The zombie MMO H1Z1 is being developed by Sony Online Entertainment in constant contact with the fans. However, not everyone at SOE handles this as casually as President John Smedley.
A report from the Baltimore Sun introduces SOE’s new concept of involving fans early in the game’s development. As early as April, the head of the studio, John Smedley, addressed fans with a lengthy post on the popular forum reddit to present this new approach of continuous exchange. By now, there is a subreddit only for H1Z1, where developers regularly make appearances.
Even the leading employees at SOE were quickly thrown into the deep end. They avidly read forum threads on reddit and participated in the discussions. But that was just the first step. Soon it was said to developer Jimmy Whisenhunt: Get in front of the camera, you’re doing a live stream now. The first broadcast of H1Z1 turned into a live demo. “I don’t know where this will go, to be honest,” Whisenhunt said at the time. Users saw the game and commented. Reddit was buzzing, and the devs have since been in constant contact with the fans. In a series of developer blogs, individual employees present themselves and their current work in detail.
According to Smedley, this type of interactivity could revolutionize game design. Although he admits that it was a shift for the team. For developers used to working in silence and presenting their game only when it is finished, this openness can also be exhausting. Smedley said, according to the Baltimore Sun: “I would say everyone carries the concept with them. But to varying degrees. Not everyone feels comfortable with a live stream on Twitch.”
The downsides of openness
Mein MMO thinks: In recent weeks, the model of openness that Smedley represents with SOE and which is praised in the presented article has also shown some weaknesses. Because when fans continuously participate in the development of the game, developers make themselves vulnerable and exposed. They cannot, like Blizzard or others, merely murmur a “When it’s done” and pacify players after promising transparency and continuous exchange.
The fans, who have been spoiled with information from the daily life of game development, have recently experienced a bit of withdrawal because the progress of H1Z1 has apparently fallen behind schedule.
However, there is hope that by the end of the week, with SOE Live, new information about H1Z1 will arrive. Especially the release date for early access is eagerly awaited.
In postings on his personal blog, John Smedley repeatedly clarifies how important constant contact with fans is to him. However, one of the insights from the last few weeks is that it is much more enjoyable to engage with fans when you can also provide them with the information they demand. Instead of a “Soon”.
