I’m only one of a slew of EA customers who got that shaft.
Than we have my Fed Ex delivery of my 2 games becoming pointless because my order still shows a status of Submitted, instead of Shipped. Forgive me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t CE headstart begin on Sunday? Well, Fed Ex doesn’t deliver on Sundays and I sincerely doubt EA has shipped my order.
It doesn’t really matter anyway, since I’m flying out to Ft. Bragg for EFMB competition. So I will miss the first 2 weeks of WAR. I’m still going to give EA a bunch of crap for tainting Mythic’s good reputation, which I give them credit for simply because of Sanya Thomas and the developers. Not to mention their continuing approach of honesty about the game. Funcom should learn a thing or two from Mythic about community management, lol.