“As a community manager who lives in the media or social media world every day, I think the social culture of video games is moving in a more negative direction as technology and social media continues to grow,” said Olin in an interview with NowGamer, explaining that, “Too many developers who try new things are getting burned by 'pundits' and angry entitled fans who look to be contrarian, sometimes simply for the sake of being contrarian.”

Treyarch certainly knows a lot about 'angry, entitled fans.' In recent months, Olin and his team have been bombarded by 'angry' Black Ops who feel 'entitled' to play a game that isn't plagued by bugs and glitches upon release. To date, Black Ops continues to be a work in progress, and that has done little to fan the flames of internet rage.

“If there’s one thing the COD community is familiar with, it’s voicing their opinions. It’s the biggest, most vocal gaming community out there. This relationship with the fans is critically important, and something we value a great deal. It’s important not to have a knee-jerk reaction to feedback, though,” acknowledged Olin.

True, it's frustrating for developers to pour their heart and soul into a project only to have it nitpicked to death by a fickle gaming public, but it's also frustrating for gamers with legitimate complaints who feel as though their concerns aren't being heard. Is there room for a middle ground, or are we doomed to keep drowning ourselves out?

[Source: NowGamer]

Feb 2, 2011