Today’s entry in Smile Week is a bit of compare and contrast. As MMO gamers we’re a bit of a fortunate bunch when it comes to developers and publishers. We’re looked after, listened to and cared for much more than our single-player brethren. What do I mean? Let me show you.
A single player game is revealed, marketed and released to aim for a particular point in time – the point in the year when the game is likely to sell at it’s best. They’re looking to make sure that there’s scarce competition from other similar games for a few months either side. Plus, marketeers want to make sure we’re likely to have money to buy the game or get someone to buy it for us.
The hype for a single player game all tends to be one way. A developer might release some artwork or a gameplay video, or hold an interview with a journalist or blogger. These are all great in sharing the vision of the game and the direction they’re headed, but there’s little room for the fans to give feedback on what they see.