5 myths in gaming dispelled by your friend Ahri
5 myths in gaming dispelled by your friend Ahri
YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT GAMING COMPANIES DO TO GET YOUR MONEY, READ BELOW TO LEARN MORE!!!
IMPORTANT:
This piece is an updated version of an article I wrote back in 2017. Due to that, please keep in mind that most examples were from that year, but are still relevant today.
Over the course of 10 years, I have had the opportunity to work in various gaming companies such as Bandai Namco, Yoozoo/Bigpoint, Huawei, and Ubisoft.
Throughout my career, I have held different roles including Comms/PR, Events, Marketing, Operations, and Esports.
I am an avid gamer who enjoys playing a wide range of games across multiple platforms.
Back in 2017, I read an article (that is not available anymore, unfortunately) named “PR are not your friends and they will lie to your face" by a journalist/influencer, and all the associated tweets, subtweets, and answers. Through that, I identified five recurring points/myths that people imagine, and put them down in an article very cleverly named “Hi, I’m a PR person, let’s be friends”:
PRs and companies are constantly deceptive.
If a game is listed on X platform, it must unquestionably be true.
Companies detest leaks because they intend to deceive their fans.
Everything is meticulously planned months in advance.
Plans never deviate from the initial strategy.
To avoid the perpetuation of these preconceived notions, I have decided to provide insights from the other side of the curtain.
Myth #1: "PRs and companies are constantly deceptive.”
To address this, we can employ basic logical reasoning. Lying and concealing information may be a marginally acceptable strategy in the short term, but most gaming companies have a long-term vision. They aim to generate profits over an extended period, grow their brand, and foster a dedicated community. To achieve all these objectives, the solution lies in transparency, innovation, creativity, and the development of quality games that cater to the audience's preferences.
We currently live in an era where social networks hold immense influence. Why would any rational individual resort to lying for the sake of a short-lived victory? You might argue, "But X company lied in the past!" It is indeed true, but the majority of publishers have rectified their practices. Such mistakes can cost millions in the stock market and damage brand equity and perception.
Regarding this myth, it is true that company often say, "I cannot provide details at this time, but stay tuned for more information soon" or "I cannot comment on this matter currently, but in the meantime, we have X." They genuinely mean it! Publishers are highly cognizant of their gamers' expectations and understand that every sentence, hint, video, screenshot, and investor relations report undergoes intense scrutiny.
Do you think Nintendo was unaware of players' desire for a new Metroid? Do you think Microsoft was oblivious to its fan base's yearning for OG Xbox backward compatibility? Do you believe Sony Interactive Entertainment is unaware of the demand for cross-platform play? They are fully aware.
However, internal processes within a company take time. Disappointing the audience is something they strive to avoid (Nintendo can surely attest to this with Metroid Federation Force, and Ubisoft with Watch Dogs). Given that every decision carries substantial financial implications and that game development has become increasingly complex, announcements are made only when everything is 100% confirmed and finalized. Even when everything seems locked down, unexpected changes can occur due to various reasons, including:
Investors or top managers seeking to meet financial objectives or balance revenues across fiscal years.
Key performance indicators (KPIs) indicating favorable or unfavorable trends (e.g., D1/Pre-order numbers, average active players, DAU/MAU etc.).
Development challenges surpassing initial expectations.
Build malfunctions or technical issues.
Insufficient assets available to showcase the game.
Fan and press sentiment.
Influence of licensors who can control or alter release dates.
Marketing or development agreements.
Internal politics and disagreements between departments, entities, or territories.
Actions taken by competitors.
Real-life incidents such as terrorist attacks, etc.
Myth #2: “If a game is listed on X platform, it must unquestionably be true.”
When it comes down to handling assets, you have several ways of doing things:
In-house FTP
In-house newsroom
Agency handling assets through a press site/newsroom
Others
Those tools are usually built in a way to make the UX enjoyable and efficient. (ie press/influencers won’t spend 10 minutes to find your logo). I will speak about my experience when the site is handled by an agency:
When you want to create a new folder prior to an announcement:
Prepare a solid, effective, factsheet with all relevant information
Platforms
Release Date
Languages
etc
Name your assets properly (avoid the “Trailer E3 2017 pleaserevise v6_BR_Approvalv9”)
Upload the assets with a password on a secured FTP
You are the only one who has the password
2 hours before the embargo (approximately, depending on the number of assets/games/workload etc), you give the password to the agency so they start processing all the content
Embargo lifts, the press site is updated, and the press release is sent
Enjoy the fans’ awesome reactions - or the absolute shitshow unraveling
Every step in this process is crucial. In the case of Ultra Moon/Sun for Switch, either there was an issue with the factsheet or the agency/PR mistakenly checked the wrong box when creating the folder. This resulted in numerous discussions on social networks, raised a lot of expectations, and ultimately led to disappointment.
Even if they release US/UM for Switch, I will still regard my statement as true and continue to support my point.
[NOTE in 2023: I was correct; it was indeed a mistake.]
Myth #3: Companies detest leaks because they intend to deceive their fans.
As someone who worked in Communications and is a gamer, leaks greatly annoy me. It's not just because I had to handle the aftermath; the worst part about leaks is the cascade of problems they create:
Developers, artists, and programmers invest countless hours, days, weeks, months, and even years into working on a game or announcement. They sacrifice time with their families and endure intense crunch periods. So why would anyone strip them of the honor of unveiling their creation? It has a tremendous impact on their morale.
Leaking a game without accurate context or information leads to distorted expectations. Look at what happened with the Rabbids x Mario collaboration. People prematurely criticized and dismissed the game before it was even revealed. This not only jeopardizes the trust placed in you but may also result in job losses. In the case of Ubisoft, who has already faced challenges with Vivendi and their Sword of Damocles, leaks can have far-reaching consequences. Share prices can be affected, potentially shaping the future of thousands of employees. While I may be slightly exaggerating, the stakes involved are significant.
Releasing early Game Design Documents through leaks is ill-advised. Games evolve and undergo changes during development, gaining new features while shedding others.
Leaks can disrupt deals between studios, publishers, and first-party partners. A leak can break a contract, causing funds to vanish and payments to be delayed, and ultimately endangering the existence of a game.
These concerns apply not only to AA/AAA developers and publishers but also to indie developers. In fact, indie developers often find themselves in life-or-death situations due to leaks.
After discussing this with a friend, I was presented with one potential upside to leaks: the ability to adjust communication based on the reactions they generate. However, I remain skeptical since a company should always be prepared for different scenarios regardless.
TL; DR: Game leaks create distorted expectations. In the age of social networks, information spreads rapidly and can be easily distorted. Consequently, communication cycles become shorter, and new direct ways of engaging with fans emerge.
[NOTE in 2023: the above is even more true nowadays, with “gaming insiders” popping left and right, and Covid having made things much, much more complicated in terms of game dev.]
Myth #4: “Everything is meticulously planned months in advance.”
No, there are instances where trailers and builds are not ready until 3 AM on the day of the event or reveal.
This does not indicate a lack of professionalism or any negative connotation. It simply demonstrates that everyone involved is busy and working diligently to ensure the fans are satisfied and excited about the game without feeling coerced into buying it.
We must remember that creating assets requires a significant amount of time, money, and consideration of various factors:
What content do we have available?
What has been revealed thus far, and what are we planning to reveal?
Where are we in terms of our communication campaign?
How are our competitors approaching their marketing efforts?
What is our unique positioning in the market?
What feedback did we receive from earlier assets or games?
What are the expectations of our consumers?
Additionally, it's possible for a game to be pulled out of an event just a day before it takes place.
Source: all of the above happened to me lol.
Myth #5: "Plans never deviate from the initial strategy.”
Plans undergo frequent changes for various reasons, as mentioned earlier. Trailers are rescheduled, content is altered, and release dates are postponed. That's just how it goes.
One day, a company may announce that a certain game will not have any DLC, but three months later, they might reveal that there will indeed be a paid DLC. Similarly, a company might state a specific release date for a game, only to announce two delays later on. Why does this happen?
Well, things change. There are yearly goals to achieve, KPIs, potential business opportunities, the desire to explore new ideas, listening to feedback, extending the lifespan of a game, and more.
Alternatively, it could simply be a case of someone speaking prematurely or without aligning with all the teams and the overall strategy of the company. [NOTE in 2023: you’d be surprised by how often this happens in both web2 or web3]
Is it a lie? Not at all. It's just how a company operates.
To delve into this further, let's consider the removal of content. Adhering to a street date is crucial to meet yearly goals, but sometimes the development team requires more time than anticipated. Certain companies cannot afford to delay a game, which presents a difficult choice for the developers:
How should we proceed?
Which feature should be scaled back?
How do we explain this to the fans?
What was the feedback from fans regarding the features revealed so far?
Should the development team continue working on the scaled-back content and offer it as a non/paid DLC?
If we consider a DLC, what are the game's sales numbers like?
And so on.
Companies strive to work as a team to deliver a product. These teams make decisions based on a mix of known and lesser-known facts. Over the course of the process, some of those lesser-known facts are either confirmed or disproven, resulting in a difference between the original plan and the current state of affairs.
Gaming companies have acquired a negative reputation due to unfortunate events in the past or instances of mishandling. It is true that PR, communications, and marketing often bear the responsibility of delivering unpleasant news (which is decided by others, by the way).
Given the business model of many online platforms and the passion within the media industry, they must put extra effort into controlling messaging and managing expectations, as clickbait seems to be gaining prominence.
IMPORTANT: It's important to note that not all journalists or YouTubers are the same, but the trend seems to lean towards clickbait.
If a game appears to have flaws, all stakeholders express their concerns during meetings. Stakeholders provide feedback to development teams, saying, "Hey, this might not come across well." Employees in gaming companies are a group of passionate individuals working hard to bring joy to fellow gamers. They do not gather with other employees weekly to plot lies—or maybe I wasn't invited?
I'm not claiming that we are flawless, far from it. However, perpetuating the "us vs. them" narrative serves no purpose.
As I often say, "At the end of the day, it's just gaming. We're not performing open-heart surgeries."