He's not a community manager. Previously were an online rep maybe, but by the time D3 shipped he was a customer support rep. I'd guess Linkedin just isn't up-to-date.
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Blizzard's Community Manager: WE ROLL WHILE YOU B*TCHES HATE (also: fecal matter)
- Thread starter sazzy
- Start date
He's not a community manager. Previously were an online rep maybe, but by the time D3 shipped he was a customer support rep. I'd guess Linkedin just isn't up-to-date.
Regardless of his position, it's still in customer service and he shouldn't be anti-consumer.
I think this is a pretty fair assessment of the situation. I feel the same with Jay Wilson's comment for the most part, the guy has been part of some pretty good games. He said something dumb on what was supposed to be a private Facebook conversation (at least I think it was) and react like they've never taken criticism badly in their lives.
I'm not making excuses for either Wilson or this CM, but I think it is pretty clear that people are over-reacting to this as well.
Delusibeta
Banned
Well, this is a textbook example of how not to handle a PR blunder. Seriously now, Diablo 3 has proven unpopular, getting butthurt and insulting people when someone says they would do things differently is precisely the wrong reaction to have.
Team Filler
Member
So it's actually the communities fault that Blizzard employees are, lately, acting like complete assholes in social media.
That's Bashiok's job as a CM, he doesn't deserve kudos for posting on a message board, even ones as shitty as the bnet forums. Almost every development team these days has various forms of interacting with their playerbase through community managers, dev-run blogs, and actual back and forth discussions with actual developers in official and, sometimes, fan forums.
So, once again, nothing special is mentioned here apart from 1.04 supposedly patching the fun into Diablo 3.
Read my previous comment. Developers communicating with their playerbase is neither new nor special. It is true that Blizzard goes the extra mile by holding fan conventions with all sorts of neat stuff to do, but again they are not the first nor only company to do such a thing. The only reason it seems special to you, I'm assuming, is because you pay more attention to Blizzard than you do most other developers. It's a bubble that Blizzard fans commonly find themselves in, and I won't begrudge you the naivety of it.
I see two ways out of this tunnel.
One is realizing, recognizing and accepting that the developers of Blizzards are not demigods, or not even the peaks of the human existence - they are capable of failing and yes, they say FUCK YOU when someone pokes at them just as much. Especially if they think it is a private facebook conversation, not a public one, but hey. Yes, they swear, they make mistakes, but their goal is to improve the product they are making. And that is more important to me, personally. Might not be for others.
The other way is to close off all non-professional communication channels to all staff and only allow them to express themselves through the official chnanels. Which would be a sad development, maintaining a social prison because they and their community are both not ready for a natural social engagement yet.
Which way do we go?
Nobody is expecting these developers to be saints, but they are asked to be appropriately professional, or failing that, at least respectful, towards those with which they engage.
You were right to say there are, "two ways out of this tunnel," though. One way is that everybody puts on their big boy or big girl pants and acts like adults instead of petulant children. The other, and unfortunately more likely, is that sycophants and developers alike continue their disgusting circle-jerk while choosing to be oblivious to the rest of the world looking down on them, aghast at what is displayed.
PaleFolklore
Member
"make scathing comments about another game"
What? I don't understand how anyone could think what he said was scathing. What an absolute disaster. I'm starting to question whether the Blizzard I loved when I was younger will ever come back. Seems unlikely.
What? I don't understand how anyone could think what he said was scathing. What an absolute disaster. I'm starting to question whether the Blizzard I loved when I was younger will ever come back. Seems unlikely.
some surprisingly salty ass humans.
whalleywhat
Member
Everything Blizzard touches is purest gaming perfection. And you'd better not say otherwise.
I never really understand GAF's "I want their heads!" reactions. It's mostly just funny to watch grown adults act this petty and childish.
I never really understand GAF's "I want their heads!" reactions. It's mostly just funny to watch grown adults act this petty and childish.
Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew
Banned
He was on GAF's payroll. You didn't know that?
He's not getting fired. None of them are.
No, it's not, the same games with a different name wouldn't be regarded the same way.
Shalashaska161
Member
The real lesson here is to never say anything insulting, or even remotely important on social media services, because you never know what will come back to haunt you.
It's kinda funny watching this though. People on both sides need to take a step back for a minute and realize that this is all over a videogame.
It's kinda funny watching this though. People on both sides need to take a step back for a minute and realize that this is all over a videogame.
whalleywhat
Member
Sarcasm. I agree with you.
LAUGHTREY
Modesty becomes a woman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHz2ky-jng8
Watching this video is like, it seems to be the undertone even with the upper management that: "We used to be about the games...sigh...wish we still were." I know it's a retrospective video, but the phrasing and tone is so subtle, especially from Adham that it looks like they're going through a rough patch and the good days are behind them. Maybe it's just nostalgia, who knows.
I don't really care what anyone says this way or that, since the merger it's slowly changing. WoW is processed methodical formulaic poop now and D3 obviously should've been held back another few months to add some semblance of an end game.
On the other hand though, there are some people that really are keeping the hope alive there. Greg Street gets more shit in a day than anyone deserves, and he just keeps on truckin with a smile and does his best, it's a thankless job and any hiccup is fixed while the community just shits on him for even making a mistake in the first place.
Metzen is also doing really well with the books, IIRC the Warcraft books that get released are for the most part acclaimed. He doesn't write them I don't think, but he's in charge of the lore and keeping everything in check, it's all as good as it ever was.
Sorry, I thought you were being serious
TheContact
Member
one man speaks the truth and a bunch of blizzard employees need some pacifiers. I love how they preach how much they love constructive criticism yet can't really take it from another developer
RPGCrazied
Member
Lol, busted. Don't mess with detective GAF! Anyway, why is blizzard acting like 12 year old girls over this? Geeze, be more professional.
Anyway, why is blizzard acting like 12 year old girls over this? Geeze, be more professional.Does Kotick get a full set of armour?
well, not that I care, but although the image is anappropriate just consider a facebook post from one your girl's ex-boyfriend saying she seems less happy now because, you know, sex was better with him back in the days and he knew how to cook that very special sauce... so calling the guy for being out of the loop and minding his business is reasonnable. Going batshit insane and having your friends praise your sexyness does show something is wrong somewhere.
Brevik is not just another developer. He is one of the original creators of the franchise so he knew very well the reach that his comments would have and how they would be used to fuel the critics. He is free to comment on the game off course, but he knew what those comments would result in. Jay's reaction is something everyone would have, every single one of us, but in private. He just went ballistic in the internet. That served only to escalate the issue and now this ex-CM will just make this snowball even more.
LAUGHTREY
Modesty becomes a woman
You think so? You don't think maybe some people would be apt to listen to the guy that made the successful Diablo instead of berate him?
We'll see.
BananaBomb
Member
I have to disagree with your point on Metzen. He's fucking terrible now. sc2 makes me want to cry with its banality.
Listen? In what way? "Oh, he made a good point by saying that it shows why Diablo III sucks - apparently it does -, it was because our whole team is simply not fit for the job we have been doing in the past 5+ years. Pack it up guys, He Hath Spoken!"
There are things to listen to, and there are thing to not. That interview was the latter. And they keep listening to constructive criticism.
Dude is contemplating the past with rose tinted glasses...but truth is the new school could show more respect to the old geezer, even though his attitude is nasty.
There must be a lot of emotions here that we don't know about in detail. The "old geezer"'s studio was making Diablo 3 and got disbanded perhaps because Vivendi did not like the direction where it's going. Then they handed the franchise to a new bunch of guys with experience in other genres, that can't feel good for a creator of the franchise...
I don't blame him at all for feeling vindicated after seeing that D3 turned out to be worse than its predecessors, especially since he expressed this with honesty and politeness.
dragonelite
Member
This and games community making such a commotion over this.
Its a wonder devs even dare to speak to the public.
patch 1.04 looks awesome yeah i want to torture myself with grinding.
So you either now out gear inferno acts or out level inferno acts.
And the increase of rare drops is also nice so instead of 5 rare you can get 20 if im not mistaken. Should make farming a lot nicer and out gearing a lot easier.
LAUGHTREY
Modesty becomes a woman
As opposed to "Let's have this guy in charge, he obviously knows what he's doing! Good PR too!"
I think the general consensus is that D3 sold on the shoulders of D2, we'll never know for sure if the game would've sold as well on it's own I guess, but maybe the idea that something isn't working with the people making D3 (and probably the expansions) now aren't the best people they could have working on it.
Math doesn't work that way. You just have a greater chance to get a magical item from trash mobs. It will increase the amount of drops, but probably in a very subtle way.
dragonelite
Member
More drops im not complaining.
The original team Diablo 3 development resulted on the disbanding of that team and Blizzard North demise. In the initial state of development it was planned to be an MMO even. Sure it was really early in the process and those plans could change while in the dev process but can you imagine what these people that are criticizing the Diablo 3 that we currently have would say if that happened? It would be a massacre. It's still too early to make a final judgment on Diablo 3.
Math works exactly that way. If you got 200 whites, 20 blues and 5 rares out of 1000 normal mobs in Inferno before, you will get 125 whites, 80 blues and 20 rares out of 1000 normal mobs after 1.0.4.
Ravensmash
Member
Am I the only one who feels like this whole incident is just silly, and has been typically blown out of proportion?
So what if a few developers stood up for their game and made a remark (an indirect one on a facebook no less) towards an ex-employee. Not saying that it was the right way to go about it, certainly not on a publicly visible facebook - but good for them for standing behind their game. The only real mistake they've made is making that post visible to everyone, but I certainly don't think it warrants hate towards Blizzard.
And I think this latest thing is pretty poor too, but considering how hostile the gaming community can be (lets not deny it, developers/publishers are harassed or threatened with a boycott for every wrong step or remark they make) I'm not surprised if someone acted out in the heat of the moment.
So what if a few developers stood up for their game and made a remark (an indirect one on a facebook no less) towards an ex-employee. Not saying that it was the right way to go about it, certainly not on a publicly visible facebook - but good for them for standing behind their game. The only real mistake they've made is making that post visible to everyone, but I certainly don't think it warrants hate towards Blizzard.
And I think this latest thing is pretty poor too, but considering how hostile the gaming community can be (lets not deny it, developers/publishers are harassed or threatened with a boycott for every wrong step or remark they make) I'm not surprised if someone acted out in the heat of the moment.
LAUGHTREY
Modesty becomes a woman
Spoken like a true fanboy. Strawmen and hypothetical scenarios. Diablo 3s tail is significantly shorter thanks to the lack-luster launch. A better game at launch with people clamoring for more is what makes them the big bucks. D3 as is, is people just clamoring for simply a complete game.
Back when WoW launched the biggest complaints was not enough servers and no one could buy the game in stores, and it lasted for months. Who is looking forward to D3 patches and expansions now?
Felix Lighter
Member
Honestly, the reaction from their community has more to do with their disappointment in the game than their need to defend David Brebik. Also, I would imagine that the Blizzard devs reactions to David Brebik is more of a result of the fan reaction to Diablo 3 than Brebik's words. Brebik just added fuel to a fire that was already burning and now it's just getting out of control.
whalleywhat
Member
So Brevik is just a proxy for them venting at their fans?
I can understand what the deal is but only on the surface, since I never played diablo, but i got into the early starter edition invite and played that for the full time i got.
This feels a good article doesn't it? I don't really know since I didn't played Diablo 2 but i know generals the industry so i recall there we're a lot of hardcores who loved Diablo 2 very much.
http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Di...ls-Diablo-2-Designer-Fans-F-ck-Off-45895.html
This feels a good article doesn't it? I don't really know since I didn't played Diablo 2 but i know generals the industry so i recall there we're a lot of hardcores who loved Diablo 2 very much.
http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Di...ls-Diablo-2-Designer-Fans-F-ck-Off-45895.html
