Trolls, Haters and Flame War Generals? Thank You

[More Fun To Compute]

This partly explains why game forums are often at the top of the list for google searches at least. It's funny to think that the game industry might be monitoring what I type and hanging on my every word. The things that some people do to earn a living.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Why marketers love the most savage members of the community.

Is there a page missing? It finishes very abruptly.

But be wary of trolls: "If you stare into the Abyss long enough, the Abyss stares back at you." - Nietzsche

 

[Zydrate]

Yet another pointless list classifying different types of trolls.

Nothing new here, everyone. I wonder how this even bothered to be put up.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

TROLL WAR MOUNTS!!!
Err...
Ahem.
Fascinating read, interesting perspective, quite a bit creepy. Just what you need after dinner

 

[Fensfield]

Troll tagging.

Okay, now, that's rather awesome.

Yet another pointless list classifying different types of trolls.

Nothing new here, everyone. I wonder how this even bothered to be put up.

Allow me to be the first to say - I see what you did there.

 

[MorteSphere]

You seem to think that someone with an opinion they defend == a troll.

 

[The Random One]

You forgot to say that because trolls are negative and passional and willing to see fault in anything they wish, they take away the sails of rational, negative arguments by association, [http://www.somethingawful.com/d/video-game-article/xcom-2k-fallout.php]which means games with bad concepts have a less steep slide to climb when trying to negate rational complaints regarding them.

It works both ways, of course.

 

[Neferius]

"First, I count the trolls and assign types to them. I then create a Google alert with the username and the keyword of the game. I can then follow that troll across networks to track their rants. The daily alert will track my game's reputation, exposing me to new forums, sites and networks, which allows me to identify communities that are supportive and communities that are hostile. Sure, it's a little like stalking[...]" --Actually... It's EXACTLY like Stalking.
I mean, first you're all like "Trolls are People TOO!!!" -and then you go-on to detail how you treat them like Cattle, milking Vital and Nourishing "Marketing-Information" out of them *yum* =P
In my opinion, this goes beyond mere Cynicism and Misanthropy into the Realm of down-right, Bold-Faced Hypocrisy!

...and since When are Flamers issued Military-ranks 0.Ô?

 

[carpathic]

This google alerts of which you speak is both awesome and VERY CREEPY.

I did not even know about it, but now I do.

 

[Tele-screen]

I wonder if this sort of research led to the (quite appropriate) statement of the Duke Nukem developer talked about in this article... [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/reviews/previews/8071-PAX-2010-Hands-On-Duke-Nukem-Forever]

Another interesting look into the minds of the people fueling our consumer culture. Speaking of Duke Nukem Forever, I would love JP Sherman's analysis of the marketing challenges that surely surround releasing a 12 year old, oft delayed and maligned game. That has got to be a trick, given that it could never, ever, EVER live up to the hype. Even if it is a good game, which it might be, it couldn't possibly warrant the BS that has gone down during its development.

 

[moosek]

I'm only posting here to say that the dude who writes these articles posts his likeness with them. His face and body creeps me out.

 

[Horben]

"Obsessive Techno-Trolls do a significant portion of your competitive research for you. "

Coooold-blooded!

Great article. Your work makes me distrust marketing more than ever.

 

[Scout Tactical]

Trolls, Haters and Flame War Generals? Thank You

Why marketers love the most savage members of the community.

Read Full Article

I thought the message of this post got a bit muddled and lost along the way, like the writer was trying to make a point and got off on a series of digressions. By the end... or even just the middle, the title felt deceptive.

 

[CaptainLudicrous]

This article just made me waste half an hour looking through flame warriors. Ah, good times, good times.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Example; How many people had heard of Justin Bieber before he gained hatred on the internet?

O_O

Its true! They are the most effective advertising method ever!

OT: In their efforts to be a nuinsense, they became useful. I think that is awesome.

Hey Troll, you're helping the company by saying it sucks! Now the company knows how powerful its fanbase is!

 

[kajinking]

I wonder if trolls on political forums (if you've never been to one stay the hell OUT for the love of god) are also somewhat useful to someone. Aside from that great article, it really surprised me and taught me a good deal about some of the rather inventive ways marketing teams gather data.

 

[beastrn]

JP, you have absolutely no idea what a troll is.

Some people have passionate and thought-out opinions. Other people are easily amused and care little about the subject matter. The passionate person isn't trying to incite an argument, they're trying to help people understand their stupidity and hopefully move the human race forward, including game design.

Calling someone a retard for saying Red Dead Redemption is the best game ever is not trolling. It's stating a truth.

All of your examples seem to stem from a misunderstanding of the above on your part.

 

[starrman]

JP, you have absolutely no idea what a troll is.

Some people have passionate and thought-out opinions. Other people are easily amused and care little about the subject matter. The passionate person isn't trying to incite an argument, they're trying to help people understand their stupidity and hopefully move the human race forward, including game design.

Calling someone a retard for saying Red Dead Redemption is the best game ever is not trolling. It's stating a truth.

All of your examples seem to stem from a misunderstanding of the above on your part.

Lol at the above poster (assuming this is irony).

Excellent article, I wish there were more like this on the Escapist.

 

[TheMadDoctorsCat]

We're all trolls in a way it seems.

Pish, I've been sitting underneath a bridge, waiting to eat anyone who doesn't drop a coin into my toll box, for years now.

 

[Gralian]

I wonder if i have ever been tagged. How cool would that be. Its a little like wondering if someone thinks of you while they are in the shower.


This comment was useless to you.

We have an anarchist-troll in the making!

I love these First Person Marketer articles. They're all very informative and Sherman writes in a way that makes you feel attached to what he's saying and that it's relevant to you, specifically. The one on Kinect made me think about it on a level more than just "Oh great, another stupid peripheral".

I think while you may sit there and chortle that trolls and flamers don't realise they're helping out the very thing they're hating, it's important to keep in mind that they (mostly) flame and hate for the very reason that they want that game or franchise improved. Look at all the Move / Kinect hate threads; the community is angry that they're being neglected in lieu of children, wives and families as being the focus of their beloved medium. So Microsoft and Sony have to address this by listening to why everybody is angry about Kinect and Move and say things like "yes, Move will work with Killzone 3!" or "Kinect is more than a mini-game collection peripheral; you will use it to make responses in Mass Effect 4 and look around in Call of Duty: Future Imperfect!". At the end of the day, most of these people take up arms against developers and the community because they're angry about something. Just look at the Blizzard debacle. The amount of hate received for having to post with your real life name on the forums forced the company into reverting that back into an option. Even the developers of the Final Fantasy series know that XIII wasn't quite the success they'd hoped and long-time fans are angry with the linearity of it.

So to our brave brothers in arms fighting the good fight with unorthodox tactics, i salute you.