In The Division, we discuss the implications of the latest “State of the Game”, in which the developers displayed surprising openness.
Last Thursday, many were left speechless: The developers of The Division openly and honestly stated: “Our game is not fun. We’re sorry. The community is right.” Particularly, the endgame causes frustration, bad moods, and ultimately boredom due to the questionable loot system and numerous bugs, leading many agents to move on to other games. Accordingly, the user contributions in the forums across the internet reflect this sentiment.
And now Massive acknowledged all the major problems in the latest situation report after the summer break. Without sugarcoating them. Without downplaying them. “Our game is not fun.” A bold statement.
Big Problems, Big Transparency
This is a statement from developers about their own game, which is probably unique in this form. Until now, Massive only spoke about isolated problems and assured that they were aware of them, that they were investigating them, and that a solution would be found. “We are aware of it” and “We are looking at it” were the most common phrases in the previous situation reports, which the community found amusing. Even the developers must chuckle when they say them.
Numerous problems have plagued the game since its launch. From cheats and hacks to performance issues and massive exploits, the game has had to endure it all. With the three previous updates, not only were bugs fixed, but also many new errors were introduced. It feels as if the developers are always chasing their game to somehow get it back on track.
However, they were always striving for transparency. Particularly, the community developers Hamish Bode and Yannick Banchereau were and are present in the forums and on Twitter and repeatedly provide insights into what the team is currently working on. A dedicated page was set up a few months ago, listing all current issues and exploits. But the openness and directness were taken to a new level in the latest State of the Game.
Massive – a Role Model for Community Work?
Most game developers handle problems in their games more discreetly. They are downplayed, other aspects of the game are emphasized, they are covered up with new content, and eventually, a patch arrives with the proud announcement: “We are addressing your concerns. Here is the patch.”
It is rare to hear statements like “Oh, we messed this up. Sorry, we’re working on a solution.” Admitting a mistake is not common in the industry – despite the fact that hardly any game is completely free of bugs. After all, one doesn’t want to lose face. You don’t want to appear vulnerable.
For example, Bungie was hardly interested in collaborating with the community during year one of Destiny. The lack of endgame content was downplayed. Blizzard, while known for some impressive achievements, is probably not recognized for its open community work.
Is Massive a role model in this respect? The Division had a phenomenal launch, it is published by the giant Ubisoft – the entire gaming world is watching this title, especially how it develops. Therefore, other game developers will also have noticed how openly Massive was with their player base last Thursday. And they will continue to observe how users will respond. Is this an appropriate demeanor for a developer studio? Is it well-received? Is this the concept for the future of the gaming industry? Should one interact with the community this way in 2016?
Will this livestream go down in history as the beginning of new transparency? Or should games continue to be developed behind closed doors?
The community has divided opinions about this. Some see Massive’s statements as definitive proof that the game is dead. Now even the developers themselves admit it. Many others, however, appreciate this openness. With this admission, the first step has been taken. Now we can move forward. Together, we can now look for solutions. This will bring the community and Massive closer together and promises much for the future. Such statements about their own game are what developers wish for from a community.
What comes next?
But what will happen next with The Division? We have already addressed this question and forwarded it to you, asking what measures you would take. Ideas and suggestions for solutions have also been diligently collected on reddit.
Yesterday, Hamish Bode tweeted that he spent some time on reddit and discovered “super good ideas” there. He is very curious about the future of the MMO shooter.
The Division is not dead – no. It is still alive. And in the coming weeks, Massive intends to let it shine again in all its glory. Together with the community.
