You're facing community backlash over game delays. How do you regain their trust and loyalty?
In the gaming industry, delays can sometimes feel like the ultimate betrayal to a dedicated community eagerly awaiting a new title. However, unforeseen challenges and the pursuit of quality often mean developers need more time. If you find yourself in the midst of a backlash due to game delays, it's crucial to navigate the situation with transparency and empathy to regain trust and loyalty from your players.
When facing backlash, your first move should be to acknowledge the community's frustration. Understand that gamers' disappointment stems from their passion and anticipation for your product. A sincere apology without making excuses shows that you respect their feelings and are not taking their support for granted. This can begin to mend the relationship and set the stage for rebuilding trust.
-
After game delays, acknowledging your community's frustration is crucial. Their disappointment stems from their passion and investment in your project. - Be genuine and specific about the reasons for the delay. - Openly communicate the situation and the steps you're taking to resolve it. - Understand and acknowledge their feelings of disappointment. - Outline your plan to get back on track and deliver the game. By validating their frustration, you demonstrate that you value their support and are committed to making things right. This opens the door for open communication and rebuilding trust, which are vital for a thriving community.
-
Sincerity is key. Show that you understand and value them. Admit your failure and make a gesture, like offering a discount if the game will be paid or giving epic loot to them etc. If you try to simplify your failure and become arrogant, your audience will probably abandon you.
-
Facing game delays? Transparency is key! Acknowledge player frustration & prioritize the fix. Open communication - reasons, updates, feedback channels - builds trust. Celebrate milestones to keep excitement alive. Delays happen, but honesty strengthens the community's trust in the game.
-
Explain the players the reason for delays, communicate directly with them using twitter/discord channels and other social networks, offer compensations in virtual currency that doesn't cost you a thing but will keep the player satisfied.
-
Your fans just want to see progress! If you can’t provide the updates/features that they wanted on time, be sincere and tell them how far along you are. Give them updates, and keep them in the loop. Your players want content, give it to them in one form or another!
Next, it's essential to provide regular and honest updates about the game's progress. Silence can be misinterpreted as indifference, so keep your community in the loop with transparent communication. Share what's happening behind the scenes and explain the reasons for the delay in a way that shows your commitment to delivering the best possible experience.
-
Listen to feedback, and address concerns. Your most vocal players are often a minority, but they can provide a lot of comfort or discomfort to the rest of your community. Every update should serve your players and your KPIs. Every update should have a clear and communicated purpose. Don’t just play with the abacus for fun, address problems with actionable and analytical solutions.
-
Delays are common in the gaming industry, stemming from various factors such as management decisions, testing complexities, or the introduction of new features. The priority is to maintain momentum and keep stakeholders informed with regular updates. Effective communication is key to avoiding uncertainty. Providing clear, valid explanations for delays fosters accountability and preserves trust among all parties involved.
Engage with your community directly. This means being present on forums, social media, and other platforms where discussions about your game are happening. Respond to concerns, answer questions, and show that you are listening. Personal engagement can go a long way in showing that you value your community's input and are working hard to meet their expectations.
-
Every game should have social media, and you should be a part of it. People connect with people and stories, so share yours. Why do you love the game? Why are you the person that can make it better? Just as much as you should play the game, you should also advocate for the game. I’m not asking you to stream as much as Mortdog, but fight alongside your players to make your game a success!
Consider offering compensation to your community as a gesture of goodwill. This could be in the form of exclusive content, a discount on the delayed game, or other in-game rewards. While this won't fix the delay, it can soften the blow and demonstrate your appreciation for your community's patience and continued support.
-
Mistakes happen, but players deserve a fair ecosystem. Give them what they want, and if you can’t, give them something that’ll make them happy. Players satisfaction and retention are the two most important metrics to making a game a success. Don’t compromise on player happiness for a small monetary gain.
Emphasize your commitment to quality. Gamers are more likely to be forgiving if they believe the delay will result in a better game. Explain how the extra time is being used to polish features, squash bugs, or enhance gameplay. A high-quality, bug-free game at launch can often erase the memory of a delay.
-
Bugs are the number 1 cause of churn. Bugs are the number 1 cause of churn. Bugs are the number 1 cause of churn. Playtest, playtest, playtest. There is nothing worse than releasing a bad bug into your ecosystem. So try your best to have adequate QA, especially in a live service games.
-
Several games have been released with persistent bugs that detract from player satisfaction. Quality assurance must be the foremost priority before any launch. In my view, crunch periods demoralize teams and often result in rushed outcomes. Many companies share this sentiment, preferring to delay a game rather than release it prematurely. Engaging extensively with beta testers and valuing their feedback, which differs from traditional QA testing, is crucial. Incorporating their insights and swiftly devising effective solutions enhances overall game quality.
Finally, keep building anticipation for the game. Use this time to release teasers, developer diaries, or beta versions that give players a taste of what's to come. This not only keeps them engaged but also reassures them that progress is being made and that the wait will be worth it. Excitement can be a powerful tool in maintaining loyalty.
-
share screenshots from work-in-progress and promote active communities to help and contribute ideas to your game, so for example if you're about to feature a new character in the game, create a poll that asks the players whether it's gonna be a cat, a warrior or just a bottle with a happy face :)
Rate this article
More relevant reading
-
Game DesignHow can you design a game ending that leaves players feeling satisfied?
-
ProgrammingHow can you ensure your game is both fun and fair for all players?
-
Online GamingWhat are the best practices for designing gacha games that balance player satisfaction and monetization?
-
Game DevelopmentHow can you incorporate tension and suspense in mobile game design?