Well first off, it's not JUST a creative process. It's also decisionmaking keeping the business in mind. Pulling the fans along with all that really boosts anticipation for the game. But concerning the real subject here (the creative process).PingoBlack said:Erm? In a creative process you ask?Whateveralot said:Resorting to Facebook was a very smart move. All companies strive for optimal customer satisfaction. The best way to do this is by finding out what customers want. Market research is getting outdated and the new way to go is through social media. It's all done so YOU get what YOU want. They're actually listening to you now; what's so bad about that?
I think BioWare did much better when they did what they well pleased. Listening to fans never produced good products.
We can state that they had to make a choice for FemShep eventually. They had the options there, they could make a poll during a board meeting and settle the matter. By that point, when all the options are set, the creative process is already (mostly) over. Now what they'll have to do is implement this into the game itself, which is no different now then it would be if they kept this inside the company.
That doesn't mean it's ALWAYS a good idea to listen to your fans. You do have a good point there; fans should not mess with the company's creative processes. However, in this example, I don't think it's a creative process they're doing. It's a poll, all the options are laid out; it doesn't get less creative.