It\u2019s any publisher\u2019s nightmare \u2013 you\u2019ve launched or announced the latest in your big franchise and your fans are angry and disappointed. What should you do?<\/b>
\nIt\u2019s any game publisher\u2019s worst nightmare \u2014 you\u2019ve announced or launched the latest version of your big franchise, and instead of widespread acclaim, your biggest fans are angry and disappointed. What should you do?
This is the challenge for Bethesda after Fallout 76 debuted to terrible player feedback, followed by harsh criticism for shipping its $200 Special Edition Power Armor Helmet with a plastic bag instead of the advertised canvas bag. Blizzard is also in hot water after announcing to a gathering of (mostly PC) fans at BlizzCon that the next iteration of the Diablo franchise would be exclusive to mobile \u2014 a premise so disappointing to the crowd that one fan asked if the announcement was a mistimed April Fool\u2019s joke.
Both these unfortunate events risk not only harming sales of these new games but also damaging the long-term viability of the core franchise. Escaping this fate will take decisive action.
During my three decades in the games industry, I\u2019ve had to face a number of crises \u2014 everything from the Xbox 360 \u201cred ring of death\u201d to having President Clinton hold a press conference and single out one of my advertising campaigns for condemnation (for Namco\u2019s Point Blank). While CEO of Square Enix America from 2010 to 2013, we faced a critical situation after the launch of Final Fantasy XIV. How we addressed the situation provides some examples of how to respond when a big franchise game disappoints fans.
Final Fantasy XIV launched on PC September 2010 to almost universal negative reviews. The Metacritic review stands at 49, which was unthinkable for a franchise that regularly scores in the high 80\u2019s to low 90\u2019s. Realizing the risk to the franchise that defined the company, Square Enix responded with a number of drastic measures, including:
Here are some of the lessons we learned:
Fans have come to expect a certain standard of quality and experience from your game. They preordered or bought it at launch because of the reputation of the franchise, only to have been let down. This is not a problem that a PR agency, marketing person, or community manager can fix. Problems need to be addressed directly to the fans by either the CEO or the top creator in charge of the game. Relying on lower-level people is likely to do more harm than good.
EA added insult to injury when the community team responded to criticism for locking popular characters in Star Wars: Battlefront with the excuse that they wanted to \u201ccreate a sense of pride and accomplishment\u201d for their fans, which created a meme that will haunt the franchise forever.
Don\u2019t take half measures or try to minimize the issue. Bethesda\u2019s modest allocation of in-game currency to fans who bought the special edition felt like a slap in the face. The Blizzard producer whose on-stage response to negative feedback was, \u201cDon\u2019t you have mobile phones?\u201d further inflamed fans. (In his defense, this all happened in real-time and was an off-the-cuff remark). What\u2019s required is a direct statement to fans \u2014 not investors \u2014 that acknowledges the problem and commits to fixing it. Then fix it.
It took over two months for Square Enix to announce its recovery plan, and during that time the criticism of fans was unrelenting. But the time was spent creating a long-term, end-to-end solution. In some cases an immediate response may be necessary, but history has shown again and again that a knee-jerk reaction can make a bad situation worse. Set up a cross-functional war-room and work until the situation gets addressed. Let fans know you are working on it and ask for their patience along with their forgiveness.
Find a way to reward the early customers who bought the game on faith. It may be unique in-game items, discounts or other special rewards or acknowledgment ( the decision to send out replacement canvas bags is a good start). Let your fans be on your side \u2013 remember, they are angry because they love your games and they want you to succeed. Forums are not all bands of angry villagers with torches, they are loyal players.
The FFXIV developers used the harsh feedback provided on outside forums as an independent source of input. This was by no means the only resource used, but it did help inform the decision-making, as did input from all the Square Enix subsidiaries around the world.
If the recovery plan will take time, be transparent and keep the communication going. Blizzard can let fans know both why the Diablo mobile game will be a good experience even for PC players, but absolutely must also provide a good roadmap for the Diablo 4 PC game that they\u2019ve been patiently waiting for. Bethesda can be up-front about what they will (and won\u2019t) do to improve the player experience in Fallout 76.
Research has shown that recovering from \u201cbrand transgressions\u201d can actually improve customer loyalty. Fan response to the Final Fantasy: Reborn was inspiring. Not only was the game itself a business success (Square Enix reported in August of this year that the game had garnered over 14 million registered users over its lifetime), but it created a positive environment that helped Final Fantasy XV launch into a friendly reception.
The recovery plan cost a fortune and took years to execute, but it delivered a positive return on investment in the end, and most important \u2013 saved the crown jewels of the Final Fantasy franchise.<\/p>\n