I rather enjoyed Out of the Game‘s fifth podcast, which dealt with fandom and its effects on various franchises. The discussion seemed to have been spurred by Star Trek‘s recent reimagining, but meandered into the Matrix, Gotham City, and even a bit of 007’s territory. But what struck me most was the overwhelming influence that a rabid fanbase can wield when the object of its affection is a video game.
Video games, it seems to me, are uniquely beholden to their fan communities. The Out of the Game guys mentioned hardcore gaming fans in conjunction with Fallout 3 and perhaps a few other titles, but didn’t delve too deeply into the subject. Mostly, they discussed the expectations that arise when films develop the kind of cult following that exhibits slavish devotion to early entries in a given series. When this sort of anticipation isn’t met (or is otherwise subverted), the resultant outcry can be deafening. Unfortunately, with games, the roar of protest is magnified by the fact that fan groups often engage their chosen product on a weekly or even daily basis.
With movies, it’s a question of sights, sounds, and internal consistency. Games have to meet these very same expectations, but they also have to nail feel. The experience of play has to remain faithful, both in terms of controls and mechanics. Even a minor change (such as the deletion of a weapon wheel), can result in tremendous developer pressure from the fan community. What’s worse, this kind of coercion strikes me as particularly stifling when considered in light of game design’s high development costs, all-important profit imperative, and inherently iterative nature.
Of course, fans are also a wonderful thing in that they offer valuable, honest feedback and sometimes even provide vibrant, creative modifications. Fan communities certainly deserve to be rewarded for their devotion. And, paradoxically, sometimes the best way to keep their faith is by offering surprises in the form of potentially risky franchise alterations.
Just make sure and run it by them first.
(mashedmarket) 