Fable 2 Fans Influenced Game, Still Drive Developer Mad

[Logan Frederick]

Fable 2 Fans Influenced Game, Still Drive Developer Mad

Between Peter Molyneux's vocal commentary on development and a rabid fan base, Lionhead Studios Community Manager Sam Van Tilburgh is expecting to only increase his workload when Fable 2 is launched to community criticism.

A month away from its release, the Fable 2 team has been promoting its title as much as possible, in true Molyneux style. With a Halo-inspired character [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/85516], pre-release parlor games [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/5164-Review-Fable-II-Pub-Games] and a nearly finished product, Van Tilburgh's job of managing the aftermath is about to begin.

"My crunch only gets worse," said Van Tilburgh to MTV's Patrick Klepek [http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2008/09/10/fable2-community-challenges/]. "When the game comes out, people start playing it and then everyone's got an opinion! [Lionhead] said to me when I started, if you survive your first game as a community manager, you're in it for life. Ninety-five percent of community managers don't even survive the first game."

Even if he survived the first Fable launch, the role's position as the public face of the studio puts him in place to take public punishment alongside the developers.

"You take everything personal," he explained. "I spend, in a week, 40 to 50 hours in the office with my friends, my colleagues. They spend 10, 12, 15 hours a day in the office. We shower there, we eat together, we sleep on the sofa...and then to hear people say 'This is s***! I don't like this and I don't like this!' It's hard not to take it personal. It affects you."

All the input from gamers who email Lionhead or post on the company forums is taken seriously. Some suggestions even influenced the final product. One specific example Van Tilburgh recalls is the controversial "bread crumb" directions that lead players toward the next point in the story progression.

"The bread crumb trail is a perfect example. When Peter first introduced it, everybody hated it on the team," stated Van Tilburgh Then, so many people started complaining about it that we came to the idea that we should actually lessen the effect. If you decide to not to stick to the bread crumb trail and go off the bread crumb rail, then it fades and becomes very soft."

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[babyblues]

Yup, it's tough, I know we're a hard-to-please lot.

At least they listen, though! It's good to know.

 

[Random Argument Man]

Nice, he fear the hype he's given.

 

[Conqueror Kenny]

I understand why they would take it so personally if nobody likes the game they slaved over though. But at the end of the day, we have other options, if your game is no good and nobody tells you how will you improve next time. Perhaps I should mosey on over to the Lionhead forums and get myself heard.
So long suckers!
*Drives away in barely moving Ford Model T*

 

[milomalo]

still always will be someone who wanted more...

 

[Simski]

I believe their game will be excellent, atleast they listen to the critique they get.

 

[Dectilon]

still always will be someone who wanted more...

Like Yathzee ^^ Nothing wrong with that I feel. It's pretty easy to separate the fuck-sayers from those with intelligent questions.

 

[TheBadass]

Shouldn't it just be accepted that they take in fan criticism and use it in their assesments of what needs changing? Why is this considered exceptional? I'm not complaining, but still.

 

[Random Argument Man]

Shouldn't it just be accepted that they take in fan criticism and use it in their assesments of what needs changing? Why is this considered exceptional? I'm not complaining, but still.

We do have a difference between criticism and pissed off ranting.

Imagine to have worked on something with a lot of effort. The second you show it , some wise guys insults you without cause. I think I get where he's coming from.

 

[anti_strunt]

Shouldn't it just be accepted that they take in fan criticism and use it in their assesments of what needs changing? Why is this considered exceptional? I'm not complaining, but still.

We do have a difference between criticism and pissed off ranting.

Imagine to have worked on something with a lot of effort. The second you show it , some wise guys insults you without cause. I think I get where he's coming from.

Well, much of that ranting came from the fact that they (like I believe you mentioned) hyped the game and failed to deliver. That will piss some people off, and with good reason. Granted, no developer wants to hear people call their magnum opus crap, but if half the features promised aren't actully, you know, included, they sort of have it coming.

Me, I didn't actually expect anything from Fable as I already knew Molly is full of it.
A lesson we all should've learned with B&W...

 

[Jumplion]

I guess it's like if you told your sister who loves to bake that her cookies are "shit!"

Instead of saying "these cookies are shit!" you could say "these cookies are okay" or "They're good, but something could be added" or if you really don't like them then say "eh, they're not that great" and procede to tell them what's wrong.

It's the people that say "THIS IS SHIT!!" that get on their nerves I'd assume.

 

[anti_strunt]

Instead of saying "these cookies are shit!" you could say "these cookies are okay" or "They're good, but something could be added" or if you really don't like them then say "eh, they're not that great" and procede to tell them what's wrong.

How about: "You should've added all the things you promised in the first place!"

Meh, hype is hype. Perhaps the next big thing for indie gamers will be to hype how non-hyped a game is?
Could you get any more meta-po-mo than that?

 

[Capo Taco]

He didn't slave over the game. He's a community manager: he slaved over the community. He takes all the brunt of player dissatisfaction and it's kind of unfair, because none of the issues they complain about were his fault. He was just hired to keep the community happy and healthy.

In a way he's put in the position where he's supposed to be responsible towards the players. Except, he can't really give much response, he doesn't have power over how the game is made or changed. In that sense he's a professional apologist. There's a reason most don't survive the first game and that's because it's one of the least appreciated jobs in the world.

And with good cause. Because in the end he's just there to be a listening ear to the community and be nice and keep things orderly.

But he'll never really listen that much, because he can't really listen to everybody. Instead, he'll quickly categorize the reason for their complaint and see which gets a lot of attention. Then he'll pass that on. People get annoyed because he can't really listen and he gets annoyed of being accused of not really listening. One thing he probably doesn't realize is that despite his intention to fully listen, he won't be able to and probably won't have time to realize this.

So he does a shoutout on his hard job of keeping people happy.

But you know what? If you betrayed people's trust, it's going to take a lot of listening and a lot of pro-active work to earn that trust back.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

Im very hopeful for Fable 2. This time everything they've is in, they've backed up with videos. Anyway, I still liked Fable 1 so if this is just Fable with guns and a dog, I'll be happy.

 

[the monopoly guy]

There are always people who expect more from a game. And by more, I mean if it doesn't end world hunger it is "teh suck".

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

Usually the fans are stupid, sorry it's the hard truth, there was even an escapist article about it...

BUT

there is the small majority online that does know what they are talking about, so I hope that they listen to them.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

My brother has told me the same thing. A couple of weeks before a game is due out him and most of the team barely leave the place, they sleep under their desks (when they actually sleep) and shower and eat in the office. It may sound glamourous working for a video game publisher/developer but the reality can be a bit jarring.

That said they did spend a whole day drinking beer, playing games and getting paid for it so it's not all bad.

 

[DannyDeparted]

Must be hard for Peter Molyneux. What's considered his greatest failing is how excited he gets over the games he works on. He gets too passionate, starts ranting and raving about the brilliance of said game and then takes all the flack when developers can't match his stary eyed vision of grandeur.

I think the gamers influencing a game too much is a dangerous concept but some imput can be productive. It's kinda like when your parents bring you along to pick your christmas presents. You dont get anything too disapointing but it saps a lot of the magic out of christmas morning.

 

[Corven]

Maybe developers should start taking the blizzard approach to game hype, just announce what it is your making then don't release info on it until you've confirmed it will be in the game.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

It means they're plugged into their consumer base, which is good. My prayers go with them.

Maybe they should get Peter to shut the F**k up though and save themselves alot of trouble.